Loss Of Libido & Fatigue After Stopping Birth Control
This was something Paige wasnt too happy about either. You see, her doctor had told her the answer to her low libido was as simple as stopping that pill. However, as a doctor who has helped thousands of women recover their hormones after using synthetic birth control, I can assure that you that a missing libido post-pill is more the norm. Libido and energy levels in general go hand-in-hand and you may suffer from fatigue after stopping birth control, only worsening the situation. And just like your mood, the only way to get your libido back is to kick that pill and to take steps to reset your hormones.
Eating libido supportive foods like dark chocolate, pineapple, spinach, and oysters are beneficial foods to get you and your libido back together.
Nourishing your adrenals is a huge part of your overall hormone health, including reclaiming your sex life, which is why it is one of the key topics I address in my Post-Birth Control Hormone Reset Program. For Paige adaptogens, along with a hormone friendly diet and daily mind-body practices were exactly what she needed to get her libido back on-line and take her orgasms to the next level.
Treat The Depression First
Whatever is happening with your sex life, it’s important to treat depression first. Address any sexual side effects later.
Depression is the top cause of disability in the U.S. for people aged 15-44. Men and women struggle equally with sexual problems during depression.
People with chronic depression can experience a loss of desire, take longer to orgasm, and simply find sex less enjoyable.
âThe whole process of sexual arousal starts with the ability to anticipate pleasure, which is lost with depression,â says Frederick K. Goodwin, MD, who serves on the scientific council for the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression. âPeople who are depressed are locked in the moment of their suffering.â
Drugs that treat depression, Goodwin says, âcan release sexual function from the grips of depression.â Still, many antidepressants can affect sex drive.
âMedications can change sexual function,â says J. Michael Bostwick, MD, a psychiatry professor at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. âBut itâs a mistake for patients or physicians to immediately assume a difference in sexual function is bad. Itâs different, and then you have to figure out if itâs bad or good. In fact, once the depression is treated, they may have a different view about sex altogether.â
Is Your Partner Depressed
Depressed people are usually quite withdrawn. They don’t feel they can raise enough energy to pursue their normal routine, do things with the family or even notice when their partners are being attentive. This can quickly lead to the non-depressed partner feeling that he or she is in the way, unwanted, or unloved. It can be easy to misinterpret the low moods as hostility, or as evidence that the depressed person has lost interest in the relationship.
Frankly, it’s really hard to stay calm and confident when the person you love most is acting strangely and appears to be so unhappy. So if you’re finding your partner’s depression a real pain, try to take heart from the fact that this is natural, though difficult.
It’s hard to stay calm and confident when the person you love most is so unhappy.
Even if you’re at your wits’ end because your loved one has lost the ability to concentrate on what you’re saying, or to raise a smile, or to appreciate any of the good moments in life, do try to accept that these things are part of the illness.
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Take A Medication Holiday
If your doctor would prefer to stay on the same dose of your medication, you may be able to talk to them about taking periodic breaks or “drug holidays.” Some people find that scheduling a day or two off from taking certain antidepressants, such as Zoloft and Paxil, allows them to get relief from the side effects without interrupting the therapeutic benefits.
However, this strategy may not work with every antidepressant. Prozac, for example, has a much longer half-life than most antidepressants, which means the level of the drug remains consistent in your body for an extended period of time after you stop taking it.
The drugs long half-life can be beneficial when youre trying to stop or switch antidepressants . But, it also makes taking a holiday from the medication more difficult.
Can Birth Control Cause Mood Swings
We all know someone who swears that birth control completely wrecked their mood. Whether it was making them feel anxious, depressed, angry or like a crazy, jealous mad woman, theres no denying theres a link between birth control and mood swings or mood changes.
And maybe you were one of those people. I know I was.
When I was a teenager, my doctor put me on birth control pills. These made me feel depressed and I honestly had days where I didnt even recognize who I was anymore. But despite my insistence that the pill was the cause of my mood swings, my doctor assured me that there was no link.
Fast forward to me now. A doctor who works with women every day in my medical practice to undo the effects that hormonal birth control causes. Because it is real. Women come to me with new onset of depression, anxiety and mood swings after starting hormonal birth control. And I listen to their stories of how the pill or other synthetic hormones have created a huge disruption in their life.
Ive had patients tell me stories about completely falling out of love with their husband or partner after starting birth control.
