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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by h on December 9, 2004, at 12:37:02
I have been taking Lexapro since June. It's been working real well. Recently I upped my dose from 10 to 20 mg on account of I get real down around the holidays. I was feeling pretty okay.Then this monday, after 4 years of chemically induced menopause (chemo makes you go into menopause sooner, and I've had a lot of it as a three time breast cancer survivor) I woke up with a period. Not much of one, but since I'm also on tamoxifen for the b.c, and bleeding could be a sign of uterine cancer, I called my dr's office and they sent me for a sonogram.
The woman tech who did the sonogram was really nice, and when I told her why I was there, four years, no period and suddenly here I was, she said "I had the same thing happen to me, only three years no period. I had to get a sonogram and everything and it turned out to be nothing."
Well, for some reason I said "I recently started taking more lexapro."
And SHE said "What do you know? I just upped my paxil!"Later when I saw my gyn, he said yes, for some reason ADs can affect you.
I'm wondering has anybody else had this, and if so, didyou keep on having a period? I'm not really supposed to. It's not a great idea in my case.
Or if you've had anything happen funny in your cycle. Please write back.
h
Posted by KaraS on December 9, 2004, at 16:03:38
In reply to AD's and effect on hormones. Ladies, anybody else?, posted by h on December 9, 2004, at 12:37:02
>
> I have been taking Lexapro since June. It's been working real well. Recently I upped my dose from 10 to 20 mg on account of I get real down around the holidays. I was feeling pretty okay.
>
> Then this monday, after 4 years of chemically induced menopause (chemo makes you go into menopause sooner, and I've had a lot of it as a three time breast cancer survivor) I woke up with a period. Not much of one, but since I'm also on tamoxifen for the b.c, and bleeding could be a sign of uterine cancer, I called my dr's office and they sent me for a sonogram.
>
> The woman tech who did the sonogram was really nice, and when I told her why I was there, four years, no period and suddenly here I was, she said "I had the same thing happen to me, only three years no period. I had to get a sonogram and everything and it turned out to be nothing."
>
> Well, for some reason I said "I recently started taking more lexapro."
> And SHE said "What do you know? I just upped my paxil!"
>
> Later when I saw my gyn, he said yes, for some reason ADs can affect you.
>
> I'm wondering has anybody else had this, and if so, didyou keep on having a period? I'm not really supposed to. It's not a great idea in my case.
>
> Or if you've had anything happen funny in your cycle. Please write back.
> h
In fact, there was a whole group of women who used to hang out on the social board. The common factor that brought them together as a group was their experiences with Lexapro and it's hormonal effects on them.
Posted by Mariposa on December 9, 2004, at 19:43:43
In reply to AD's and effect on hormones. Ladies, anybody else?, posted by h on December 9, 2004, at 12:37:02
when i first started lex it messed w/my periods, but after several months things got back to normal. otherwise, have had good results for depression and PMDD. currently @30mg going on 20 mos.~~~8|8
Posted by banga on December 9, 2004, at 20:37:47
In reply to Re: AD's and effect on hormones. Ladies, anybody else?, posted by Mariposa on December 9, 2004, at 19:43:43
On a fairly low dose of Cymbalta, my periods went from long time, regular 4-week cycle to 2 weeks! twice in a row. Then one week later I began bleeding--not spotting, but a constant bit, for ten days. And then I had a full period. I dont know if it was the Cymbalts, but I suspect it. I generally do not suffer the worst of side effects with meds, but with Cymbalta things didnt go well. I think it didnt agree with my body, including my hormones!
Posted by dove on December 10, 2004, at 9:56:30
In reply to Re: AD's and effect on hormones. Ladies, anybody else?, posted by banga on December 9, 2004, at 20:37:47
I have breakthrough bleeding whenever I'm taking over 125 mgs. of Effexor. Prozac has helped my PMDD, but the Effexor seems to thwart the Prozac's sublime effort, unfortunately. My docs have all said that the bleeding issues are in no way related to the Effexor, and they are blatantly wrong. The higher my Effexor dosage goes the worse it gets, and it is not cheap to have periods 3 out of every 4 weeks! Plus the inconvenience and the lack of being able to be sexually spontaneous with my husband totally sucks!
Other evidence that it effects hormones is the fact that I was on over 125 mgs. of Effexor for the first trimester of my last pregnancy and it caused bleeding the entire time. I had sonograms (ultrasounds) and lots of check-ups and lab work done, and was told that I was "normal and in fine health--as was the baby--but apparently, I was over-sensitive to estrogen." I stated that this was my sixth (6th) pregnancy and I had never had this problem before. I went off the Effexor and didn't experience anymore bleeding until I tried to go above 125 mgs at the very end of my pregnancy.
Neither I or the baby had any real complications from Effexor other than the initially scary bleeding. However, it is doing something to my hormones and I wish I knew what it is was or how to counteract it!
dove
Posted by ravenstorm on December 12, 2004, at 23:37:58
In reply to Re: AD's and effect on hormones. Ladies, anybody else?, posted by banga on December 9, 2004, at 20:37:47
remeron added nine days to my cycle!!! And they are not a pleasant nine days. I'm now wacked out from the time I ovulate on. I'm doing a twenty eight day hormone test this month, so we will see what it turns up.
Posted by jujube on December 14, 2004, at 8:07:33
In reply to Re: AD's and effect on hormones. Ladies, anybody else?, posted by ravenstorm on December 12, 2004, at 23:37:58
Effexor caused me to have a cycle every 2 -3 weeks and gave me severe night sweats. My pdoc said I was probably in perimenopause (I am just in my early 40s). Once I stopped taking Effexor, the night sweats went away and, once the Depo shot I was given while on Effexor wore off, my cycle is back to every 28 - 30 days. Why don't doctors listen to us when we tell them how meds are affecting us?
Tamara
> remeron added nine days to my cycle!!! And they are not a pleasant nine days. I'm now wacked out from the time I ovulate on. I'm doing a twenty eight day hormone test this month, so we will see what it turns up.
Posted by KaraS on December 14, 2004, at 22:11:40
In reply to Re: AD's and effect on hormones. Ladies, anybody else? » ravenstorm, posted by jujube on December 14, 2004, at 8:07:33
... Why don't doctors listen to us when we tell them how meds are affecting us?
>
> Tamara
It doesn't matter how many women experience this, if the doctors weren't taught it in medical school, then it can't possibly exist in their minds. It's so d*mn frustrating!
Posted by jujube on December 15, 2004, at 14:37:31
In reply to Re: AD's and effect on hormones. Ladies, anybody else? » jujube, posted by KaraS on December 14, 2004, at 22:11:40
>
> It doesn't matter how many women experience this, if the doctors weren't taught it in medical school, then it can't possibly exist in their minds. It's so d*mn frustrating!You said it sister! I especially hate it when a male doctor looks at you like you are some kind of neurotic hypocondriac and tells you that its all in your head and maybe you're just stressed out or experiencing anxiety. I told my gp today what Effexor had done to me and my cycle, including the night sweats, hot flashes and irregularities, and she was not surprised at all. Yet the pdoc (male) kept telling me I was menopausal. Oh well.
Tamara
This is the end of the thread.
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