Case report, 2009
Can birth control pills prevent psychotic episodes that happen before menstruation?
Yes. Birth control pills prevented psychotic episodes in one woman who had them before her period.
What they did
Doctors described a case of one woman with psychotic episodes that occur before her period. They treated her with birth control pills.
What they found
The woman's psychotic episodes were prevented after she started taking birth control pills. She did not have symptomatic relapses.
What it means for you
Birth control pills may help prevent psychotic episodes that occur before menstruation. This is a rare condition and most evidence comes from individual case reports like this one. The main limits are this describes only one case and more research is needed to know if this works for other women.
About the study
- Original title
- The use of oral contraceptives as a prevention of recurrent premenstrual psychosis
- Authors
- Coromina Sadurni M, Rodie JU, de Montagut LM et al.
- Journal
- Psychiatry research
- Year
- 2009
- Study design
- Case report
- What was tested
- Oral contraceptive (birth control pills)
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2009.02.015
Topics
Related studies
Study, 2024
Can PMDD cause psychosis that returns with each menstrual cycle?
Case report, 2020
What causes severe psychiatric symptoms that recur with the menstrual cycle, and how should they be treated?
Case report, 2018
Do oral contraceptives help psychotic symptoms that start before menstruation?
Survey study, 2025
Does hormonal contraception affect PMDD?
Survey study, 2026
Should PMDD be recognized in Indian law as affecting criminal responsibility?
Case report, 2026
Can hormonal therapy treat psychotic symptoms tied to the menstrual cycle?