[Feeling-alone]

Hi Guys,

I suffer from anxiety & depression - i will try & explain my story as best as i could in a short version.

My cycles have always been pretty regular.

Nearlly 3 years i split up from my previous partner of 10years & it pretty much went down hill from there.

For a good 5 years i went gym 4 days a week & ate healthy.

After this break up i stopped the gym & my eating habbits werent the best.

With my new partner as well as starting effexor 75mg antidepressants & took the morning after pill for a few months my preiods would come every 3-4 months.

Being on effexor after 1 year i put on a few kgs - as well as my period coming every 3-4 i wanted to stop taking them, so i gradually stopped & now im effexor free!

In the middle of getting off effexor, trying to get my period cycle to start again & improve my moods i have been seeing a naturopath for a little over 1yr - i stopped that one as i felt nothing was happening & im starting a new one who deals in homeopathy.

After stopping effexor (5 mths agao ) my period has started again EXPECT the last cycle lasted 6weeks, stopped for 2 weeks & i have had it 3 weeks this week

I have had an internal ultrasound & everything was fine - im just really confused to as why this is happening, is it because my cycles are trying to get back on track after it being out of wack for so long??

Its begining to really do my head in & im so frustrated!

I am hoping to get some help, reassurance & not feeling so alone.

[Feeling-alone]

When I say period for 6 weeks its not a heavy flow its like heavy spotting. I get a normal period flow for about 5dsys & then it just hangs around. Im not anemic or anything ....

[Euphoric]

Most women get their period once a month, which is to shed the uterine lining. Having gone for soooo long with a period, maybe your body is readjusting. My guess would be that your uterine wall thicken without the monthly shedding and now you are experiencing prolonged, though not heavy, bleeding. Thus shedding layers of build up. Medicines can reek havoc on a females body. You are now med. free and your body is trying to 'heal' itself. I know that prolonged bleeding is annoying, but it should level off. It can take a long time for your body to fully adjust and become regular again.

[Feeling-alone]

Thanks so much for responding Euphoric, dont get much response on this site

Everyday is a battle for me, hoping that it will stop i just feel like this is never going to end & when it does i get a 2 week break & it starts again.

I am greatfull that its started again, as my problem was to get it to begin & now thats its started it wont stop! I guess the saying " be careful for what you wish for " is true.

It just plays such a roller coaster on my emotions! & i get scared of when im wanting to try for a baby it wont happen

I hope other ladies here can share their experience stopping antidepressants with there cycles.......

[Euphoric]

You're Welcome. Sorry you haven't had a lot of replies, but sometimes people are a little hesitant to state their opinion. Only your doctor can run test and give you a more definitive answer. Nobody wants to give you false information, myself included. However, sometimes doctors get busy and fail to explain things thoroughly. I hope the opinion I listed above helps calm your fears and irritation. I have heard of instances where it took several months for things to level out. Hopefully, things will return to normal for you much faster. You are taking steps to get your body prepared for when the time to ttc comes

[Alex HPS]

Although I'm not a woman, I do work with a number of bodybuilders who use steroids and so I see how the effects of exogenous (i.e. foreign) hormones can affect the body even long after it should have returned to 'normal'.

The important thing is that you were checked out and don't have anything potentially serious going on. I suspect that as you surmise, it is your body simply trying to correct itself back to homeostasis ('normal healthy operation in other words).

Anti-depressants also play their part in affecting the body (I have to say WELL DONE for getting off them - it can be a hard road and often doctors are unhelpful). If you doubt this just look at the thousands of men who are unable to achieve orgasm whilst on SSRI anti-depressants.

I think that time will be the ultimate healer here, but you should consider regular checkups just to be safe against polyps and fibroids etc.

If you want to improve your mood and perhaps aid your recovery, you should consider taking vitamin D3. It has been shown to positively impact mood (and bone density), especially when combined with just a small amount of UV light. I used to get the winter blues but D3 sorted that out (I also never get colds anymore since taking D3 regularly). If my fiancee is feeling a bit moody she will often ask me for a D3.

I prefer to use sublingual vitamins etc since they bypass the digestive system so more gets absorbed and not wasted/excreted. I get mine from Amazon- 'superior source' is the brand.

10,000iu per day and 15 minutes of sunlight on the back of your neck (or 2-3 minutes on a sunbed every few weeks) seems to be enough.

Also, you should never underestimate the importance of a good and varied intake of fresh foodstuffs, whenever you suspect your body or mind may be struggling. Yes it can be a chore to 'eat fresh' on a daily basis, but even if you just commit to 1 week of good practice, you might see the benefits enough to convince you to carry on.

Finally: I understand that you get scared. It's only natural that humans get scared of things we don't fully understand. Asking strangers on a forum can be a good thing (and reassuring to hear from other people in the same situation) but it cannot really beat self-education on a particular topic that scares you.

All the very best!

Alex

[Alex HPS]

Double post, sorry.

Alex