Coming off the combined Pill

Hi all,

I am wanting to come off the combined Pill and I am worried about the severe depression I can get at certain times of the month when not taking it. Estrogen also protects against psychosis, so will need to keep an eye on that too. Does anyone know of anything which can mitigate this (not more psych meds) hormone dysregulation and the side effects of coming off? I think it is worse now at those times because I have been on it for so long. At the moment I take evening primrose oil but it is not that helpful.

I don't want to have to go back on it again as I don't like mucking about with my hormones.

So it needs to be something that will work.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

Very interesting about estrogen's protective role. I have found A Role for Estrogen in Schizophrenia: Clinical and Preclinical Findings after reading your post and it does sound so convincing, because schizophrenia is so much more of a male disorder, whereas depression hits women more, while bipolar is equal in both genders. May I ask why you would to come off of the combined pill - are you planning to get pregnant?

it does not let me edit - I meant to ask what your reasons are for wanting to discontinue the combination pill

Sorry, I have only been taking it recently because it protects my mood, although initially (a while ago) I started it because I was intimate with someone. Am not with anyone now and have no intentions of being so again, but I think historically have been on it so long (on and off more recently) that my body reacts badly when I stop taking it. It does make me quite depressed at certain times of the month when not on it.

If I don't need to be on it, which technically I haven't for some time, I really shouldn't be, in my opinion, and while have taken it for a bit purely for mood protection, I don't want to be on it if I don't have to be. Also I don't always get my period on it and I am not sure if it's down to the aripiprazole and imipramine or the Pill, it's only really been a problem recently, so could be early menopause, or the drugs. I switched to a different Pill a short while ago, at a lower dose, as I was experiencing pigmentation on the other one. So it would help with that too if I came off it, and in the summer that gets more pronounced, so is a good time to stop it for that reason as well.

Thanks for replying.

I may add that I am already feeling a bit down since stopping taking it 2 weeks ago, but am going through negative things just now which will not be helping.

You may consider the notion of taking the Pill for yourself, not for someone.

Thanks again for replying.

Well I would hope I don't need to take it just to keep my mood on an even keel, if I simply cannot cope without it I may go back on but I don't really like taking any meds at all so imo the less I am on the better.

Well, then going off of it would be an experiment in which you will learn whether it is indispensable in keeping your moods on an even keel or not. Experimenting is good.

@romantic rose I was on the pill for two decades only for my mood. The pill does affect us physically whether we know the how or not. A couple of years back the migraines that I had morphed into another level and sent me to hospital. They were so bad that I failed to recognize them for what they were.

I ended up back at my doctor who advised me to stop taking the pill "because we dont like ladies of your age on the pill any more". Possible stroke being at least one factor. Since stopping the pill my migraines have mostly gone.

If you think you may be menopausal or experiencing peri menopause it might be a good idea to have a blood test done to see what your levels of estrogen and progesterone are.

Under the guidance of my gyna i am having a small dose of progesterone to make the transition easier. She is keeping an eye on my hormone levels.
Have to say that going off the pill made my mood swings worse and I felt like the world was tilted. I felt like a fruitcake. It is not an easy thing to do.

Lovan is supposed to be helpful with PMS.

Please check in with your doctor so that you can make an informed decision to suit the circumstances that and health issues that you are facing.