Case report, 2022
Can aripiprazole prevent menstrual psychosis?
In this case, a previously healthy adolescent girl experienced psychotic symptoms that appeared before her menstrual period and resolved when her period started. The medication aripiprazole prevented these episodes, but they returned when she stopped taking it.
What they did
Doctors described one previously well adolescent girl who experienced psychotic symptoms timed to the premenstrual phase of her menstrual cycle. A literature review of menstrual psychosis accompanied the case report.
What they found
The girl had psychotic symptoms in the days before menstruation, and they went away when her period began. These episodes stopped when she took aripiprazole but returned once she stopped the medication. This pattern suggests her psychosis was linked to her menstrual cycle.
What it means for you
This case suggests psychosis may link to menstrual cycle. When the girl stopped aripiprazole, her symptoms returned, showing the medication prevented episodes. A major limitation is that this is one adolescent girl, so we cannot know how common this pattern is or whether the medication helps others.
About the study
- Original title
- Menstrual psychosis
- Authors
- Ahern E, Cohen D, Prior C et al.
- Journal
- Irish journal of psychological medicine
- Year
- 2022
- Study design
- Case report
- What was tested
- Aripiprazole (an antipsychotic medication).
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1017/ipm.2019.36
Topics
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