---
title: Can psychosis get worse before your period if you have PCOS? | Niyora
description: A woman with PCOS and schizoaffective disorder had psychotic episodes that happened right before her period and improved when bleeding started. This suggests
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/premenstrual-psychosis-in-a-patient-with-polycystic-ovary-syndrome-a-case-report-2020/
---

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- Can psychosis get worse before your period if you have PCOS?

Case report, 2020

# Can psychosis get worse before your period if you have PCOS?

A woman with PCOS and schizoaffective disorder had psychotic episodes that happened right before her period and improved when bleeding started. This suggests a link between PCOS and menstrual-cycle-linked psychosis.

 Early or limited evidence

One 28-year-old woman with schizoaffective disorder and PCOS

## What they did

Case report of a 28-year-old woman who had schizoaffective disorder since age 18. She was later diagnosed with PCOS. Over time, doctors noticed her psychotic episodes happened in a clear pattern with her menstrual cycle.

## What they found

Her psychotic episodes started distinctly during her premenstrual period and improved once menstruation began. During these episodes, she had unusual delusions, including beliefs about pregnancy.

## What it means for you

PCOS may play a role in how psychotic symptoms connect to the menstrual cycle, but why this happens is not yet understood. This case shows an unusual way that psychosis can present in women.

28

age of woman

18

age when disorder began

## About the study

Original title Premenstrual Psychosis In A Patient With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Case Report Authors Pang T, Lui YS, Chee TT Journal Research Square Year 2020 Study design Case report What was tested Not specified Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-38120/v1](https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-38120/v1) Original abstract

Abstract Periodic psychosis in relation to the menstrual cycle phases has been reported but its pathogenesis not yet known. We report a case of a 28 year old female with schizoaffective disorder since 18 years old. She was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) 3 years later and was noted to have distinct psychotic episodes that coincided acutely with her premenstrual period. Peculiarly she exhibited delusions of pregnancy during her psychotic episodes. This was followed by near resolution with the end of menstruation. This case sheds light on this atypical presentation of psychosis in female patients as well as its potential aetiology.

Reproduced under CC-BY.

## Topics

[Menstrual psychosis](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-menstrual-psychosis/)[Schizophrenia and psychosis](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-psychosis/)[Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-pcos/)

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