[spoiltmom]

I have these episodes where I'm angry, irritable, agitated, can't stand my husband and am just downright mean and sort of looking to piss my husband off and start an argument.

My question, how do you know if that is bipolar 2 related or just PMS related?
I have my ovaries but no uterus so I don't have a period.

If it is hormonal will birth control pills help it?

When I'm like this I not only hate my husband but in my mind we suddenly have all sorts of issues in our marriage and I think about leaving him and living on my own just my kids and I.
In reality, we have a great marriage.

[oncewasara]

I can relate! No uterus, just ovaries also. I personally don't think its all hormonal. I have rapid cycling bipolar and I act the same way. And I know for me its my bipolar. I just want to put my head in my hands and scream! I notice my cycle. I take notes, or used to. I know my "signs" of hypomania and depression. Major anxiety, depressed, then angry, then I get crazy happy and so on. Through therapy and a great psychiatrist, and 17 rounds of ECT I'm learning what is what. But I haven't felt good the last few days. It sucks. Plain and simple. I hope you find your trigger (s)!

[BlueInanna]

Sounds bp related to me.... And hormones.... Can you guys agree to arrange "you time" when you get like that? Like go to a hotel by yourself and chill or he takes the kids out and let's you have space for the thoughts to pass? I may be zero help, sorry.

[Lillyleaf]

Birth control might help. Try it and see if it changes. It might be both BP and hormones.

[bunnifoo]

There's times when I get piss and agitated and want to pick a fight with anyone. That's usually the bipolar disorder.

But you might want to track when it happens and if there's a regularity to it then it might be hormonal related.

If you do try hormonal birth control start with the Pill or something short term rather than something longer term.

I can't take hormonal birth control because it exacerbates my bipolar disorder, I didn't realize it until I stopped taking depo shots. I was *****y , aggitated and angry all the time. For months until I skipped a shot and the feeling went away.

[ultramar]

Do you think there's anything at all that may be triggering these episodes? Something going on in the relationship, or within you? I know that when I was married, I used to pick fights when we were actually at our closest --terrified of intimacy, I would freak out.

Does the anger/irritability generalize to others in your life at these times, or just your husband? If you only react this way with your husband, I'd look into reasons within you regarding the relationship (perhaps subconscious) why this may be happening.

Since you do not have a uterus, I suppose you no longer menstruate, but I don't know if nonetheless there can be similar cycles of hormonal changes -you can ask your doctor. Do you find this happens at regular intervals -like for a few days a month?

[Victoria'smom]

It sounds like BP but look at your mood charts for the past 6 months and see if there's a pattern. In my family birth control makes our BP symptoms worse but you should talk to your pdoc about it.

Both myself and my husband get like that usually when hypomanic. We seriously have a 6 month rule on how long you have to wait before filing for divorce. Are you guys in marriage counselling at all? I ask because BP takes a toll on relationships.

[BipolaRNurse]

BCPs used to make me absolutely HELL to live with. Of course my family and I didn't know then that I was bipolar, so everybody just sort of thought I was possessed, LOL! I tried several kinds and they basically turned me into a psychotic beeyotch.

But then, I was just as awful with the PMS thing, and passing through menopause was one of the best things that ever happened to me. I still have all my original equipment, so there will always be some circulating hormones, but they are a minor component in my mood changes now.....as far as I'm concerned, all my mental health issues are in my head, not my uterus.

There's no doubt in my mind that our hormones really do a number on us when we're younger, though.

[sugahorse1]

I get extra grumpy just before my period

[winter4me]

Is this an ongoing pattern throughout the marriage or new? Does the anger/irritability have to do with something older/deeper. something inside you feel a need to project out? If ongoing, and if this happened in other relationships is BPD a possibility? I haven't read your profile (will do) so I hope I am not being out of line...

[winter4me]

just noticed your dx and meds....sorry.
maybe a med adjustment? a talk with hubby? could you and he make a plan for how to deal with these episodes? (crisis plan)----and sure could be related to either bp or hormones.

[faerie_moon_x]

I'm on the mirena (sp?) IUD thing. I don't have a period either. I'm also unmedicated with my bipolar. For me, I think it's a combination of too much trauma and bipolar.

In the last two years it's like something has broke inside me. I used to be so laid back and easy going. Now I'm explosive anger. I just yell. I don't take crap any more. If I feel attacked, I point it out and can get mad really easy if dismissed. It's like I'm becoming a whole other person.... an angry person. Irritable, agitated, short fuse temper.... it's very unsettling for me and my husband is strugglign with it.

My theory for myself is I used to bottle it all up. Now, after so much has happened, something inside of me snapped and I can't hold it in. I'm trying to learn coping techniques on how to deal with this and make it less. How to express my anger in a healthier way. It's not easy.

I don't know if birthcontrol pills will help or not. For me all birth control pills did was kill my libido and make me feel horrible all the time. The IUD is low dose of whatever so I do better on it.

[sprik]

I don't know about not having a uterus is different so u should talk to your dct, but when I talked to my gyno, she told me that birthcontol and hormones have no effect on mood disorders, I was really surprised, periods make u moody, but that's what she said. I still would talk to a dct, he may know something, and u might want to see a gyno too. It wouldn't her to get more informed on the subject, Good luck

[sprik]

it wouldn't hurt,,,, sorry

[Otter63]

I so related when you said that you hated your husband and felt you needed to leave him. In my case that was always PMS and never bp. But I don't get super irritable with my bp.

I don't seem to get PMS anymore and I think it might be because of the lithium. In general I don't get that emotional anymore at all which bothers me some but I don't miss the PMS craziness. I keep hoping for the end of my periods as I'm almost fifty, but they keep coming

Good luck. As someone here said, BCP can kill your libido so keep that in mind.

[ItsJustMe:)]

I have to put my two cents in here. I am diagnosed bipolar 1 and I have a IUD so no periods. Before I was diagnosed or medicated, I would get were I hated my husband. I thought our marriage was so crappy. I would fight with him all the time about nothing and leave for months on end. Then I would think what am I doing I love this man hes a wonderful father and husband.. Sadly I have left him about 5 times in a 10 yr marriage. I am happy to say he is still standing by my side.. I also have not left him since medicated or argue with him at all really. So in my experience it is BP related.

[~Christina]

If your having the same problem monthly around the same time each month then I would say its your hormonal shift because you do have your ovaries. I had a Hysterectomy in 2001 and they left my ovaries in hopes I would not slam into menopause. My hormone levels are up and down a lot test me on say Monday and levels are ok , test me a week later and my ovaries apparently are on vacation and appear to be entirely useless. I tried low dose Hormonal replacement , but I chose not to take due to all the problems they can cause.

If your hormonal levels are okay ,, Then it's probable its just one more "gift" from Bipolar

Good luck