Female Hormones affected? Ladies thread

Hi Ladies,

I was wondering if withdrawal ( mine was too fast and off three drugs at once ), can effect your female hormones? I havent had a period for the better part of 6 months. I am a little young for it to stop -45- and theyw ere always regular before the withdrawal. Anyone else ever have this side effect?
Just wondering,
Oh- been off everything since July 2006
Thanks

[Katesmom]

W/d affects ALL your hormones because these drugs affect all your hormones. My guess is that it was particularly bad because you came off three at once. Just coming off a beta blocker made my period really crazy. Nevertheless, I would get my hormones checked out via a blood test. It could be your thyroid.

[scotty]

Paxil withdrawal creates havoc with most systems in the body...hormones especially!! So, yes it is possible, even probable.

Mmmmm thats what I thought. Maybe those hot flashes weren't menopause either!!!! I had them super bad for a few months- then started on progesterone cream and fish oil & vitamin E and they have subsided about 90%.

oh- they did check the thyroid and it was fine.

[samantha]

As a whole I find that increased stress levels make my period irregular, and when getting off the meds even more so. Over the last year or two I have been fairly regular...I got fully off of paxil about a month ago and it took almost 2 months for me to have another menstral cycle. I think it's very normal...although there were definately times you will also PMS even though there aren't any physical results

[jenS]

I would go to your gynecologist. For your cycle to come to a screeching halt isn't normal. I was on the pill for a long time then went off to get pregnant. I didn't have a period. So they had to put me on medicine to get me to start my period. But then I wouldn't ovulate. They basically had to jumpstart my system again AND get me to ovulate. I did this for about 5-6 months. I have been normal and regular ever since and I have never gone back on the pill.

[LinLou]

I know a woman who cold turkey'd a benzodiazepine and Paxil at the age of 47 and it instantly threw her into complete menopause. She's been off Klonopin and Paxil now since 2002 and still has had no period.

Me? My mestrual cycle has been horrid ever since coming off these drugs. At first I had a period every 2 weeks and it would last 2 weeks. It's now back to every 28 days and lasts 5-7 days, but the pain still is unbearable and the flow is nightmarish. I've just started progesterone cream to see if it would help. We'll see.

[mapleleafgirl25]

when i was on paxil..my peroids were totally screwed up.....now that i am off..they are back to the 28 day cycle and abut 5 days...last period i had a couple of weeks ago..i felt so ill..so i guess its the hormones that were all out of whack!

michele

[imokay]

I have been getting my period every 23 days for the last 3 months (they last from 7-10 days and are REALLY heavy) so I am off to the Dr. I have also been getting what I think are hot flashes all of a sudden my face gets REALLY hot is that a hot flash? I am only 38 so I dont think its menopause but I have no idea what else it could be.

[tcl18]

ine cming off paxil I have had hair loss, changes in my cycle, insomnia and mood swings - its either pail realted or early menopause. A dr I recently saw thinks it may be adrenal failure.

[lisab]

Wow! So glad you guys (gals) are here. I posted here last year when I had taken 4 (40 mg) total Paxil and it sent me into a tailspin. Looking back I am surprised I am alive. But 9 months later I am still losing weight, throwing up and experiencing nausea before period and during. It also spikes a few days in between. Obviously tied to my hormones. I have been to many doctors and none have suggeted that it's endocrine and perhaps adrenal failure. Just read a great article that Paxil has been known to hurt the adrenal cortex causing problems. All the docs look at me like I'm crazy. How can taking 4 all of that time ago have lasting effects? My answer should be "How the **** do I know. You're the doctor!" But they don't know much of anything except how to prescribe something else.
I've been told that I'm under too much stress and need Sarafem or I will likely have to be committed. NO KIDDING. Another told me it's food allergies and wanted to put me on an elimination diet. Good idea except when I'm nauseated and barfing the diet was hard for me to handle. Then another offer of Sarafem by my GYN. Thanks, no, I want to find out what's really wrong with me. On and on. I'm going to try to get a referral to a 2nd Endocronologist (the first was the "you're crazy" doc) and get some real help.
Thank you all for your info. I am always calmed when I come here because I get validated and heard. Thank you!!!!
Lisa

[carol_ne]

I went off Paxil 9 months ago and:

• I haven't had a period in 4 months
• Can't eat sugar or starches (Except nuts and california-style veggies once in a while)
• Progesterone level is almost non-existent (Taking natural progest. replacement)
• Depressions get overwhelmingly severe
• Other hormones such as estradiol, DHEA, testosterone, etc. are all out of whack
• Suffer from ahydrochloria and hypoglycemia ('cause I can't eat any friggin' SUGAR!)

...and then there's the USUAL withdrawal symptoms to contend with. I've lost all trust in the FDA, Big Pharma, and conventional medicine. I've realized that there is no longer an American "Culture", it has become the American Market, and they don't mind killing off quite a number of us in order to make a buck. Their primary goal for being in business is not to protect the public health. It is to make money like every other capitalistic venture in this country. Only difference is - THEY operate unchecked.

-Carol

[LinLou]

Originally Posted by carol_ne

I've lost all trust in the FDA, Big Pharma, and conventional medicine. I've realized that there is no longer an American "Culture", it has become the American Market, and they don't mind killing off quite a number of us in order to make a buck. Their primary goal for being in business is not to protect the public health. It is to make money like every other capitalistic venture in this country. Only difference is - THEY operate unchecked.

