I was on propranolol for over a year. After being on it for 2 mths at a high dose 120mg- I felt like something was changing. I went off the birth control pill- and low & behold- my period stopped! Completely- no slow taper- nothing! I was thrown quickly into a menopausal state and felt crazy! I am only 45 yrs- so STRANGE! I had also gained an unusual amount of weight throughout my middle- over 20 lbs!
I few other things happened- and I decided to ween myself off it. (You MUST do this or you will have withdrawal symptoms! !) When I got down to 10mg- my periods came back!! So weird! Definitely link I feel! ! I have weaned myself off completely. I feel doctors aren't forthcoming or do not know enough about all the side effects from this drug!
Think twice before going on...try low dosage first at the very least!
Anyone else stop their monthly cycles on this medicine? ?
Hi I have been on propranolol for 6 months and my monthly periods r as normal. Nothing has at all changed for me my body is still functioning the same I to am 45 ( 46 this coming Monday!!!!!!). I was put on propranolol as I suffer from Extreme horrific Migrane's. And I have 80 mg per day which are slow relalise. I feel completely Normal well I feel Excellent as I don't get Migranes as much or as server. And that to me is the best thing not bothered about weight gain I'm migraine free.. X
Hi I'm 43 and have been on propanolol 80mg for 9yrs. I have just recently decided to come off them, I'm just coming of 50 to 40mg and I have just had an early period and I can time mine nearly to the second. I have never had an irregular period in my life so I think that there definitely related. I just hope it goes back to normal when I'm finished.
I was already prescribed toparimate, but since it hasn’t really helped (after school ended for the summer it worked good for like three days and returned to not working for mostly the time) I have been taking toparimate for 12 weeks.
my my neurologist just prescribed propranolol for migraines, and I also had a high blood pressure (140/80) the dose is 20 mg two times a day. I haven’t taken it nor physically have the pills yet. Topiarmate is making me lose weight and I’d rather this not counter that. I need to lose weight.
Maybe be this will stop my period? Toparimate made my periods very early and last time it made it irregular (2 times a month then spotting popped up 3 days later) so I am going on birth control or thinking about it if it doesnt chill.
Im 17, so these migraines aren’t helpful to trying to do anything in the summer and nor school.
I realise this original discussion is quite old but I have been taking Propranolol for around 2 months (40mg twice daily for migraine) or so and having read other discussions, I believe it could be responsible for my periods changing. I am 44 and my cycle is pretty regular. I was 11 days late for my last period, which I’ve never been before, and I’ve just started another period two weeks later. Whilst Propranolol doesn’t state this as a side effect, I think there is not enough data to confirm one way or the other. The only trial I can find on propranolol and periods is in a short study with 9 woman , which looked at the affect the cycle had on propranolol, not the other way around. There was no significant difference found but there might have been numerically and this study is far too small and short to draw any conclusions in my opinion. The study only followed one cycle as far as I can see up to 16 days so doesn’t look at the long term effects the drug could have on periods. When a drug is new to market, all adverse events are supposed to be reported but maybe when the drug was new, the population being prescribed was older and didn’t have periods anyway
. I would be interested to know since it got an indication for migraines for a younger population what the reports have been, although I don’t think an established drug would have to report adverse events for a new indication. My view is that additional research should be done on this to warn women, esp younger woman of this potential side effect. A common side effect is 1 in 10 people suffer so if there’s not even 10 in the study to start with, hardly tells the full picture. Thanks for reading.
Hey Sarah, I’m 16 and have been using propranolol for chronic headaches. I got my first period since starting this medication and my blood has been brown the whole time and it has been a whole week since my period should have ended, but I am still experiencing “bleeding”. Despite this unfortunate side effect, I still continue to take it as the alternative is substantially worse.
Also I am already on birth control, and before this have had no previous problems with my menstrual cycle.
Hi I've been on propranolol for years, until around 8 months back I came off it, and my periods stopped straight away, I thought I was pregnant and convinced myself I was, I done numerous tests and had 2 blood tests they were negative, I had period pains all the time which that's what I had in my 3 pregnancys I was sick all the time and I've gained so much weight, still convinced I was pregnant, got told I was on the change that's why periods have stopped, until today I started bleeding the funny thing is I've been put back on propranolol a week ago and my period has came back, it has to of been the propranolol what else could it be x
just checking to see how your periods have been since the one you posted about. I started taking Propanolol about 6 weeks ago and I had an odd period right away but this month is late and just small amounts of brown off and on. Ive never experienced this before so I can only blame the medication since its the only thing that had changed in my life. just curious how youre doing!
