Getting To The Root Of Your Anxiety
Does birth control cause anxiety? If you believe that your hormonal birth control is causing you to have anxiety, talk with your OB about how youre feeling. There are many types of hormonal birth controls available today, and perhaps a different one will work better for you.
University of Michigan researchers found that generally speaking, even women living with anxiety and depression might be able to successfully take birth control. Which they use, however, should be carefully selected with the guidance and help of a medical provider who can oversee and assess individual mental and physical health conditions, future goals for fertility, and preference on the type of contraception.
Although its not possible to say whether a given hormonal contraceptive will definitely cause you to have anxiety, the potential is something to be aware of. So, can birth control cause anxiety? There just hasnt been enough research completed at this point to answer for sure. Just because you hear about one persons unpleasant experience with a hormonal contraceptive doesnt mean youll have a similar experience. Work with your family doctor and therapist to determine the best course for you.
Bisma Anwar, MA, MSc, LMHC
Reviewed On: April 11, 2022
What Can You Do About Your Anxiety
Whether you think your current birth control is contributing to your anxiety, or you want to explore how to use birth control to stabilize your hormones, Pandia Health is here to help.
If you are experiencing anxiety, it is recommended that you talk to your doctor as soon as possible to discuss what your options are, and what may be causing your anxiety. Before prescribing talking therapy or medications, your doctor may suggest changing your birth control.
If your doctor is not a birth control expert, Pandia Health is here to help. Our expert birth control doctors are available to prescribe the best birth control for you and its so easy to get started.
At Pandia Health, we take pride in prescribing birth control based on several factors, including age, ethnicity, BMI, and general health including mental health.
All these factors can influence your bodys reaction to birth control, which your doctor will consider when reviewing the best options for you. With just one $25 payment a year, you can get access to our expert doctors for 364 days.
If you suspect your current prescription could be causing you anxiety, get in touch to change your birth control today!
How Are They Treated
Treatments for panic attacks and panic disorder include counselling, especially cognitive-behavioural therapy . Medicines may also help. Treatment can help most people control or even stop attacks. But symptoms can come back, especially if you stop treatment too soon.
Early treatment of panic attacks is very important. It can prevent other problems related to panic disorder. These problems include depression, anxiety disorders, and substance use problems.
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Why Do People Quit Birth Control
Aside from trying to get pregnant, some women stop taking hormonal contraception because of how it makes them feel. One of the biggest side effects and most talked about is hormonal birth controls negative effect on libido .
Another commonly cited side effect of hormonal birth control is its effect on mood, anxiety, and depression. Anxiety and depression have been shown to fluctuate when women take hormonal birth control . But its difficult to say whether those changes are due to birth control or other external factors that can impact mental health .
If youre experiencing any of these side effects, quitting hormonal birth control might provide you with relief.
What You Should Do If Youre Depressed
Depression is serious and shouldnt be taken lightly. If youre experiencing the symptoms of depression, ask your doctor for a referral to a mental health professional. Your symptoms may be relieved through therapy or antidepressant medications.
If youre in a depressive crisis or feeling suicidal, call 911, go to your local emergency room, or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK .
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How Can Birth Control Pills Help With Postpartum Depression Symptoms
Birth control may serve as a form of hormone therapy to counteract the drop in estrogen and progestin that occurs following childbirth. However, until more research is done regarding the relationship between birth control and postpartum depression, it can not be concluded that this form of treatment is more effective than others.
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Nutrient Depletions From Hormonal Contraceptives:
Most medications have an impact on nutrient absorption, utilization and requirements, and this information can be readily found online or in a Drug-Induced Nutrient Depletion handbook. It is a commonly overlooked issue, but can can cause many of the side-effects we associate with various medications, and in many causes can be quite simply corrected with supplementation. Hormonal contraceptives have one of the longest lists of nutrient depletions!
Nutrients depleted by hormonal contraceptives include :
What this means, is that over time your body may become deficient in these nutrients, especially if you may also have a poor diet, issues with absorption, or a vegetarian diet. The deficiencies do not usually show up immediately, but can become more apparent over time.
Low levels of folate can impact pregnancy, creating higher risk of neural tube defects . Low levels of Vitamin B6 and B12 have an enormous impact on mood and energy levels. Magnesium deficiency can create more anxiety, restless legs and muscle pains, and low selenium and zinc levels can predispose to hypothyroidism. Significant deficiencies in any nutrients, especially if there are more than one, can certainly cause fatigue.
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How Does Birth Control Cause Anxiety
Hormonal forms of contraception use synthetic forms of the hormones estrogen and progesterone to send signals to the reproductive system to prevent pregnancy. Both progesterone and estrogen are hormones that are known to affect mood, and fluctuations of these hormones, particularly estrogen, are found to cause anxiety.
