After my second child was born and my husband and I decided that we did not want anymore we had a debate on and off about birth control. In the end he got a vasectomy and that solved the problem of birth control for the most part. Until his procedure I was on the generic of Ortho Tri Cyclin for birth control and would have crazy hormone related mood swings starting about 3 days before I was on the placebo pill. I wanted off birth control so badly it took almost everything to stay on until my husband's procedure was deemed successful. I was on NuvaRing before I got pregnant with my second child and got pregnant while on it because I was a week late using it and the hormones were so low. Now that I've been completely off birth control I'm still having mood shifts. About the time of the month I ovulate I have 24 hours where I feel sick, tired, headachey. And about 3 days before my period starts I begin to have major upswings in my mood. I am definitely on a very short fuse and everything anyone does that I don't think is right I start to see red. I've learned to take a few steps back to control it but everyone just really needs to steer clear of me. Is there something I can take to control these mood swings a little more? Can I be tested in some way? I don't need the birth control for pregnancy prevention anymore but which ones do you feel help with the mood swings?
I was the same way with my moods and didnt need/want birth control, my dr gave me zoloft and wow, i felt normal and like myself everyday! i stopped taking them and it all came back, talk to your primary about it they could offer you something to take the edge off. If you want to go natural try b12 for a few weeks, my bf uses that for stress and mood, it helps.
In my case it was the hormones in the pills that caused all my problems. Best thing I did was stop taking them! It can take a little while for everything to level off after you go off hormones. The longer you were on them the longer it might take before everything settles. You're body hasn't had to make it's own hormones in a while and it's sort of guessing at this point.
I find if I up my calcium intake, eat a bit more cheese and yogurt in my case, I feel a lot better as my period approaches. It has become a huge craving for me. When I haven't had enough I get migraines on top of the grouchies sometimes.
I felt a lot better after several months of not being on anything at all. I still have months here and there that can be bad, especially if I've not been eating right, sleep deprived or generally run down in some way but they are farther apart than they once were.
I was perfectly fine on birth control for 10+ years and have had my tubes tied for 10 years now. What you describe is happening to me somewhat and I think it is age related, and reaching peri-menopause in my case. My cycles are getting farther and farther apart (basically skipping 2 or 3 months at a time) and right before I do get a period I get very irritable, I get zits, I feel bloated and crampy and crave sweets. When I was younger I never felt any of that, and my periods would always surprise me, that's why the pill was nice since it made my cycle predictable. Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a condition marked by severe depression symptoms, irritability, and tension before menstruation. These symptoms are more severe than those seen with premenstrual syndrome (PMS). You could have your doctor check you for PMDD. Good luck.
All I can say is DONT GET THE DEPO! I got it and was a raving lunatic for 4 months.
