When To See A Healthcare Provider
If your mood swings are severe and frequent, or are having an impact on your job, family life, or other relationships, it is important to contact your healthcare provider, who may refer you to a mental health professional.
Specific symptoms that warrant a consultation with a provider include:
- Feeling unusually “revved up,” and unable to control the urge to spend a lot of money, be sexually promiscuous, or engage in other risky behaviors
- Feel depressed to the point where you are unable to get out of bed or engage in your usual daily activities
- Feel like you want to harm yourself or end your life
What Happens When Candida Overgrows
If left unchecked, Candida also breaks down the wall of your intestine, which can lead to leaky gut. When this happens, not only does Candida penetrate the bloodstream, toxic byproducts also release into your body.
This can lead to many different symptoms, including:
- Irritability, moodiness, anxiety, and depression
- Brain fog, difficulty concentrating, poor memory, lack of focus, ADD, or ADHD
- Skin and nail fungal infections such as athletes foot, ringworm, and nail fungus
- Chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia
- Digestive issues such as gas, bloating, constipation, or diarrhea
- Skin issues such as eczema, psoriasis, hives, and rashes
- Vaginal infections, urinary tract infections, rectal itching, or vaginal itching
- Severe seasonal allergies or itchy ears
- Strong sugar and refined carbohydrate cravings
Its The Type Of Carb Not The Quantity That Counts
Reducing sugar doesnt mean you need to reduce carbs. One study looked at the quantity and quality of carbs consumed by nearly 70,000 women who had completed menopause. Researchers applied a glycemic index score to each food they analyzed. Foods with high GI scores, which raise blood sugar levels more, are often made from simple carbs and filled with simple sugars. The results showed that women who ate high-GI foods had a higher risk of depression than people who ate lower-GI foods. Women who ate a higher amount of lower-GI foods, such as vegetables and non-juiced fruit, had a lower risk for depression.
The results mean that carbohydrates in general arent the cause for depression and other mental health disorders. Instead, its the quality of the carbs you eat that can impact your depression risk.
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Difficulty Getting Out Of Bed
Its normal to enjoy sleeping in or spending time in bed. However, if it has become difficult to find the motivation to get out of bed or get ready in the morning, this could be a sign of depression. Depression can make us feel fatigued and physically drained to the point where even small tasks, like getting up in the morning, can feel exhausting or difficult to do.
What You Can Do
When your mood swings get in the way of your job, your relationships, or any other part of your life, make an appointment with your doctor to sort out what’s going on. Simple changes may help you handle mild, uncomfortable, annoying mood swings.
Regular workouts — even a daily walk — can help take the edge off depression and anxiety, because they’ll trigger your body to make feel-good endorphins. Plus, exercise can improve your sleep.
Listening to upbeat music can influence your mood in a good way. Too much caffeine can give you symptoms similar to anxiety, so try cutting back and see if your emotions level off.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a type of short-term treatment. Your therapist will help you change patterns of thinking and behavior that add to problems in your life. For instance, if criticism sends you into a tailspin, you may work on new ways to receive and react to constructive feedback.
Dialectical behavior therapy can help people with borderline personality disorder learn how to better control their anger and impulses and manage their dramatic mood shifts.
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Prednisone And Mood Swings
Prednisone is a corticosteroid prescribed to relieve inflammation in the body. Some of the conditions that prednisone is used to treat include inflammatory bowel disease , some autoimmune diseases, asthma, and other allergic disorders. It’s an effective drug, it’s inexpensive, and it’s prescribed a lot for many conditions.
A person may need to take prednisone for only a short amount of time or it may be prescribed for an extended period. In either case, it can have effects on mood which have been described as everything from euphoria to anxiety, anger, and depression.
These feelings can pinball back and forth in quick succession and seem to come about for no reason and without provocation. In other words, a person receiving prednisone may find themselves feeling incredibly sad or mad and have absolutely no idea why.
Prednisone has been associated with more serious problems such as psychotic disorders, delusions, and dementia.
When there’s a concern that the changes have gone beyond a mood or a feeling and have become a concern that limits life activities or seems dangerous in any way, the problem should be reported to a healthcare provider right away.
The adrenal glands make cortisol, a substance similar to prednisone and, they need to be given the opportunity to take over production again. If not, there can be side effects such as fatigue, or there can be complications.
Risk Factors For Depression
Depression can affect anyoneeven a person who appears to live in relatively ideal circumstances.
Several factors can play a role in depression:
- Biochemistry: Differences in certain chemicals in the brain may contribute to symptoms of depression.
- Genetics: Depression can run in families. For example, if one identical twin has depression, the other has a 70 percent chance of having the illness sometime in life.
- Personality: People with low self-esteem, who are easily overwhelmed by stress, or who are generally pessimistic appear to be more likely to experience depression.
- Environmental factors: Continuous exposure to violence, neglect, abuse or poverty may make some people more vulnerable to depression.
