Best Contraceptive Pill for Anxiety & Depression (15+ List)

This is an informative guide to using contraceptive pills to deal with anxiety and depression. Readers will first learn about the effect of such pills on these mental health conditions. Then we will explore some of the best contraceptive pills to serve this purpose.

What are the Best Contraceptive Pills for Anxiety & Depression?

If you are looking to try contraceptive pills to manage anxiety or depression, try any of the following:

• Seasonale
• Ortho Tri-Cyclen
• Levora
• Desogen
• Alesse
• Mircette
• Reclipsen
• Kariva
• Zarah
• Sronyx
• Loestrin
• Apri
• Yaz
• Ocella
• TriNessa
• Velivet

Can Contraceptive Pills Really Help?

Millions of people around the world suffer from major clinical depression and generalised anxiety. Unfortunately, women of reproductive age have a higher risk of experiencing depressive symptoms compared to other populations. 

Depression and anxiety can be caused by a combination of genetic, biochemical, and environmental factors. They have the ability to create many significant problems in daily functioning. Hormones are complicated things, and the impact of hormonal birth control on each woman can vary significantly. 

Other than preventing pregnancies, birth control pills have numerous health benefits, such as alleviating symptoms of PMS and PMDD. PMDD, which is similar to PMS, except for its high intensity to disrupt the individual’s daily functioning. Birth control pills contain a combination of hormones. 

This includes estrogen, progestin, Ethinyl estradiol and drospirenone, which are extremely helpful in alleviating their symptoms. Hormonal contraceptives, such as pills regulate your hormone levels and, thus, your mood and emotions. For example, an increase in the level of estrogen will lead to an increase in serotonin. This generally causes positive mood and emotional well-being, thus counteracting anxiety symptoms.

There have been researches which have found about the adverse effects of hormonal pills on the user. They may increase depression or anxiety. However, other studies have found the opposite as described above. The cause for this is that hormones affect different bodies in a different manner. If you are cognizant about how the pill is affecting your moods and behaviours, you might be able to use it to your advantage.

Contraceptive Pills for Anxiety & Depression

If you’re convinced on trying contraceptive pills for your anxiety or depression, here is a list of the top ones:

Seasonale

Seasonale is a combination hormone medication used to prevent pregnancy. It contains 2 hormones: progestin and estrogen. It works mainly by preventing the release of an egg during your menstrual cycle. It also makes vaginal fluid thicker to help prevent sperm from reaching an egg. 

Additionally, it changes the lining of the uterus to prevent the attachment of a fertilized egg. No matter what dosing schedule you use, it is important to take this medication at the same time each day.

Ortho Tri-Cyclen

Ortho Tri-Cyclen is a combination birth control pill containing the female hormones Ethinyl estradiol and norgestimate. These hormones prevent ovulation, which is the release of an egg from an ovary). It also causes changes in your cervical mucus and uterine lining. 

This makes it harder for sperm to reach the uterus and harder for a fertilized egg to attach to the uterus. Because of the above reasons, it is used as contraception to prevent pregnancy. Please be mindful of its side effects and consult your doctor before taking them.

Levora

Levora Tablet is a medicine used for contraception (to prevent pregnancy) and in the treatment of irregular periods. It helps to prevent the release of the egg and its fertilization by the sperm. You should take it at the same time to get the most benefit. 

Nausea, headache, and breast pain are some commonly seen side effects of this medicine. What is extremely crucial, is to let your doctor know of your lifestyle habits and physiological history before taking contraceptives. Take only as per your doctor’s advice.

Desogen

Desogen is a birth control pill that contains two types of hormones, desogestrel and Ethinyl Estradiol. When taken properly, it prevents pregnancy. It works by stopping a woman’s egg from fully developing each month. 

Each white tablet contains 0.15 mg desogestrel and 0.03 mg Ethinylestradiol. Each green tablet contains inert ingredients. These green tablets act as reminders for the contraceptive white ones so that you take them on time.

Alesse

Alesse, scientifically called Levonorgestrel – Ethinylestradiol combines progestin – levonorgestrel and estrogen – Ethinyl to prevent pregnancy. The ingredients of this medication primarily work by preventing ovulation and the release of an egg from an ovary. 

This particular medication also causes changes in the mucus of the cervix. That makes it harder for sperm to penetrate and for an egg to implant. Most brands of this medication may also be used to treat acne in women 14 years of age and older.

Mircette

Mircette contains desogestrel (progestin) and Ethinyl estradiol (estrogen). A pack contain 21 round white tablets, 2 round green tablets and 5 round yellow tablets in a blister card within a recyclable plastic dispenser. 

Each white tablet contains 0.15 mg desogestrel and 0.02 mg Ethinylestradiol. Each green tablet contains inert ingredients. Each yellow tablet contains 0.01 mg Ethinylestradiol. The efficacy of pills depends upon the reliability with which they are used. Correct and consistent use of these methods can result in lower failure rates.

Reclipsen

Reclipsen blister cards provide an oral contraceptive regimen of 21 rose-coloured, round tablets each containing 0.15 mg desogestrel (progestin) and 0.03 mg Ethinyl estradiol, USP (estrogen). 

