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Thread: Help! Quitting birth control mid-cycle? Depressed!

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    Veteran Member heidimonster7's Avatar
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    Default Help! Quitting birth control mid-cycle? Depressed!

    Hello!

    I need help deciding if I should quit my birth control now, mid-cycle, or wait till my next period. I am having major mood swings. I would ask my doctor but I kind of feel like she is one reason I am in this mess… here is some background:

    I went looking for a new birth control to help my acne. My planned parenthood Dr. said it would be ok to switch from nuva ring to the pill, Apri, in the middle of my cycle without waiting for my next period. This caused major mood swings, an additional period two weeks after my last one, acne, and a yeast infection. So trying to get back to my normal cycle, I quit the pill timing it so that I could get my period when I normally would. Then I started a fresh pack of pills.

    I am on day 5 of this new pack and I am a total wreck. I am depressed, crying, full of rage, wanting to throw things, break things, etc. I am glad I do not live with anyone because I don’t want anyone to see me like this.

    I want to just throw away the rest of these pills right now. I know it is not ideal to quit a pack in the middle because it can throw off the cycle, but I just don’t think I can make it another 3 weeks without getting suicidal and breaking all my dishes!
    Would you quit the pills? Or finish the month? Which would be the lesser of two evils?

    Thanks in advance!!

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    Senior Member Hockogrocle's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help! Quitting birth control mid-cycle? Depressed!

    What type of oral contraceptives are you taking?

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    Veteran Member heidimonster7's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help! Quitting birth control mid-cycle? Depressed!

    It's called Apri, which is desogestrel and ethinyl estradiol. She said it was great for acne...

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    Senior Member Hockogrocle's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help! Quitting birth control mid-cycle? Depressed!

    Quote Originally Posted by heidimonster7 View Post
    It's called Apri, which is desogestrel and ethinyl estradiol. She said it was great for acne...
    Right, sorry I missed that (I thought it was a typo for "April" for some reason).

    Apri has about twice the daily estrogen (ethinyl estradiol) dose that you were getting with the ring, which is why it's better for acne and is also probably what is causing your symptoms. While it's better to start OCPs for the first time at the end of your menstrual period, it doesn't really matter when you start if you are switching from one hormonal method to another. OCPs work by overriding the normal hormonal mechanisms of the menstrual cycle, so the "period" you get when you're taking them really isn't the same thing as a normal period hormonally (which is why you can go for three months without a "period" with something like Seasonale).

    Estrogen symptoms such as you are experiencing often diminish with time, so if you want to maintain the acne benefits and think you can tough it out a bit longer, you might find that things slowly improve as the month goes by. If you really can't stand it anymore, it's fine to switch back to the ring now, or I suppose you could try an OCP with an intermediate estrogen dose if you want to maintain at least some of the acne benefits. You could also try one of the multiphasic pills, which start out with a lower dose of estrogen and increase it each week.

    It's also conceivable that it's the progestin (desogestrel) that is causing some of the problems and not the estrogen. The progestin in Apri isn't quite the same thing that you were getting with the ring, so if you really want to keep the acne benefits, it might be worth trying something with the same estrogen dose and a different progestin entirely.

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    Member Paris_doll's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help! Quitting birth control mid-cycle? Depressed!

    I had a bad reaction to birth control pills too! Take care of yourself, I honestly think you should go off the pill! Its obviously not healthy for you so you shouldn't keep putting it in your body!
    My doctor suggested a low dose estrogen pill to me to help with my moods, but she went on to say that it was less effective in preventing pregnancy so you have to be more precise at taking them exactly the same time everyday.
    In the end I decided to not take birth control pills anymore because it felt too unnatural.
    There are a lot of products on the market to help with acne that have nothing to do with birth control. Have you thought about seeing a dermatologist?
    I wish you all the best with this!

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    Veteran Member heidimonster7's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help! Quitting birth control mid-cycle? Depressed!

    Thank you so much, that was incredibly helpful!

    I have seen a dermatologist, have tried pretty much every topical, AND went on a course of accutane. The accutane helped for a couple of years but now the acne is back.

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    Senior Member Hockogrocle's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help! Quitting birth control mid-cycle? Depressed!

    Quote Originally Posted by heidimonster7 View Post
    Thank you so much, that was incredibly helpful!

    I have seen a dermatologist, have tried pretty much every topical, AND went on a course of accutane. The accutane helped for a couple of years but now the acne is back.
    Wow, Accutane didn't work? That's some stubborn acne. Have you ever tired anti-androgen therapy (spironolactone (Aldactone) or something similar)?

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    Veteran Member heidimonster7's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help! Quitting birth control mid-cycle? Depressed!

    Yes, and as I recall the spironolactone worked for about a month but then it came back. Stubborn indeed!!! I am at my wit's end...

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    Senior Member Hockogrocle's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help! Quitting birth control mid-cycle? Depressed!

    Quote Originally Posted by heidimonster7 View Post
    Yes, and as I recall the spironolactone worked for about a month but then it came back. Stubborn indeed!!! I am at my wit's end...
    Well, if Spiro didn't do much for you, it's less likely that you're going to get a huge effect out of OCPs. Did you use Accutane just once? Sometimes it takes more than one course to get acne to go away altogether, and each time you use it, the chances of it working go up. Of course, as I'm sure you know, Accutane isn't the most pleasant stuff in the world, but if you tolerated it reasonably well the first time, it might be a better bet for you than driving yourself crazy with OCPs.

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    Veteran Member heidimonster7's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help! Quitting birth control mid-cycle? Depressed!

    Yeah I only used accutane once. It was a huge pain in the arse. Doing it again will be a last resort. I might try an elimination diet since that helped once when I was a teen. I am just avoiding it because it is such a hassle and I LOOOVE cheese

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    God/dess Vyanka's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help! Quitting birth control mid-cycle? Depressed!

    Diets can help a lot. If you can, try a dairy free diet and eliminate a lot of shit. If it's still the same, I'd do the Accutane. Best thing I ever did too. If it weren't for dancing(I drink on occasions), I'd do it again just to get porcelain skin. I no longer get cysts. Thank heavens.

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    Senior Member Hockogrocle's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help! Quitting birth control mid-cycle? Depressed!

    Quote Originally Posted by heidimonster7 View Post
    Yeah I only used accutane once. It was a huge pain in the arse. Doing it again will be a last resort.
    I can certainly understand that. However, you have to ask yourself whether the accutane side effects are worse than the OCP side effects you are experiencing now (and whether both of them are worse than just living with the acne). Also, remember that once you're done with accutane you're done, and your acne is (hopefully) cured; with OCPs, however, you will have to keep taking them to continue getting the anti-acne effect.

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    Featured Member glitzy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help! Quitting birth control mid-cycle? Depressed!

    be careful with accutane. it gave me colitis and made me extremely depressed and unable to eat.

    i second reevaluating your diet. cut out wheat and dairy.
    supplements can also help. i went to a TCM practictioner who said milk thistle aids in detox all the synthetic hormones out to get back to normal and chasteberry is great for re-balancing your hormones.

    get the paragard! i threw out my bc mid pack one day when i just couldnt take it anymore and have never had any problems on the hormone free iud.

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