I remember one bright afternoon, walking my dog, feeling the warmth of the sun beat down on my skin. In all sense of the word you could consider this a “good” day. However, at that moment, in the clear outdoors, I felt surrounded by a fog.
I realized that as my life was going so well, I felt as though I was almost looking in on it from the outside. Like I couldn’t fully feel it.
I felt as if some outside power possessed my mind. Making me feel and even act in ways that weren’t typical of myself. I felt as if I was somehow… broken.
Maybe you can understand this… and I am guessing I am not alone.
For years I struggled with sadness, anxiety and at times depression. It got to the point when I was 20 years old that I went to my psychiatrist at my University to seek help. It was honestly one of the best summers of my life, I just moved to an exciting new place, I had new friends, went out on adventures and fun activities often, but for some reason I was just… sad.
I didn’t feel like myself, like I knew I should feel, so I went to the doctor. The doctor, obviously wanting to help, diagnosed me with a mood disorder after hearing my symptoms and prescribed me an antidepressant. At first I felt like it was making a difference. Then after a little while, it wasn’t, and side effects began that were unbearable: I felt like a zombie during the day had drenching night sweats, episodes of vertigo... feeling like this wasn’t any better!
We tried a few different prescriptions before I decided to stop and I tried to go on with my life. For the next 4 years however, this would continue in waves; times of feeling amazing, and times of sadness, hopelessness, anxiety, obsessive thoughts, and a loss of libido. The ups and downs got exhausting.
Finally through my continued nutritional studies I realized a likely contributor and source of my issues. See, I had been on birth control for years. I started the pill when I was 15 because I was told that was my only option for the horrible, painful periods I was experiencing. And after 6 years I switched to a hormonal IUD (Mirena), which I still currently had.
I learned that taking hormones can cause serious nutritional deficiencies, especially of those brain/mood dependent vitamins such as B6, B12, Folic Acid, Magnesium and Zinc. And I had been on those hormones FOR YEARS. At this point I started doing more research on my own to see if there was something I could do.
A little bit of background on Oral Contraceptives or “The Pill”
The first oral contraceptive went on the market in 1960, and currently it is estimated that 10.6 million women use the pill, and around 2 million are using the hormonal Mirena Intra-Uterine Device .
With over 50 years of experience now, we have seen problems to women have arisen when putting hormone related medications in their bodies. It has been shown to deplete Folic Acid, B6, B1, B2, B3, B12, Vitamin C, Magnesium, Selenium, Zinc, CoQ10, and Tyrosine.
Even 35 years ago, In 1980, a study published in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine stated “After 2 decades of use, concern about the nutritional status of women consuming OC (oral contraceptives) prompted this review: OC shown to depress levels of Vitamins B, B6, B12, C, Folic acid, and Zinc.”
A recent, high quality study published out of Denmark looked at over a million women suggests that there is an increased risk of depression not only just from oral contraceptives, but from all types of hormonal contraception. Even though IUD’s are typically touted as only acting “locally” in your body, this study showed that the hormonal IUD was particularly tied to depression within all age groups.
Do these studies mean that all women will suffer from mood imbalances on birth control? No. But evidence does show that women that are more susceptible to depression from factors such as a poor diet, already have nutrient deficiencies (which is very prevalent today), poor gut health, excess physical and emotional stress, other illness, or genetic factors are more likely to develop depression.
Even if is not you that suffers, it is prevalent enough that it may be your best friend, your sister or your daughter.
How this can happen
To keep it simple, we are going to specifically look Vitamin B6. B6 is an essential nutrient which is required in the conversion of the neurotransmitter Serotonin from the amino acid Tryptophan.
Serotonin is regarded by many as the neurotransmitter that is in charge of mood balance which can affect happiness, libido, social behaviors, and even memory. So being deficient in B6 means you may not be able to produce Serotonin to keep yourself happy and balanced.
This can also create sleep issues since Serotonin is converted into Melatonin. Melatonin helps you fall asleep and stay asleep and works in relation to your circadian rhythm. Being sleepy will also make a person cranky won’t it?
There are other complex relationships that have been shown to be affected by hormonal contraceptives that can play a part in your mood, such as the availability of the amino acid Tyrosine which works in the Dopamine pathway, another “happy” brain chemical.
It is critical that this starts to become a greater conversation with our doctors and practitioners, not only when we are considering starting a hormone prescription,but if you have been on one for years, or have gone off them. These nutrient deficiencies can come on gradually, so it is not an overnight symptom that is easy to catch. It is normally not until we are in the depths of it that we realize something may not be right.
I eventually decided to have my nutrient levels checked (if you would like to do the same find out more here), and low and behold many were very low. Although I ate a seemingly healthy diet and was aware of the nutrition I was putting into my body I had other stressors that exacerbated the depleting effects of my birth control use (both the pill and Mirena). Things such as multiple physical traumas, surgeries, un-diagnosed food allergies and a fairly prevalent genetic disorder called Pyroluria, which naturally further depletes my levels of B6, and Zinc… not a happy combination.
I therapeutically supplemented with targeted vitamins and minerals to bring my levels back up. After restoring my nutrients I had finally found some relief and finally I had an answer.
I can’t help to get a little upset with the periods of my life I spent in distress, hurt relationships, loss of opportunities I may have been able to prevent knowing what I know now. When periods come up now that I am just not feeling "right" I am able to catch on much quicker, and evaluate what might be happening in my body. Now I use my personal experience, knowledge, and research in my practice to help others prevent themselves from experiencing similar issues.
What can you do?
I want to be clear, I am not advocating everyone stops using a contraceptive. Obviously, the risk of an unplanned pregnancy for some outweighs the issues that come with hormonal contraceptives. Until we have further developments to prevent pregnancy we are stuck with only a few options.
What you can do
- If you or your child is considering starting a hormonal contraceptive discuss the nutritional concerns and possible long-term side effects with a knowledgeable practitioner.
- Have your nutrient levels checked, before starting, periodically throughout use, and after you stop using birth control. Even if you stopped taking birth control years ago you could still be suffering from the nutritional deficiencies since it often takes intervention and supplementation to bring the levels back to optimal ranges.
- Consider the choices of birth control available. There are oral contraceptives, both hormonal and non-hormonal IUDs, sterilization, condoms, and natural family planning methods. Do your research and decide which might be best for you and your family at this point in your life.
- Stay mindful and conscious of your moods and how you are feeling. The most useful tool we have in managing our health is yourself! It is our mindfulness of how our body feels, how our moods and functioning feels, and having that gut intuition of when something just feels “off.” Get to know yourself, whether you keep a journal or just check in with how you feel on a daily basis, this is critical in preventing many health issues from spiraling or turning into disease.
- Ask for help. Depression and anxiety can be a serious issue, know when to ask for help. Seek advice and counseling from friends, family, therapists, or psychologists along with being checked by your doctor. And if you are ever feeling thoughts of suicide or you feel you may hurt yourself or others please call 911 immediately.