Posted by katekite on July 22, 2002, at 21:28:09
In reply to Re: I don't feel good, posted by deli on July 22, 2002, at 20:10:24
Deli, my story is under my post called estrogen above. I have premature menopause (I'm 31) which first showed up as mood swings and fatigue. The BC pills help me because they contain estrogen and progesterone which my ovaries can not make consistently. I absolutely don't think BC pills are an anti-depressant in any way, just that for me it turns out that was what the problem was.
As to whether BC pills make people feel worse, there have been studies and a few people feel worse, a few people feel better, and most feel no change. I think it probably only works on people who have a deficit to begin with.
In college I had a major depression and after a month or so started on Zoloft. I was much much better within 3 months, feeling ok enough to work, but still not quite right. It gradually got better and I felt completely fine about 5 or 6 months into the pills. I stopped them after 9 months on them, total, and had no problems for I think it was 2 years (and then it was a mild depression the next time). I think that is a much more typical way for people to recover from major depression (gradually) than the better-in-a-day thing I described above.
I shared the better-in-a-day story for two reasons: to show that people can get much better quickly, and secondly on the bizarre off chance that you could have any hormonal issue.
It is possible, no matter how gradual the recovery is, to feel the same as before. I swear this time I thought I must have damaged myself from crying all the time, but apparently not. Underneath the depression its the same brain as before.
10% of women have a major depressive episode in their lives. If we stayed depressed you'd have met a lot more depressed people. It feels like you will always be depressed because during depression your brain just says that. But statistics bet otherwise.
Take care,
Kate
poster:katekite
thread:113290
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020718/msgs/113355.html