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Obstetrics and Gynecology Patients: Menstrual Cycle, Pregnancy, and Postpartum-Related Psychiatric Disorders

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Handbook of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry

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A 40-year-old woman who is 15 weeks pregnant and has gestational diabetes was referred for psychiatric evaluation for increasing anxiety and depression. During the psychiatric interview the patient reported feeling very depressed, anxious, restless, confused, and somewhat agitated for the last several weeks, worried that something bad was going to happen to her fetus and her three older children. She also reported racing thoughts, palpitation, feeling very hot and sweaty, and weight loss. The patient denied any past psychiatric history or treatment and denied any alcohol or illicit substance use. On further workup, the patient had a thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) of <0.004. She was diagnosed with thyrotoxicosis, and treatment started with propylthiouracil. The patient was also started on an antidepressant and a low dose of antipsychotic to control her agitation.

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  1. University of California, San Francisco, California, USA

    Beena Nair M.D

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Nair, B. (2007). Obstetrics and Gynecology Patients: Menstrual Cycle, Pregnancy, and Postpartum-Related Psychiatric Disorders. In: Handbook of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-69255-5_23

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-69255-5_23

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

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