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How Does Hypertension Affect Your Mental Health
Just getting a diagnosis of hypertension can make you feel anxious. But its important to know that with adequate treatment, you can get your blood pressure under control and protect your heart and mental health. Having high blood pressure doesnt mean that youre destined to die of a heart attack or stroke.
Researchers have explored the connection between high blood pressure and mental health and found that it can affect your mental health in the following ways:
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Iuds And Depression: How Are They Related
Hormonal intrauterine devices, or IUDs, are a common form of hormonal birth control that have been used for decades. However, the synthetic progestin hormone that the IUD emits, levonorgestrel, may cause mood swings and other mental health changes for some women. Some women have reported being concerned about anxiety or depression as a side effect of their IUD. Read on to find out if you need to consult with your doctor about mental health side effects of your IUD.
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Cut Back On The Obvious Sources
Sugar-sweetened beverages, including soda, energy drinks, and coffee drinks, contain a lot of added sugar. Smoothies, juice drinks, and fruit juices frequently boast big sugar numbers, too. Opt for still water, sparkling water, or chilled unsweetened tea instead of sugar-packed sips. Or squeeze a lemon or lime into your water to add natural sweetness.
Spectra Of Mood Disorders
Mood swings appear to fall along a broad continuum of severity. At some level, they may even affect many people in the population at large, as found in one clinical study in which 40% of the control group showed cyclical mood swings that were milder but similar in periodicity to those of a clinical sample. Another major study found that during colder months of the year a great many people suffer at least a few minor symptoms of winter blues or seasonal affective disorder.
In fact, research suggests implications for enhanced creativity in the relatives of persons with bipolar disorders, even including the psychiatrically normal as well as the unipolar depressed relatives of people with bipolar disorders. Hence, it is important to consider both personal and family psychiatric history.
The course of mood disorders can also vary dramatically, in both quality and quantity. For example, some people may have only one episode of depression in their whole life, whereas others may experience dozens of depressive episodes. In addition, some people with mood swings may also spend a great deal of their time in a state of relative euthymia, or normal mood. Thus, most individuals with mood disorders do not have an ongoing chronic and unchanging depressed or manic state a factor that may be important to creativity. Both temporary psychological state factors and ongoing trait factors may be significant.
Aviva Romm, … Angela J. Hywood, in, 2010
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Common Causes Of Mood Swings:
- experience a significant life change, such as moving or changing jobs
- feeling stressed or overwhelmed
- do not eat healthily
- taking medications that affect mood or sleep
Which Treatments Are Most Effective For Bipolar Disorder
The most effective treatment for bipolar disorder is a combination of psychotherapy and medication, according to McFerren.
The most effective psychotherapies for bipolar disorder, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, include:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy This form of therapy helps people with bipolar disorder identify triggers that may cause a mood episode and enables them to develop healthy thinking and behavioral patterns to better manage their mood.
- Interpersonal Social Rhythm Therapy This therapeutic technique involves developing regular daily routines, such as going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, eating meals at regular times, and decreasing stressful triggers in ones surroundings.
- Family-Focused Therapy This includes both the person with bipolar disorder and the people closest to them, such as spouses and parents, so that everyone is well-informed about the condition and develops skills for avoiding conflicts.
Several medicines can help alleviate the severity of symptoms for people with bipolar disorder:
If you are prescribed a medication to treat bipolar disorder, dont stop taking it without consulting your doctor first. Taking medication as directed reduces the likelihood of future mood episodes.
Unfortunately, every time someone goes off of medication and experiences extreme manic and depressive episodes, it becomes more difficult for them to restabilize on medication, McFerren warns.
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Be Mindful Of Any Changes In Mood
The first step in getting a handle on your mood swings is identifying when these mood swings occur and what symptoms you have.
Unfortunately, many people are so caught up with our busy lives that we often overlook the emotional changes that influence our moods. And thats why we end up feeling like mood swings hit us out of nowhere.
Whenever you feel like your mood swings have taken a turn for the worse, notice the feelings that youre experiencing at that given moment. Is it sadness? Frustration? Guilt? Disgust?
And most importantly, try to figure out why youre experiencing that unpleasant feeling. Once you identify your symptoms, you may start taking action and seeing positive shifts in your life.
For example, if you are experiencing severe depression, start by identifying the cause of mood swings. Depression can come from many factors such as medications, social pressure, lack of confidence, substance misuse, major life events, conflict with a family member, your children or friends.
If youre having a conflict, you can attempt to resolve the issue by getting on the same page with them. Counseling can be an excellent treatment for mood swings to help you process some of your feelings and the causes of your symptoms.
Prescription Medications Linked To Depression Mood Swings
Prescription medications typically can cause a variety of side affects. In fact, while the prescription medication itself may provide the intended healing in varying degrees, side affects are a certainty. Now, researchers report that several medications can cause depression and other mood disorder side effects.
Indeed, it appears that depression as a side effect of prescription drugs is widespread and increasingly gaining attention. The contributing medications might actually surprise you. For example, an asthma medication, Singulair, is prescribed to help people breathe more easily, but its side effects may include depression, anxiety, and suicidal thinking.
