Q:  Hormone Therapy for Control of BP Symptoms in Pregnancy?

I have been stable on Trileptal for a few years now and me and my husband want to have a child. I have been looking at all the med options out there and they don't look good. I heard a women talking about her experience on the TV latley and she talked about hormone therapy. I know your hormones change a lot during pregnancy but would it be possible to control my enraged mood swings and not harm my child through this kind of therapy and where can I find clinical information on this subject?

Thank you for your time.
 

Dear Ms. R' -- 
Sorry, there's no evidence that you can effectively use any "hormone therapy" for control of bipolar symptoms during pregnancy.  You're correct that the current medication options "don't look good".  The management of bipolar during pregnancy requires very great care.  The good news is that you understand this and are preparing to evaluate your options in advance.  

Your psychiatrist is your main resource for help with looking at all the options possible.  If you don't feel like you're getting a thorough or balanced view there, you might hunt up a bipolar specialist (here's how to find them in your state; make it clear that you want a consultation about pregnancy, not to be taken as a new patient nor do you need a full diagnostic evaluation or management recommendations -- that might make it easier to get an appointment.  The most specialized group in the U.S. for this issue is the Reproductive Psychiatry group at Harvard (caution: their website is really slow to load), if you wanted to go straight to the top. 

Dr. Phelps


Published July, 2004