Birth control pills are an effective and safe form of birth control; however, they are associated with a number of side effects, including mood alterations.
A recent research study from Aarhus University has shown that women who take birth control pills have a much higher level of the hormone oxytocin, also called the love hormone, in their blood compared to non-users.
This study, published in Scientific Reports, helps to understand why birth control pills affect emotional life.
“Oxytocin is a hormone found naturally in the body and is secreted during social cues and bonding, reinforcing social behaviour,” says Associate Professor Michael Winterdahl of the Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, who is behind the study.
Can one really get too much of the love hormone?
“A constantly elevated level of oxytocin may mean that it is not secreted in the same dynamic way as under normal conditions. It is precisely these dynamics that are important to our emotional lives.
This may explain why feelings such as closeness, attachment and love appear to be altered in some women who use birth control pills” he explains.
Negative effects on romantic love
The researchers collected and analyzed blood samples from 185 young women in the United States. Participants also answered a variety of questions about their mental well-being.
“Many women have used birth control pills at some point in their lives. Our study presents, for the first time, evidence for changes in the levels of oxytocin in response to birth control, providing a mechanism by which some women experience altered mood.
Since oxytocin is important for attachment to a partner, one can imagine that the constantly elevated level is important – not only for the woman herself, but also in the broader sense of the relationship,” says the researcher.
According to Michael Winterdahl, the study suggests there may be changes in the behaviour of women who would not otherwise experience more traditional side effects.
“Humans are super social beings, we are able to put ourselves in the place of others, show empathy, fear loneliness and seek community – all driven by the brain’s secretion of oxytocin.
Even very small changes in brain oxytocin levels will affect the way we process emotions and thus how we interact with each other. Our study can help explain why some women on birth control pills experience a diminished sense of closeness, for example”
He emphasizes that, with the new knowledge, they can now begin to examine the risk profile for different types of birth control pills, and in the longer term, one may be able to predict who is at risk of mood alterations.
Currently, there are three types of oral contraceptive pills: combined estrogen-progesterone, progesterone only and the continuous or extended use pill. The birth control pill is the most commonly prescribed form of contraception in the US.
Approximately 25% of women age 15-44 who currently use contraception reported using the pill as their method of choice. The most commonly prescribed pill is the combined hormonal pill with estrogen and progesterone.
Progesterone is the hormone that prevents pregnancy, and the estrogen component will control menstrual bleeding. [1] Birth control pills are primarily used to prevent pregnancy. The effectiveness of this form of birth control is referred to as typical and perfect use.
Typical use, meaning the method may not always be used consistently or correctly, results in a failure rate of 9 women out of 100 that will become pregnant during the first year of using this method. Perfect use, meaning the method is used consistently and correctly every time, is less than one woman out of 100 will become pregnant in the first year of use.
Due to human error, the quoted failure rate for combined oral contraceptive pills is the typical use of 9%. OCP’s can be used to address other health conditions particularly menstrual related disorders such as menstrual pain, irregular menstruation, fibroids, endometriosis-related pain and menstrual- related migraines.[2]
Use of combined pills for acne has been formally approved by the FDA for specific brands. The majority of women take OCP’s to prevent pregnancy, but 14% used them for non-contraceptive reasons.
Mechanism of Action
The progesterone is primarily responsible for preventing pregnancy. The main mechanism of action is the prevention of ovulation; they inhibit follicular development and prevent ovulation. [1] Progestogen negative feedback works at the hypothalamus to decreases the pulse frequency of gonadotropin releasing hormone.
This, in turn, will decrease the secretion of follicle- stimulating hormone (FSH) and decreases the secretion of luteinizing hormone (LH). If the follicle isn’t developing, then there is no increase in the estradiol levels (the follicle makes estradiol).
The progestogen negative feedback and lack of estrogen positive feedback on LH secretion stop the mid-cycle LH surge. With no follicle developed and no LH surge to release the follicle, there is the prevention of ovulation.
Estrogen has some effect with inhibiting follicular development because of its negative feedback on the anterior pituitary with slows FSH secretion; it’s just not as prominent as the progesterone’s effect.
Another primary mechanism of action is progesterone’s ability to inhibit sperm from penetrating through the cervix and upper genital tract by making the cervical mucous unfriendly.[1] Progesterone induced endometrial atrophy should deter implantation, but there is no proof that this occurs.
Administration
Combined oral contraceptive pills are to be taken daily at approximately the same time each day. Avoid taking them greater than 24 hours apart as this could affect efficacy. When you initiate the contraceptive pills you are not protected from pregnancy prevention in the first 7 days and an alternative method of birth control is recommended during this time period.
If you miss a tablet just take the missed tablet as soon as you remember and the next tablet at the usual time (taking 2 tablets in 1 day). If you miss 2 tablets in a row in the first or second week then take 2 tablets the day you remember and 2 tablets the next day, then resume 1 per day. Use another form of contraception until you begin a new cycle.
The extended cycle formulations have active hormone pills for every day for 3 months, followed by a week of placebo. This can be manipulated and are formulations that involve taking active pill for 1 year which will functionally stop all menstrual bleeding; although the most common complication from extended cycle is break through bleeding.
Any formulation of combined oral contraceptive pill can be used in this manner but typically the monophasic pills the easiest to manipulate.
