Can the contraceptive pill bring on OCD?

[bluesky8_]

Hi all,

I used to take the contraceptive pill (for about 10-11 months) from September 2019 to June/July 2020. I haven’t been on it for a while, as you can see but, I have experienced side effects from coming off it and I do worry that OCD may be one.

I have noticed, more so in the last few months, I have been having repetitive and recurring behaviours and/or thoughts that I can not budge. For example, I have to check my phone (Snapchat, Instagram) and ensure I haven’t posted anything unwanted on my story - even though I know there isn’t anything on there. The brightness and volume must be at the lowest and power mode turned off. It is a must, otherwise I cannot sleep. Even checking the side of my bed, to check there isn’t any spiders, bugs etc.

I also check the fridge and freezer to make sure they are shut. I’ll go back multiple times and open it back up multiple times and keep shutting it until I feel it is shut. Also, when I’m out, I’ll check my bag over snd over making sure everything is in it.

When I’m in bed, I can suddenly think “hm where is my credit card?” And have to get out of bed snd check my room to make sure I have it. Even then, I’ll check and check again to make sure it is in the bag.

More recently, I get a split second of negative/scary thoughts - I.e, there is something on the floor and I think I have to pick it up in case my cat eats it and dies because of me.

The volume on a TV, radio etc. Must be set on the 5 times table and will need to be changed if not.

I don’t want to self-diagnose myself but, rather see if this is a possibility and what I can do to help it.

I did think where has all this come from? I can’t remember always having these thoughts, I used to, but never has controlling as this.

I know OCD is caused, or one way it can be caused, is by a lack of serotonin in your body - I also know the pill can reduce the amount of serotonin in your body. Is it possible the pill has caused this?

Thanks,

Abby

[Cooper27]

This says there is a link:

researchgate.net/publicatio...

The pill can have a bit of an impact on nutrient absorption, so I was kinda curious if any nutrient deficiencies are linked to OCD. A really quick google suggests that B12 and/or vitamin D deficiencies might be linked, so it might be something worth looking into (you should test before supplementing).

It might also be because of the change in hormone balance, which can lead to anxiety/depression, and you'd need to come off the pill to see if you feel any better (although you might feel worse initially).

[wobblybee Administrator Pioneer]

There have been many explanations of why people develop OCD. Some have argued that it is inherited, whilst others have said that life events can cause it. Others have suggested that it’s caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Different people, different researchers find different explanations more helpful than others. But here’s the point, we simply don’t know!

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