Cerazette didn't work- agnus castus or Prozac next?
I saw the gynae on Thursday, and we agreed that the Cerazette (74 mcg desogestrel, a form of the progestogen-only pill which is meant to stop ovulation), which I'd been on for three months, didn't seem to be doing me any good and the side effects really weren't fun, so I'm stopping it. Because I have severe ME/CFIDS and respond unpredictably, though usually badly, to almost all medication, she's quite wary of putting me on anything, and is going to consult with my GP about this.
One option is cyclical Prozac. I could have sworn she said it was 10 mg for one week per cycle last time, but this time she said 20 mg for two weeks per cycle. This is the treatment she's going to discuss with my GP. Has anyone here tried it, and if so, how did you find it? I hear that both side-effects and withdrawal problems tend to be lesser if it's taken cyclically.
Another option I'm considering is agnus castus. According to this trial, it's got a good reputation, though it's disheartening to see that half of the women getting a 50% or more improvement in their symptoms is considered a good result. Another good article here. It does have one huge advantage in that side effects for agnus castus are minimal to none, and it's a relatively gentle form of treatment. I've tried it in the past, but not for long enough, I was hasty and decided to try the Cerazette instead. After three months of having my hormones all over the place, I'm more willing to consider this option. Any thoughts? My worst symptoms are depression, breast pain and headache/migraine.
ETA: I just googled "agnus castus" and "luteal phase", since I have a short luteal phase (of the three cycles I've charted before I stopped ovulating, one had a 7 day luteal phase and two had an 8 day luteal phase. This is well out of the normal range). Apparently luteal phase defect is a common culprit with menstrual (not to mention fertility) troubles, and agnus castus is meant to be good at lengthening the luteal phase and thus rebalancing the hormones. Does anyone know more about this?
One option is cyclical Prozac. I could have sworn she said it was 10 mg for one week per cycle last time, but this time she said 20 mg for two weeks per cycle. This is the treatment she's going to discuss with my GP. Has anyone here tried it, and if so, how did you find it? I hear that both side-effects and withdrawal problems tend to be lesser if it's taken cyclically.
Another option I'm considering is agnus castus. According to this trial, it's got a good reputation, though it's disheartening to see that half of the women getting a 50% or more improvement in their symptoms is considered a good result. Another good article here. It does have one huge advantage in that side effects for agnus castus are minimal to none, and it's a relatively gentle form of treatment. I've tried it in the past, but not for long enough, I was hasty and decided to try the Cerazette instead. After three months of having my hormones all over the place, I'm more willing to consider this option. Any thoughts? My worst symptoms are depression, breast pain and headache/migraine.
ETA: I just googled "agnus castus" and "luteal phase", since I have a short luteal phase (of the three cycles I've charted before I stopped ovulating, one had a 7 day luteal phase and two had an 8 day luteal phase. This is well out of the normal range). Apparently luteal phase defect is a common culprit with menstrual (not to mention fertility) troubles, and agnus castus is meant to be good at lengthening the luteal phase and thus rebalancing the hormones. Does anyone know more about this?