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The Effects of Estrogen on Bipolar Disorder

Men and women can both suffer from bipolar disorder, which includes episodes of mania followed by depression or vice versa, but women tend to report more episodes of depression than do men, according to Pendulum.org, and this may be due to the fact that women possess the hormone estrogen, the levels of which can get too high at times.

  1. Gender and Factors

    • Women with bipolar disorder tend to cycle more rapidly than men and this is believed to be the result of estrogen or testosterone; hypothyroidism, which women suffer from more than men; or a greater use of antidepressants by women, which may lead to manic episodes in people with bipolar disorder.

    Menstrual Cycle

    • Bipolar disorder may be worsened by menstrual cycle hormones, including fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone. These hormones have an impact on the activity of neurotransmitters, such as noradrenaline and serotonin. Moods may worsen significantly right before or during a bipolar woman’s menstrual period, as they are apt to do with a woman who doesn’t have bipolar disorder. However, this correlation has not been proven.

    Considerations

    • According to Dr. Patricia L. Parry, women are more likely to have mood disorders than men, and it is probably because of the changing hormonal levels that women endure. The reproductive hormones estrogen and progesterone definitely affect the circadian systems as well as neurotransmitters, neuroendocrine and GABA, which is an inhibitory neurotransmitter.

    Effects

    • Dr. Andrew Herzog, who is the chief of neuroendocrinology at Harvard, notes that reproductive hormones have great control over our moods and can lead to anxiety. Estrogen increases the action of an “excitatory” neurotransmitter called glutamate, which is so strong that it can damage cells via the excitation effects. The activity of GABA, a neurotransmitter as noted earlier, is increased by progesterone. Estrogen serves as an antidepressant whereas progesterone is comparable to Xanax or Valium, according to Dr. Herzog.

    Excessive Amounts

    • Too much estrogen can result in anxiety and worsen the bipolar state just as too strong of an antidepressant can worsen the bipolar state.

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