Microgestin 1/20 and Anxiety: What Users Say

• Jaz...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 10, 2019

For Birth Control "This is my first birth control experience, and I would have to say that this medication makes me want to never try birth control ever again. I have endometriosis, and I was put on this pill just to alleviate that pain and improve my cycle. The day I began taking it, I fell into a deep depression where I just could only feel numb. (I am always a happy person with no history of depression.) I was crying all day or just feeling like there was nothing to live for. This also made me go into fits of rage, where I would lash out on people for no reason. My anxiety peaked, and I could only be anxious at night, so I wasn't sleeping either. This continued for about a week, and I couldn't take it anymore, so I just stopped taking it as a whole. Overall, a horrible experience, and I would not recommend this to first-time users."

• Lil...
• May 6, 2015

For Birth Control "First month went particularly well, I didn't recognize any symptoms. I felt 100% myself. I was so afraid it was going to trigger my anxiety (I have GAD), but it hasn't! I love Microgestin so far. My first 'off week,' when I got my period, was very different. I usually have a heavy to normal flow that lasts 5 days, but I had a very light flow that lasted the whole week. It stopped once I started the pill on Sunday. I am now three days into my second month, and I haven't noticed anything new. I feel great!"

• Kat...
• March 25, 2012

For Polycystic Ovary Syndrome "I had a very bad experience on Lo Ovral (angry all the time, dead sex drive, hungry constantly) in the past, and was not sure how I felt about going back on the pill for my PCOS. But it turns out Microgestin has been okay on my system. I'm about a year in, and within the first 3 months, my breasts definitely grew half a cup size. My sex drive decreased, and my nipples are tender. I did feel paranoid for about 3 months, then it normalized, and my mood has been fine since. I am convinced it has made me gain weight around the hips, ugh-however, I have not actually gained real weight. After being on it about a year, my sex drive is coming back finally, and mentally, I feel normal. My periods are nice and light, they linger about 5 days total."

• Ash...
• June 1, 2017

For Birth Control "This birth control is awful. I've been on Microgestin for almost two months now and I have nothing good to say about it. My anxiety is through the roof (I'm not generally an anxious person), I'm super moody (I'm normally a happy person), I'm extremely bloated 24/7 (I look 6 months pregnant), my hair keeps falling out, I'm nauseous, I just got over my period a week ago and now I have breakthrough bleeding (heavy bleeding). I already have horrid period cramps from PCOS, but these Microgestin cramps are almost unbearable. Seriously, just don't try this BC..."

• Bam...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 9, 2016

For Birth Control "I am in my 30s. I do not take any other medications. I do not smoke or drink. I have anxiety. This birth control ruined my life. My anxiety went through the roof. I couldn't leave the house. My husband was getting frustrated, but we communicate well, so while he was skeptical, he saw the side effects. The enhanced anxiety was nuts! Our anniversary was ruined by me not being able to go into the hotel/casino, sitting in the truck, shaking and throwing up. The hot and cold flashes were unbearable. I couldn't cuddle with my husband, and I would go outside to cool off (thank God we live in the Rocky Mountains) in the snow. Debilitating migraines, nausea, vomiting, etc. I switched to Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo :) and my husband is getting a vasectomy."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 9, 2019

For Birth Control "For me, the time on this pill was a nightmare. I took this pill for 2 years until the start of 2019. Then, I took a six-month break because I thought the creeping anxiety and depression I'd experienced might be linked to the pill. I went back on Microgestin in June 2019, and things seemed okay. Until September. Suddenly, I felt like my head was in a constant fog again. It started making me anxious, I couldn’t think straight. I started to feel numb, mentally. Like I couldn’t be happy. Then, I started snapping at my partner, who I absolutely adore, and realized it was happening again. Long story short, if you’re not feeling like yourself, don’t hesitate to try switching or stopping pills (with a doctor’s advice, of course). I’ve had three instances now of feeling like myself again after stopping a birth control pill."

• jjj...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 24, 2016

For Birth Control "I was on Microgestin for 5 months. Although it solved my original problem of severe cramping (what I thought was ovarian cysts), Microgestin had many side effects for me. I experienced nausea right before periods, depression, anxiety, and extreme mood swings. I was sleeping a lot during the day, which caused me to not sleep at night. I am switching to Trinessa and hope it fixes these problems."

• Ser...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 4, 2018

For Birth Control "Would put zero if I could. This is the worst birth control experience I have ever had!!! My mood swings were out of control, and I experienced anxiety that turned into a really awful depression that affected my personal relationships. I don't have a history of breaking out and started to notice my face become oily and breakouts appearing soon after I started the pack. Do NOT take this, especially when there are so many other birth controls!!"

• Kri...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 6, 2018

For Birth Control "I'm halfway through my 3rd month, and I started bleeding heavily the second week into it. I have a history of anxiety, but the last two weeks have been bad for my anxiety. My mood is unstable, I cried for 2 hours over nothing. I'm having irrational angry episodes that are creating tension in my relationships. However, for the first two months, I was regular, and my periods were light. I definitely think I'm going to be switching."

• kp2...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• May 17, 2021

For Birth Control "I was on this pill for 5 years, and while it helped my heavy periods immensely, I stopped feeling like a person. I was numb to everything- not happy or sad, I really only felt anxious or angry. I didn’t feel like myself and had no sex drive either. I’ve just gotten the IUD and didn’t realize the impact until now. If you begin feeling this way, listen to yourself, you are not overthinking it! I wish I would’ve listened to my body/family, who was telling me I was acting so differently."