One study performed in 2015 found that use of oral contraceptives is linked to a thinning of two areas of the brain, including the posterior cingulate cortex, which influences emotional stimuli based on our state of mind, and the orbitofrontal cortex, which influences behavior and emotion as they relate to external stimuli.
In short, the use of hormonal contraceptives can influence how people view both external circumstances and how they view and feel about themselves. In addition to the hormonal changes caused by birth control, people using hormonal forms of birth control are also more likely to experience nutrient deficiencies caused by use of the medication, which can lead to increased anxiety.
Is Your Birth Control Pill Causing Anxiety And Fatigue
Oral contraceptive use is so common that we sometimes overlook the possible impact it can have on our health and physiology. It is important to recognize some of the possible downstream effects of hormonal contraceptives, especially when dealing with issues like anxiety and fatigue. This also becomes difficult to see, because many women start hormonal contraception in their teens or early 20s, where there are also so many life changes and stresses going on at the same time. Its easy to simply blame life circumstances for how you feel, especially when your symptoms may start slowly, and gradually.
Anxiety and fatigue are two main side-effect that Im looking for when a woman is on hormonal contraception. There may also be other side-effects like bloating, weight gain, headaches or depression. The reason for these side-effects, has to do with nutrient depletion, and a change in the cortisol response to stress.
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Why Hormonal Impact On Mood Is Hard To Measure
Studies on hormonal contraception and mood effects have had inconsistent results. Some of this inconsistency is likely because studies are designed and carried out differently and have different ways of measuring mood and mental health outcomes .
There are few randomized controlled trials on the subject, which involve taking a group of people and randomly assigning them to either take hormonal birth control or not. Most of the studies done on mood and hormonal birth control are based on groups of people who chose for themselves what type of birth control they wanted to use. This leaves open the possibility that the outcomes of the study arenât related to the birth control itself, but to some other factor that would lead people to choose that method . Some studies try to account for personal, familial, or societal factors that can increase a personâs risk for depression, but it can be hard.
Study results are often reported as the average for the group of participants, and do not take into account the experience of individuals. Even in a study that concludes that hormonal birth control does not affect mood, there will be small numbers of individuals in that study that have improvement or worsening of their mood .
Caffeine Increases Stress Hormones
Most people who deal with anxiety would agree that they have too much stress in their lives and caffeine adds to the burden.
Caffeine affects the body much like stress by increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and levels of stress hormones.
Some psychiatrists recommend that routine psychiatric assessments should include examining caffeine consumption since removing caffeine can be more beneficial than prescribing anti-anxiety drugs.
Caffeine consumption can more than double the blood levels of the stress hormones cortisol and epinephrine.
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Finding The Right Support
If youre struggling with anxiety, seeking the right support is essential to managing your symptoms. But, like contraception, what works for one person might not work for you so its a good idea to explore all of the options available to you.
If you think your contraceptive pill might be impacting your mental health, ask yourself:
- When did the anxiety begin? When did I start taking my new medication?
- Is there anything stressful happening in my life which could be making me feel anxious?
- Do I have concerns about the pill which are worrying me?
- Have I experienced similar symptoms before?
- Are there any physical symptoms?
- What makes the anxiety better or worse?
If your anxiety isnt getting better, affects your daily life or seems to be triggered by medication, speak to your GP. If they think theres a link, they may consider offering you an alternative contraceptive pill or a different method of contraception. They may also suggest exploring mental health treatment options like medication or cognitive behavioural therapy . Many people living with anxiety find that talking therapy helps to ease their symptoms. You can refer yourself for NHS talking therapy using the NHS IAPT service, or seek out private therapy with a registered therapist or counsellor. There are also plenty of helpful tools online to help you manage your anxiety, including meditation apps like Headspace or Calm, Your Mind Plan from NHS Every Mind Matters and self-care and treatment advice from Mind.
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Can Birth Control Cause Mood Swings
We all know someone who swears that birth control completely wrecked their mood. Whether it was making them feel anxious, depressed, angry or like a crazy, jealous mad woman, theres no denying theres a link between birth control and mood swings or mood changes.
And maybe you were one of those people. I know I was.
When I was a teenager, my doctor put me on birth control pills. These made me feel depressed and I honestly had days where I didnt even recognize who I was anymore. But despite my insistence that the pill was the cause of my mood swings, my doctor assured me that there was no link.
Fast forward to me now. A doctor who works with women every day in my medical practice to undo the effects that hormonal birth control causes. Because it is real. Women come to me with new onset of depression, anxiety and mood swings after starting hormonal birth control. And I listen to their stories of how the pill or other synthetic hormones have created a huge disruption in their life.
