Add Birth Control to Antidepressants to Help Teen with Depression/self Harm?

I think the drug interactions might be something to be concerned about but if they can be researched it might be ok.
Is her counselor a psychiatrist?
Psychiatrists are medical doctors (MDs) who graduate from medical school, have a year of medical internship, and have 3 years of residency in the assessment and treatment of mental health disorders.
I'd trust a psychiatrist to make medication recommendations.

My daughter is older, but yes, her depression and anxiety and rage and threats (and attempts) at self-harm were much worse (dangerously so) when she was on her period. Plus, her periods were not regular at all, not even close. Even though she's in her early 20s now, we did start this birth control plan when she was a teen.

I took her to the gynecologist. That doctor reviewed everything carefully, and consulted with her other doctors. We also reviewed this plan with her psychiatrist.

All agreed that birth control could be helpful. It took 3 tries before finding the right one, so if you go this route, don't give up if one isn't helpful. My daughter ended up taking Jolessa (that's the brand name). She also takes Welbutrin and another anti-depressant, and several other medications as well.

I encourage you to be really honest with your pharmacist, and your daughter's doctors, and to consult a psychiatrist. The pharmacist is a really good ally in a situation like this.

My daughter is still not healthy by any means, but I can truthfully say that the monthly blow-ups and self-harm and anxiety attacks are much, much better after adding in the birth control.

And the pharmacist also told us that my daughter doesn't have to skip that week of "blank" pills. She takes them consistently, all the time, and every once in a while, maybe every 4 months, the gynecologist tells her to take a break for a week or so.

You'll have to prepare to communicate faithfully with the pharmacist, psychiatrist and gynecologist. Make sure the gynecologist is aware of the reason for the birth control. We've been quite clear that this has nothing to do with contraception, but with hormone control and the effects of the periods on the anxiety and other issues (my daughter is not sexually active - she's not anything active and is medically disabled and lives at home with us as her caregivers).

Also, something I learned from the gynecologist: today's birth control pills must be taken at the exact same time every single day. She explained that way back, before I had my kids (they're in their 20s now), we were just told to take a pill a day and not miss a day. But the gynecologist was extremely insistent that my daughter take the pill at precisely the same time every day. Not 10 am, and then the next day at 11:30. But every single day at whatever time my daughter chose, as long as it was every day at the same minute. My daughter sets an alarm and doesn't skip a dose, and doesn't miss the alarm. The pills are formulated differently now - I don't understand the chemistry but it really seemed important to the gynecologist, so we're not about to argue!

I hope your daughter gets the help she needs. Feel free to pm me. I understand and empathize.

My husband is a pharmacist and said that adding birth control pills to her other meds would not affect how her other meds work. Birth control pills could help with hormonal spikes.

I started taking birth control pills to regulate my period and to help with some of the physical discomforts. I would say it also had a positive affect on my mood although I still get a little down the week before my period starts. It did cause some issues with break through bleeding until we found the right birth control pill. Some birth control does have some side effects that you need to be aware of.

Definitely talk to a medical doctor. She will probably need to have a gyno exam before they will prescribe birth control.

Good luck!

i had TERRIBLE periods when i was a teen. the only thing that made them remotely bearable (and i mean writhing on the ground in agony in front of the line of school buses) was birth control pills.
yes, by all means DO explore this option.
i trust that you are going to discuss it with her doctor in depth, right? not just go with the counselor and the internet?
because while BC made adolescence bearable for me, i have no clue how it would interact with strong anti-depressants, and i'm guessing that few mamas here do either.
khairete
S.

Most counselors who are not psychiatrists and therefore not MDs do work with a consulting psychiatrist when medications are being considered. So whoever has prescribed her antidepressants should be the person you talk to about birth control pills to regular her hormones. Your daughter's medication needs may fluctuate as she matures into adolescence, and things may need to be monitored and adjusted on a regular basis. That doesn't mean, necessarily, that a medication isn't working - it may mean that her body is changing a lot.

I'd have her pediatrician consult directly with the psychiatrist, or I'd have a gyn or endocrine specialist consult, with her pediatrician in the loop. There are also specialists called pediatric psychopharmacologists who work with fluctuating hormonal and mental health needs in kids/teens. You could go that route as well. Anything you do needs to consider the drug interactions as well as your daughter's changing moods and growth patterns.

Good luck. This must be very painful to watch.

My first thought is, if this will help her, you should definitely consider it. I completely understand your hesitation about adding another med. Talk to her doctor about it, and try to ask lots of questions about side effects and things to be aware of.

Ultimately, you want to help your daughter. Some people needs to take meds. If this will help and her counselor and doctor both think it's a good idea, I think you have your answer.

Just spoke to my sister who has depression (serious) and it started around puberty. She saw a psychiatrist when she started having self harm issues like you describe. It took a long time to find the right meds. Only after she had all that sorted out did she see a therapist. The psychiatrist figured out the meds - the therapist was for talking to and helping her deal weekly. She still saw the psychiatrist periodically to review medications and how she was doing overall.
She said birth control did not help her depression. Helped some of the period stuff and PMS stuff. For her, that was not the same as depression she said. But if it can help with PMS, it might just be some needed relief.
Like all meds, there has to be a trial period - but I'd be sure to have an actual doctor involved in prescribing it and they should be working together to help your daughter.
This is not related to depression, but I get migraines. They are considerably worse around my periods. I was put on birth control to help with those as the hormone changes are what triggers them. There are certain birth control that help and others that don't. I had to have a neurologist and an OBGYN work with my family physician to come up with my IUD. That's just migraines - not depression. But gives you an idea of how you need the right people talking.
Good luck :)

My granddaughter takes welbutrin, a med for ADDED and has a birth control shot every three months after she attempted suicide. She's also in counseling. She seems to be more connected to family and cheerful. She's very self contained and has difficulty sharing her feelings so I don't know how the birth control affects her.

Well, a counselor is not a doctor, not a medical doctor so they have no business advising on the treatment for PMDD or any other OB/GYN issue. SO I suggest you call your OB/GYN and make an appointment.

THEN IF that doc says she does have some of those symptoms you might coordinate with a psychiatrist for a prescription for meds that work together and help with the PMDD symptoms.

I have a friend who was diagnosed with Bi-Polar disease and she took Lithium for years. Hated it of course but took it faithfully.

Later on she was sitting in her OB/GYN's office talking about birth control, she was getting married and didn't want kids who would likely have Bi-Polar when they got older.

The doc listened to her then asked, she you had manic episodes....when were they, what were they like, how many days of the month did you have them, and more questions.

He diagnosed her, right then and there, with PMDD. Once he started her on the meds for that she was a normal human being. No more depression, no more manic phases that were crazy and scary and mean and awful to be around. Her periods were fine and those days leading up to them were now normal regular days.

It can't hurt to have her checked for it.

Hi J.D.

my heart goes out to her. such a tough age even under the best of circumstances. i agree with these mamas, an appointment with a psychiatrist is what she needs for an Rx evaluaiton. my husband suffers from major depressive disorder and sees his shrink once every 3 months for a med check. if she likes her counselor, there is no reason she can't see them for therapy and also pursue the Rx option with a separate psychiatrist. these chemical imbalances are so challenging, especially with an adolescent brain that is continuously developing. she's lucky to have your love and support. S.