Can Birth Control Affect Your Mood?
Yes, hormonal birth control can impact mood by altering estrogen and progesterone levels. Some users experience mood swings, anxiety, or depression. These effects vary by individual and may improve with time or a change in medication.
Many women who use hormonal birth control experience less painful cramping during their periods, can predict their menstrual cycles, have clearer and less acne-prone skin, and, in addition, have a reduced chance of developing ovarian cysts and uterine cancer when they take it.
Birth control also relieves premenstrual syndrome (PMS) by reducing hormone levels. Even with all these health benefits, in addition to preventing pregnancy, some experience side effects that can be minor but also substantial, depending on the person. This article will discuss whether birth control causes mood swings and its side effects. Various factors cause birth control mood swings, and I'll explain how to manage them.
Lastly, I'll make sure to explain when mood swings require a doctor's attention.
Common Side Effects of Birth Control
Hormonal birth control can lead to side effects in many people, but the side effects usually dissipate after about two or three months. There are, however, some possible side effects for new users of birth control.
Overview of Birth Control Side Effects and Management Tips
| Side Effect | Description | Management Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Mood swings | Irritability, anxiety, sadness | Supplements, healthy diet, exercise |
| Headaches | Triggered by hormonal fluctuations | Hydration, stress management |
| Breast tenderness | Swollen or painful breasts | Supportive bra, cold compress |
| Spotting | Light bleeding between periods | Consistent pill timing |
| Bloating | Mild water retention | Limit salt, drink more water |
Spotting Or Breakthrough Bleeding
Globally, hormonal birth control will likely cause spotting or breakthrough bleeding. Occasionally, breakthrough bleeding will occur due to hormone fluctuation and a thinned uterine lining.
Birth control pills can help regulate the body's system by taking them every day.
Breast Tenderness
When you start taking birth control pills or other hormonal birth control, you may experience breast tenderness, but it will eventually subside. Wear a supportive bra to reduce breast pain. On birth control, your breasts may also grow larger.
Fluid Retention
You may experience bloating or weight gain while on birth control because of fluid retention. It can add a few pounds to the scale if you retain water, but a correlation between weight gain and hormonal birth control is still unproven.
Headaches Or Migraines
The use of birth control can exacerbate headaches or alleviate them. Women who suffer from migraines may find relief from the pain with birth control hormones. People who have never suffered from headaches may begin experiencing them when they start taking birth control.
Birth control pills can cause rare but severe side effects, such as:
- Breast cancer
- Cervical cancer
- Raised blood pressure
- Blood clots
Can Birth Control Cause Mood Swings?
Birth control may increase a woman's tendency towards depression and mood swings if prone to these conditions. Those with a history of depression experience mood swings more frequently than those without any depressive episodes, according to the Harvard Study on Moods and Cycles.
A woman on birth control should inform her doctor if she has a history of depression so they can monitor her.
Data was collected between the ages of 18 and 34 by the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (1994-2008) from 6,654 sexually active nonpregnant women between 18 and 34 who identified as having a woman's body.
Several studies have shown that birth control reduces the symptoms of depression in the exact opposite way that birth control does not.
There is no one-size-fits-all regarding how an individual will respond to the hormones found in birth control.
If symptoms of depression or mood swings persist, you should speak to your doctor about alternative birth control methods.
What Causes Mood Swings on Birth Control?
Hormones are primarily responsible for mood changes and depression caused by birth control. In the body, estrogen and progesterone are regulated by the birth control pill. In nearly half of all cases, women who identify as women go off the birth control pill within a year because of its side effects. This includes mood swings and depression.
To solve these problems, we must understand what causes them. Since the pill elevates cortisol levels in the brain, the HPA axis can be affected. Due to high cortisol levels, people who take the pill experience stress-related mental health problems. In addition to affecting mood and state of mind, the pill inhibits GABA receptor stimulation, which promotes relaxation and reduces brain activity to help the body decompress.
Low GABA stimulation is typically associated with mental-health-related issues such as panic disorder, depression, and PMS.
Low estrogen levels in the pill may reduce the brain's reward process, resulting in challenges.
Who Is at Higher Risk of Mood Side Effects?
- Mental illness or depression runs in your family.
- A family member (or your mother) suffered mental health side effects from taking the pill. It is only possible for you to take progestin pills (i.e., mini pills).
- In your pill, you are taking a multiphasic dose of hormones (i.e., an increase in hormone dosage as the cycle progresses).
How to Manage Mood Swings from Birth Control
These actions will help you manage mood swings caused by birth control.
Increase Supplement Intake
As a result of birth control, magnesium and antioxidant vitamins E and C are not absorbed as effectively as they should be. A person may also become deficient in vitamins B2, B6, B12, folic acid, selenium, and zinc. The depletion of the body's reserves requires supplementation to replenish them.
Boosting mood and avoiding depressive episodes requires adequate dosages of these essential vitamins and minerals, which they should discuss with their doctor.
Eat A Healthy Diet
Boosting serotonin levels in the brain with the right foods, such as complex carbohydrates, can help moderate mood swings caused by birth control.
The following foods are among them:
- Vegetables
- Quinoa
- 100% whole-wheat bread (no white flour)
- Potatoes
- Barley
- Fruits
- Beans
- Oatmeal
Processed foods and sugars cause inflammation, so you should avoid them.
Get Enough Exercise
You can combat depression and mood swings by exercising, which can increase your energy levels. Every day, even 15 minutes of walking can make a difference.
You may find it hard to get up and move when feeling down, but getting out and getting some fresh air will certainly help.
When to See a Doctor About Mood Changes
While mood swings or depression may seem unavoidable with birth control, you should consult your doctor to determine if your medication is right for you or if something else should be tried. A monophasic birth control pill contains the exact daily dosage, a multiphasic pill has a changing dosage throughout the month, and a mini pill contains only progesterone.
When you cannot cope with mood swings and depression, your doctor may prescribe a different type.
Symptoms to look out for include:
- Thoughts of suicide
- Insomnia
- Physical symptoms, such as severe headaches or migraines
- Mood swings that affect your life
- Anxiousness all the time
Will Mood Swings From Birth Control Go Away If You Stop Taking It?
It is expected that mood swings caused by birth control will subside once a person stops using it.
Can Birth Control Change Your Personality?
You may notice birth control impacts sex, attraction, stress, hunger, eating patterns, emotional regulation, friendships, aggression, mood, learning, and several other things.
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