Bipolar Support Group

Have any ladies had this side effect? What did you do? Did you switch medications?

I don't know, but I'm having the same problem. I dread bringing this up at the doctor.

I had the opposite problem whenever I started wellbutrin I bled for 3 months, and then again when I went off lamictal I bled for 3 months. I hated telling my pdoc this too...but he said it's pretty common for women with bipolar to experience period problems especially during the manic phase. Are you adding the zyprexa cause of mania?

i had the oppsite effect, i've always had irregular periods, until i got put on zyprexa and now i'm regular each month.

Yeah, I'm on Zyprexa for hypomania. I saw my pdoc today. She wants to see if lowering my dose will make my period come back. If not I will decrease the dose & gradually quit taking it.

Hmmm, are you finding it beneficial at all?

How many periods have you missed? Based on what my pdoc has said, it could be related to the mania...I trust his opinion on things like this cause he is one of the leading bipolar researchers/clinicians at one of the top 5 US unis. If the med is working, I'd give it a month or so after the mania passes to see if your period sorts itself out.

Are you also on the pill? If not, this could be a good way to regulate your period although when I bled for 3 months both times I was also on birth control.

I've had one period in six months & that was when I stopped taking my meds for 2 weeks. I haven't been manic for awhile now so I don't think that is the problem.

No, I'm not on the pill. I've tried it a few times, but had really bad experiences each time.

Wow, that is a delay...maybe you should see your ob/gyn too just to make sure nothing else is going on.

I had problems with ortho whatever, which was the first pill I tried, but the one I'm on now didn't cause my moods to spin out of control. It's a much lower dose of estrogen and is constant rather than changing throughout the cycle. Anyway, if getting off the zyprexa doesn't do the trick you could try the pill again. Not that any of us wants to take another pill.

I just read this can be caused by older antipsychotics like Haldol but I wonder if it's common with the atypicals as well. Google here I come.

I am happy to report that lowering my dose worked! I'm so happy I don't have to go off Zyprexa all together.