subject: Do Birth Control Pills Cause Depression? [print this page] Do Birth Control Pills Cause Depression? Do Birth Control Pills Cause Depression?
Do birth control pills cause depression? You have probably heard the stories from friends, family, or colleagues linking birth control medications to depression. It is certainly true that any sudden change in hormones, such as those caused by using certain birth control methods, can cause mood swings in a minority of women. It is also true that mood swings can lead to serious depression in some cases. Here's what you need to know about the connection between birth control and depression.
Birth control pills have recently come under fire because previously normal women and teens began reporting symptoms such as:
Unrelieved pessimism
Exhaustion
Deep sadness
Crying
Stress
There are two groups of side effects when using hormonal birth control. The first, more severe, group occurs only very rarely includes allergic reactions, blood clots, trouble breathing, and liver damage. It goes without saying that if you experience any of the above symptoms, you should discontinue use immediately and consult your doctor. Ask them do birth control pills cause depression. More mild side effects, with FDA approval, include yeast infection, small weight fluctuations, and yes, depression among others. Some women also wonder, do birth control pills cause anxiety and also do birth control pills cause bipolar symptoms to develop temporarily.
As you can see, while some women do occasionally experience depression as a side effect of hormonal birth control, it is usually quite mild - mild enough for the FDA to consider it a non-issue in determining safety.
There is no doubt depression as a side effect of birth control usually occurs only in women already predisposed to depression. If you have a family history of depression or have been through bouts of depression in the past, tell your doctor about your concerns. Just ask them straight away, do birth control pills cause depression? He or she will be able to diagnose the problem or prescribe alternative forms of birth control less likely to lead to severe mood swings. Even if your doctor thinks it's okay to go ahead with birth control pills anyway, you should pay close attention to any mood swings or feelings of depression you may have in the few weeks after beginning your new regimen.
If you have no family or personal history of depression and use a regular low-dose pill exactly as directed, you are unlikely to experience depression as a side effect of your birth control pills; however, it is possible. As a matter of course, you should always discuss any such concerns with your doctor to answer the question: do birth control pills cause depression.
