Can Lo Loestrin Fe cause depression?

This article will discuss if the birth control pill Lo Loestrin Fe can cause you to become depressed. It will show how it works in your body, and what you should do if you feel like you are getting depressed because of it.

Can Lo Loestrin Fe make me depressed?

Yes, it is possible, although it is not so frequent that women taking the birth control pill called Lo Loestrin Fe can become depressed. A clinical study to understand the most common side effects of Lo Loestrin Fe showed that 2% of women developed symptoms of depression and/or anxiety.

Women taking Lo Loestrin Fe can experience many symptoms of depression as side effects such as sadness, loss of encouragement, feeling empty, becoming more irritable, loss of interest in things, tiredness, difficulty focusing, and trouble sleeping.

This leads to the belief that Lo Loestrin Fe, like many other hormonal birth control pills, needs to be administered carefully in women with a history of depression, or that are going through a depressive episode at the moment. 

They should be followed closely by their doctor, and if the symptoms of depression become too intense, they should stop taking the medication.

It has been known through time that hormonal forms of birth control such as Lo Loestrin Fe can lead to depression, and even though there is still no certain reason why the chance of women on hormonal birth control developing depression is real.

A Danish study gathered all the health care information of women between the age of 15 and 34, from the years 200 to 2013, and discovered that even though it may be somewhat rare, women that take hormonal birth control in any form (IUD, pill, patch, ring, implant, and injection) have a higher chance of getting depressed.

This research also discovered that there is a higher chance of that happening when the hormonal birth control is made of only progesterone, as IUDs usually are. Aside from that, the study discovered that women between the ages of 15 and 19 have a higher risk of getting depressed through the use of birth control pills.

But let’s understand more about Lo Loestrin Fe, and why it can lead to depression.

What is Lo Loestrin Fe? 

Lo Loestrin Fe is a birth control pill composed of two types of female hormones: a form of estrogen called Ethinyl estradiol and a form of progestin called norethindrone acetate. When you take it, it will prevent the egg from being released from the ovary.

Aside from that, it will also prevent you from getting pregnant because it will change your cervical mucus, and uterine lining, which makes it harder for the sperm to reach the uterus. It will also make it harder for the fertilized egg to attach itself to the uterus.

Lo Loestrin Fe comes in a blister card with 28 pills each. 24 of the pills, the white ones, are the active medication, and the other 4 are ones you take just to keep the habit of taking the birth control pill so you don’t forget it.

You should take the first one on the first day of your period, and from then on take them every day, around the same time. As you first start using it, you may want to use a backup form of birth control like a condom to prevent you from getting pregnant before the medication starts working.

Once you are done with all the pills in your blister card, you should start a new one on the following day. 

What are the most common side effects of Lo Loestrin Fe?

Aside from depression, there are many other possible side effects of Lo Loestrin, some of the most common ones are: bloating, tender breasts, itching of the vagina, pain during intercourse, stomach pain, and vaginal discharge.

Aside from those, some side effects should lead you to look for a doctor right away. These are missing period, change in vision, change in skin color, chest pain, chills, constipation, dark urine, diarrhea, dizziness, fainting, change in a heartbeat, fever, headache, hives, and vaginal bleeding between periods.

Along with those, look for a doctor if you have: nausea, pains, pounding ears, sudden loss of coordination, sweating, and trouble breathing.

What should I take under consideration before I take Lo Loestrin Fe?

Before you start taking the medication, you should tell your doctor all other medications you take so they can understand if there is any chance of drug interaction, which means that Lo Loestrin Fe may not work as well as it should.

Aside from that, the medication is not prescribed to women older than 35, women who are pregnant or had a baby in less than 4 weeks, or that are breastfeeding. People that are prone to blood clots should also be careful with taking Lo Loestrin Fe.

Your doctor will most likely not prescribe you this birth control if you have gone through any form of cancer that has a relation to hormones, such as breast cancer.

One should also keep in mind that even though Lo Loestrin Fe can prevent pregnancy, it is not a form of protecting yourself from any type of sexually transmitted disease.

