Women and Bipolar Disorder Facts to Consider

Bipolar disorder affects both men and women; the experiences and treatment can differ between the two.  Women who are pregnant, conception and the consideration of becoming pregnant have a risk of side effects caused by medication treatment. Women are prone to experience more rapid cycling. Factors such as estrogen levels fluctuate throughout the menstrual cycle. A large portion of bipolar type I women had regular mood changes during either their menstrual or premenstrual times. They were more irritable and had increased anger and tend to be depressed.  Increased estrogen may increase the risk of depression. Stress levels may possibly be the reason for increased risk for depression.

Bipolar disorder usually does not respond well to antidepressant medications as the only treatment. If taken alone, antidepressant medications may increase the manic episodes. They alleviate the depression but in the long run the chance for mania has to be taken into consideration.

The treatment of rapid cycling bipolar disorder is especially difficult. As mentioned above, treatment with antidepressants may precipitate an episode of mania, but may also increase cycle frequency it is shown that the mania drives the disorder.  Documenting daily moods while taking the appropriate drugs antidepressants or mood stabilizers proves to be helpful in treatment.  Minimizing the use of anti-depressants and to maximizing the use of mood stabilizing medication can avoid the complications. Mood stabilizing medications are used to treat manic, hypomanic and mixed episodes and aid in preventing more mood episodes. However, mood stabilizers are used primarily to treat mania. And like the problem of taking primarily antidepressants, rapid cycling bipolar patients will have severe depressive episodes. The consequences of the use of either mood stabilizers or antidepressant drugs both decrease one problem while increasing another.

Since a cure for Bipolar disorder is still unknown the answer lies in the treatment of each individual different specifically women.  Most often an effective medication or combination of medications will help the person to find relief.