I was very excited and hopeful to see Dr. Harris after struggling with significant PMS and PMDD symptoms. My first consultation was honestly excellent. She took the time to listen to my concerns, asked thoughtful questions, and I was pleasantly surprised by how knowledgeable she was about supplements and even peptides. She ordered comprehensive blood work, and I left that appointment feeling optimistic that I had finally found someone who would help me get to the root cause of my symptoms.
Unfortunately, my experience changed after treatment began.
I explained that my menstrual cycles are typically 30 to 35+ days and that I have a history of delayed or absent ovulation. Despite that, my progesterone level was checked on cycle day 21, assuming I had already ovulated. I felt that ovulation should have been confirmed before interpreting those results.
Based on those results, I was instructed to begin oral progesterone on cycle day 10. As a 32-year-old with longer cycles and suspected anovulatory cycles, day 10 seemed early to me, but I trusted her medical judgment and followed the instructions exactly.
By day four of taking progesterone, I developed severe cystic acne unlike anything I had experienced before. Around the same time, I also began experiencing significant anxiety that eventually progressed into what felt like severe depression. It was frightening because I had never experienced anything like that before.
Because the acne became so severe, I contacted Dr. Harris, and she prescribed spironolactone. While it appeared to help my acne for the first couple of days, by the third or fourth day I became extremely dizzy, my blood pressure dropped to approximately 90/50, and I found myself in one of the darkest emotional states I have ever experienced. I was genuinely scared, had to take time off work, and felt like I was in a very dark place emotionally.
When I called her office crying and explained everything I was experiencing, the immediate recommendation was to start an antidepressant. I had to advocate for myself because I did not believe I had a primary depressive disorder. From my perspective, these symptoms began after starting the prescribed medications, and I wanted to address that first rather than add another medication.
Looking back, it was alarming to realize that within about 10 days of becoming a patient, I had been prescribed progesterone, spironolactone, and then an antidepressant. After I declined the antidepressant, I was prescribed yet another off-label medication for acne, which I ultimately chose not to take.
What disappointed me most was what happened afterward. After telling my doctor that I was severely depressed, crying, unable to work, experiencing dangerously low blood pressure, and feeling unlike myself, I never received a follow-up phone call or message to check on how I was doing or whether I had recovered.
What I did receive, however, was a $100 bill for that 15-minute phone call. I completely understand that physicians bill for their time, but it was difficult to receive an invoice after reaching out in crisis while never receiving a follow-up to see if I was okay. That left me feeling unsupported during one of the most difficult experiences I have had.
I understand that every patient responds differently to medications, and this is simply my personal experience. However, I wish my treatment plan had been more individualized to my cycle length and ovulation pattern. Looking back, I believe ovulation should have been confirmed before prescribing progesterone so early in my cycle, especially for someone with consistently longer cycles. I also believe that patients reporting severe emotional side effects deserve proactive follow-up.
I truly wanted this treatment to work because my first impression of Dr. Harris was so positive. Unfortunately, my experience after starting treatment left me feeling unheard, unsupported, and much worse than when I first sought help. read more
