Many patients will come to the office saying they're feeling "hormonal" at various times. When pressed, what I almost always learn is that what they are really saying is that they are feeling depressed, anxious, irritable or generally moody. While certain times of the menstrual cycle (a week before the onset of menses to about 2 days into the period) can produce transient mood changes, I'm always careful not to allow my patients to blame all of their emotional changes simply on their hormone fluctuations. Mood problems are very common in both men and women (23--46% chance) and can wax and wane over one's lifetime for a variety of reasons. Some people are more prone than others to disturbances in their moods, and looking at your family history can often give a clue as to whether there are some vulnerabilities that may have been passed down the family tree. This includes not only formally diagnosed conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, etc. but also a tendency toward substance abuse (often associated with self-medication of mood disorders).
20% of pregnant women may experience mood disorders and up to 80% of postpartum patients experience some level of "the blues". Fortunately less than 1--2% suffer postpartum psychosis. We monitor all our pregnant and postpartum patients for such symptoms. Often patients who are struggling to conceive a pregnancy or who have had prior poor pregnancy outcomes are vulnerable to mood changes and require special attention.
PMS is often manageable with excercise, lifestyle changes, dietary modifications, and sometimes medications (hormonal and non-hormonal) given part or all of the month. Mood changes associated with the transition to menopause (the "peri-menopause") are frequently related to the hot flashes, night sweats and disruption of normal sleep patterns. Addressing those symptoms so that a woman gets good rest can go a long way toward helping restore a more stable mood. Low dose hormonal contraceptives can also help regulate fluctuations in hormones during this transition as well, making periods more predictable. This is an option even for those who have had tubal ligations or other long term/permanent contraceptive methods of birth control.
After the menopause transition, mood problems are no more common than in the general population, but certainly managing chronic health conditions, changing levels of independence, and the grief of losing a spouse or other friends and family members can produce changes in mental health that should be addressed regularly by one's physician or mental health professional.
http://www.34-menopause-symptoms.com/mood-swings.htm
20% of pregnant women may experience mood disorders and up to 80% of postpartum patients experience some level of "the blues". Fortunately less than 1--2% suffer postpartum psychosis. We monitor all our pregnant and postpartum patients for such symptoms. Often patients who are struggling to conceive a pregnancy or who have had prior poor pregnancy outcomes are vulnerable to mood changes and require special attention.
PMS is often manageable with excercise, lifestyle changes, dietary modifications, and sometimes medications (hormonal and non-hormonal) given part or all of the month. Mood changes associated with the transition to menopause (the "peri-menopause") are frequently related to the hot flashes, night sweats and disruption of normal sleep patterns. Addressing those symptoms so that a woman gets good rest can go a long way toward helping restore a more stable mood. Low dose hormonal contraceptives can also help regulate fluctuations in hormones during this transition as well, making periods more predictable. This is an option even for those who have had tubal ligations or other long term/permanent contraceptive methods of birth control.
After the menopause transition, mood problems are no more common than in the general population, but certainly managing chronic health conditions, changing levels of independence, and the grief of losing a spouse or other friends and family members can produce changes in mental health that should be addressed regularly by one's physician or mental health professional.
http://www.34-menopause-symptoms.com/mood-swings.htm
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