I am at my wit's end. I started having peri symptoms 4 yrs ago when I turned 40. I went on a low dose BCP (Lo/ovral) and Lexapro (for horrible anxiety) and within months I felt great - no hot flashes, no panic/anxiety issues, etc.

I went off the Lexapro last December but stayed on the pill and was fine until a few months ago. I have been having nausea and stomach issues off and on, my face is breaking out like a teenager, my anxiety came back full force and I have woken twice recently with panic attacks in the middle of the night. I went back on the Lexapro for the anxiety but I am still experiencing it sometimes.

My question is - can the birth control pill just stop working to alleviate peri symptoms after a while? Could it be that I am getting close to the end of peri and the pill is too strong?

Just checking to see if anyone else has had this happen - thanks for listening!

maura

Mauras

From what I know Lo/ovral is a combined bcp (estrogen and progesterone) and I was on the combined pill for many years when I started to experience peri symptoms. I changed to a progesterone only pill (called the mini pill here in the UK) and my symptoms have virtually disappeared.

My doctor agrees that it is possible to experience peri symptoms while still on the pill, and I guess when our hormones are fluctuating to such a huge degree this is not surprising. Possibly for you a change is needed and it would be a good idea to see your doctor again.

Good luck

Janeyxxx

janeyxxx,
Thanks so much for your reply. I talked to my doctor today and he suggested that I go off the pill for 2 cycles and see how I feel. He said if I feel better than it is probably time to change to another pill. Also, after being off for 2 months, he can test my hormones to see where I am in this perimenopause nightmare.

It doesn't seem like many women who post on these boards are on a low dose pill, so I didn't have much luck searching to see if anyone else found that the pill stopped working for them.

Have a great day!

Maura

I was on BCP for 32 years. I am 52 yrs old. At 47 yrs old, my peri symtoms intensified and grew in number, despite being on Ortho Try-Cyclen. I had every symptom except hot flashes and anxiety. When I went off the pill (last July) I had about 30 days of feeling GREAT. When my symptoms began to reappear I went on bioidenticals.

Dr. Pete at Bellevue surmised that as my natural hormone level started dropping at 47, the lo-dose pill was not giving me enough E & P to keep symptoms at bay. Perhaps that's whats happened with you. Not a high enough dose in the pill for you anymore.

T'Pow

T'Pow - how are you feeling now? I am considering going off BCP after having terrible anxiety, depression, etc. but am afraid I will get worse ( ifpossible) off pill. I am 2 months on loestrin after being on/off for 10+ years. Thanks.

I'm doing great on bioidenticals now. Felt great off BCP for only a month. You need to get on a stronger (higher dose) BCP. The loestrin is too low for you now. If you don't want to give up the BCP, I highly recommend you go to a higher dose of estrogen/progesterone pill. If I hadn't been 52 when I went off the pill, I would have gone to a stronger BCP instead of going to bioidenticals.

How old are you?

T'Pow

hya mauras,

i went on yasmin bcp 3 years ago for the same symtoms, as u got orginally, and it worked fantastically on the anxiety side and levelling moods etc, i have read somewhere that you can stay on bcp untill after menoapause??? i still get some flucations (sp)around ovulation and before my period begins, but it has lessened the symtoms.

hope this helps

love dorry xxxxxxx

Hi Dorry,

I talked to my doctor and he recommended that I go off the pill for a few months and then change to another brand if I feel better off of the lo/ovral. I figure that a change may be in order so I am going to take his advice. Maybe I will ask him about the Yasmin. I have been on the Lexapro for about 7 weeks now and no longer have the anxiety so I am definitely staying on that for now!

maura

Thanks T'Pow - I went off loestrin but still feeling horrible. Terrible cramps and pains but no period. Dr. prescribed synth. prog. to bring on period and we'll see after that. What next?