You can have blood work done to see if you're in peri menopause ..I was on hormone replacement therapy for it and it works AMAZING!!... and overnight... One of the best meds I was ever on

Ok, I will write that down. Thanks SunCloud. It like takes forever to get my period and then it never stops...argh, with these moods...it's like a 12 day mood swing. I start apologizing to everybody a week before I start. Thanks

I dunno , I know that some taking my medicine make birth control useless though. Like the one I'm on, trileptal. We have to use condoms. So embarrassing to say that.

I stayed on birth control - till they finally did a hysterectomy... full life female problems...

What I found in years of dealing with this - some pdoc's don't think hormones cause as much havoc as they do!!! we are definitely in charge of our own health care = idiots out there

Years ago, my gynecologist put me on birth control to help control my mood swings related to my cycle. I got the three-month kind. Mine was called seasonique. I only got a period every three months and it was great for my depression.

However, I am now taking a fertility drug that puts your body into menopause for a week (which later stimulates ovulation) and I have to say those menopausal days are very, very hard on my mental health. So I think SunCloud's suggestion looking into it possibly being perimenopause is probably a good one...

I'm 42 and had a regular cycle until about 4 months ago. My cycle started going down to 23 days and I'd be on my period for 9 days. The mood swings are awful! UGH! I'm having a hysterectomy in a few weeks because of a large fibroid. My gyno put me on norethindrone until then to level things out. It's a progesterone only birth control pill. I wish you relief.I know what a nightmare that is.

I spent from early 20's to almost 40 on birth control because of pcos ......just before 40 I had to have a total and complete hysterectomy due to a tumor they thought was cancer and the pcos and something with the uterus.......I had been a mess since the start at 16,

so anyway i could tell the difference between a hormonal shift and a bipolar shift back then. I think mainly because if i attacked people for stupid stuff and it was around the blue pill time duh for me.

after the hysterectomy i was placed on hormones they did not want me going through menopause at 40 to early they said. I got off those a little over 3 years ago now its all bipolar and thyroid when i have mood shifts. it takes time to get to know your body. you will though people may snark at you like you cant tell don't listen to them.

I am appalled at your hospital for discharging you with out medication stabilization that is their job. you don't go in the hospital to pick your nose and scratch your butt for awhile and be set free with no chance of stabilization till your appointment. man pisses me off. what the hell is their purpose if they just let people go with a 100% chance of being back in a week.

Thanks Katt,
I also had my thyroid half way out, radio active iodine about 26 years ago. I didn't know I was bipolar until now, but looking back I can see it in my moods for my periods. OMG talk about PMDD. I could just cry knowing what's coming. I was afraid of myself because I was in a constant horrible mood that made me go into rage. Now my heart races I'm in full mania and it doesn't stop. I went to my primary care and told here to put me on the pill or hormones today...She said, "Next time" in 6 weeks when we do another thyroid test. I am so afraid to have another period. I'm just going to ask for straight pills or hormones. I don't want my period any longer. I want it out!! I'm 46 and the gyno said I would probably hit menopause at 51-55, oh man...I just wanted to slap her! I said " Now you're threating ME"! This disease is just horrible, then tack on thyroid and PMDD. What a MESS! Thanks everybody for sharing. At least I'm not alone...:)

my gyno was the one i got hormones and the pill from. early in my 20's i started right with a gyno for those things mainly because they thought i had cancer ..........man they thought i had cancer allot. I didn't like the cancer gyno he was a frekin ass.

sorry its late off track ..........don't ask primary for this stuff your gyno knows better or should know which meds should be ok with psych meds. I have been lucky mine has treated me for 20 some years I have been with my PCP pratice 20 the pa there has treated me for 10 ...........so its really important if at all possible to request to stay with one practitioner. i know bigger offices toss you to whomever is on don't let them. oh and if any are better with medications or continuity of care (willing to chat with your pdoc or other docs to get stuff on the same page) go with them

oops sorry just wanted to add that is just some things over the years that have actually some fallen into place some i had to put in place for myself just suggestions though. you will find the path that works best for yourself. takes time

I've had PMDD for years! In 2000, a doc put me on depoprovera -- it's a progesterone based injection that you get every 10 to 12 weeks. It just about saved my life. I stopped getting my period all together and with it went the pain and awful mood swings that were hormonally induced. Every now and again, about a week before I'm due to have my shot, I get edgy and I snap at people a lot. I have to remind myself that it's the hormones talking!

I'm almost 37 and I've had an IUD for years. I have few periods and no pms symptoms - but then I've been very lucky with little pms probs ever. Wanting to get my tubes tied just in case the IUD ever doesn't work cuz, oh heavens, do I NOT wannanother baby! Never had a problem with my meds interfering with my birth control. Never even heard of that actually. Best wishes.

I do know that certain antibiotics don't work as well if you're taking birth control but I never heard of an affect on psych meds?

Thank you all. It looks like the answer IS some sort of birth control or hormones and they wont effect the phyc meds. I just don't want another episode/hospital if can avoid it. All of you don't know the level of comfort you've given me. Fear is a horrible thing. I've been on midol/ black cohash,5htp, SAME E, camomille tea and baths getting ready for it. BTW with the gabapentin I slept 9 hours last night with no crying. This is all so new to me, just have an episode and case managers start calling from the insurance, local offices. It makes me feel kind of weird all of a sudden. Im so sorry to ramble, it's just confusing without anti depressants.