Annie (AKA Hey Terra!) has been around long enough to have experienced a lot of what Life can dish out. But, it hasn’t been so long that she's forgotten what it's like to be your age. Check out some of the thousands of email questions teens from around the world have sent to Terra. You may learn something useful from her answers:
Sex and Sexuality:
“Can birth control pills make you act 'crazy'?”
Hey Terra,
Lately I've been crying hard. I'm not really sure why. I've also been sensitive to things my boyfriend, family says to me. The littlest things! More so w/ my boyfriend, and I'm not sure if I've been crying for no reason or there might be a reason. But when I'm around people I'm okay. I don't want to talk to my bf or family because they might think I'm crazy and so I hide my eyes from them. But is it because of these oral contraceptive pills I'm taking or am I depressed or something? Please help me out.What's going on?
Dear What's going on?,
You're definitely not "crazy" and you don't have to put up with these wild emotions. The behavior you're describing can be a side-effect of birth control pills and if the physician who prescribed the pills didn't mention it as a possibility, he/she should have warned you. Different pills have different levels of estrogen and progestin to regulate your menstrual cycle and prevent conception. Many experts believe that mood swings are caused by the progestin levels in the pills and different brands have different levels. If this isn't "usual" behavior for you (and it sounds like it isn't), you should absolutely talk to your mom right away (that means now) and make an appointment with the doctor. If the pills you're taking are making you feel like your emotions are out of control, you might need to be put on a different prescription.
I hope this helps.
In friendship,
Terra
Need some advice? Write to Terra.
She'll give you a straight answer you can trust without any lectures.
Facebook
