Birth Control Pill - effect on libido and mental health

**SlimmerMe** · 10-11-2010, 10:27 PM

by the way....there are no left overs....I got the very last drop! going cold turkey for awhile....

**PPC** · 10-12-2010, 07:29 AM

Originally Posted by BengalWoman

PPC - Thanks for your help! I'll try and answer all of your questions.

The blood test were done 6 days after the start of my cycle. (Done for 3 days).

The doctor did not test progesterone. I asked her but no response yet.

I am not supplementing DHEA at this time. But can do easily.

I do not feel like me! Libido sucks and life wears on me. And these damn doctors that are suppose to be helping everyone just put up road blocks.

Do you take pregnanolone? That too I can do easily.

Again thanks for all of your input.

By the time you took this test, estradiol should have been rising. Six days after the start of your cycle, E is in an upward trend. If 83 is indicative of your upward trend then help may be needed along the way with a compounded E cream with both estradiol and estriol. Raising your E levels helps you cope with the stress of life. Things are jjust gloomy with low E. But you may want to give it a another month or two and see if your own ovaries want to put out more. I think you will end up needing a good doc that specializes in female hormonal issues (the AA type). There will definitely be a need to test for progesterone.

DHEA can help with lagging libido in females. I don't think it goes as far as T does to get it up there but I noticed a mild libido boost when I started using it. It's just good to take anyway since it is a powerful immune booster and helps protect against breast cancer.

Most women cannot tolerate more than 20 mg of DHEA. Acne is the first sign that you are going too high. My dose is 10mg per day. I use a brand that has bioperine in it for better absorbtion. I have tried increasing the dose 3 times and I always end up with acne on my chin when I do, but that's just me. Going back down to 10 mg - the acne disappears. It seems to take about a month on a certain dose to notice results and side effects.

I have tried using pregnenolone. I did a trial with a lipid matrix brand that is supposed to bypass the liver. The dose was 150 mg. I did fine until I was in the part of my cycle where I have to add my progesterone. The combination of these two was too much for me. I got headaches, brain fog and my cycle got messed up. I believe my dose was too high. Pregnenolone apparently swims downstream into progesterone so I was just overdosing on that likely. I need to try again at a better dose sometime like 50 mg.

Pregnenolone will not raise your estrogen or your testosterone and those are the ones you are lacking on your tests. It may help with your cortisol and progesterone. Using a low dose probably would not hurt you but won't fill the othe other gaping holes.

I believe using exogenous T will ultimately help your libido and energy levels. Sometimes it takes a while for T receptors to open up and for one to 'feel' the changes. You have not had much circulating T in your body for a long time so it will be interesting to see how long it takes for your receptors to open up and for cell changes to occur if you start using T.

My Mom used a T cream for 6 months with no libido change, but then it gradually climbed and now she is constantly chasing my Dad LOL. I noticed the effects of T much sooner than that. I actually had to lower my dose due to hypersexual feelings and a bit of a personality change that occured. T is a powerful hormone in females it seems and it is a big brain space changer. On too high a dose, I was less tolerant of my children and more ready to be combative with my husband - awful. There is that 'just right' dose for every individual but it's not always the easiest road getting there. It's worth it though.

**PPC** · 10-12-2010, 07:40 AM

Originally Posted by SlimmerMe

thanks PPC!!!....what kind of side effects with high DHEA....other than aggression which I was told I had this summer by a close friend oddly enough...what physical sides? please elaborate...

Acne is a biggie. Oilier skin. Body hair growth. Chin hair growth. Sometimes these physical symptoms won't manifest but the personality ones need to be watched. I didn't get body or chin hair growth but I did get some new pubic hair - strange.

I noticed less tolerance, more aggression. I am usually laid back and mostly patient with my family. This changed. I felt like I was no longer willing to put up with anything from anybody. Way less passive. I'm very close to my brother, he told me I had turned into a 'be-itch'. Lowering doses really helped with all of this.

**SlimmerMe** · 10-12-2010, 10:39 AM

Originally Posted by PPC

Acne is a biggie. Oilier skin. Body hair growth. Chin hair growth. Sometimes these physical symptoms won't manifest but the personality ones need to be watched. I didn't get body or chin hair growth but I did get some new pubic hair - strange.

