Does anyone know how many women are diagnosed with bi polar disorder following an episode of pp?

[emmiewoo]

Hi I am new here. I suffered pp 10 years ago following the birth of my son and due to excellent treatment and planning it did not reoccur after having my daughter who is now 3. I suffer from depression intermittently and am curious of my question above. Thanks in advance x

[Ines19 Volunteer]

Hello there! Its a very good question. I had my daughter 12 years ago. I had an episode of mania straight after the birth which was classified as PP. However I had a further episode of mania 6 months after that with depression in between and my psychiatrist then explained it fitted the picture of bipolar and prescribed Lithium. I have never been ill ever since. People are reluctant to take meds and accept diagnosis from doctors. I am grateful for what he did because everyone I know has been ill since and I havent.

Hope this helps x

[emmiewoo in reply to Ines19]

Thank you so much for your reply. I am glad to hear you are well and fingers crossed I have never suffered what I did 10 yrs ago even after the birth of my daughter. It’s so nice to get opinions from mums who have been there. Take care x x

[Dyane in reply to Ines19]

Hi Ines. In 2007, I was diagnosed with bipolar, peripartum onset (postpartum bipolar disorder) 6 weeks after my baby was born. Within 24 hours of her birth, I was hypomanic & I became acutely manic soon after that.

I take lithium and it has been a true lifesaver, along with another medication in the MAOI (monoamine oxidase inhibitor) class called tranylcypromine.

I'm thrilled to read you've been doing well! It's so refreshing, especially since you take the same medication that has helped me (and others, including my father) immensely.

Be well!

Dyane Harwood

p.s. I'm the author of the memoir "Birth of a New Brain—Healing from Postpartum Bipolar Disorder." Feel free to private message for a free PDF copy if you'd like one.

[Ines19 Volunteer in reply to Dyane]

Hi Dyane could you please send me a copy? Thank you 😊 x

[Dyane in reply to Ines19]

I'd be happy to do that! Could you please private message me whenever you're up for it & I'll email the PDF right back to you.

Take good care, Ines!

Xo,

Dy

[Ellie_at_APP Partner]

Hi Emmiewoo

Thanks for your post, and your question. It is an important question that I imagine a lot of people would be interested to know the answer of.

Here at APP we are passionate about making sure the information we put out there about PP is accurate and up to date, according to the latest research etc. On our website, under frequently asked questions, the last question is "Am I likely to have an episode of psychiatric illness at other times?". As the answer says it's very tricky to answer, and depends on each individual and their circumstances, previous history etc, but what we do know is detailed below, which I've copied from our website. I do hope this is helpful.

Take care, Ellie

The long-term outlook after an episode of PP tends to be very good and women recover fully. However, some women who have had PP will have further episodes of illness unrelated to childbirth.

Just over half of women with Postpartum Psychosis will experience an episode of depression, bipolar disorder or related illness at some point in their lifetime. (This estimate includes women with and without experience of mental illness before their PP episode, and so the risk may be lower for women whose PP episode was ‘out of the blue’.) For more information see our research on recurrence rates or view to our survey of recovery in APP members.

It has been suggested that some women who experience PP may be vulnerable to relapse at times of major hormonal fluctuation, such as during the perimenopause (the time from the onset of menopausal symptoms, such as hot flushes and irregular periods, until the menopause itself).

A case series review of post-menopausal women with a history of PP, found that 30% reported an episode of illness (including depression or mania/psychosis) during the perimenopause. Strikingly, most women who relapsed during the perimenopause had been well during the years in between childbirth and the menopause. Further studies are needed to explore this potential risk period more fully and identify which women might be at risk of perimenopausal relapse. Women, their partners and families should be vigilant for signs of relapse during the perimenopause and seek help from their GP or mental health team should symptoms develop. For more information about relapse planning, see page 14 of our Insider Guide on Recovery after PP.

[emmiewoo in reply to Ellie_at_APP]

Hi Ellie. Apologies for the late reply. Thank you so much for coming back to me, your info is really helpful to me. I have been questioning my own mental health and although I obviously don’t want to diagnose myself I have notice that my mood does fluctuate between high to low. It’s so nice that there are people to support women who have suffered this awful debilitating illness but I am also very positive that there are great people out there who can help you find yourself again. I am lucky that I was well after my second child and fingers crossed ever since. To all the ladies out there, you are stronger than you know x x

[Pikorua Volunteer in reply to emmiewoo]

Thank you for your inspirational post dearest Emmie.

If you would like to chat about BP1 I am more than happy to connect with you on private chat. There is not enough BP support in my area and I am trying to help mums with mental health challenges.

Look after yourself and thank you again for sharing your thoughts x