Bipolar disorder in women: Symptoms and treatments

Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder with periods of extreme excitement) and sadness or hopelessness (depression). Bipolar disorder is also known as manic depression or manic depressive disorder. Female hormones and reproductive factors may influence the condition and treatments for bipolar disorder.

Without prompt treatment, a person with bipolar disorder can develop major depression. Symptoms include sadness, anxiety, loss of energy, hopelessness, and difficulty concentrating. They may lose interest in activities they once enjoyed. Many people experience weight gain or loss, sleep too much or too little, and even think about suicide.
When you are in a manic episode, you often have high levels of energy and think you can do anything. They are overconfident and it's hard to sit still. They talk more, get easily distracted, change their minds, and often lose sleep. This is why patients often engage in risky behaviors, such as cheating, driving fast and abusing drugs. If you experience these symptoms almost every day for a week and are accompanied by intense feelings of euphoria, this may signal that you are entering a manic episode.
Many people also have distinct depressive episodes.
People with bipolar disorder will have major depressive episodes, but instead of full-blown manic episodes, they have low-level fluctuations that are less intense and can last less than a week.
When people with bipolar disorder have depressive and manic symptoms at the same time, or very closely together, this is called a manic or depressive episode or affective disorder. This can lead to unpredictable behavior, such as taking dangerous risks when feeling hopeless and even having thoughts of suicide when you're full of energy.

When left unchecked, bipolar disorder can cause problems in many areas of life, including work, relationships, sleep, health, and money. It can lead to risky behavior, which can be stressful for those who care about you and make it difficult for those around you to understand what's going on.
Many people with bipolar disorder abuse drugs or alcohol. They may take or use medication to ease the uncomfortable symptoms of mood swings. Substance abuse can also occur as part of the recklessness and pleasure-seeking associated with manic episodes.
People with bipolar disorder are 10-20 times more likely to commit suicide than other people. Warning signs include often talking about suicide, putting their work in order, and doing very dangerous things.

First, doctors will work to rule out other possible causes of extreme mood swings, including other factors or a side effect of certain medications. Your doctor will examine you and ask you questions. Psychiatrists usually make a diagnosis after carefully considering all of this, in addition, can talk to people who know you well to find out if your mood and behavior has changed significantly. are not.

Treatment for bipolar disorder is aimed at stabilizing mood to avoid the consequences of both manic and depressive states. Most people need long-term treatment to relieve and prevent symptoms of bipolar disorder:
Here are some medications commonly used to treat the condition, including
Aripiprazole (Abilify). ) Asenapine (Saphris) Carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Equetro, Tegretol) Cariprazine (Vraylar) Divalproex sodium ( Depakote) Lamotrigine ( Lamictal) Lithium (Lithuania) Lurasidone (Latuda) Olanzapine (Zyprexa) Quetiapine (Seroquel) Risperidone olanzapine - fluoxetine) Valproic acid (Depakine, Stavzor) Ziprasidone (Geodon) Some of these drugs warn that their use may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior in children and young adults. However, this rarely happens. New symptoms, unusual changes in mood or behavior, suicidal thoughts or behavior should be monitored.

Treatment for bipolar disorder is generally the same for men and women. However, consideration should be given to treating women during pregnancy. The patient will continue to receive treatment during pregnancy, the risks to the baby are also considered. Therefore, the treatment regimen can be changed to minimize the risk to the fetus.
In general, doctors will opt for lithium and older medications such as haloperidol (Haldol), as well as the many antidepressants available to treat bipolar disorder in pregnant women. Because these drugs have been monitored and tested for a long time for safety compared to new drugs.
Several newer atypical antipsychotics have been studied during pregnancy and, to date, have been shown to have no known risks including birth defects or abnormal development of the uterus. fetus.
Certain drugs, such as valproic acid and carbamazepine, have been shown to be harmful to babies and contribute to birth defects. If you take valproic acid and find out you are pregnant, your doctor may change your medication or adjust your dosage and prescribe folic acid to help prevent birth defects that affect brain development and baby's spinal cord.
Most health professionals avoid using carbamazepine to treat women during pregnancy unless there are no other options. Carbamazepine not only poses risks to the fetus but can also cause complications such as rare blood disorders and liver failure in the mother, especially if treatment is started after conception.
Some medications can cause a baby to experience abnormal muscle movements, known as extrapyramidal signs (EPS). These drugs include antipsychotics such as aripiprazole (Abilify), haloperidol (Haldol), risperidone (Risperdal), quetiapine (Seroquel), and olanzapine (Zyprexa).
Possible symptoms in your baby include:
Agitation Unusual increase or decrease in muscle tone Drowsiness Shortness of breath and feeding difficulties Muscles do not move on their own or have convulsions

In some babies, these symptoms go away on their own after a few hours or days. Other babies may need monitoring or treatment.
In general, doctors will try to limit the amount of medicine as much as possible to avoid affecting the development of the fetus. Because even among drugs that are thought to pose no risk to an unborn baby, there are always potential risks.
Women with bipolar disorder who are taking valproic acid should see their doctor regularly for monitoring. That's because the drug can increase levels of the male hormone testosterone and lead to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is a condition that affects the ovaries and leads to obesity and irregular menstrual cycles.
Lithium use can lead to low thyroid hormone levels in some people, and also affect bipolar disorder symptoms. If thyroid hormone is low, thyroid hormone medication is needed. Other side effects of taking lithium include:
Drowsiness Dizziness Dizziness Frequent urination Headache Constipation When symptoms become particularly severe or require urgent treatment, anticonvulsant therapy (ECT) can may be a safer method than the use of drugs. During ECT, doctors monitor the baby's heart rate and oxygen levels for potential problems, which can be treated if necessary.
Pregnant women and women in the postpartum period with bipolar disorder can also choose from the following methods to reduce the impact of the disease, including:
Psychotherapy Collective stress management regular sex

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Reference source: webmd.com

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