Hi, ive been taking propanolol for about 6 months now and in the first 3/4 months that was the same for me, i had really irregular periods and then they stopped and it was just brown on and off not like a period just multiple times during the month it was the brown. But id say the last month or 2 ive had nothing what so ever and i was starting to worry but reading this it seems it could just b a side effect
hi April. just been reading. the posts. as I've been on propranolol. for only few weeks first 2 weeks. i spotted. brown. and tiny bit blood with one weeks rest then again today bleeding again ! thats 3 times in 4 weeks . I'm on a mini pill so don't have a period ever until started taking propranolol these last few weeks . But my main concern is that. its cancelled out the effects of my pill and it is no longer working. ? But as stated in other post. there is no information on this anywhere and for younger girls on the pill. and taking this. this would be very important information for them. I'm pretty sure they don't want to be falling pregnant due to their pill not working and down to poor information. i know i don't . I'm 42. my mum. said. probably the change. and i had started to think maybe it was. until reading these posts I'm now convinced. its definitely linked. to the the propranolol thanks for reading .
Hi I have been taking propanalol for 4 months for anxiety, I was prescribed anything up to 120mg per day, I was advised to keep my dose low so as it seemed to lnock the edge off at 20mg a day I have stuck to that dose except on days my stress levels were high! I didnt notice any change in my cycle at all but there were other symptoms! Over the last few weeks I have been under a lot of stress and so have been taking 40mg regularly in this short few weeks I've had cramping, sharp stabbing pain not to the side as with a normal period but centre! This was then followed by a very heavy bleed, I am on the coil and dont normally bleed, only tiny spotting, this was the second period in 3 weeks which is also not normal for me.
Im currently waiting for tests but as I have a lot of other side effects I am weaning off them! No idea how this will affect my anxiety but the side affects are not worth it!!
Also just to add when the heavy bleeding stopped I was also bleeding brown dryish blood! I am going to report all of my symptoms as there are loads including massive weight gain, I would encourage you all to do the same .
hi! i was given 10MG propranolol in early march because i am suffering from anxiety and stress. i missed a period in feburary due to losing someone in my family, but after taking this medication i haven't had one this month. i'm not pregnant as i had a test done and i have cramps but not painful ones, i have mood swings and it does feel like i am on my period. i'm 17 and very worried about not having my period. they have been irregular before but not for quite some time, i want to go to the GP but i'm worried about having more medication to help regulate it again. is it normal for teenagers to miss 2 periods in 2 months?
hey this seems a bit old, but i started 10mg of proponolol 2x a day about 3 weeks ago. i noticed a few days ago that i started my period which usually is light the first day and then heavy the following few days. but its my "4th" day of this light spotting/period. ive never had light periods. im 30 and wondering if this medicine is causing that. also its a brown tint to it sometimes. honestly its not even enough to wear a tampon or even a pad. its freaking me out. also also it doesnt smell the same as it usually does. (i know thats gross) but it smells different and almost bad. idk. some imput would be nice, thanks!
I am so relieved to have found this thread!!! I’ve started this medication again about a week ago (been on it twice before, don’t remember having this side effect), and straight away my discharge was brown which I knew meant I was bleeding a little bit. I often get brown discharge when I ovulate, and the week it started did coincide with my usual cycle and ovulating (a bit early but not by too much). However, this brown discharge has been getting darker and darker, so it’s now black and very heavy. Not enough to be using a menstrual cup but definitely enough that I should realistically be using a type of menstrual liner.
So it’s now been a week of being on the medication and this very thick/clumpy and very dark discharge has now become a proper bleed, but still very thick in consistency and dark (just now a very dark red instead of dark brown/black). My period is usually the very end of the month, so for it have effectively started almost a week ago as a minor bleed and continue to the point it is now enough a notable bleed that I need to be using my menstrual cup for is concerning!
