Thank you, reddit, you have saved my life.
tl;dr I created an AMA in which I talked about my suicidal feelings and a redditor correctly diagnosed and solved the problem here.
This is my story:
I was diagnosed with depression two years ago. Life was hell. Antidepressants didn't help enough and I wanted to kill myself. One day I decided to talk about it to the reddit community in this AMA and found incredible support and lots of suggestions for help. I tried to follow some of the suggestions but it was incredibly difficult, since I had no energy whatsoever.
Initially, I discarded one particular suggestion by redditor frinklestein because I thought it didn't apply to me. In his comment he explained how his wife's depression lifted when she got her IUS removed. I wasn't wearing an IUS, and though I was taking oral contraceptives, I had been doing so for 7 years, way before I got depressed. Also, all of my doctors knew I was taking it and none commented on it, so I really though the pill couldn't possibly have anything to do with my depression.
But frinklestein's comment got me thinking and since I was pretty desperate I thought I'd give it a try. I stopped taking the contraceptives 20 days ago and the change in my life has been huge. I know it is early to say this but I'm certain my depression is completely gone. I had forgotten how happiness felt, thought I would never feel it again. Now I feel it all the time. I have way more energy than I've had in years. Doing things and talking to people is not a challenge any more. My suicidal feelings have totally vanished. Life is beautiful and I can fully appreciate its beauty now. I was in utter hell and now I'm back. And all it took was to stop taking those damned pills.
Thank you, frinklestein, you have saved my life.
Edit: I have nominated frinklestein's comment for comment of the year. I think more people should know about this.
Posted Jan 5, 2010, 9:36 AM UTC · edited
Nice try Catholic Church!
'But it seemed so plausible...' - Bill Hicks
I am jumping onto the top comment to try and bring a point to Dpressd and anyone else suffering from depression who gets one of these moments.
Although it is quite possible that your depression was due to a chemical body change brought on by your birth control, it is incredibly more likely that you are in a manic phase that coincided with your cessation of taking your pills.
I am not intending to tell you this to try to sabotage your situation, but quite contrarily, in order to possibly help you in the event that you swing back in the other direction. Make sure you maintain any other medication you're currently on, continue seeing your doctor for this issue, and don't be ashamed or even worried if the depression comes back. Every little step along the way helps to get through it.
There is light at the end of the tunnel, but sometimes you just happen to be in a really bright lamp in the middle of it.
I am not a doctor, but I've seen a great many and been through this same shit for a long time. I've also been in places where I've thought I was cured for 6 months or more. It's kind of like being an alcoholic, in that you will always have depression, but it won't always rule your life.
My wife had to stop oral contraception due to them exacerbating her depression... still has her moments but stopping them made an immense difference!
My wife too, they messed her around for 4 years, in the end we had a baby (accidentally, whoops!) and she went off them and now she is so much better, I hate that the pills side effects arent published enough, doctors should warn against it.... the convience was not worth it! just use a jimmy!
But you should keep encouraging her to practice Oral Conception ;)
I must needs agree. In fact, the swing to "happiness" and feeling it all the time screams "manic episode" to me. I'm also not trying to say that this is not a genuine feeling or that you have not corrected your problems, OP, but rather that you need to keep your eye on things and not think that you're cured just yet (as you said, it's too soon).
First of all, like deadapostle said, stay on your medications (contraceptives excluded). In addition, please tell your PCP and/or Psychiatrist (which you definitely should be seeing considering the symptoms - they're specialists, they can help you better) exactly what you have told us - including detailed information about the contraceptive and your historical use of it. This will be a great help to the doctor in treating you, and thus the information needs to be shared with the doctor so that you are receiving the best treatment for what you're experiencing.
If it does turn out to be manic, you need to be ready for it by keeping that in the back of your head and not letting the depression take over and make you do something rash. Also, the doctor will know (if you did what I said), so you can adjust treatment toward disorders that are characterized by this type of symptom. That should help significantly if this does turn out to be just a bright lamp in the middle of the tunnel. Remember that hope is never lost - this comes from someone who was without hope for a long time - and make sure no matter what you seek help before doing anything, remembering that your mind is not thinking rationally in those depression situations.
I wish you the best of luck, and I truly hope the contraceptive was the cause of your depression so you can be past it forever.
I just want to upvote this comment because hope is never lost is incredibly true. Also, I want to upvote this comment because its like the 4 or 5th comment in a thread all giving good advice. No 4chan style "just end it all, faggot" comments. I mean, its the internet, people can be dicks, but the people who take time out of their day in a thread like this take suicidal conditions like this dearly. I just wanted to give everyone an internet fist bump for being decent human beings and caring about strangers you'll probably never meet.
I am deadapostle and I endorse this message.
MUHAhahahaa
Really? You take a look at the symptoms over the internet and decide you have enough information to get the OP worried about BD? Based on the information given, there are plenty of other possible reasons for the magnitude of the change. Maybe the gradual growth of a brain tumor has started fucking with parts that regulate endorphine and dopamine levels. You don't see anyone bringing that sort of thing up.
If you had an overwhelming level of evidence to come to your conclusion, then bringing it up is excusable. Otherwise, assume it's due to the logically sound possibility of a hormonal imbalance, and avoid saying things that will add to OPs stress (after all, the condition being dealt with is emotional). OP has already shown she is the type of person to seek help. "Watch out, you might get really depressed again" doesn't help one bit.
Question for OP: How are you sleeping since the depression has resided?
Since you are addressing the OP, I would post your reply directly to this thread since the OP will see it in their inbox.
At your suggestion, I took it upon myself to direct message Dpressd. That was a good idea.
Nice try, Big Pharma!
How did you know that was my rapper name?
