Sertraline affecting periods?

[AnxiousMunchkin]

I have been having severe problems with anxiety (the GP keeps saying "if it is generalised anxiety disorder" so I don't think they have fully made up their mind with a diagnosis yet), I have a history of recurrent major depressive episodes but have been well/self managing without medication for quite a few years. In the past I've been on many other antidepressants and other psych meds but not sertraline before.

Anyway I recently started sertraline. I've been on 25mg for a few weeks and just gone up to 50mg. And I've just realised my period is 8 days late. Has anyone ever heard of absent periods/altering menstrual cycle as a side effect of sertraline? I also take propanolol but have been using that a while. My periods are usually pretty regular 5 days/30 day cycles, I've been tracking them for over a year. This month however I had an 8 day period and today is day 38 and no sign, although quite a bit of cramping. We only had sex once this month, using a condom. We are not ttc and if I was pregnant would have a huge decision to make.

Am I deluding myself that this could be a medication side effect?

I know the only way to be sure is to test, I'm at work today and couldn't face dealing with everything if I found out I was pregnant today, but DP is on standby to buy a test kit for tomorrow morning if AF doesn't turn up today :(

I came here looking to see if anyone had had any changes in their period as I've noticed mine is hardly there. Not complaining! Started setraline 50mg 4 weeks ago and it has really helped with my anxiety like a God send!

I've been prescribed setraline today, as I've been on duloxetine for 10 years and I still suffer from really bad depression. I also take quetiapine at 200mg for bi polar.
Do you find the setraline effective for anxiety? I'm at the end of everything in a pill, this is the only one I haven't had so far ( from age 17 and I'm now 53). I've got a lot invested in this working!!

Just seen this thread - really interesting....I've been on Sertraline for a couple of months now and have missed my last 2 periods.
I wasn't overly worried - I know I'm not pregnant (If I am I'll be calling it Jesus...) and am peri-menopausal.
I have only missed two periods in two years - one in May/June last year and same again this year and got hot flushes etc around the same time. Thankfully not having any hot flushes just no periods...
(Actually not connected - but interesting I think - I conceived both my DCs in May/June...and had been trying for a few months for DC2 - wonder if it is a coincidence or if I had a kind of 'fertile period' every year and that is the first time to be affected by the menopause...)

It has really helped me with my anxiety 😊

It's been great to find this site. Confirming what everyone has stated here, sertraline and other antidepressants affect our cycles. I have been on the lowest dose sertraline for 5 months continuously and just began weaning 3-4 weeks ago (i.e. Skipping a day, then 2...).its just 25mg and while
Pregnancy isn't impossible at this time, it's really unlikely! I'm a clock with my period and it's 6 days late. The symptoms of ssri withdrawal as SO MUCH like pregnancy. Fatigue, mood swings, dizziness and headaches! I've had 4 negative pregnancy tests this far, and if I don't get my period in 7-10 days I'll see a doc but this string of posts illustrates that regardless of dose, or length of time taken, cycles are affected by antidepressants. Have a great day everyone. Hope this helps someone else who was starting to worry about needing shit for a new baby!

I have been on another a typical anti-depressant for 5 months ,but recently only realized that my much heavier periods coincided with starting the antidepressant in the first place when I also started getting large bruises on my legs that I could not explain.

hi I am having the opposite reaction. I was on northiserone to help with extremely heavy periods. I'm riddled with fibroids (44yrs old) I started sertraline for anxiety and mild depression and I my uterus has gone into overdrive. Absolute mayhem. Bleeding all the time and very clotty. I can see my body is some kind of cycle where it is trying to patch up/clot the cause of the bleeding and then breaking down the clot. I am getting bad cramps too. I contacted my doctor today for tranexamic acid and told her the Setraline has my cycle gone bonkers. Nightmare as its taken my over a year to settle this down. They want to rip everything out, uterus and an ovary. I am scared I think I many not have a choice anymore.

