Hello everyone. I'm 38, I went off the (birth control) pill for about 9 months this year and just re-started. I started taking the exact same pill I have been on for years, Mircette, but I feel like I'm reacting badly to it.
First- In just one week I've gone from wanting to exercise every day to not wanting to exercise at all. I just finished up a round of P90X which is one of the biggest fitness accomplishments I've ever done, and I was starting doing some of Jillian Michael's "Ripped in 30" and then...Crash! I just didn't care any more. I exercised nearly 100 days in a row and then all of a sudden you couldn't get me off the couch for 3 days straight.
Second- I'm being MOODY, and that is NOT the word people would use. I don't even like myself right now. It's affecting my relationship and my job, both. I can fake my way through it, but I definitely am extremely irritable.
Third- I cannot seem to stop eating. In one week I've gained 3 lbs. I'm eating things I was avoiding before successfully, and the cravings are very strong. Mostly for carbs, which I am supposed to be limiting.
I don't recall the pill ever having this effect on me before. So I guess my question for others here that might have experienced something similar- Did this pass quickly as hormones got re-regulated? Do I need to just give up on the pill and stop taking it again?
I'm just at a loss. The primary reason I'm on the pill is because when I'm off it my menses last 7-11 days and are very heavy and when I'm on it they are 3 days and light. I also don't get cramps if I'm on the pill. My DH has offered to get a vasectomy so we have an alternative for BC to the pill, but normally I like the side benefits of being on the pill. Not so much right now, though.
Have you tried the Nuva Ring? I was on it for a while and LOVED it. Very low dose. You put it in for 3 weeks, take it out for a week, have your period and put another in. No worries about missing a pill, which I was horrible with. I was even able to take one out after 3wks and put another in without having a period at all. I did that for 6 months at a time, so I'd only bleed twice a year. My dr did say that was a bit abnormal that I didn't have any breakthrough bleeding, but my body has always been out of whack like that.
Oh and neither my husband or I could feel it during sex. It was out of sight out of mind. Very convenient.
Another idea: I had a friend who went through menopause at 34, could you be starting the change already? That may conflict with any hormonal BC.
I've had this happen to me twice on two different birth controls. One was the Nuva Ring and one was Seasonique. Nuva Ring turned me into a depressed, paranoid, cry at the drop of a hat person. At a certain point in my 3 month Seasonique packs I would turn enraged at everything. I would just be PISSED at everything and everyone. I am none of those things normally.
The Seasonique I adjusted to somewhat. I'm still on it and it still happens but to a lesser degree for a lesser length of time. The Nuva Ring got worse the longer I was on it. After I was off it for 3 weeks I was 100% normal again after 4 months of insanity (Took me forever to figure out it was the ring).
That being said, everyone is different and if you're in the market for a new hormonal birth control I would recommend both highly despite my reactions. My periods were light and 100% predictable on the ring, it would start Wednesday morning and be finished Friday night. And on Seasonique you only get 4 periods a year, which is why I'm not switching haha.
Thank you for the feedback. I've never tried Nuva Ring, and I guess I'm a little afraid of it "getting lost" in there (lol) but Seasonique does intrigue me if for no other reason than that you only have to deal with having a period four times a year.
I think I'm starting to sort of get used to the pill again. My moods are beginning to regulate- at least I don't feel like such a horrid person any longer. The cravings are still there for carbs but are getting easier to control again. I will have to see how I do about resuming weight loss. I'm not willing to give up my efforts at getting healthy again just for the convenience of being on the pill, so hopefully I am able to resume my weight loss. I have resumed exercise again, at least.
I started BCP again this summer after being off of them for 7 years or so. I didn't notice that I experienced any altered mood, hunger, or energy symptoms, but when I first went on the pills my weight loss slowed for 3-4 weeks before I saw a couple big losses (4+ lbs in a week) and then things went back to normal. Unfortunately, the first type of pill I was on (a low dose pill) wasn't regulating my cycle, and so I was taken off it for some testing and then put on a new, higher dose one a week later, all in the middle of my cycle. THAT really messed up my weight loss! I was hanging on to water like crazy (I could *feel* the excess water in my hands, arms, legs, ankles, etc.) and my weight loss stalled almost completely for about 5 weeks. It was extremely frustrating, even though I knew the cause of the stall, because I wasn't sure if it was going to get better or not. But, it finally seems to have resolved over the past few weeks - my weight losses in each of the last 3 weeks have been in the 2.5-3.5 lb range. That's more than I should be losing based on what I'm consuming (according to my food log) and burning (according to my BodyBugg), so I think my body has just finally been dropping the water and the fat loss from previous weeks is showing through.
If you're adjusting to the mood/hunger/energy issues, hang in there a few more weeks to see if the weight loss revs back up again. Good luck.
Last edited by chickadee32; 11-20-2011 at 06:49 PM.
"The Pill", Willpower, Mood and Food...Help!