What should I do if Lo Loestrin Fe is making me depressed? 

If you realized that the use of Lo Loestrin is making you depressed you can observe how you feel for a couple of days. If you realize it is not just a common sadness, you should get an appointment with your doctor.

Talk to them about how you have been feeling, when it started, and how it was before you started hormonal birth control. Together you will discover what are other possibilities of birth control to you. 

You shouldn’t feel guilty about changing your form of birth control because of depression. Know that this is the biggest reason why women discontinue the use of their birth control. 

What you need to keep in mind is that it is important to care for your reproductive health, but your mental health should also be a priority. So discuss with your doctor and with your partner what can be done that won’t weigh so heavy on you.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): Can Lo Loestrin Fe make me depressed? 

Why does my period affect my mood? 

During your cycle, and not only when your period is about to come, you can also experience mood swings caused by hormonal changes. But what happens as your body releases the egg is that your levels of Estrogen and Progesterone will go down.

That can affect the serotonin levels in your brain, which can impact your mood. But it is not that everyone will feel the same. Each person will have a different sensitivity to this and should try to understand their body, and how to cope with those moments.

To some, exercising will surely help get those happy neurotransmitters back. To others, having some comfort food and being in a cozy space will help the most.

What are good birth control pills to stabilize my mood? 

There is, so far, only one birth control pill that has been approved to be used by women that experience Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder. That pill is called Yaz. 

This birth control is made of a combination of birth control. It is made of drospirenone, a fourth-generation progestin with low androgenic activity. But even though this is the only approved one, there are other ways one can treat their mood swings through birth control.

It seems that the use of hormonal IUD can help, in the same way, as extended monophasic birth control pills, and Depo-Provera shot. But get in touch with your doctor if you feel you should take them to improve your mood and listen to their recommendations.

What are the symptoms of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder?  

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder is a condition that can lead women to feel, a week or two before their periods, through a few days after their period starts, more irritable or angry.

They can also experience anxiety, to a point of panic attacks. Depression and suicidal thoughts, and difficulty focusing can also be present. In the same way as fatigue, or feeling low levels of energy.

PMDD can lead women to food cravings and binge eating. Along with that, they can have headaches, insomnia, and intense mood swings.

How is Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder treated?

If you feel like you have Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, you should get in touch with your doctor. They will investigate it and suggest the best line of treatment. That usually means that you may take antidepressants to help manage your serotonin levels.

Or they can suggest changes in your diet. For that, they may tell you to cut back on salty, fatty, or too sugary foods, along with controlling your caffeine intake. They can also suggest you take hormonal birth controls, since some of them may help stabilize your mood. 

Changes in your lifestyle such as exercising, and stress management, like meditation, or breathing exercises, to deal with the stress levels, and improve your mood may also be recommended. 

And finally, they may prescribe you some over-the-counter medication that should help you deal with the pain of any cramps, headaches, or breast tenderness you may experience. If you feel any other physical symptoms, be sure to tell them so they can offer the proper medication.

What is the difference between depression and sadness? 

Depression is a mental health condition that can have, as one of its manifestations, sadness. But it is not safe to assume that every one that is depressed will feel sadness. Some people may manifest it more through becoming irritable, or apathetic. 

But when depression manifests itself as sadness, it will be intense, go on for a long time, and it will touch all aspects of the person’s life. That differs from sadness as an emotion, which will most likely be related to specific stimuli.

One can become sad because they watched a movie, listened to a song, or even went through a life event that made them sad, such as fighting with a boyfriend. But this feeling doesn’t take over their whole life and will pass after a while.

Conclusion 

This article explained how the birth control pill Lo Loestrin Fe can cause you to become depressed, and why. It also showed how the medication works in your body, and what are its main side effects. Finally, the article suggested what should be done if you feel that the use of Lo Loestrin Fe is making you depressed.

If you have any questions or comments about this article, feel free to write them in the section below.

References

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/can-hormonal-birth-control-trigger-depression-201610172517

https://www.loloestrin.com/lo-loestrin-faqs