Many women report lacking all motivation and joy, losing interest in hobbies and feeling like birth control robbed them of their mental edge at work.
And there are the women who feel disconnectedfrom their child, their friends, even themselves.
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If You Think Your Contraception Is Making You Anxious Or Depressed Youre Not Imagining Things Evolutionary Psychologist Sarah E Hill Explains What Happens To Your Brain On Birth Control
Most women know at least one or two other women who have had a bad reaction to the pill. In fact, the question that many of us have about the pill: Why does the pill make me crazy?
Before I get into what the research says about all this, let me just address the elephant in the room the whole thing about womens sex hormones influencing mood. Which they do. This might be the worlds oldest cliché about women, but that doesnt make it any less true. Womens sex hormones influence womens moods. Mens sex hormones affect mens moods. It would be impossible for them not to.
Back to the question. To start with, all of us feel a little crazy sometimes. Life is hard and can make anyone feel anxious and overwhelmed at times. For some women, being on the pill can magnify these feelings, leading to anxiety disorders and depression. But if these things happen to you, it doesnt mean youre crazy it just means youre on the wrong pill.
Mood-related issues like anxiety and depression are super-common among women on the pill. Almost half of all women who go on the pill stop using it within the first year because of intolerable side effects, and the one most frequently cited is unpleasant changesin mood. Sometimes its intolerable anxiety other times, its intolerable depression or maybe both simultaneously. And even though some womens doctors may tell them that those mood changes arent real or important, a growing body of research suggests otherwise.
It Makes It Hard For You To Love Fully
According to research by the American Psychological Association, depression can literally destroy a happy and healthy relationship. It stands in the way of not only being able to communicate and facilitates arguments, but in doing so also makes it difficult to love your partner fully. When youâre dealing with your own mental instabilities, itâs hard to focus on feelings for someone else. Even if you know you love them, when youâre depressed, you canât feel it. Itâs a scary place to be emotionally.
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Depression May Worsen Hsdd Symptoms
A study in Psychosomatic Medicine found that women who were depressed and had HSDD were less happy in their relationships. They also had sex with their partner less frequently. Plus, they had greater difficulty forming and maintaining relationships. Additionally, one-third of premenopausal women with HSDD also experienced depression.
Depression and low libido can have many contributing factors, along with a range of symptoms. Having one condition doesnt mean you have the other, but its possible to have both at the same time. In either case, there are treatment options that may help.
Depression And Relationship Sex
When people are depressed, sex could very well be the furthest thing from their minds, says Liesel Sharabi, PhD, an assistant professor of communications at West Virginia University.
In one of Sharabis studies, , one guy talks about how his depression makes it difficult for him to be around anyoneincluding his partner. I just want to be left alone so that I dont get in a bad mood, he says. Another man in that study says, Everything feels like an effort. That includes sex.
Interestingly, her research has also shown that couples in which one person, but not the other, is depressed tend to experience more sexual challenges than couples in which both people are depressed. The asymmetry depression creates can make it difficult for the depressed man and his mate to get on the same page sexually, she says.
When a man feels bad about himself, he might not feel confident or worthy of a connection with his romantic partner, adds Amy Delaney, PhD, an assistant professor at Millikin University in Illinois and author of a 2018 study on depression and sexual intimacy.
Depression can also leave men feeling alone and isolated, Delaney says, which can interfere with his desire or ability to be intimate with his mate.
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How To Maintain Your Sex Drive Even If You Have Depression
Even if youve been diagnosed with major depressive disorder, its possible to maintain a healthy sex life. Payne offers several tips:
Sometimes the most important thing you can do is remember that theres a light at the end of the tunnel.
Depression affects every aspect of a persons life, including sex, says Payne. But once a doctor figures out the right medication, most people get completely better.
#TomorrowsDiscoveries: A Different Approach to Treating Psychiatric Disorders | Atsushi Kamiya, M.D.
How Are Depression And Sexual Problems Diagnosed
If you think youre experiencing sexual problems because of depression, talk to your healthcare provider. In some cases, sexual problems can actually cause depression, rather than the reverse. A thorough review of your health history, symptoms and current medications can shed some light.
Its important to rule out other health conditions that can contribute to depression or sexual dysfunction. Your provider may perform a physical exam or run tests to check for:
- Gynecologic conditions in women.
