birth control causing best friend to act crazy

nofimlo

My best friend and I are both college aged, I'm a guy and she's a girl. She started dating a guy recently and began taking birth control and it has made her VERY hormonal. Ever since she started on it hanging around her has been like wondering if a bomb is going to go off at any second. She is better on some days than others, but its become increasingly difficult to reason with her about anything. Talking about the possibility of the birth control making her irritable results in her being infuriated and immediately ending the conversation. As her best friend I feel like I really need to get her back to normal, not only because she's been a horrible friend lately but also because I really miss having my best friend around and she doesn't seem to realize all the bridges she is burning. Her boyfriend (who is also a good friend of mine) has noticed this sudden change in her behavior too and it doesn't bode well for their relationship.

Has anyone ever dealt with a situation like this before? Every time I talk to her I act like I'm handling the delicate button of an atomic bomb, but it just ends in tears every time. Right now she is refusing to talk to me until further notice.

Mmmm... Cocks...

Can't do much if she doesn't want to talk.
But I'm pretty sure different birth controls have different effects on different people.
She should try some other forms/brands for sure. I believe it's pretty normal to do so.

Metalbourne

You've brought it up and she doesn't want to listen to you.

Unfortunately, that's about all you can do. The best course of action would be to wait until she either gets used to the birth control or comes around and gets her prescription changed.

nofimlo

Yeah I suppose you're right. I know she'll come to her senses eventually, its just hard to watch someone you care about a lot act like this

nofimlo

I also suppose that its relevant to mention that before she was on birth control she was a very reasonable and mature person.

Usagi

It's not unusual for new hormonal birth control to make you moody for the first couple of months, so unless it's been more than 4 or 5 months and still no change you probably shouldn't worry.

Also, telling a woman who is having hormonal mood swings that she is "being crazy" or that she's "irritable" or that she needs to be "back to normal" is probably not the best tactic. Using phrases such as "I'm worried about you", "I hope you're feeling OK", or other more empathetic words will probably get you better headway.

nofimlo

Yeah she's only been on it for like a month so far. That's reassuring to know that it doesn't last forever.

Aoi Tsuki

My mom went through the same thing, and it only ended when my dad told her that if she didn't try something else, that was it, because he was tired of putting up with her. (For the record, my dad is usually the unreasonable one, and my mom is the most patient person I've ever known. I literally cannot believe this ever happened, but then, she's been on much better medication for many years now.)

Also? The only time my boyfriend ever brought up the possibility of us breaking up was when I was so depressed as to be a verbally abusive...thing. It was horrible, and I didn't react very well, but I eventually did get treated, and we're still together.

So, if she's refusing to talk to you, and the boyfriend is ready to call it quits because of her behavior, it looks like it's his turn to talk to her about it; I'd advise him to wait for one of her more sane days/moods, then tell her straight out, "Look, I love you/want to make this work [depending on the relationship, dunno how committed they are], and I'm really worried about you. We've got to use some other kind of birth control, because this one is wrecking the relationship"--etc., etc.

There is no guarantee whatsoever that even the most delicately inoffensive approach won't set her off; I can also guarantee, though, that she's pretty goddamn miserable, whether she's willing to admit it or not. Knowing her, do you think she'd break up with her guy and give up your friendship before she admits she's wrong, or will she come around on her own? (I sure as hell wouldn't have.)

Edit: I dunno, a month seems long enough to me--but then, I wasn't on birth control, just depressed. She can still switch, though.

Usagi

Yeah, especially if she's on the Yaz-type pills it can take a couple months for her body to get used to the new levels of hormones.

People forget that the whole point of hormonal birth control is that it tricks your body into believing it's pregnant, so you will sometimes experience all of the gamut of early-pregnancy symptoms like mood swings and upset stomach. Just be patient and let her know you're worried if it goes longer than a couple months.