It is not "incredibly more likely" that she is bipolar than that the pill made her ill. I understand that you are trying to help but statistics combined with what she says herself makes your interpretation unreasonable.
More than 1 out of 100 women get the following side effects from birth control pills: head ache, edema, nausea, irregular periods, stomach cramps, sore breasts, yeast infection, irritability, depression.
More than 1 out of a 1000 women get severe nausea, acne, high or low blood pressure, vaginal infections, vomiting, hair loss, increased body hair, rashes, migraine, decreased sex drive, mood swings, changes in appetite, weight gain.
More than 1 out of 10000 women get asthma, loss of hearing, breast discharge, blood clots.
My interpretation is actually not unreasonable. She said that she had been taking the birth control for years before the depression began. She also has only been off of birth control for 20 days, which is too short of a time period to declare that she's "cured."
My interpretation was that she wasn't necessarily out of the woods, not that she absolutely wasn't out of the woods.
As far as stats go, 10% of American adults suffer from depression. 1% of American adults suffer from manic depression.
Therefore, 1:10 American adults who suffer from depression are bipolar. That ratio is a hell of a lot more likely than her getting a specific side effect when 1:100 get one or more of nine.
Just the same, my comment wasn't about spouting statistics, but from a combination of my education on the subject, my own personal experience, and observations of the experiences of my friends and family.
Combining what she said leads me to believe with even greater certainty that I am correct. I am glad that she has a positive group of friends that can help her get through it.
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I hate Fox News with a passion. It's terrible stuff. That said, go make your own thread. That's not what this one is about. If you aren't here to add something to this particular discussion, then go away.
Oh it was a rant by Bill Hicks edited and customized for reddit. But okay, people don't seem to be getting it so I've removed it and posted it here.
LOL I'm using condoms now :)
Now your boyfriend's going to be the one that's depressed.
Maybe they can switch every 7th year.
Sounds like a Biblical Law.
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i lol'd
I've had the same experience with three types of birth control, I loved your story dearly and I'm incredibly happy the problem is fixed! I also want to point out (though I'm sure you are aware) that there are very effective non-hormonal birth controls such as the copper IUD and the cap. I'm considering both at the moment and am excited to be protected AND happy. Future goodluck to you :)
The hormonal IUD, rather than copper, has worked wonderfully for us! Keep it in mind too. My understanding is that it releases a miniscule dose of hormones directly rather than percolating through the whole body. Lasts for 5 years.
I, however, have had the opposite problem. I used the hormonal IUD and finally had it removed because it was causing so many hormonal problems, including depression. I had it removed over 6 months ago and I'm still trying to get back to normal. If the OP had trouble with other hormone therapies I absolutely would not recommend any other forms of hormones. I went back to my good old copper IUD and I'm so glad I did.
Giggity.
right now?
Affirmative, Celtic. I spied on her and checked it out.
I heartily recommend an IUD. They're very safe but hardly ever used in the U.S. Very popular in Europe.
It seems weird taking female birth control advice from someone named "Nick."
Look dude, if you don't like my advice I can refer you to my colleague Dr. Spaceman.
No, it's pronounced "speh-cheh-men."
Especially Doctor Nick.
Wife had this done. Totally recommend it.
It's very difficult to get an IUD in the US unless you've already had kids. A lot of doctors still believe (despite recommendations from WHO and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to the contrary) that you have to have had at least one child in order to be eligible for a IUD.
Mirena, which is the most popular IUD in the US, specifically recommends usage only after having at least one child.
but mirena is hormonal...which was OP's prob in the first place.
Try planned parenthood, they told me i could get one no prob, i have never had kids. Paragard (the non-hormonal copper IUD) may not have specific recommendations on having had children or not. go to http://www.paragard.com/ or http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/birth-control/iud-4245.htm. Good luck...
Not sure how into this you would be, but you might try reduced dosage pills (talk to a doctor etc). If you are putting enough hormones into your body that it is starting to effect your mood, then you have way more than are required to stop you from getting pregnant.
I also saw a few pamphlets for estrogen free temporary contraceptives like Mirena etc, which looked pretty interesting, but I don't know anyone who has tried it, so again, talk to a doctor (planned parenthood doctors know their shit, and don't get kickbacks from antidepressant companies).
Why not ask your doctor if he can prescribe alternate birth control methods? There are many different ones and it seems unlikely that they will all make you depressed.
you will get depressed again once you pop out a baby- guarantee it!
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I have nominated this the comment of the year.
of 2010 ?
Not a lot of competition so far, and only 360 days to go.
Looks like your karma ran over their dogma!
Every sperm is sacred.
Theres no way that swallowed sperm counts as wasted.
This is just a little too vague.
python mate, and not the language
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Let me anoint you...
Every sperm is great.
if a sperm is wasted, god gets quite irate.
Stop it! Stop this nonsense right now! This is silly and it has to stop!
Let the heathens spill theirs
Then God would have a field day with what is drying inside a tube sock next to my bed.
I can confirm this! If you look through a microscope, you'll see that each sperm cell has a tiny halo!
FTFY
here you go
I was aware of the context, I was referring to the scare tactics the Catholic Church uses. Apparently it was a bad joke. Sorry.
but finklestein doesn't sound catholic...
at first i was like awwww... then I was like OMGROFLOL in one comment
LOL :)
Laughter aside, I would also like to point out that the OP never said she wasn't on another contraceptive - just that she stopped taking whatever she was taking at the time. ;)
No comment has made me laugh this hard in a long time
I went from being touched to laughing out loud in about 3 seconds. A tip of the hat to you sir.
I have nominated kgen's comment for comment of the year.
sometimes they sneak away... we did in mexico... lols
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This thread about depression just got...
•–•
... crucified.
Don't resurrect terrible meme's.