STRESS, SEROTONERGIC FUNCTION, AND MOOD IN USERS OF ORAL-CONTRACEPTIVES

The relationship between stress and changes in insulin levels, plasma ratio of tryptophan to other large neutral amino acids (LNAAs), mood, and food intake was investigated in women taking monophasic oral contr aceptives containing progestagens. Subjects experiencing high levels o f stress displayed significant decreases of insulin and tryptophan to other LNAAs ratios, before and after the consumption of a standard mea l during the pill-free period as compared with the period of pill use. The decline of the tryptophan to other LNAAs ratio was accompanied by worsening of mood. In a control group of subjects experiencing low le vels of stress there was no relationship between insulin and tryptopha n to other LNAAs ratio, nor between tryptophan to other LNAAs ratio an d mood. These results suggest that the combination of stress and alter ations in sex hormones may be responsible for mood changes during the pill-free period in women taking oral contraceptives.