Birth Control Caused Me To Go Crazy. I Feel I'm Going To Die Of Heart Attack

[June]

Can someone please tell me what happened to me and what could cause this craziness. It's heart palpitations and fear 24/7 and I can barely get sleep or leave the house. Please keep in mind I am 4.5 years out from healing from SSRI withdrawal and then subsequent benzo withdrawal that i used for 2 months. I never recovered after that benzo use.


3 months ago I was given glutathione which cause massive menstrual bleeding for a month. I went to gyno and they gave me a low dose birth control Alesse which I would need to take 4 pills a day just to keep it to a light bleeding. I took it for a month and went certifiably mad with anxiety and fear. I got so scared that I stopped taking it on Aug 30th and saw an acupuncturist and they stopped the bleeding within 9 days. Now it's Oct 9th and the anxiety is becoming unbearable. Depressed, anxious out of my mind, fear of being left alone and clinging to anyone. It's day 29 of my cycle and my period isn't here yet the anxiety is getting worse. I don't know if anxiety is ramping up because my hormones are suppose to be raising or my cortisol is continuously going up.


Via genetics testing I am told I have Low COMT gene. Now my serotonin had already plummeted due to ssri withdrawal and most likely gaba too. Birth control further lowers serotonin?? I tried to supplement with 15mg 5htp just to see how I would feel. I felt the brain fog lift slightly and the depression but the anxiety hummed in the background. I took that at 2 pm and by bedtime I could feel the OCD/anxiety return a bit. That little dose kept me up all night and I wasn't tired one bit yet it made me nap during the day when I took it! Or maybe it was me having no sleep past couple days and the dose calmed me down enough to sleep. I was afraid to take another dose at night just in case it kept me even more wide awake. I'm pretty sure I have something that is called pyroluria and the birth control further depleted zinc and B6. I'm afraid to take B6 because on withdrawal forums they say b6 is stimulating. I'm white as a ghost and look like someone who has never seen sun. Almost albino ooking except I have black hair. I feel my brain and heart just dying.


The thing is I woke up this morning with what felt like worse anxiety or maybe its the anxiety returning idk. But i swear it feels like the anxiety returned with more force after that 15mg trial yesterday. My chest is so heavy and feels like its going to burst, like I'll scream uncontrollably or start punching things just to release it. Is this heaviness caused by no sleep and cortisol instead? I took 150mg relora but it doesnt seem to help much with the cortisol rushes. Can i take it with 5htp and melatonin all together?? Please someone help me decipher what happened to me or else I'll be trying every supplement under the sun and exacerbating my withdrawal symptoms. I am very afraid.

 

[Hugh Johnson]

Perhaps stop taking 5htp and the birth control. Read up on using progest-e to stop the periods. Look into using cyproheptadine for SSRI recovery. If you suspect low GABA, just purchase a GABA supplement. Taurine, caffeine, cocoa, sugar, and sunlight are good for the mood, caffeine might be too much for you, so just test coffee. For stress hormones, L-theanine can be useful. Also, incline your bed.

I also found methylene blue very useful. Magnesium glycinate/bisglycinate/taurinate can be very relaxing.

Don't take melatonin. It's a stress hormone, and what you want is GABA which is the restorative inhibitory agent. Your problems are likely a combination of high serotonin, estrogen, cortisol and prolactin. Along with low GABA, progesterone and dopamine. Just a guess, so you should post lab results if you have any.

The doctors have not helped you. Perhaps you could try Peat's advice now.

 

[alywest]

Can someone please tell me what happened to me and what could cause this craziness. It's heart palpitations and fear 24/7 and I can barely get sleep or leave the house. Please keep in mind I am 4.5 years out from healing from SSRI withdrawal and then subsequent benzo withdrawal that i used for 2 months. I never recovered after that benzo use.


3 months ago I was given glutathione which cause massive menstrual bleeding for a month. I went to gyno and they gave me a low dose birth control Alesse which I would need to take 4 pills a day just to keep it to a light bleeding. I took it for a month and went certifiably mad with anxiety and fear. I got so scared that I stopped taking it on Aug 30th and saw an acupuncturist and they stopped the bleeding within 9 days. Now it's Oct 9th and the anxiety is becoming unbearable. Depressed, anxious out of my mind, fear of being left alone and clinging to anyone. It's day 29 of my cycle and my period isn't here yet the anxiety is getting worse. I don't know if anxiety is ramping up because my hormones are suppose to be raising or my cortisol is continuously going up.


