#bcharlie

[mental-health-advice]

Hi there, it's bcharlie again. I was wondering if anybody has experience with going on the contraceptive pill and having problems with their depression and anxiety? My mental health problems stem from chemical and hormone imbalances and I'm a little worried to go on the pill if it's going to bring me down - I have important exams this summer and I could really do without my depression flaring up! Thank you, bcharlie xxxx

Hello.

I have been on two contraception pills the first one I went on was called Cerazette and the one I am on now is Microgynon 30. 

With Cerazette I had tons of side effects unfortunately and one of those was my depression was flaring up. I left it for about 2 months and thought maybe it would go away as it is normal to have some side effects when taking new medication. But after 3 months (as they tend to start you on a low number of tablets) I went in for my review and they do the necessary tests like blood pressure an ask if everything is okay with the pill I was on. I told them that I was experiencing really bad bouts of depression on it and maybe changing it could be an option as I didn’t want to constantly have flare ups of depression when I was managing it quite well before the pill. 

So they changed it to Microgynon 30 for me and I have been on that now for 2 years and it hasn’t affected me badly at all. My periods are more consistent, I am protected from pregnancy and my hormones are more balanced and maybe that is why I haven’t been experiencing symptoms of depression within those last few years (sure I have some bad days but not nearly as much before)  I was lucky that I had no side effects from the pill, except one or two headaches the first week.

But I also know people who haven’t gotten along with Microgynon and have got along with other forms (like Cerazette) Different people react to it in different ways so what may work for me may not work for you and above is just my experience of being on both pills.

Just speak to your doctor/nurse (whoever you are seeing about the pill) and explain to them that you suffer with depression and do not want the pill to react with it. They will usually find one that works and does not affect your chemical imbalance. Your doctor/nurse will ask you tons of questions about your medical history and some physical checks like blood pressure height/weight before putting you on the pill. By doing these, they usually are pretty good at putting you on the right pill.

Plus even if they get it wrong you can easily go in and see them and get it changed. They are very understanding and monitor you really well so if anything is wrong you can just pop in and explain to them and they will be happy to help. 

Hopefully you’ll find the right pill for you so you won’t have to go through suffering with your anxiety and depression. 

Courtney♥

[mental-health-advice]

For b-charlie-I'm on week 2 on fluoxetine(Lovan)&Ive so far only been on 10mg but Ive had tiredness, headaches that have now settled, nausea especially in mornings when i take it, some mood swings&trouble concentrating. They've settled down though (:

For BCharlie

Hi dear!

Thank you so much for sending this in, I'm sure they’re going to appreciate having a few more people’s experiences with fluoxetine! Thank you so muc, my love- take care of yourself!

You are getting along fantastically,Amy-Shona~<3

[mental-health-advice]

I sent in an ask a few days ago about Prozac and signed it "bcharlie" I can't find my name in the tag list, I was just wondering if you got it? ~ bcharlie

Dear bcharlie,

The taglist has a lot of names right now, so it can be confusing and hard to find your name, but yours is on there! Near the bottom.

Hope that helps and answers your question. Taglist is here.

There is hope,

Ash

[mental-health-advice]

This might seem odd and I don't know where else has it, but anybody who lives in Coventry or Warwickshire in England and feels that they might need some help, give Improving Access into Psychological Therapy (IAPT) a call, they're so lovely and send you some questionnaires to fill in, then you have a phone appointment (I was nervous, I hate talking on the phone but the therapist was so lovely) and they can book face to face appointments with you. I urge you to try it if you live here! ~ bcharlie

Hey there, lovely!

This doesn't seem odd at all, it seems really kind and encouraging for our other followers! Thanks so much for sending it in to help people out, it is really considerate of you.

I hope you're doing well. <3

Love Louise xox

[mental-health-advice]

Just wondering if anyone has had any experiences with citalopram (celexa)? How long did it take for their anxiety to get under control? ~ bcharlie

Hey there, love! When I saw this come in I knew I had to answer it. This medication has been great for me! But it’s important to remember that everyone is different and the time it took for me may not be the same for you or anyone else, as none of us are the same! But I am more than happy to share my experience with you! Short answer: around 3 weeks. Long answer: I cannot praise this medication enough, when it comes to anxiety. I have tried a number of medications previous to citalopram but none were anywhere near as effective as this one when it came to my anxiety. I started on a lower dose, which didn’t help too much, but now the dose I’m on is absolutely great for me. However, I have to mention that for me, there was a rather large downside, at the beginning. For me the settling in period was not good. I went through it once on the lower dose and it happened again on the higher dose, and both times I really didn’t feel good both physically and mentally for around 2-3 weeks. Personally, I felt drained physically and was having some dark thoughts. That being said, I am really glad that I stuck it out. For me, I consider it to have been worth it. The benefits have outweighed the negatives completely :) I hope this helped! Stay safe, Love Louise xox

[mental-health-advice]

I'm one year clean today!! I'm so so proud of myself! I still get urges to cut, but today marks one year since I last did! ~ bcharlie

Woah!

I am so proud of you- we all are! Thank you so much for sharing this with us- you're an inspiration to the admins and everyone else on this blog. You are doing so well and we want updates on how you're doing sweetie!!! You can come to us if you need help with the urges, sweetie. Be proud of yourself.

You are getting along fantastically,

Amy-Shona~<3

[mental-health-advice]

It wasn't my ask but it went along the lines of, I'm 17 and I have imaginary friends that I can't actually see. I know what they look like because they're all characters from books or tv shows however sometimes they're of real people that I know but I rarely see (like internet friends) but I'd rather talk to them rather than actually go out with friends, they're mostly enhanced when I listen to music as that's when I interact with them most. Do I need to see a doctor as it's not normal -bcharlie

(P2) I probably should have mentioned that there are hundreds of them, not just a few, but there’s more than I care to count now. -bcharlie

Hello BCharlie,

Yes, I think it would be a really good idea to see the doctor about this. It seems as though you have some understanding of why you talk to them - that it’s preferable to you, rather than spending time with real people that you know. I think it’s important to explain that to the doctor, as well as explaining that all of these people are characters from books, TV shows and people that you know in real life. They’ll be able to either help you find a way to cope with this, or refer you on to further help.

So, yes, I think it would be a great step to see your doctor about what’s happening. Good luck, lovely.

Take care,Alexandria.

[mental-health-advice]

I sent a question in about imaginary friends but I didn't sign it, it's kind of long but if you answer it, please can you tag it bcharlie? It's not my URL but it's a tag I track, thank you xxx

Hello lovely,

I don't see an ask like this in our inbox. Was this your ask here? If not, do you mind resending it for us? Thank you.

Take care,Alexandria.