I have the copper coil (IUD) and have had it for a year. Since having it I’ve have regular periods, and often a bit of brown discharge during ovulation. It’s been stressing me out a lot as to why I’ve been having such heavy, dark discharge for over a week that showed no signs of easing, and it only hit me today that I started these tablets at the same time! And now it’s turned into the start of an actual bleed, reading this forum has really helped so at least now I have a very likely explanation.
Not sure whether I’ll be staying on these tablets as they’re supposed to be helping my chronic headaches, and have helped in the past, but don’t seem to be this time. But if I do stay on them with an increased dosage, fingers crossed it’ll stop messing up my menstrual cycle. Very stressful!!!
I am so relieved to have found this thread!!! I’ve started this medication again about a week ago (been on it twice before, don’t remember having this side effect), and straight away my discharge was brown which I knew meant I was bleeding a little bit. I often get brown discharge when I ovulate, and the week it started did coincide with my usual cycle and ovulating (a bit early but not by too much). However, this brown discharge has been getting darker and darker, so it’s now black and very heavy. Not enough to be using a menstrual cup but definitely enough that I should realistically be using a type of menstrual liner.
So it’s now been a week of being on the medication and this very thick/clumpy and very dark discharge has now become a proper bleed, but still very thick in consistency and dark (just now a very dark red instead of dark brown/black). My period is usually the very end of the month, so for it have effectively started almost a week ago as a minor bleed and continue to the point it is now enough a notable bleed that I need to be using my menstrual cup for is concerning!
I have the copper coil (IUD) and have had it for a year. Since having it I’ve have regular periods, and often a bit of brown discharge during ovulation. It’s been stressing me out a lot as to why I’ve been having such heavy, dark discharge for over a week that showed no signs of easing, and it only hit me today that I started these tablets at the same time! And now it’s turned into the start of an actual bleed, reading this forum has really helped so at least now I have a very likely explanation.
Not sure whether I’ll be staying on these tablets as they’re supposed to be helping my chronic headaches, and have helped in the past, but don’t seem to be this time. But if I do stay on them with an increased dosage, fingers crossed it’ll stop messing up my menstrual cycle. Very stressful!!!
i found this thread while googling my symptoms and was happy to see a recent post
i take pro for extreme anxiety at 20 mg on an as needed bases (2-3x a week). i have noticed very very light breakthrough periods around one week after my actual period. During my last period last week i noticed a small clot that passed which never happens. i am also on lamictal 200mg for bipolar and i told my psychiatrist today about the issue and she said its not the meds. i just went to the obgyn last month and everything was fine but i dont know why i am having these very light periods. i am 32 and my periods are like clockwork and i am off birth control
Hi! I recently got diagnosed with inappropriate sinus tachycardia so i started propranolol to slow my heart rate instead of for migraines like most people. I started with 10mg three times a day and it make me sick so I stopped after about 5 days and just came back on it at 10mg twice a day instead after about a week and a half. I take a birth control pill called Natazia for Endometriosis and Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). Thanks to the birth control I have normal regular periods but I havent bled at all. This should be be day 4 of my period and nothing. Its also day 4 of me taking the lower dose. I took a pregnancy test just in case and it came back negative. I truly believe the Propranolol is the reason for it. I talk to my cardiologist in the morning so Ill leave an update if she says this is a side effect.
I am so glad to have found this. There is absolutely nothing on the internet to explain my period-no-show this month.
my periods are pretty regular and i have been on propranolol 10mg for over a month now.
I have weaned myself of it completely now. How soon dos your periods come back after stopping propranolol? Or did you miss the cycle completely and the next one came at the usual date? I am going bonkers for my missed period. I want it so badly. (I am not pregnant)
It would be really helpful of you respond 😊😊
Hi! I have been on 10mg twice a day for about 4 weeks now for migraines (to gradually increase if it agrees with me). I've just come on my period today 10 days late and its absolutely excrutiating!! I'm 30 years old and havent had period pain like this since i was in my teens, it comes in waves like labour contractions! it's also similar to what everyone else is describing, a very dark brown colour and not very much of it!
I'm blaming this medication as i've had other unpleasant side effects since being on them! i want to come off them but dont know how to ween off & it's literally impossible to get through to my doctor at the minute!