Contraceptive pill, cystic acne and psychosis.

Hi ✨ the first time I got psychosis was 9 months after I came off Yasmin aged 29. I had terrible cystic acne and have had to take anti-psychotics ever since after being diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. I am now 40 and so I know I am going to have to come off Yasmin. I am dreading the return of the cystic acne and terrified I may get psychosis again. Anyone had a similar experience or any advice? Thanks 😊 x

Do you want to explain more about why you have to come off Yasmin?
Have you discussed this with your doctor already? I'm not sure if your response to coming off Yasmin was something common, or expected to be long-term.

Yasmin is a contraceptive pill and I am now 40 so will soon be entering menopause and will have to come off it x

Hi @Empress00

This is defineitely something to talk over with your GP/healthcare provider to see what options are available that will safely suit you. They could possibly switch to a Progestin only pill or a combined one but with a lower dose of estrogen or a different type of progestin for example or even consider LARCs even. For the acne, I suppose dermatoligcal measures can considered albeit taking into account your issues with mental health.

I'm thinking that an input from your mental health care team would be needed as I'm assuming that they will have had experience with dealing with situations similar to yours.

If there are good reasons why you can't simply stay on Yasmin, there might be a substitute pill that has similar benefits, as Ash suggested. Hopefully your doctor would be able to make some recommendations.

I recommend looking into acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine here a lot simply because it works well for a lot of chronic conditions and is generally very safe. This link has some information:

Chinese Herbal Medicine and Acupuncture, World's Second Largest Medical System

I'm sorry I don't have more to offer and I hope something can help.

Thank-you for your responses. I've been reading that Spironolactone can help people. Going on another contraceptive pill rather defeats the object x

I've just recently seen spironolactone being used for this purpose with the concurrent use of a topical treatment. Just be sure to monitor your potassium levels.

It's a good idea to stay away from hormonal contraceptives altogether d/t both age and detrimental effects on your mental health. Good luck @Empress00