So to give some insight I (21m) and my gf (19f) had a pretty good run for the last 6 months and at the start of this month everything changed. She said that she wanted to start taking birth control since she didn’t/want a chance to have a kid since we are still young. We were hanging out most days and just enjoying each other’s company. But then once she started taking the pills it was like a light switch she started being distant and then about a week later she started anti depressants. I don’t know for sure it’s to do with the birth control but it’s just weird that everything was fine up until the point they started to affect her. I’m just worried about her and I don’t know how to bring it up in stride without sounding confronting. I’m usually an easy going person but something just doesn’t feel right in this. I’m just curious if anyone else experienced this and TIA for any advice on how to handle this situation.
5 comments
Some of the synthetic hormones in those birth control pills can cause depression. It varies by person. Hormones control a lot.
It’s impossible to know if it’s the birth control or the antidepressant. Either one could be having a bad effect on her but she needs to talk to her doctor about it. You are right to be concerned and she might not be seeing it (it’s possible) or she might be having a hard time talking about it.
She might just be feeling emotional and not necessarily connecting that it might be because of the medication
Hormonal BC can *mess you UP*. If she’s never been on antidepressants before, I’m surprised her doc prescribed them so close to the pill. If she has been on them before, the doc might have recommended them as a short term solution to her getting used to the pill.
Talk with her. Discuss what her doc has recommended and what their current plan is long and short term. Tell her that you’re concerned, and willing to listen and be patient.
Sometimes one particular brand of pill might not be the right ‘fit’… whereas others won’t cause issue. There are other options, but most are hormonal (implant etc.), and most will take some sort of toll on you.
I don’t know if you’re exaggerating the timeline but your gf wouldn’t start a new birth control, start having side effects, realize she was feeling depressed, find and visit a psychiatrist and be prescribed an anti-depressant in the span of a week or so. It’s just unlikely.
Whatever’s going on with her is probably pre-existing and nothing to do with the birth control. If she’s open enough that you know she’s taking anti-depressants can’t you ask her? Ask if there’s anything going on that you can help with or if she wants to talk about anything and go from there.
It’s good to hear she had the bc before because she knows that she handled it before.
The antidepressant will continue to have more impact over the first 3-4 weeks. At about 4 weeks it has had its full effect. At 7 days it’s very mild