---
title: Do mood swings happen the same way in people taking birth control pills compared to people not taking them?
description: In young healthy women, mood worsened before menstruation and improved around ovulation regardless of birth control pill use. The mood patterns were the same
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/mood-swings-across-the-menstrual-cycle-a-comparison-between-oral-contraceptive-2006/
---

- [Niyora](https://niyora.com/)
- [Research](https://niyora.com/research/)
- [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/)
- Do mood swings happen the same way in people taking birth control pills compared to people not taking them?

Lab study, 2006

# Do mood swings happen the same way in people taking birth control pills compared to people not taking them?

In young healthy women, mood worsened before menstruation and improved around ovulation regardless of birth control pill use. The mood patterns were the same in both groups.

 Moderate study design

62 young women with regular menstrual cycles (18 taking oral contraceptives, 44 not taking them)

## What they did

Study of 62 young women with regular cycles who were not clinically depressed. For five weeks, 18 women taking oral contraceptives and 44 women not taking them recorded their daily mood, irritability, energy, and tension using visual rating scales. They also completed a standard mood questionnaire once per week.

## What they found

Mood varied across the menstrual cycle mainly in the depression-dejection dimension. Mood improved around day 14 (ovulation) and worsened premenstrually. There were no significant differences in mood patterns between people taking oral contraceptives and those not taking them.

## What it means for you

Birth control pills did not change the natural mood fluctuations that occur with the menstrual cycle in these young healthy women. This was a study of young women without depression, so the findings may not apply to older women or those with mood disorders.

62

total women in study

18

taking oral contraceptives

44

not taking oral contraceptives

## About the study

Original title Mood swings across the menstrual cycle: a comparison between oral contraceptive users and non-users Authors Vincenzo Natale, Paola Albertazzi Journal Biological Rhythm Research Year 2006 Study design Lab study Participants 62 What was tested Comparison of oral contraceptive users and non-users Read the paper [doi.org/10.1080/09291010600772451](https://doi.org/10.1080/09291010600772451)

## Topics

[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Mood swings and emotion regulation](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-emotional-regulation/)[Oral contraceptives and drospirenone](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-hormonal-contraceptives/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/)

Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits.

Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor.

## Related studies

Case-control study, 2007

Does progesterone activate the part of the brain that handles fear and emotion?

Interview study, 2026

How do eating behavior and mood change during the menstrual cycle in women using birth control?

Case report, 2024

How is PMDD diagnosed and treated in teenagers?

Study, 2022

What are the symptoms, causes, and treatments of PMS and PMDD?

Review, 2020

Do hormonal contraceptives cause depression?

Survey study, 2020

Do sleep and emotion regulation explain why depression is linked to worse premenstrual symptoms?

Ask AI about this page

Copy prompt

ChatGPT

↗

Claude

↗

Perplexity

↗

Google AI Mode

↗

Grok

↗