For about a month or so now, I have been taking the antidepressant Fluoxetine for depression symptoms related to my period. About six months ago, I noticed that around the time leading up to and during my period, I would become intensely sad for a stretch of time, and then feel completely fine later on or the next day. I really began to worry when this depression went so far as to causing mild suicidal thoughts; however, I have never self harmed in any way, and the depression I was feeling didn’t increase the risk of attempting suicide by any means.
Additionally, I had never experienced any extreme menstrual cramps, which had shown to be an issue for my Mom, who also takes fluoxetine. When I went to the doctor, I found out that my depression was most likely due to chemistry in my brain rather than genetics, since I had no severe pain related to my period.
Being on the medication has helped me in many ways. The only side effect I experienced was a mild upset stomach, but that was fixed by taking the medication with food. Ever since I started taking fluoxetine, I’ve felt much better and less depressed both in everyday life and the time before and during my period.