Ive had patients tell me stories about completely falling out of love with their husband or partner after starting birth control.
Many women report lacking all motivation and joy, losing interest in hobbies and feeling like birth control robbed them of their mental edge at work.
And there are the women who feel disconnectedfrom their child, their friends, even themselves.
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Can Birth Control Cause Depression Or Anxiety
For most people, hormonal birth control does not cause or worsen mood disorders like anxiety or depression. In studies, most people don’t report changes in mood after starting hormonal birth control.
Tell your provider if you have a history of mood disorders, or if you’re concerned about mood changes.
Negative mood changes are most often reported with progestin-only birth control like:
- Long-acting reversible contraception
If you do experience a change in mental health, contact your provider to be evaluated for clinical depression and to discuss alternative contraception. If suicidal or homicidal, you should seek emergency care immediately.
What Birth Control Options Wont Cause Anxiety
Different hormonal birth control products have different risks of anxiety. For example, studies have shown that birth control products with the least risk of anxiety include products that:
- Contain a low amount of progesterone
- Are taken continuously, without placebo pills for menstrual bleeding days
- Are taken non-orally
If youve experienced anxiety while using hormonal birth control, non-hormonal methods may be an option. Many non-hormonal options are available, and they can range from condoms to the Paragard copper IUD that is inserted in a doctors office and can last up to 10 years.
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What If You Already Have Depression
The U.S. Center for Disease Control and the World Health Organization guidelines put no restrictions on the use of any type of birth control for people who have depression . The use of combined hormonal birth control, the hormonal IUD, implant, and the shot is not associated with worsening of symptoms among people with depression or bipolar disorder . One study actually showed less depressive symptoms among combined hormonal birth control users compared to people not using hormonal methods .
There arenât believed to be any interactions between SSRIs , which are commonly prescribed for depression, and hormonal contraception . The CDC puts no restriction on the use of any hormonal birth control for people who are taking SSRIs .
Other supplements and medications used for depression, such as tricyclic antidepressants, bupropion, and St. Johnâs Wort may interact with hormonal contraception .
Itâs important to speak with your healthcare provider about what supplements and medications you are taking and whether there are possible interactions with hormonal birth control.
Why Can Birth Control Cause Mood Swings In Some People
The way birth control tanks your mood is multifactorial. And truly, we havent done enough studies to understand why one woman has issues, while another is just fine. At this current time, we cant say that birth control causes mood swings, depression or anxiety based on the current research. However, we do know there is a correlation between starting birth control and then experiencing mood symptoms.
In my naturopathic medical practice, I consider the many factors at play on an individualized basis.
Here are just a few of the issues doctors should consider.
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What To Do If You Suspect Your Birth Control May Be Making You Feel Depressed Or Anxious
If you have a history of depression, or just feel concerned that your new birth control may affect your mental wellbeing, ask your doctor what specific depressive symptoms you should note, says Dr. Patel-Dunn. “Some of prevention is just educating women before they start on birth control to look out for signs and symptoms of depression,” she says. That way, you can identify how you’re feeling immediately and seek medical advice if necessary.
“If you’re worried that your birth control may be affecting your mood, you should definitely consult a licensed medical professional,” says Dr. Roskin. They will be able to tailor an individualized diagnosis and treatment plan and get to the bottom of why your mood may have shifted â perhaps due to birth control, but most likely not, she explains. “I’d recommend scheduling a consultation with your health-care provider and sharing some of the symptoms you’ve been experiencing, as well as a timeline for when you felt a change in mood.” Together with your doctor, you can decide if it’s time to switch your birth control method, consider going on an antidepressant or opt for another intervention entirely. Remember: You’re not alone.
How Common Is Depression Among Birth Control Users
The American Psychiatry Association defines depression as a serious medical illness that negatively affects your life. “Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed,” according to the APA. “It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease your ability to function at work and at home.” Symptoms include sadness, depressed mood, change in appetite, increased restless activity such as pacing, slowed speech or movements, difficulty concentrating, indecisiveness, trouble sleeping or sleeping too much, and suicidal thoughts.
One of the most influential studies about birth control, published in 2016 in JAMA Psychiatry, found that over the course of a year, 2.2 percent of women using hormonal birth control were prescribed antidepressants compared to the 1.7 percent of women not using hormonal birth control. In the same study, taking non-oral forms of hormonal birth control â such as the ring, patch, and IUD â was associated with a three times higher risk of depression than the birth control pill, and women using a hormonal IUD were 1.4 times more likely to be prescribed antidepressants compared to women who were not on hormonal birth control. Unfortunately, researchers didn’t explore why non-oral forms of contraception were associated with a higher risk of depression, so more research is needed to better understand the possible connection.
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