[Zebra821]

I'm a 23 y/o female who has had regular periods since age 11. I am on birth control (implanon) that is supposed to lighten and reduce period symptoms because of suspected PMDD. Here is my issue:
If I stop/start psych meds of any kind, abilify, zoloft, prozac, whatever, I get my period. It never fails and is directly correlated with the medication. I asked my pdoc and my PCP about it and they both said they've never heard of that. Even if I've had my period for that month, I'll get it a second or third time. I get suicidal and miserable for at most two weeks before the period normally. So when I stop or start meds, I get the aches, cramps, and emtional symptoms of pms. Has anyone else had this problem?? I've asked a lot of people and no one seems to have heard of it. This only happens with psychiatric meds, nothing else.

Medications: Abilify 2mg. Implanon. Ativan PRN .5mg.
Ps.(This is not consistent of the Ativan)

[splitimage]

I've never heard of a psych med, starting a period, but I believe it could be a posssibility as a lot of psych meds really mess with your hormones, especially the antipsychotics. As soon as I started risperidone, my periods became very irregular and then stopped altogether, and this was before I hit menopause.

splitimage

Hello
I personally haven't had that but I'm over the menopause now. What would help you find out is to go to Google, type in the name of your med and then "+" SPC = Summary of Product Characteristics. This gives you ALL the details behind a drug, and if you scroll right the way down, it'll give you the side effects, even if it's only like one person in a million that had it. Think about printing it off and taking it to your next appointment because doctors have to report this sort of thing in the UK (it's called the Yellow Card) and I'm sure they do in the States.
Good luck!

[TheOriginalMe]

I've had the same thing with several anti-depressants. It is due to the drug interfering with prolactin which is a hormone that affects milk production but also messes with your periods. In some people they start producing breast milk but in others it messes with their periods. I got to the stage where I was bleeding every day. Some meds are worse than others and Abilify is definitely one that can cause this problem, I found Cymbalta and Effexor are horrid too. It was my gynaecologist that identified my problem so I'd recommend seeing one just to rule out any other causes.

[Nammu]

Psych meds have really messed up my hormones. I had the prolactin problems, intense periods and really bad PMdD( I think they have a new diagnostic methods now ) and they would tell me it was all in my head. About 15 years ago I saw one pdoc( a female who was very interested in the meds side effects specific to woman) and she said it was definitely real, studies don't separate side effects for gender or race. Do google it the info is out there. Most Pdocs don't get it that there are very real differences in gender response.

[julianneturner]

It is really useful to know all problems.

[Fresia]

My pdoc's and OB/GYN's have always warned about changing one or the other, psych meds or bc pills/hormones, can affect one another. I have to be careful of this and one should be especially careful if taking bc pills for birth control because they may not be as effective during the transition time until leveled out again. Other methods should be used in conjunction during this time.

It is a nuisance especially when you take it for other things, in my case for example when they are to control endometriosis and fibroids they help with pain. When changing psych meds dosages and to have that time of adjustment, it is really painful besides being annoying and uncomfortable.

There is research on this that you can look into on your own in how they affect one another. Perhaps you can even educate your physicians.

Hang in there.

[gina_re]

When I started Trileptal it caused breakthrough bleeding. It was like having a period every two weeks. The birth control pills my GP put me on did nothing. I was almost willing to go off of the Trileptal even though it was helpful. I just couldn't take not knowing when and if I would have random bleeding. I went to an OB/GYN and she put me on the NuvaRing and that stopped it. My periods are extremely light, pretty much non existent at this point.

[Pikku Myy]

I was on Zoloft and mixture of other stuff for years.. It never did this to me.