I started my pill on March 18, 2026 and I was honestly really nervous too, especially because I already have a history of depression and anxiety. I kept hearing so many different experiences from people too like weight gain, worse anxiety, breakouts, mood changes and it kind of scared me going into it.
From my personal experience, the first couple of weeks were the hardest. My body was still adjusting so my emotions felt really all over the place. I had pretty intense mood swings and at times I even felt kind of “numb,” like I didn’t have a stable mood and it would just shift randomly. It wasn’t constant forever though it was more like my body trying to figure itself out.
Something I’ve learned is you really have to pay attention to how you feel specifically, not just what other people say. Everyone reacts differently, especially with mental health stuff involved. If you start noticing your depression or anxiety coming back strongly or getting worse in a way that feels like it’s not normal adjustment, don’t just push through it. It’s okay to stop and talk to a doctor about switching to a lower dose or a different type of pill. I’m on Chateal (a combined pill), and even within the same brand people can react differently.
Also, give it a little time if things feel a bit “off” at first a lot of side effects can settle after your body adjusts, usually within a few months. But you shouldn’t feel like you have to suffer through it if something genuinely feels wrong.
And for anxiety/depression specifically the pill doesn’t guarantee it will get worse, but it can affect mood in some people. So just keep checking in with yourself regularly, like “do I feel like myself or not?”
Big thing: don’t ignore your gut feeling. You know your baseline better than anyone else.
