Can Depression Make Your Period Late?

Under these less-than-ideal conditions, the female reproductive system can shut down.

There may also be related reasons why you have menstrual problems when you are depressed.

For example, antidepressant medication likeZoloft (sertraline)can also affect your period.

Learn more about how depression affects your period and what your treatment options are.

The result is a late period or sometimes no period at all.

Your gynecologist will likely do a repeat pregnancy test.

Some studies have found that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) helped restore menstruation in people with hypothalamic amenorrhea.

There’s also some evidence that CBT can reduce cortisol levels.

In addition to possibleside effects, some antidepressants can even cause your period to be late or delayed.

Can Zoloft affect your period?

Zoloft (sertraline) can affect your period.

Amenorrhea (the absence of menstruation) is a known side effect of this medication.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.What causes amenorrhea?

Fourman LT, Fazeli PK.Neuroendocrine causes of amenorrhea–an update.J Clin Endocrinol Metab.

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Shufelt CL, Torbati T, Dutra E.Hypothalamic amenorrhea and the long-term health consequences.Semin Reprod Med.

2021;13(7):e16532.

doi:10.7759/cureus.16532

National Institutes of Health.Amenorrhea.