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Men Are More Likely To Experience A Change In Their Sex Drive
The sexual improvement felt by some patients beginning antidepressants isnt necessarily the experience of all. Christman explained that sexual dysfunction is the most commonly experienced side effect of antidepressants, especially in men. Those who experience sexual dysfunction as a result of their antidepressants may consider stopping their medication, but Christman cautions against that.
I tell most of my patients to try your best to wait it out, he said. If you give the medication a little bit of time, in many cases, the dysfunction will improve.
So, what can you do about all of it? Here are a few solutions:
How To Help Your Depressed Partner
If your partner is the one who is suffering, try to remember the following:
Be patient
Don’t keep saying that you understand what your partner is going through. You don’t. Instead say: ‘I can’t know exactly how you’re feeling, but I am trying very hard to understand and help.’
Try not to take it personally
Try to remember that any loss of interest in sex is probably not personal, but connected with the illness. The fact is that many depressed people lose their libido.
Don’t despair
Some days you’ll feel your love for your partner doesn’t seem to make any difference to them at all. But hang on in there. Your love and constant support should be of great help in persuading your partner of his or her value.
Seek professional help
Encourage your partner to get all the professional help available. Antidepressants can have life changing effects and Cognitive behaviour therapy is becoming much more readily available on the NHS. Many GP practices can also provide CBT by means of Internet programmes. These can have a good effect quite quickly.
Take time for TLC
Try to act as though your partner were recovering from a serious physical illness or from surgery. Give plenty of tender loving care. But don’t expect improvement to be rapid.
Look after yourself
Remember this will pass
Remember that your partner’s illness will pass and that he or she is the same person underneath the depression as before.
Get plenty of exercise
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Work With Your Doctor
Antidepressant drug side effects can be tied to the dose prescribed. So sometimes simply lowering the dose will treat the depression without blocking sexual desire, says Goodwin.
But don’t tweak the dose yourself. Talk with your doctor if you have sexual side effects from antidepressants .
Goodwin says patients often don’t start enjoying sex more until after being on an antidepressant for a few months. And there are antidepressants that don’t affect sex drive.
St. Johnâs wort, an herbal remedy, has also been studied as a treatment for mild to moderate depression. A recent study showed that it helped patientsâ depression without curbing libido. But many experts still stand by antidepressant drugs as the best way to manage chronic depression.
If you’re taking St. John’s wort, or any other herbal remedy, tell your doctor so they can watch out for drug interactions. St. John’s wort can have dangerous drug interactions with some antidepressants. Also, keep in mind that, unlike prescription drugs, the FDA doesn’t require safety and efficacy tests of herbal products and supplements.
And #2 When You Take The Pill You Are Flooding Your Body With Unnatural Synthetic Hormones And These Synthetic Hormones Will Affects Your Thyroid And Affect Your Testosterone Levels
The Pill increases SHBG and TBG.
The best way to understand SHBG and TBG is to think of them like taxi cabs. Hormones, hitch a ride though our bodies by attaching to these proteins or taxi cabs.
SHBG is a protein made by your liver and It binds tightly to Three sex hormones found in both men and women. The three hormones that it binds to very tightly are basically your Estrogens and your Androgens
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How Depression Affects Libido
Depression may make a person lose interest in activities that they usually enjoy, including sex. It is common for a person with depression to feel less interested in sex than they previously did.
Communicating this to a partner is helpful. If one or both partners are experiencing a low libido due to depression, they can find other ways to maintain intimacy, such as cuddling and giving massages.
Masturbation may also help. A person experiencing depression may find that masturbating helps them feel sexual again, but this is highly personal. Many people go through phases of masturbating more or less frequently, which may not have any effect on their mental health.
Certain medications for depression may also reduce a persons libido. Not all treatments have this effect, so if a specific medication decreases a persons sex drive and becomes bothersome, they should speak to a doctor about other options.
A person whose partner has depression may find that masturbating meets their own sexual needs until their partner feels like reconnecting.
These help a person relax, which may improve their sleep.
Can Birth Control Help With Anxiety
Anxiety can cause many significant problems in daily functioning, and severely impact a persons quality of life. For women, can taking hormonal birth control cause or alleviate the symptoms of anxiety? The following article will explore what an anxiety disorder is and if birth control has any impact on anxiety.
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Working With Your Partner