-Carol

You said it sister! Bunch of darn criminals in suits.

[Samalabear]

I've had a whole mix in my year of Paxil-free withdrawal, most of these occurring for me in the months between miserable physical withdrawal and the excruciating physical/psychological withdrawal which I'm going through now. They included excruciating breast pain, two periods a month, two nasty yeast infections, but, no, never did without my period. I had extremely heavy periods during the entire time I was on Paxil -- major bleeding. This has gotten better. I have been regular in the past six months. I did start progesterone cream this past month, stopped it this past Saturday for my peroid and then I'll start it this coming Sunday again.

From everything I've read here and everything that I've experienced, Paxil screws up everything -- everything from A to Z. And that's ironic because these drugs are now prescribed for everything from A to Z.

During poop-out I suffered not only from the bizarre major nightmares, but constant hot flashes and night sweats. The hot flashes, night sweats, and the major nightmares were the first things that resolved within the first week of my being off Paxil. Of course, things have been so much worse in the past six months that some of these physical things seem almost minor now.

[Emmers]

I was wondering the same thing. I was on Paxil for several years, was off for 9 months, then started 40mg again in April 06. Now I am trying to get off for good as hubby and I are looking to start a family soon and don't want to be pregnant and on psychotropic drugs (duh!).

I cut dosage from 40mg to 20mg about 3 weeks ago (big jump, but I have weaned off of Paxil before and am taking it very well), but I am 2 weeks late for my period. I always had pretty regular 28-30 day cycles on Paxil and didn't have missed period when I went off before (cold turkey). I also have hormonal symptoms - cramping, nausea, fatigue. I'm 22 so menopause is out of the question, and my thyroid levels were checked in Dec and are normal. I have tested negative for several home pregnancy tests, so now I am trying to figure out what is causing the delay, and I wondered if such a big dosage cut can affect ovulaton/menstration? Anyone have any similar experience with this?
~ Emily
Phoenix, AZ

[nic908]

I've been off paxil for over a year and have been suffering lots of hormonal issues ever since...very irregular periods, pms, elevated DHEA levels. My doc thinks this is related to PCOS. I believe paxil caused/contributed to the PCOS. Things have gotten better lately...I am seeing a natural/holistic doc who has me on all sorts of natural supplements/vitamins and natural progesterone. Periods are still irregular though.

[carol_ne]

I've been off for 9 months, and my DHEA is high, too. So are my cortisol, testosterone, and estradiol. It probably won't be for years, but I know they will come out with a report eventually on just how much Paxil affects hormones. That's why it didn't surprise me that there is a lawsuit out now for birth defects. If it's hormonally related, Paxil will screw with it. I've had PCOS symptoms for a few years now, but for some reason, doctors can't make an official diagnosis. It wouldn't surprise me if Paxil and Paxil withdrawal mimic PCOS symptoms, as well (especially in light of it's stranglehold on hormones).

-Carol

[Samalabear]

My therapist said that instead of blaming Paxil maybe I'm mostly just peri-menopausal. I told her that what difference does it make? Women's hormones are difficult at any point in their life -- pre-menstrual, menstural, peri-menopausal, menopausal, pregnancy. Facts are, we have lots of hormonal changes all the time. I've always had very bad PMS, especially after my son was born. I also went through many periods of depression and fuzzy thinking. Heck, I think since my son was born I have had screwed up hormones and some doctor should have known about this. I wouldn't have thought about it.

But I've read numerous stories, including one about Virginia Madsen, whose depression was tracked to out-of-wack hormones. And, yes, an AD was recommended to her and she said no thanks. She was treated with HRT and the depression was gone. And her depression was also situational -- career problems, marital problems, you name it.

[blankets]

Originally Posted by Samalabear

From everything I've read here and everything that I've experienced, Paxil screws up everything -- everything from A to Z. And that's ironic because these drugs are now prescribed for everything from A to Z.

That makes sense though. If Paxil can be perscribed for that many things because it affects those areas, then surely they can affect them negatively if you didn't have those problems to begin with (it's like people who intake too much of one thing can suddenly develop an inability to tolerate those things for whatever reason).

[lisab]

Hi,
I saw a post here a while back from a dr. about his practice and compounding pharmacies and I get emails from Women's International Pharmacy. Both were talking about the new legislation from Kennedy and Burr about regulating (inside the Beltway it's called regulating - everywhere else it's called screwing everything up) compunding pharmacies and doctors who prescribe them. They have a link where you can email your legislators. Unfortunately that bunch of hacks make laws which affect us. You'd think they'd want to regulate the poisoning of Americans with drugs like Paxil instead of regulating that which helps so many. Anyway, here's the link. Hopefully if we make enough noise they'll do something. One of my state congressmen has told me that instead of trying to create good bills he hides in dark alleys and kills bad ones. I'm sure he'll be on board.
http://www.womensinternational.com
Look to the right where it says BHRT is under attack again.
Without Progesterone I would be a mess.
thanks,
Lisa

[summer bee]

during my 8 month wean, i missed four or five periods (although not all in a row). i'm 23! it scared the crap out of me and threw me out of wack, horomonally. i'm 3 months post-paxil and i still don't have a consistent cycle yet, despite being on birth control.