Moving Forward with Brexanolone (Zulresso): Pilot Program at the Cleveland Clinic
It has been a few months since Zulresso (brexanolone), the new FDA-approved treatment for postpartum depression, has been available. At our clinic, we have had multiple queries regarding how to obtain treatment with Zulresso. One of the challenges in rolling out Zulresso is that, because of concerns about potentially serious side effects, it can only be administered at certified healthcare facilities. We do not have a list of these facilities; however, [...]
Weekly Roundup for SEPTEMBER 6, 2019: Recent Publications in Women’s Mental Health
On this week’s list, we have multiple articles on the impact of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders on the pregnancy and on the family. While we clearly see an increased interest in identifying women with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, less attention has been devoted to how to deliver care to this vulnerable patient population. We continue to hear stories of women, even those with financial resources and/or excellent health insurance, [...]
Psychiatric Illness More Common in Women Undergoing Oophorectomy
Not infrequently we see women who ask about the possibility of oophorectomy (surgical removal of the ovaries) as a means of managing what appears to be a menstrually related mood disorder. While this is an option rarely pursued, it appears that women with certain psychiatric conditions are more likely to undergo bilateral oophorectomy for non-malignant reasons.  According to a recent study looking at 1,653 cases of oophorectomy and 1,653 age-matched controls, [...]
CBT for Insomnia During Pregnancy: Effective but Underutilized
While we tend to think of sleep deprivation as a postpartum issue, sleep problems are relatively common during pregnancy, with 15% to 80% of women reporting sleep problems during the first trimester and 66% to 97% of women in the third trimester. There are data to support the safety of certain sleep-promoting medications during pregnancy, including benzodiazepines and sedative-hypnotic agents (Z-drugs); however, many women would prefer to avoid the use of [...]
Is It Safe to Take ADHD Medications While Breastfeeding?
According to a report published by the CDC in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), the use of stimulant medications for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)Â by reproductive-age women is on the rise. In 2003, 0.9% of women between the ages of 15 and 44 filled a prescription for an ADHD medication, compared to 4.0% of women in 2015. As a result of this shift, we are seeing more women [...]
Weekly Roundup for AUGUST 23, 2019: Recent Publications in Women’s Mental Health
We’d like to remind everybody about the upcoming one day course in Women’s Mental Health we will be offering in Boston on Thursday, October 17th. This is the day preceding the MGH Annual Psychopharmacology Conference (October 18-20, 2019). This course will focus on the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders in women across the reproductive lifespan. Specialized knowledge is necessary to tailor treatments to reproductive events such as pregnancy and pregnancy [...]