Schizophrenia patients are more likely to suffer from amenorrhea

It is common for schizophrenia patients to suffer from drug-induced amenorrhea after long-term use of antipsychotic drugs. Amenorrhea can cause psychological changes such as anxiety and depression in patients. Amenorrhea and psychological changes are mutually causal, forming a vicious cycle that endangers the physical and mental health of patients. Atypical antipsychotic drugs represented by sulpiride and risperidone can cause patients to develop hyperprolactinemia, and further cause patients to develop amenorrhea, lactation, pubic hair loss, sexual dysfunction, and osteoporosis through the hypothalamus-pituitary axis.

Amenorrhea can directly lead to infertility in patients and also increase the risk of breast cancer. Therefore, female schizophrenia patients should minimize the combined use of sulpiride and risperidone during drug treatment. It is not advisable to use sulpiride or risperidone for a long time. Clozapine, olanzapine, quetiapine, etc. can be used as appropriate to reduce the occurrence of drug-induced amenorrhea and protect the patient's fertility as much as possible.