Via genetics testing I am told I have Low COMT gene. Now my serotonin had already plummeted due to ssri withdrawal and most likely gaba too. Birth control further lowers serotonin?? I tried to supplement with 15mg 5htp just to see how I would feel. I felt the brain fog lift slightly and the depression but the anxiety hummed in the background. I took that at 2 pm and by bedtime I could feel the OCD/anxiety return a bit. That little dose kept me up all night and I wasn't tired one bit yet it made me nap during the day when I took it! Or maybe it was me having no sleep past couple days and the dose calmed me down enough to sleep. I was afraid to take another dose at night just in case it kept me even more wide awake. I'm pretty sure I have something that is called pyroluria and the birth control further depleted zinc and B6. I'm afraid to take B6 because on withdrawal forums they say b6 is stimulating. I'm white as a ghost and look like someone who has never seen sun. Almost albino ooking except I have black hair. I feel my brain and heart just dying.


The thing is I woke up this morning with what felt like worse anxiety or maybe its the anxiety returning idk. But i swear it feels like the anxiety returned with more force after that 15mg trial yesterday. My chest is so heavy and feels like its going to burst, like I'll scream uncontrollably or start punching things just to release it. Is this heaviness caused by no sleep and cortisol instead? I took 150mg relora but it doesnt seem to help much with the cortisol rushes. Can i take it with 5htp and melatonin all together?? Please someone help me decipher what happened to me or else I'll be trying every supplement under the sun and exacerbating my withdrawal symptoms. I am very afraid.

If I were you I would take the SSRI in a very low dose. Depending if it's fluoxetine or sertraline I would do either 2mg or 5mg respectively, unless you are really light weight wise, it would be even less. Everyone on here is against SSRI, but the problem is at the very low doses, it is just promoting the conversion of hormones to allopregnanolone, which is the calming hormone. Stopping SSRIs altogether means you are reducing serotonin and allopregnanolone all at the same time. The very low dose of SSRI will not affect your serotonin, but it will make sure that you are getting allopregnanolone, which is what works on the GABAa receptor to make you calm. If you have low cholesterol I would try to eat foods that will help raise the cholesterol, namely saturated fats like butter and coconut oil. Also, pregnenolone is the basic hormone that all the other hormones are built from, so if cholesterol is low I would also take some pregnenolone. Get pure stuff from health natura or idealabs (stressnon).
Secondly, don't let anyone else tell you what is right or wrong for you. You have to trust your gut.

 

[June]

Alywest, thank you for the encouragement. The only reason I am in this health mess is because of SSRIs and pharmaceuticals. I think I will avoid that avenue but thank you.

Hugh johnson- The thing is the birth control was stopped long ago in August. My genetics tells me I don't detox on any level so the estrogen is just floating in me. 5htp seems to have worked when I actually took it so when I experienced anxiety today, was it just my body going back into overdrive?? The only thing I have for gaba is Relora. Do you think that would work? So Gaba and cortisol lowering? I had natural progesterone therapy and it was bad. Partially due to why my anxiety is like this too. I think it converted to estrogen for me. I was thinking of I-3-c or Dim to mop up estrogen? I don't have any labs. Just know that a person with Low COMT gene, they are already dopamine dominant. Just don't know why it went to hell on birth controls pills I took two months ago.

 

[Hugh Johnson]

Alywest, thank you for the encouragement. The only reason I am in this health mess is because of SSRIs and pharmaceuticals. I think I will avoid that avenue but thank you.

Hugh johnson- The thing is the birth control was stopped long ago in August. My genetics tells me I don't detox on any level so the estrogen is just floating in me. 5htp seems to have worked when I actually took it so when I experienced anxiety today, was it just my body going back into overdrive?? The only thing I have for gaba is Relora. Do you think that would work? So Gaba and cortisol lowering? I had natural progesterone therapy and it was bad. Partially due to why my anxiety is like this too. I think it converted to estrogen for me. I was thinking of I-3-c or Dim to mop up estrogen? I don't have any labs. Just know that a person with Low COMT gene, they are already dopamine dominant. Just don't know why it went to hell on birth controls pills I took two months ago.

Do the incline bed. It helps detox because of the way circulation functions. Things went to hell because the body was no longer able to deal with the systematic stress it was put under. Would you please define "natural progesterone therapy"? It is rare progesterone causes anxiety, although I have read it opposes GABA which is inhibitory. If that is the case, gaba pills should help.