I noticed less tolerance, more aggression. I am usually laid back and mostly patient with my family. This changed. I felt like I was no longer willing to put up with anything from anybody. Way less passive. I'm very close to my brother, he told me I had turned into a 'be-itch'. Lowering doses really helped with all of this.

thanks...acne has been a problem for months...I just assumed it was the testosterone I was taking..so I bet the 2 together really put me into teenage mode! Yep....the aggression comment from my friend did make me take notice..

**SlimmerMe** · 10-12-2010, 11:53 AM

To Vette re: Total Test BW vs. Free Test BW....having to re-read over and over to "get it!" thanks...hoping to find out why the doc does not like the Total Test BW

**flatscat** · 10-26-2010, 01:34 PM

OP and all, - what an awesome thread! Can't believe I missed it - thanks vette.

So basically low E, T and P lead to a lot of the same symptoms us guys have? Along with the problems mentioned with cycles?

Also can you comment on how/if the cycle issues due to the imbalance of E and P could result in pH problems?

Think my AA doc is fixen to get a new patient!

Thanks again,

flats

**zaggahamma** · 10-26-2010, 03:14 PM

Originally Posted by flatscat

OP and all, - what an awesome thread! Can't believe I missed it - thanks vette.

So basically low E, T and P lead to a lot of the same symptoms us guys have? Along with the problems mentioned with cycles?

Also can you comment on how/if the cycle issues due to the imbalance of E and P could result in pH problems?

Think my AA doc is fixen to get a new patient!

Thanks again,

flats

if she doesnt crack u with the cast iron first

**flatscat** · 10-26-2010, 03:36 PM

Originally Posted by jpkman

if she doesnt crack u with the cast iron first

which is entirely possible. If I go more than three days from this point on without posting again - you know I am A.R.T.

**zaggahamma** · 10-26-2010, 04:46 PM

dem womens dont need no harmones just to be dealt with ruggedness

**PPC** · 10-27-2010, 07:42 PM

Originally Posted by flatscat

OP and all, - what an awesome thread! Can't believe I missed it - thanks vette.

So basically low E, T and P lead to a lot of the same symptoms us guys have? Along with the problems mentioned with cycles?

Also can you comment on how/if the cycle issues due to the imbalance of E and P could result in pH problems?

Think my AA doc is fixen to get a new patient!

Thanks again,

flats

By PH problems....I'm not sure what you mean...do you mean vaginal PH where the vagina becomes inbalanced and this can lead to infections etc....yes that can happen. Maybe you mean something else...ph and diet? Sorry, I'm confused.

What sort of menstrual cycle problems are you referring to?

**Vettester** · 10-27-2010, 08:24 PM

I presumed flats was talking about the 'potential hydrogen'; meaning she might have unbalanced alkalinity or acidity. Hopefully flats will see this fairly soon.

Good to see you around, PPC!

**flatscat** · 10-28-2010, 07:10 AM

taking this one to the pm realm

**SlimmerMe** · 12-07-2010, 11:57 AM

This thread needs to be a sticky

**laurahill** · 12-15-2010, 03:51 AM

libido can be curable,it can be treated by using some generic medicines like lovegra.

**mkt** · 05-23-2012, 07:03 PM

wow. I've just had my first cycle after being off bc for just over a month. I've been on it for ten years during which time i settled for, married and then divorced a disaster of a person and then remained semi-depressed and stagnating for nearly five years. My muscle tone is a mess despite relatively frequent training. I was afraid to go off of it because I always felt nuts if i missed a day. I wonder now if i was just in a weird hormone induced hazy depression that whole time. And I thought it was helping me!

Then my wellness doc said enough. she also put me on hgh and test (in fact a new set of labs just came back and my test and hgh STILL look low). my libido is through the roof, a bit too through the roof for someone without constant access to man parts and an office job, and I can't wait to see what becomes of my skinny flabby bod.

wish me luck all!

**qkcam** · 01-17-2013, 04:32 PM

"Now I do use my T in injectable form. Very small doses twice a week, a total of 8 mg per week. I was doing 10 but felt very hyper sexual. I may go back up and see if that is no longer such an issue. I have used T transdermals. Injecting is cheaper for me. I find it more potent."

hi i am curious if you are still using injectable T and what type? i am experimenting with a low dose Enthanate.. 20mg 1x a week.. does it create any issue with water retention for you?
thanks hope you are doing well...