I found this late too, speaking of late, I have been taking a small dose for about a month or more. I'm several days late, but I feel perfectly normal. 99% sure I'm not pregnant. Also, had terrible migraine yesterday with hot flashes.

BTW, I'm only 41.

Hi I've been on sertraline 50 mg for 4 months now and haven't had a period in 3 of those months. I know I am not pregnant because I was fixed years ago. So from my experience yes this medicine does stop your periods

Hi I'm currently on 50mg and it's messing my period up too. Did you carry on taking 50mg or did you go to a higher dose and if so did it help with your period ? I'm having this worry too as I did have my period but barely saw it. I had the period pains too and I've been very very emotional lately. Would help if someone could message me thankyou 😊

Hiya! I feel your pain. Im on the same meds and my period is an MONTH late. D;

This is extremely late but I wanted to post this for anyone like me who may be googling it right now. I have NO idea if this is true. I am not a doctor of any sorts I only say this based off what I am reading here. I recently started with sertraline because I wasnt sleeping and I was having anxiety attacks everyday. I took 25mg for a month then moved to 50mg for another month. Something about the 50 made me not sleep again. So I decided to come off the pills entirely and switch to something to take when my anxiety flairs up or I can’t sleep. Anyways, I started coming off the medication a few days before my period was supposed to come (I am also on birth control so I know when my period is going to start) and it’s now the end of the week and I haven’t gotten anything. I’ve had normal period Symptoms (shits, wanting chocolate, being moody) but no period. Based on the other comments I feel like only the people on 50mg have experienced this. Coincidence? Idk. It’s weird but about 5 comments said they were on 50 and had their cycle messed up and everyone else had no issues and they were on a different mg. Idk but I’m gonna keep thinking that so I don’t freak myself out too much thinking I’m pregnant😂

Hi! I've been reading all of these messages over and over. I started taking sertraline March 6th on 25mg. I upped my dosage 3 weeks later to 50mg. I had just gone to my OBGYN the same day for my yearly checkup. My period was the week before and I am on birth control. I had protected sex February 28th. I have not had my period since that last week of February. I have taken 3 pregnancy tests and they were all negative. Is it the medication delaying my period?

Hey, I'm very late to the party. I stumbled upon this site and registered only to make this comment.

I'm 20, I've been on Sertraline for 9 months. And the year previously I was on them but stopped taking it. I take 50mg every night.

This has affected my period drastically. At first my period stopped when I took them. I'm not complaining about that! 🤣 After a few months my period was regular. But now I'm having the opposite problem.

IVE BEEN BLEEDING A MONTH STRAIGHT! And it's a VERY heavy flow.

I came here to hopefully gain some advice. I'm only 20 and when I started googling it it came up as menopause, which I highly doubt.

Anyways, not sure if this is still an active site. HELP?

And I debated about posting this but if it helps, it helps. This might be TMI BUT my flow is heavy and it's very clotted.

Hi there, I was googling and I found your post regarding sertraline and I even joined this forum just now. I have very similar issues and I am taking 25mg of sertraline per day for 2 weeks now. I believe you might be experiencing perimenopause due to longer period than normal. I get extremely anxious and the only difference is with me is that there are more small blood clots in my period than usual. Apparently it is nothing to worry about. I believe I may be starting the peri menopause due to my headaches and migraines becoming unbearable. It’s a fluctuation in estrogen levels that causes shorter or longer periods. I do not not think sertraline would cause this side effect. I worry everyday and my doctor now thinks I’m a hypochondriac but my menopause test was negative a year ago. I am nearly 44 and I think I’ve started the perimenopause due to some symptoms. I have very heavy periods so I hope I get through this. I hope this helps

I have really bad headaches every day.. I'm still on my period. Very irritable too. Perimenopause is menopause for young? Does this mean I should consult my doctor?