Adverse Effects
Most side effects of OCP’s are mild and disappear with continued use or switching to another pill formulation. The most common adverse effect of combined oral contraceptive pills is break through bleeding.
Women will also complain of nausea, headaches, abdominal cramping, breast tenderness, and an increase in vaginal discharge or decreased libido.
Nausea can be avoided by taking the medication at night before sleep. The majority of the other consequences will resolve with time or switching OCP to a different preparation.
Contraindications
There are a few absolute and relative contraindications of oral contraceptive use. Women with uncontrolled hypertension should not initiate oral contraceptive use until their hypertension is being managed; diabetics may experience some hyperglycemia when initiating OC’s but these are issues that can be addressed.
However OCP’s are contraindicated in smokers over age 35 due to significant risk for cardiovascular events and specifically deep vein thromboembolism. Risk of venous thromboembolism is increased among OC users 3-9/ 10,000 woman-years compared with nonusers who are not pregnant and not taking hormones (1-5/10,000 woman-years), the risk is even greater in those over 35 and smoking.[3]
Women with a history of VTE, known ischemic heart disease, migraines with auras, active or history of breast or endometrial cancer and valvular heart disease should not use OC’s as these conditions represent unacceptable health risks. There are too many available alternatives for the patient to prevent pregnancy and not increase the patients’ health risk.
Monitoring
Oral contraceptive pills provide patients with the option to prevent pregnancy. If the patient has medical conditions that put them at increased risk for taking combined OC’s then there exist many alternatives to provide pregnancy prevention.
OC’s are a choice made by the patient and her physician after adequate counseling of risks and benefits. There are significant noncontraceptive uses of hormonal contraceptives, and these should be considered when counseling the patient about her options. Many OC formulations can provide menstrual regularity, treating both menorrhagia and dysmenorrhea.
They can even be utilized to induce amenorrhea for lifestyle considerations. Strong epidemiologic evidence supports a 50% reduction in the risk of endometrial cancer among women who have used combined OCs compared with those who have never used combined OCs. This effect lasts for up to 20 years.
Combined OC use decreases the risk of ovarian cancer by 27%, the longer the duration of use the greater the risk reduction. OCs have also been reported to decrease the risk of colon cancer by 18%. Some of the formulations even have indications for treatment of acne and hirsutism. [4][5]
Toxicity
If a patient takes too many oral contraceptive pills at one time the most likely complications will be severe headaches and nausea or vomiting. There is no antidote to treat this condition, just treatment of the symptoms with antiemetics and analgesics.
If the patient has other risk factors significant for increased risk of venous thromboembolism one may consider using a prophylactic anticoagulant medication temporarily. High doses of estrogen and progesterone (the same types found in the combined OC’s) are even treatment options for menorrhagia that has led to severe or symptomatic anemia. [6][7][8]
Enhancing Healthcare Team Outcomes
The birth control pill is prescribed by many healthcare workers including the nurse practitioner, primary care provider, obstetrician, internist and the gynecologist. However, it is important to inform the patient about the potential side effects and also the fact that these pills do not protect against any STD.
Thus, the use of a condom is highly recommended, especially if the partner is a stranger. Regular monitoring of the patient is necessary to ensure that she is not developing any serious side effect. [9][10]
Source:
Aarhus University
References
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2. Maguire K, Westhoff C. The state of hormonal contraception today: established and emerging noncontraceptive health benefits. Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. 2011 Oct;205(4 Suppl):S4-8. [PubMed]
3. Committee on Gynecologic Practice. ACOG Committee Opinion Number 540: Risk of venous thromboembolism among users of drospirenone-containing oral contraceptive pills. Obstet Gynecol. 2012 Nov;120(5):1239-42. [PubMed]
4. Shulman LP. The state of hormonal contraception today: benefits and risks of hormonal contraceptives: combined estrogen and progestin contraceptives. Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. 2011 Oct;205(4 Suppl):S9-13. [PubMed]
5. ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 110: noncontraceptive uses of hormonal contraceptives. Obstet Gynecol. 2010 Jan;115(1):206-18. [PubMed]
6. Simmons KB, Haddad LB, Nanda K, Curtis KM. Drug interactions between non-rifamycin antibiotics and hormonal contraception: a systematic review. Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. 2018 Jan;218(1):88-97.e14. [PubMed]
7. Weerasinghe M, Konradsen F, Eddleston M, Pearson M, Agampodi T, Storm F, Agampodi S. Overdose of oral contraceptive pills as a means of intentional self-poisoning amongst young women in Sri Lanka: considerations for family planning. J Fam Plann Reprod Health Care. 2017 Apr;43(2):147-150. [PubMed]
8. Nanda K, Stuart GS, Robinson J, Gray AL, Tepper NK, Gaffield ME. Drug interactions between hormonal contraceptives and antiretrovirals. AIDS. 2017 Apr 24;31(7):917-952. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
9. McCarthy KJ, Gollub EL, Ralph L, van de Wijgert J, Jones HE. Hormonal Contraceptives and the Acquisition of Sexually Transmitted Infections: An Updated Systematic Review. Sex Transm Dis. 2019 May;46(5):290-296. [PubMed]
10. Tepper NK, Krashin JW, Curtis KM, Cox S, Whiteman MK. Update to CDC’s U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use, 2016: Revised Recommendations for the Use of Hormonal Contraception Among Women at High Risk for HIV Infection. MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. 2017 Sep 22;66(37):990-994. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
