Bipolar Disorder/Mood Swings?

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Expert: - 1/4/2007


Question
Hi,
Ok i was diagnosed a few weeks ago with having borderline bipolar disorder. I didn't even know that. I mostly have anxiety problems. I noticed also that i have mood swings mostly at a certain time every month. Mostly right before my period. Or sometimes just weird mood swings. Is this from PMS or do you think it could be a sign of bi polar disorder?

Thanks
hilary

Answer
Hi . . .

I just came back from vacation and found your question.

It is impossible to make a diagnosis by way of email, but it sounds as if you need a full psychiatric work-up. This would involve a detailed history of your moods at all times of the month. While women with mood disorders may have a worsening of their mood disorder during the PMS time of the month, some women with PMS do not have any diagnosable mood disorder.

Best regards . . .

Ivan
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Bipolar Disorder

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Ivan Goldberg, M.D.

Expertise

I am a psychiatrist/psychopharmacologist with many years of expereince in treating individuals with depressions, manic-depression (Bipolar Disorder), other mood disorders,. I am especially interested in the psychopharmacologic treatment of individuals with so called "treatment-resistant" syndromes.

Experience

I have been on the staff of the National Institute of Mental Health, Columbia's College of Physicians and Surgeons, and the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. I am currently in full-time private practice in New York City.

A.B. Johns Hopkins University
M.D. N.Y.U. College of Medicine

I am the creator of Depression Central:http://www.psycom.net/depression.central.html

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