• Yearly Archives: 2008

    Bipolar Disorder and PMS

    Premenstrual worsening of mood is common among women with depression, but little is known about how often women with bipolar disorder experience worsening of their mood premenstrually. In a study by Payne et al. (2007), premenstrual symptoms were reported by twice as many women diagnosed with mood disorders (mixture of  Bipolar Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder) than by women who did not have a psychiatric diagnosis (67.7% vs. 33.7%).  These results suggest that PMS symptoms are particularly common in women with bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder. However, this study involved women reporting prior experiences with PMS, which is not always as accurate as studies that involve prospective monitoring to obtain real-time reporting of PMS symptoms.  Such prospective studies of PMS in women with bipolar disorder are sparse and have inconsistent conclusions.

    Testosterone Patch Improves Sexual Functioning in Postmenopausal Women

    Sexual dysfunction is common among postmenopausal women and include a spectrum of problems, including low (or hypoactive) sexual desire, decreased satisfaction, and discomfort.   Reports indicate that the prevalence of hypoactive sexual desire ranges from 9% in naturally postmenopausal women up to 26% in younger surgically postmenopausal women.   A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine evaluates the effectiveness of the testosterone patch for postmenopausal women with low sexual desire.

    By |2015-08-12T12:08:50-04:00December 1st, 2008|Menopausal Symptoms|1 Comment

    Exercise and Depression

    Exercise plays a vital role in achieving and maintaining good health.  Along with numerous other health benefits, recent studies have shown that exercise alleviates symptoms of depression and may be useful in treating mild to moderate major depressive disorder (MDD).  A study by Dunn and colleagues (2005) examined the efficacy of exercise as a treatment for depression, along with the dose-response relationship of exercise and reduction in depressive symptoms.

    Substance Abuse Treatment During Pregnancy Improves Outcomes

    Despite efforts over the last decade to increase awareness regarding the negative effects of alcohol and other drug use during pregnancy, substance abuse among pregnant women continues to be a significant problem in the United States.  The 2003 National Household Survey on Drug Use and Health indicated that 9.3% of pregnant women used alcohol and 4.3% percent of pregnant women used illicit drugs.  In other countries, the prevalence of substance use and abuse may be even higher.  For example, in a recent survey of pregnant women in Ireland, 54% admitted to drinking alcohol during pregnancy.

    Folic Acid Supplementation is Recommended for All Women Taking Anticonvulsants and Planning Pregnancy

    Given recent discussions within our group and with our colleague, Lewis Holmes, MD, chief of the Genetics and Teratology Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital for Children and director of the North American AED (Antiepileptic Drug) Pregnancy Registry, I wanted to expand upon a previous blog post.  In the initial post, I wrote that women who take certain medications, like mood stabilizers or antiepileptic drugs, are advised to take increased doses of folic acid before pregnancy and throughout pregnancy.

    University of North Carolina Center for Mood Disorders Expands Services to Postpartum Women

    Last Wednesday, the UNC Medical Center opened an outpatient clinic for women with postpartum depression, and on November 3rd opened an inpatient unit for women with postpartum depression.  The inpatient unit is called "the first of its kind" in the United States, and is a progressive example of specialized health care initiatives for improved screening, diagnosis, and treatment of postpartum mood disorders in the US.

    Identifying Postpartum Depression: A Three Question Screening Tool

    While postpartum depression is common among new mothers, our ability to reliably detect this illness remains poor.  Recent studies have indicated that most obstetricians report that they screen for postpartum psychiatric problems at routine follow-up visits but typically do not use standardized instruments to assess for postpartum depression.  Unfortunately, studies which have measured the success of routine screening suggest that without the use of standardized screening tools like the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, many women with postpartum depression are not identified.

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