Irregular Menstrual Cycle – Can It Be Depression ?

• Amongst many causes of amenorrhoea (missing periods) and irregular menstrual cycles in young females psychiatric disorders like depression, chronic anxiety or schizophrenia should also be kept in mind.

• All these disorders themselves and the medicines used for their management have as adverse effect on menstrual cycle.

• The antipsychotic and antidepressant medicines enhance the common side effects of oral contraceptives used in these patients for inducing withdrawal bleeding.

• The best management of drug-induced amenorrhoea is to wait and watch for the body to adjust to the medicines and for the natural cycle to start all by itself. A slight adjustment of the dose of these medicines at times is also helpful.

• In all cases of infertility and menstrual disturbances before proceeding with costly and cumbersome investigations a psychiatric illness or drug use should be ruled out.