For GABA, just take GABA. Meaning GABA pills. You are following Peat's dietary suggestions? That should be the first step. Get the labs, that would help a lot.

 

[June]

Do the incline bed. It helps detox because of the way circulation functions. Things went to hell because the body was no longer able to deal with the systematic stress it was put under. Would you please define "natural progesterone therapy"? It is rare progesterone causes anxiety, although I have read it opposes GABA which is inhibitory. If that is the case, gaba pills should help.

For GABA, just take GABA. Meaning GABA pills. You are following Peat's dietary suggestions? That should be the first step. Get the labs, that would help a lot.

The inclined bed is very interesting and very easy to do. Definitely will try. Sorry I should have clarified it was Prometrium. It was as natural as that gynecologist was going to get. The GABA makes sense since that is how I felt when I took the progesterone. I jumped out of bed just covered in fear and sweat. I am a newbie here so I haven't had a chance to peruse the whole site. Will read up on it now.

 

[Hugh Johnson]

The inclined bed is very interesting and very easy to do. Definitely will try. Sorry I should have clarified it was Prometrium. It was as natural as that gynecologist was going to get. The GABA makes sense since that is how I felt when I took the progesterone. I jumped out of bed just covered in fear and sweat. I am a newbie here so I haven't had a chance to peruse the whole site. Will read up on it now.

Get the diet about right. Just get some milk , coconut oil, butter, white rice, juice and beef. That is start.


Prometrium is pretty bad. It has at least three toxic ingredients, the dose is huge, it can irritate the stomach (Just swallowing 10 mg of progesterone causes me pain) and the absorption of the progesterone is questionable.

 

[fradon]

Can someone please tell me what happened to me and what could cause this craziness. It's heart palpitations and fear 24/7 and I can barely get sleep or leave the house. Please keep in mind I am 4.5 years out from healing from SSRI withdrawal and then subsequent benzo withdrawal that i used for 2 months. I never recovered after that benzo use.


3 months ago I was given glutathione which cause massive menstrual bleeding for a month. I went to gyno and they gave me a low dose birth control Alesse which I would need to take 4 pills a day just to keep it to a light bleeding. I took it for a month and went certifiably mad with anxiety and fear. I got so scared that I stopped taking it on Aug 30th and saw an acupuncturist and they stopped the bleeding within 9 days. Now it's Oct 9th and the anxiety is becoming unbearable. Depressed, anxious out of my mind, fear of being left alone and clinging to anyone. It's day 29 of my cycle and my period isn't here yet the anxiety is getting worse. I don't know if anxiety is ramping up because my hormones are suppose to be raising or my cortisol is continuously going up.


Via genetics testing I am told I have Low COMT gene. Now my serotonin had already plummeted due to ssri withdrawal and most likely gaba too. Birth control further lowers serotonin?? I tried to supplement with 15mg 5htp just to see how I would feel. I felt the brain fog lift slightly and the depression but the anxiety hummed in the background. I took that at 2 pm and by bedtime I could feel the OCD/anxiety return a bit. That little dose kept me up all night and I wasn't tired one bit yet it made me nap during the day when I took it! Or maybe it was me having no sleep past couple days and the dose calmed me down enough to sleep. I was afraid to take another dose at night just in case it kept me even more wide awake. I'm pretty sure I have something that is called pyroluria and the birth control further depleted zinc and B6. I'm afraid to take B6 because on withdrawal forums they say b6 is stimulating. I'm white as a ghost and look like someone who has never seen sun. Almost albino ooking except I have black hair. I feel my brain and heart just dying.


The thing is I woke up this morning with what felt like worse anxiety or maybe its the anxiety returning idk. But i swear it feels like the anxiety returned with more force after that 15mg trial yesterday. My chest is so heavy and feels like its going to burst, like I'll scream uncontrollably or start punching things just to release it. Is this heaviness caused by no sleep and cortisol instead? I took 150mg relora but it doesnt seem to help much with the cortisol rushes. Can i take it with 5htp and melatonin all together?? Please someone help me decipher what happened to me or else I'll be trying every supplement under the sun and exacerbating my withdrawal symptoms. I am very afraid.

birth control increases copper and copper detoxing causes anxiety

if you lost a lot of blood then you could have anemia which is low hemoglobin usualy caused by low iron, low b6, or low b12. but if the iron level in the body is fine then chances is low copper or not enough active copper and you have a lot of inactive copper that is trigger the anxiety and stress.

