Where did my libido go?
November 9, 2010 10:28 PM Subscribe
Why has going off the Pill lowered my sex drive?
I seem to have the opposite reaction to the Pill than most women have: when I'm on it, I feel great all-around, and I don't feel "like myself" when I'm off. I went off about a year ago because I found out that the stroke risk is greatly increased if you have migraine with aura and take oral contraceptives, and I am still grumpy about it. One of the problems is my sex drive is significantly lower than it used to be. Has anyone else experienced this? Is there any medical basis for this, or could something else be going on? Is there anything I can do about it, given that I can't take any hormonal birth control?
I seem to have the opposite reaction to the Pill than most women have: when I'm on it, I feel great all-around, and I don't feel "like myself" when I'm off. I went off about a year ago because I found out that the stroke risk is greatly increased if you have migraine with aura and take oral contraceptives, and I am still grumpy about it. One of the problems is my sex drive is significantly lower than it used to be. Has anyone else experienced this? Is there any medical basis for this, or could something else be going on? Is there anything I can do about it, given that I can't take any hormonal birth control?
Talk to your GP, GYN, or whoever provided you with the birth control in the first place; if you're seeing a migraine specialist or neurologist, you should check in with them, too. They'll know what to do to rule out or treat any underlying issues that could contribute to low sex drive.
Failing that, a reproductive endocrinologist might be a good referral to request.
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 12:57 AM on November 10, 2010
Failing that, a reproductive endocrinologist might be a good referral to request.
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 12:57 AM on November 10, 2010
Only estrogen is contraindicated for women who have migraine with aura, so progestin-only contraceptives are still an option for you. There are progestin-only pills (mini-pills or POPs) or Mirena, which is an IUD that releases a low-dose of progestin. There's also Implanon or Depo-Provera. Check with your OB/GYN to make sure - it's possible progestin-only options wouldn't be good for you for some other reason. For example, if you miss a POP, you have an increased risk of developing ovarian cysts, so if you've had them before a doctor might be hesitant to prescribe them for you.
I'm not sure if that would help you, but it's certainly worth giving mini-pills a try for a month to see if the progestin-only birth control helps bring back your libido. If it doesn't work, you're only out a few bucks and you've eliminated one possible avenue.
If you're concerned about pregnancy and can't do the progestin-only options, there's also Paragard, which is a non-hormonal IUD. I have this and while my periods are heavier and longer, I love that I have a no-effort birth control option that has very few side effects. Not sure if it would do anything for the problems you're experiencing, though.
(IANAD, but I also have migraine with aura and I do peer sex education and used to work at a family planning non-profit). Good luck with your search and I hope you get it figured out!
posted by SugarAndSass at 4:54 AM on November 10, 2010
I'm not sure if that would help you, but it's certainly worth giving mini-pills a try for a month to see if the progestin-only birth control helps bring back your libido. If it doesn't work, you're only out a few bucks and you've eliminated one possible avenue.
If you're concerned about pregnancy and can't do the progestin-only options, there's also Paragard, which is a non-hormonal IUD. I have this and while my periods are heavier and longer, I love that I have a no-effort birth control option that has very few side effects. Not sure if it would do anything for the problems you're experiencing, though.
(IANAD, but I also have migraine with aura and I do peer sex education and used to work at a family planning non-profit). Good luck with your search and I hope you get it figured out!
posted by SugarAndSass at 4:54 AM on November 10, 2010
Merely anecdotal data, but I've had to give up hormonal birth control (I experienced blood clots while on the Ortho-Evra patch) for life, and after going off, my sex drive plummeted (and my acne returned with a vengeance). This is the opposite of what happens with most people, but I do not have a medical explanation for what's going on. I have multiple things pointing to the possibility that I've got a higher level of natural testosterone that most women, so I don't know if that's related to the unusual relationship between libido and hormonal birth control that I've experienced.
posted by drlith at 6:15 AM on November 10, 2010
posted by drlith at 6:15 AM on November 10, 2010
I think any exploration into hormones and libido MUST start with blood work. Get a full hormonal panel before any speculation. Blood work is the straight-up truth and usually holds the key to answers to these questions. Estrogen, testosterone, progesterone and more must be in the "sweet spots" for libido to be good.
SG
posted by Studiogeek at 8:56 AM on November 10, 2010
SG
posted by Studiogeek at 8:56 AM on November 10, 2010
Response by poster: I'm going to get blood work done today, so hopefully that will help me figure this out.
SugarAndSass: thanks for clarifying! I forgot to mention in my post that I tried the Mirena and it was AWFUL for me. Depression and horrendous acne. I had it removed after 6 months. The insertion was so painful that I don't think I could face trying the Paraguard.
drlith: thanks for sharing, it's good to know I'm not the only one who reacts this way.
posted by Dilemma at 9:47 AM on November 10, 2010
SugarAndSass: thanks for clarifying! I forgot to mention in my post that I tried the Mirena and it was AWFUL for me. Depression and horrendous acne. I had it removed after 6 months. The insertion was so painful that I don't think I could face trying the Paraguard.
drlith: thanks for sharing, it's good to know I'm not the only one who reacts this way.
posted by Dilemma at 9:47 AM on November 10, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Night_owl at 10:54 PM on November 9, 2010