Case report, 2026
Can antidepressants cause stomach problems that only happen during menstruation?
One woman taking antidepressants developed nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea only during her menstrual period. The problem improved when her dose was lowered.
What they did
Case report of a 20-year-old woman with anxiety who started taking escitalopram 10 mg/day, then switched to paroxetine 20 mg/day. Doctors examined her with a pelvic exam, hormone tests, and ultrasound to check for gynecologic causes. They used a standard scale to assess if the medication caused this. They then adjusted her dose and watched for symptom changes.
What they found
She had nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and dizziness only during menstruation. The scale indicated this was probably caused by the medication. Lowering paroxetine to 10 mg/day stopped the stomach problems, but her anxiety returned. Increasing to 15 mg/day controlled her anxiety without stomach problems. After 6 months with no problems, she stopped the paroxetine without any symptoms returning.
What it means for you
Antidepressants might interact with hormonal changes during menstruation to cause stomach problems in some women. But this is only one case. Doctors might help by adjusting doses, and women's reproductive health should be considered when prescribing these drugs.
20
patient's age
15 mg/day
final paroxetine dose
6 months
stability period before stopping
About the study
- Original title
- Cyclic Gastrointestinal Symptoms Induced by Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors: A Case Report of Menstruation-related Adverse Effects
- Authors
- Sungur I, Kuman Tunçel Ö, Hortu I
- Journal
- Journal of pediatric and adolescent gynecology
- Year
- 2026
- Study design
- Case report
- What was tested
- Escitalopram 10 mg/day, then paroxetine 20 mg/day with subsequent dose adjustments
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.jpag.2025.10.005
Topics
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