title: Adverse mood symptoms with oral contraceptives.
abstract: In spite of combined oral contraceptives (COCs) having been available for more than 50 years, surprisingly little is known about the prevalence of truly COC-related adverse mood symptoms and about the underlying biological mechanisms of proposed changes in mood and affect. Precise estimates of COC-related adverse mood symptoms are not available due to the lack of placebo-controlled trials. In prospective trials the frequency of women who report deteriorated mood or deteriorated emotional well-being varies between 4 and 10%, but it can be assumed that the causal relation in these prevalence rates is overestimated. Adverse mood symptoms and somatic symptoms are most pronounced during the pill-free interval of the treatment cycles, but whether extended COC regimens would be more favorable in this respect is not known. COCs with anti-androgenic progestagens, such as drospirenone and desogestrel, appear more favorable in terms of mood symptoms than progestagens with a more androgenic profile. Available data suggest that lower doses of ethinylestradiol could be beneficial.
authors.affiliation: Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Sweden. inger.sundstrom@kbh.uu.se
authors.forename: Inger Sundström
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Poromaa
authors.forename: Birgitta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Segebladh
mesh_terms: D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D001007:Anxiety / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology; D003277:Contraceptives, Oral, Combined / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003863:Depression / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007508:Irritable Mood / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D003277:Contraceptives, Oral, Combined