 

[Nicolas Noyola]

isn't most birth control literally estrogen combined with a synthetic progestin that has estrogenic effects anways? My girlfriend recently got on BC too, she has basically been going crazy. terrible dreams for one.

 

[Dhair]

Alywest, thank you for the encouragement. The only reason I am in this health mess is because of SSRIs and pharmaceuticals. I think I will avoid that avenue but thank you.

Hugh johnson- The thing is the birth control was stopped long ago in August. My genetics tells me I don't detox on any level so the estrogen is just floating in me. 5htp seems to have worked when I actually took it so when I experienced anxiety today, was it just my body going back into overdrive?? The only thing I have for gaba is Relora. Do you think that would work? So Gaba and cortisol lowering? I had natural progesterone therapy and it was bad. Partially due to why my anxiety is like this too. I think it converted to estrogen for me. I was thinking of I-3-c or Dim to mop up estrogen? I don't have any labs. Just know that a person with Low COMT gene, they are already dopamine dominant. Just don't know why it went to hell on birth controls pills I took two months ago.

There is essentially no possible way to definitively know if your genetic test results indicate anything about a predisposition to estrogen dominance. For all practical purposes, it is useless information.
Are you eating at least 80 grams of protein daily from high quality sources?

 

[CLASH]

Some things that have helped me:

•adequate protein-> upregulates p450 enzymes in the liver increasing detox

•adequate carbs from fruit juice and fruit-> lower cortisol/ estrogen, raise thyroid

•adequate fiber from fruits and some veggies helped me be very regular in conjunction with adequate fat intake. For some people the regularity can make a big difference, it definetly did so with me. When I was drinking milk the constipation was absolutely terrible. The low fiber diets gave me the runs as well and made me bloated. Theres defiently an adjustment period in the gut to this tho...

•adequate fat from coconut oil, beef tallow, cocoa butter-> support hormone production, improve gut health tremendously, helps to relax the sympathetic response. I went from hyperhidrosis to zero sweating at all by eating enough fat. I’ve shared the eating enough fat with a few girls I’ve been with and it increased thier libido, got rid of thier hyperhidrosis (only 2 had hyperhidrosis), helped with thier anxiety as well. The anxiety, messed up periods, low libido seem pretty common. They were either eating low fat or a lot of nuts, beans, grains and vegetable oil :/

•pregnenolone supplementation-> turns to
Allopregnenolone

•progesterone supplementation helps me relax pretty strongly. I’m not sure the effect in females, I dont usually tell people about hormones besides pregnenolone, but it definetly relaxes me nicely. I only use 1-3mg at a time and at most once every other day (long half life).

• taurine + glycine supplementation-> supports GABA in the brain and upregulates liver detox

•b vitamine supplementation-> as long as its taken with enough carbs, it helps to chill you out, I’ve used haiduts energin with good effect. Supports oxidative metabolism

•magnesium glycinate supplementation with some calcium carbonate relaxes me as well. Magnesium has a direct relaxation effect, so does the glycine

 

[June]

Thanks Guys!! I just happened to check my thread as I didn't get any notifications for your replies! But I am overwhelmed by the kind help here! I was anemic before the bleeding and probably more anemic now. I have tried iron supplementing but it always causes excruciating constipation. So I had no way to raise those levels..until now. I just learned of dessicated liver and started with 2 pills today to see if I get a reaction. I hope this would be considered enough protein and fats since it is undefatted liver. Before the liver I tried supplementing with a bcomplex and it caused an edginess within me and aborted that. I also tried supplementing individually b6, zinc, magnesium, vitamin d but I was missing my other B vitamins and vitamin A. I am considering adding some fish oil but I am on the fence about that. I most likely have elevated copper and elevated estrogen. Not sure if DIM would be a wise choice at this point. I am due for a basic blood test in a day or so. Do people normally take a multivitamin along with the dessicated liver. How do I know dessicated liver will adequately raise my levels? Everything I have read it states that the dose of vitamins in the liver pills is nowhere compared to a bcomplex or multivitamin. I really appreciate your replies and will take all your suggestions into consideration.