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Diabetes And Mood Swings: Why Diabetes Causes Mood Swings
Changes in mood are part of diabetes, no matter the type. Type 1 and type 2 diabetes and mood swings have the same underlying causes. The climbing and crashing of moods arent arbitrary. Theyre part of diabetes and have multiple causes:
- Blood glucose fluctuations
- Depression
Blood sugar fluctuations, also known as glycemic variability, can directly cause mood swings. Mood swings that happen because of blood sugar spikes and dips are physiological in nature rather than emotion-based. Blood glucose can fluctuate whether diabetes is uncontrolled or well-managed.
In addition to physiological components, mood swings in diabetes have psychological causes. Depression and diabetes frequently co-occur. Further, the stressful nature of the disease contributes to variations in mood. Lets take a closer look at the physiological and psychological reasons for the link between diabetes and mood swings.
Other Possible Side Effects Of Hormonal Iuds
Aside from the possible connection between IUDs and anxiety, there are other side effects from IUDs that can range from mild to severe. Most women feel a small, sharp pain when the IUD is put in and cramping or lower back aches for several days afterward. You may notice spotting more than usual between periods, irregular periods, or heavier periods and more severe cramps.
Most women feel a small, sharp pain when the IUD is put in and cramping or lower back aches for several days afterward.
Over-the-counter pain medication can help with the initial pain of having your IUD implanted and the cramping associated with your period. However, if the bleeding is unusually heavy and the cramping doesnt go away, see your doctor.
Other possible adverse effects of hormonal IUDs are amenorrhea , pelvic inflammatory disease, increased risks of ectopic pregnancy, and ovarian cysts.
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How To Treat Iud
Treating mood swings related to birth control may be as simple as changing the type of IUD you use or switching to non-hormonal birth control. You may also find that prescription antidepressants help offset the changes in your mood caused by the IUD. If your doctor suggests medication for depression or anxiety, they can help you make sure that there wont be any interactions with other medications you take.
Other ways to manage your mood can involve changes in your diet and exercise habits. Eating whole foods rich in vitamins and minerals can improve your overall health and elevate your mood. Making sure to eat the right amount of healthy dietary fats and protein and reducing the amount of processed carbohydrates you eat can keep your blood sugar levels steady, avoiding spikes and crashes that can lead to moodiness.
Treating mood swings related to birth control may be as simple as changing the type of IUD you use or switching to non-hormonal birth control.
If you dont engage in regular exercise, speak with your doctor about a program thats right for you. Exercise is proven to naturally lift your mood, releasing endorphins and helping your brain produce more dopamine and serotonin, which reduces anxiety and depression.
Talking to a therapist or counselor or journaling may also help you manage the mood swings caused by your hormonal IUD. Many times, the moodiness associated with starting new hormonal birth control will subside over the course of a few months.
Take A Little Relaxation:
- When you feel your mood is changing, take a moment to pause, take a deep breath, and focus. Focus your attention on something in the present, such as the sound of your breathing or the feeling of the wind on your skin.
- If you feel overwhelmed during a mood change and tend to lose your rationality, then sit down and think about what happened. Examine the event that changed your mood with your reaction and find a positive way to react to the same situation.
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Dependence On Anabolic Steroids
Anabolic steroids do not cause physical dependence. However, if a person relies on them for their self-esteem and confidence, then giving up can be extremely difficult. The pressure to keep using steroids may result in feelings of anger or depression if their access to steroids is denied, even temporarily.
High Blood Pressure And High Cholesterol
Letrozole can cause high blood pressure in some people. Your GP will be able to monitor and treat this if necessary.
It may also cause the level of cholesterol in the blood to rise, although this doesnt usually need treatment. If you have a history of high cholesterol you may want to discuss this with your specialist or GP.
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How Do You Know If Any Change In Mood Is Tied To Your Method Of Birth Control
As no cause and effect has been proven between birth control and mood swings, there isnt a definitive checklist to tick off.
But, when you start taking hormonal contraception, its always a good idea to keep a note of how youre feeling.
You can use daily diary entries to track changes in your mood and ask a close relative or friend to let you know if they notice changes in your behavior.
If youre experiencing more down days than happy ones, thats a sign to connect with a doctor or other healthcare professional.
still a mystery in some ways, requiring more research.
But much of the research that has been carried out focuses on the pill. So, how can the pill cause changes to your mood?
Well, it contains synthetic hormones, which can affect neurotransmitters, Adib explains. These are chemical messengers that the brain uses to communicate with itself and the different organs in the body.
GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that slows down that communication for a calmer effect. Its released when its receptors are stimulated by the likes of alcohol and a type of natural steroid produced in the body when progesterone breaks down.
Thats important, because a synthetic version of progesterone is found in all forms of hormonal contraception.But, unlike natural progesterone, the
. Think: less caffeine, sugar, and alcohol, and more fruits, vegetables, nuts, and fish.
Relaxation techniques, like meditation, can also help if stress levels are impacting your mood.