Case report, 2008
Can metformin help psychosis that happens with the menstrual cycle?
Maybe. One woman with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and menstrual-linked psychosis had significant improvement when metformin restored her normal menstrual cycle.
What they did
This is a case report of one woman with PCOS who had psychotic episodes connected to her menstrual cycle. She was given metformin, a medication usually used for diabetes and PCOS. The doctors describe what happened after treatment started.
What they found
When metformin helped restore the patient's normal menstrual cycle, her psychotic symptoms improved significantly. The patient had abnormal patterns before treatment (not ovulating regularly), which likely caused abnormal hormone levels that contributed to her psychiatric symptoms.
What it means for you
Abnormal hormone levels from irregular menstrual cycles might contribute to some psychiatric symptoms. Restoring normal menstruation with metformin may help improve these symptoms. This is only one patient with a specific combination of PCOS and menstrual-linked psychosis. Many more women need to be studied to know if this treatment would help others with similar conditions.
1
Patient case studied
About the study
- Original title
- Metformine for psychosis associated with the menstrual cycle in a patient with polycystic ovary syndrome
- Authors
- Andreou C, Syngelakis M, Karavatos A
- Journal
- Archives of women's mental health
- Year
- 2008
- Study design
- Case report
- What was tested
- Metformin to restore normal menstrual cycle
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1007/s00737-008-0032-7
Topics
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