Psychosomatic medicine. Side effects of oral contraceptive medication: a psychosomatic problem
Fortin, J.N.; Wittkower, E.D.; Paiement, J.; Tetreault, L.
Canadian Psychiatric Association Journal 17(1): 3-10
1972
ISSN/ISBN: 0008-4824 PMID: 5063376 DOI: 10.1177/070674377201700102Document Number: 480841
To determine which side effects of oral contraceptives are biologic and which are psychologic in origin, 70 women were interviewed for several hours. The women were private patients of a gynecologist or attending a family planning clinic and were proven fertile, without gynecologic illness or psychiatric history, and were taking various combined or sequential pills. When the women were classified into emotionally well-adjusted and maladjusted, the maladjusted group had more severe and numerous psychological side effects. Onset of side effects was associated with fear of cancer, pregnancy despite the pill, and fear of damage to the procreative system. Most common side effects were nausea, vomiting, breast swelling, weight gain, mood changes, anxiety, irritability and nervousness. Side effects, assumed to be psychologic because they occurred in the maladjusted group, included depression (45% of total), loss of libido, breast swelling. Weight gain was not associated with maladjustment.