Hey, perimenopause is like premenopausal symptoms including headaches, migraines, hot flushes, night sweats, tender breasts, etc. The estogen levels good up and down and low levels of etrogen can cause headaches apparently. Stress makes my headaches worse and my neighbours stomp about in the evening above my bedroom until 1am so I am having difficulty sleeping which makes it all worse. I was prescribed Sumatriptan and it takes my headache away but they put colourings in pills that cause issues with my ADHD. I feel better on sertraline after 2 weeks of 25mg but apparently the headaches are menstral migraines so only like 1 sumatriptan took away my headache today, thank god. They have side effects but I’d rather have a wobbly neck and a bit of a wee Edin than a headache or migraine. The weather changes and hayfever effects my head also. It’s awful I’ve never had headaches for as long as 3 months before so I believe I am perimenopausal. I am age 44 soon so it makes sense. You can get this as young as 30-35+. My blood test was normal a year ago but the test doesn’t pick it up until the estrogen becomes low. Ibruprufen causes night sweat in me so paracetamols and sumatriptan helps me.

I’m so grateful I’ve found this thread! I’m only two days late but I’ve felt so alone lately! Hopefully it’ll come soon. This is my first cycle since starting the medication and I just was moved up to 100mg a few days ago.

I’m in the same boat! I’ve been on sertraline about three months and I typically have irregular periods and I have a history of amenorrhea. I’ve been having completely protected sex a few times this month and it’s been 42 days since my last period although I’ve had the typical bad skin, chocolate craving and heightened emotions. Haven’t taken a pregnancy test because I’m a little in denial but I feel so reassured after reading this thread. Will definitely talk to my dr next month at my check up about my cycle.

I'm so glad I found this thread!

I started on Sertraline 2 months ago. Initially on 50mg, but then upped to 100mg. I am also on the contraceptive pill because I had a miscarriage last year that gave me irregular periods.

My first period on sertraline was absolutely horrible. I was the most depressed I'd been in a long time. Couldn't control my self or my emotions. Had really really bad emotional outbursts.
My period on the pill usually is 'normal' with minimal pain. Without the pill it's heavy and I get atrocious pain thanks to endometriosis.
On sertraline my first cycle was heavier again, thicker and browner. It was really horrible and lasted longer too.

This cycle, I should have got my period 3 days ago. Still no sign of it. Not really having PMS either. I have had unprotected sex once in the last month but very much doubt I'm pregnant. I feel like it's the meds messing with me.

Gotta love the hormones right?!

Hi there, I too have just signed up to add my experience of the drug.

So I am 29, have 1 young child. Changed from Paroxetine to Sertraline 3 months ago. Periods were regular, never been affected by Ssris. Protected sex as contraception only.

Started on 50mg for 2 months, cycle was fine nothing unusual. My period this month arrives ON TIME... but the day after I up my dose to 100mg.

My period lasted 1 day. It was light on that day but still there to know it was a period, had the usual symptoms leading upto it. I'm glad to have stumbled across this post and know I'm not alone! I will see what happens for my next cycle!

Thought I best share as someone thought it was only caused by 50mg dosage, which isn't the case for me.

Thanks

I’ve been on 25mg for a month and yes it’s been messing with my period! Last month lighter than usual in the beginning, like one day bleeding and two-three days not bleeding, and then properly bleeding, this month is just plainly late (3 days and it didn’t come yet).

Hey everyone, I have been taking sertraline for 2 years now and have found it great at managing depression and anxiety. Last week I increased my dose from 50 to 100 and my period is late.. it’s never late. No period pains, nothing.. which I really wouldn’t mind because I suffer pretty bad with cramps but we are meant to be starting ivf treatment in a couple of months time, and now I’m worried it’s messed me up! I don’t want to now decrease my dose, it’s not something you should play with. It wasn’t a light decision to increase the dose in the first place, but after a lot of things happening recently I could feel my mental house spiralling.. now I feel like Im having to choose between my mental health and physical health 😩