Anyone's bipolar symptoms worse before period?

[starbunny]

On printing out the mood tracker ready to present to the pdoc I noticed a pattern I had not realised before. Since starting the meds I am not just experiencing symptoms randomly - I now mainly only experience symptoms now when I have either forgotten to take my tablets (oops) or very predictably prior to menstruation, and then the symptoms subside. I think I can remember reading somewhere that oestrogen has a protective effect against psychosis / mood changes and wondered if any of you experience excacerbation in symptoms at these times?

[Xila31]

Yes! I seem to start swinging hypomanic before my period and it takes me days and days to get over it at the end. Sometimes during my period I also swing down into depression. I think it makes the rapid cycling worse. This is very interesting to me because early last year I was on depo and I had 0 periods and so I had no idea what my cycle was. I think there is a connection with why I got worse last year and the depo shot.

[Matrixgirljones]

Definately. My ex insisted that I was worse before my period so I started keeping track. All of my darkest extremely depressed, out of control, destructive behavior happened when I was premenstral. My safest time is just after my period finishes, although if I'm feeling good it is the mist likely time for me to swing up into a hypomania.
It makes sense to me that hormones can affect mood so much, they have a powerful impact on so many aspects of our physiology, so why not our psychology too?
I can still swing into an extreme mood outside of this cycle, if triggered by other elements in my life, so the hormones aren't everything but they sure do play a part!

[wj74]

Yes, I have that pattern too. Mine is definitely better after my period is done with. Midcycle is when I get all messed up again. Off meds, there was no pattern.