Inactive ingredients include colloidal silicon dioxide, FD&C Blue No. 2 Aluminum Lake, FD&C Red No. 40 Aluminum Lake, vitamin E, etc. Reclipsen blister cards also contain 7 white “inactive” tablets for oral administration. It is indicated for the prevention of pregnancy for those who elect to use oral contraceptives as contraception.

Kariva

Some people may prefer to use a birth control pill that contains the progestin desogestrel. According to a 2015 article, it may help those with hair growth and acne. 

However, it also indicates that there is limited evidence to confirm that it is better than other options. Kariva contains 150 mcg desogestrel and 20 mcg ethinyl estradiol. When taken at the same time every day, Kariva can be up to 99% effective.

Zarah

Zarah is a combination birth control pill containing female hormones that prevent ovulation. It does so, by also causing changes in your cervical mucus and uterine lining. This prevents the sperm from reaching the uterus and harder for a fertilized egg to attach to the uterus. 

Generally used as contraception, it can also be used to treat moderate acne in women above14 years old. It can treat the symptoms of PMDD, such as anxiety, depression, irritability, breast tenderness, joint or muscle pain, etc.

Sronyx

Each cycle of Sronyx consists of 21 white active tablets each containing 0.1 mg levonorgestrel and 0.02 mg Ethinylestradiol. Along with that, there are seven peach tablets that contain inert ingredients. 

Besides preventing pregnancy, it may make your periods more regular, painful and decrease blood loss. On the other hand, it decreases your risk of ovarian cysts and also treats acne. It is very important that you follow the package instructions to find the first tablet/ Once you start with it, take the rest of the pills in the correct order.

Loestrin

Loestrin is a combination oral contraceptive for oral administration consisting of active tablets containing norethindrone acetate (progestin) and Ethinyl Estradiol (estrogen). The placebo tablets contain ferrous fumarate, which serve no therapeutic purpose. These are coloured brown. 

Each active white tablet contains 1 mg norethindrone acetate and 20 mcg Ethinylestradiol. Inactive ingredients include acacia, lactose, magnesium stearate, starch, confectioner’s sugar, and talc. Dispensed in a blister card, it may be started using either a Day 1 start or a Sunday start regimen.

Apri

Apri is a combined oral contraceptive (COC) containing Ethinyl estradiol and desogestrel. The latter is a progestin with low androgenic and negligible estrogenic effect. It can be used for routine contraception in adolescent and adult premenopausal females. 

They can use it for the treatment of severe acne vulgaris related to sebum overproduction in females. Apri can serve as a treatment or adjuvant treatment of amenorrhea or abnormal uterine bleeding and endometriosis.

Yaz

Yaz provides an oral contraceptive regimen consisting of 24 light pink active film-coated tablets. Each contains 3 mg of drospirenone and 0.02 mg of ethinyl estradiol stabilized by betadex as a clathrate. 

There are an additional 4 white inert film coated tablets. Apart from preventing pregnancy, it can also be used for the treatment of symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder. However,  the effectiveness of Yaz for PMDD when used for more than three menstrual cycles has not been evaluated.

Ocella

With Ocella, you get an oral contraceptive regimen consisting of 21 active film coated tablets. They contain 3 mg of drospirenone and 0.03 mg of ethinyl estradiol and 7 inert film coated tablets. Follow the package instructions to find the first tablet. 

You should start with the first tablet in the pack, and take them in the correct order. Taking this medication after your evening meal or at bedtime may help decrease stomach upset and nausea. Other than preventing pregnancy, it will reduce your chances of getting ovarian cysts.

TriNessa

TriNessa is a birth control pill containing a combination of female hormones that prevent ovulation. It does so by changing the cervical mucus and uterine lining. Subsequently, this makes it harder for sperm to reach the uterus. 

Now, it becomes harder for a fertilized egg to attach to the uterus. Contraceptives like TriNessa also make vaginal fluid thicker to help prevent sperm from reaching an egg. Aside from putting a stop to pregnancy, it also helps in treating acne in girls over the age of 14.

Velivet

Velivet is a triphasic oral contraceptive containing two active components, desogestrel and ethinyl estradiol. Each 28 day treatment cycle pack consists of three active dosing phases. They are: 7 beige tablets. 

7 orange tablets, and 7 pink tablets containing different amounts of hormones. The primary mechanism of this action is inhibition of ovulation. Apart from that there are other alterations which include changes in the cervical mucus and the endometrium.

Conclusion

This was an informative guide to using contraceptive pills to deal with anxiety and depression. Readers first learned about the effect of such pills on these mental health conditions. Then we explored some of the best contraceptive pills to serve this purpose.

Contraceptives mentioned here were Seasonale, Ortho Tri-Cyclen, Levora, Desogen, Alesse, Mircette, Reclipsen, Kariva, Zarah, Sronyx, Loestrin, Apri, Yaz, Ocella, TriNessa, Velivet.

FAQs (Best Contraceptive Pill for Anxiety & Depression)

Citations

• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022399917308504