Case report, 2020
Can PMDD be mistaken for bipolar disorder?
Yes. PMDD and bipolar disorder have similar mood symptoms, which can lead to wrong diagnosis and treatment. A woman given lithium for bipolar disorder stayed sick, but recovered when she started antidepressant medication, which is the correct treatment for PMDD.
What they did
Case report of one woman who had serious mood changes. Doctors thought she had bipolar disorder and treated her with lithium, but her symptoms did not improve. They recognized her symptoms were linked to her menstrual cycle and switched her to antidepressant medication.
What they found
The woman recovered only after starting antidepressant medication. Antidepressant medication is the correct treatment for PMDD, not lithium, which is used for bipolar disorder.
What it means for you
If you have serious mood changes that happen with your menstrual cycle, tell your doctor about the timing. PMDD can look like bipolar disorder, but they are different and need different treatments. This is based on one woman's experience.
1
woman in case study
About the study
- Original title
- A Case Report of a Woman with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder Misdiagnosed as Having Bipolar Affective Disorder
- Authors
- Rossitza K. Iakimova, Maya Y. Stoimenova-Popova, Petranka G. Chumpalova et al.
- Journal
- Journal of Biomedical and Clinical Research
- Year
- 2020
- Study design
- Case report
- What was tested
- Antidepressant medication
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.2478/jbcr-2020-0021
Topics
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