 

[Hugh Johnson]

Thanks Guys!! I just happened to check my thread as I didn't get any notifications for your replies! But I am overwhelmed by the kind help here! I was anemic before the bleeding and probably more anemic now. I have tried iron supplementing but it always causes excruciating constipation. So I had no way to raise those levels..until now. I just learned of dessicated liver and started with 2 pills today to see if I get a reaction. I hope this would be considered enough protein and fats since it is undefatted liver. Before the liver I tried supplementing with a bcomplex and it caused an edginess within me and aborted that. I also tried supplementing individually b6, zinc, magnesium, vitamin d but I was missing my other B vitamins and vitamin A. I am considering adding some fish oil but I am on the fence about that. I most likely have elevated copper and elevated estrogen. Not sure if DIM would be a wise choice at this point. I am due for a basic blood test in a day or so. Do people normally take a multivitamin along with the dessicated liver. How do I know dessicated liver will adequately raise my levels? Everything I have read it states that the dose of vitamins in the liver pills is nowhere compared to a bcomplex or multivitamin. I really appreciate your replies and will take all your suggestions into consideration.

Fish oil is toxic. Vitamin A, not carotene, should help with anemia.

 

[June]

Fish oil is toxic. Vitamin A, not carotene, should help with anemia.

Yes that is what I have gathered and was on the fence about it. Do you know whether the dessicated liver would deliver enough vitamin A?

 

[Hugh Johnson]

Yes that is what I have gathered and was on the fence about it. Do you know whether the dessicated liver would deliver enough vitamin A?

Don't know. Buy pills.

 

[June]

Well I just got a full blood panel and it shows that prolactin is high other than low ferritin. What does this mean? Last time I had high prolactin was when I was withdrawing off antidepressants in 2013 and my hormones and neurotransmitters were all topsy turvy. Now this mess with birth control pills has caused an increase again. I'm sure it will level off like it did after 2013. But is there anythign I can do to facilitate it? Is it the cause for my anxiety? Or is Prolactin connected to dopamine?

 

[Ras]

@June
Have you looked into Dr. Christopher's herbal formulas?
Have you considered lemon balm, ginseng, or ashwagandha for your anxieties? I wouldn't trust the latter three from any vendor other than Nootropics Depot, as I'm unaware of anyone else providing higher quality. EpiCor (also available at Nootropics Depot) is a high quality supplement for your immune system and bowel, both of whose derangement can contribute to an anxious habitus.

 

[June]

I will have to take a look at Dr.Christophers's herbal formulas! Anything to rid this. I have tried ashwagandha in the past and it caused a lethargy that was quite heavy. Like my energy drained right out of my body and I used all my might to stay awake, which caused heart palps. Lemon balm wouldn't work for me as I have low thyroid. I have recently started drinking Holy basil tea but can't say whether it is doing anything. Maybe I need to up the teaspoons? Thanks for the reply.

 

[Ras]

I will have to take a look at Dr.Christophers's herbal formulas! Anything to rid this. I have tried ashwagandha in the past and it caused a lethargy that was quite heavy. Like my energy drained right out of my body and I used all my might to stay awake, which caused heart palps. Lemon balm wouldn't work for me as I have low thyroid. I have recently started drinking Holy basil tea but can't say whether it is doing anything. Maybe I need to up the teaspoons? Thanks for the reply.

I think, because of the birth control you took, you could benefit from his Hormonal Changease and Female Reproductive formulas. You might also benefit from his Relax-Eze.

 

[tara]

I have tried iron supplementing but it always causes excruciating constipation. So I had no way to raise those levels..until now.

If you actually are low in iron (as shown by tests, not just assumed), then eating liver could be useful. Liver also has some other minerals and vitamins (including B-vits and vit A) in it that can be helpful. I think it makes a difference to find get it really fresh from butchers, not grey looking, and cook it enough but not so long it gets rubbery. :) Or make pate out of it. If you are needing the iron, then eating oranges or drinking the juice may help absorption.
Oysters are the richest food source of zinc.

You can try running your diet through cronometer to get a rough idea of what nutrition you are getting from your food. Ignore its low calorie advice - you sound like you are needing healing, not restriction. Hunger or fuel deficiency are stressful, so you can check that potential source of tension and sleeplessness etc.
If you want, you can post here what you are eating,including calories, protein etc.

You could monitor your body temps to get a bit more DIY info about what's going on for you. When you say low thyroid, what do you know about your thyroid function? (If you want to tell.) That could be significant for recovery.

Low thyroid function can push people to rely on stress hormones to function.

Some medications are easiest changed gradually, rather than cold-turkey

Take care.