Good evening everyone,
I have joined because I really need to find help for my sister who we believe as a family, has and is suffering terribly with postpartum psychosis. She has displayed and still displaying a wide range of the symptoms and it has become very worrying and frightening.
Where do you start looking for help?
Many thanks x
Hi siansomers,
Thank for reaching out to us. It sounds like you're going through a difficult and frightening time. Your sister is so lucky to have you looking out for her.
Action on Postpartum Psychosis (APP) has some great resources and insider guides:
app-network.org/what-is-pp/...
I would recommend talking to your sister's health visitor or GP. Or if in an emergency, please do not hesitate to take her to A and E. The earlier she gets support, the earlier she will start to recover.
I had PP 5 years ago, it's an awful and frightening illness, but completely treatable. Your sister will get better, the women on the forum are proof of that.
Thinking of you and your family.
Xx
Hi Jocelyn, thank you so much for your reply 😊 My sister will be making an appointment with her GP tomorrow so we will go from there. I’m not an expert by any means but I think this condition has been massively overlooked by her GP before. She has presented with every single symptom, including strange delusions, suicidal thoughts and attempts, raging hormones, outrageous mood swings and awful paranoia. Her speech is fast and doesn’t make sense a lot of the time. Her memory is shocking and repeats herself at least 10 times on the same point. She had a major breakdown in the first lockdown which lead to me taking care of my niece for a while. Yet this condition was not even discussed. I am so surprised by this. She’s been treated for ADHD, bi polar and depression at different points over the last 2/3 years and nothing has worked. I am hoping this may be the break through she needs and helpfully receive the help and treatment which she really needs.
Thank you for your support ☺️
Hi Siansomers, it's good you've reached out to us. I also had PP 4.5 years ago. It was 2 months before I was admitted to an MBU and I had seen my GP twice by that point. It's good you're so aware of the condition, it may or may not be PP but it sounds like she's very poorly and scared.
Has she got someone else in the house with her at the moment? I largely lost my ability to sleep when I had PP. Is it possible for someone to stay with her in the house until she gets an assessment? Jocelyn has given you great suggestions already. The only other thing I would add is that if she feels unwell/at crisis during the night the NHS have a 24 hour mental health helpline :
nhs.uk/service-search/menta...
That's for England only...assuming that's where you are? If not let us know and we'll look for where provides crisis support in your area.
It sounds like you're being a great support to her. I hope the GP is able to help, feel free to keep in touch x
Hi Siansomers,
So sorry to hear your sister is struggling at the moment. It must be a huge worry for you.
As Jocelyn has suggested the GP would be a helpful starting point, or A&E if needed.
I had PP four years ago, in my case it was picked up in A&E. In my experience my symptoms changed rapidly from moment to moment, so I would suggest you try and have someone with your sister for support until you can get the health input she needs.
I wonder if someone can attend the GP appointment with her too. I know I needed all the family support I could get throughout my illness.
We’re here if you have any questions or need support yourself. PP can be very scary, take care of yourself too.
Xxx
Bless you.. has she just had a baby ? You normally call your gp and they get I touch with mental health team.. If things are seriously worrying they will send a crisis team out same day
X
Hello Siansomers,
I hope that the night was OK and that the appointment with the GP today proves useful.
As Revans86 I was referred to psychiatric care from the A&E, its something to keep in mind I suppose if you feel her GP has overlooked her symptoms in the past.
My thoughts are with you and your sister at the moment. It must be very difficult to have been trying to get help for a long time and not getting far.
But with the appropiate care your sister will recover from this. Take good care
Dear Siansomers,I am so sorry that your sister is so unwell at the moment. I am so glad that you have found APP, they were of great support to me and my family when my daughter suffered with postpartum psychosis after the birth of her first baby. It is so difficult to see a much beloved family member suffer in such a way isn't it. PP is such a shock and trauma if it is the diagnosis, hopefully your sister can get the right help and treatment soon. All experiences are different and recovery can take time and be up and down but do take hope from the replies you have already had from the brave mums, it is true testament that recovery happens.
Your sister is fortunate to have you and other family caring it will mean a lot
to her even if she is unable to voice it just now. Take care of you too.
Very best wishes to you and for your sisters recovery.
With a virtual hug.
Judith x
Hello Siansomers
I’m so sorry to hear your sister had a breakdown during the first lockdown. These are such strange times and very stressful.
I hope your sister’s appointment with her GP was helpful and he was able to refer her for ongoing care leading to a diagnosis. I had PP many years ago and it was such a frightening experience for me and my family. I’m sure your sister is comforted knowing that you are there for her.
We are all here to lean on ... take care.
Hi , my sister suffered from ppp after the birth of her son and went on to develop bipolar disorder they tried every drug on my sister even ECT but she never found a drug that suited her and I know now that her problem could have been hormonal and it might have helped if she was treated with hormones
After giving birth the hormone progesterone drops and this could create estrogen dominance which can cause ppp
if my sister had been treated with progesterone after giving birth her life would've been so much better
It should be easy for your sister to get help and I don't want to dismiss conventional antipsychotic drugs but may I suggest you look into natural progesterone cream
I think that everyone’s personal experience is so different and tends to involve so many different factors unique to each person, rather than just one thing (such as hormonal changes). We think that hormonal / biological changes is certainly one of these factors.
In my personal experience, I would also say that lack of sleep, and birth trauma and possibly an infection from a swab being left in my uterus were the main factors for me.
The information on our website says what we know so far about what causes PP under frequently asked questions: app-network.org/what-is-pp/
There are likely to be many factors that lead to an episode of Postpartum Psychosis. We know that genetic factors are important. You are more likely to have Postpartum Psychosis if a close relative has had it. Changes in hormone levels and disrupted sleep patterns may also be involved.
Postpartum Psychosis might be more common in women with thyroid problems or pre-eclampsia, but further research is desperately needed though to understand the complex interaction of biological, psychological and social factors that are involved. For this reason, we are very keen for people to help us with research into PP - click here to find out more - app-network.org/research/
APP’s experts say although hormonal changes may well play a role in PP we need more research to understand this better. Katharina Dalton advocated the use of progesterone therapy for prevention of postpartum mood episodes a number of decades ago, and reported a number of positive case studies. However, there is still a lack of good evidence for it helping and there may in fact be a higher risk of depression in the group treated with progesterone.
At present, there is not enough evidence that treatment with oestrogen is beneficial in PP or for maintenance of mood stability after PP. The key clinical guidelines in the UK and around the world (e.g. NICE, SIGN) do not recommend oestrogen in the treatment or prevention of PP. More research in this area would be very helpful.
Too much progesterone can cause depression so the dose needs to be right
there doesn't seem to be much research going on ?
Hello Siansomers
I hope your sister’s GP was able to signpost her to the help she needs and the replies here have been helpful. Take care .... we are all here to listen.
Hello Siansomers
Just thinking of you and hope your sister now has professional support. Take care.
Hello Siansomers
I hope your sister has now been diagnosed and is receiving ongoing care. Thinking of you and your family. Take care.
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