Renegade Psych

Here, we each present our closing thoughts on the use of female reproductive hormones during menopause and the phenomenon of menopausal psychosis and/or exacerbation of psychiatric symptoms during female hormonal transitional periods. Thanks so much to Drs. Wood and Grider for being a part of this, and please stick around after the disclaimer to hear one of my favorite local artists, Jared Foos, who just released his first solo album, titled "Who Loves you Baby," with his hit song, "Leave." If you or anyone you know is looking to have their music platformed, please send it my way and I'll see if I can work it into the closing thoughts of another series!

Thanks for listening. For more social media content, check us out on all social media platforms @Renegadepsych. If you have any comments, questions or challenges to the information we've presented here, if you'd like to be a guest to the show, or if you have general comments, questions, or suggestions, email us at [email protected] and follow the link https://renegade-psych.podcastpage.io/ to our website for source material, transcripts, and additional links for my guests. If you feel passionate about our message and what we're trying to do, and you'd like to donate, you can also follow the link in the show notes to our website.

Disclaimer, this podcast is for informational purposes only. The information provided in this podcast and related materials are meant only to educate. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. While I am a medical doctor and many of my guests have extensive medical training and experience, nothing stated in this podcast nor materials related to this podcast, including recommended websites, texts, graphics, images, or any other materials should be treated as a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice, diagnosis or treatment. All listeners should consult with a medical professional, licensed mental health provider or other healthcare provider if seeking medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

In this segment, Dr. Wood and I reveal what we know about the exacerbation of psychotic symptoms in female patients with known schizophrenia or bipolar disorder during hormonal transitional periods, including menopause, postpartum, and monthly menstrual cycles. It adds to the common sense evidence of the importance of considering the role of estrogen and progesterone (among others) in pre-existing psychiatric illness, and as a primary cause of things like first-episode of psychosis during menopause. We review several studies and discuss the protective role estrogen may play in helping to explain why men have the onset of bipolar and schizophrenia on average 5 years earlier than women. Jenny and I strongly question what we were taught as a somewhat 'magical' second peak of mental illness that also exists in females approaching the menopausal transition, and agree there is likely a better organic cause of exacerbating an underlying predisposition to mental illness, as opposed to suddenly developing it out of the blue. We also talk about how the use of hormones may potentially allow women approaching the age of menopause decrease the amount of antipsychotic and other medication use, and more directly address the cause of the exacerbated mental state. ENJOY!

Thanks for listening. For more social media content, check us out on all social media platforms @Renegadepsych. If you have any comments, questions or challenges to the information we've presented here, if you'd like to be a guest to the show, or if you have general comments, questions, or suggestions, email us at [email protected] and follow the link https://renegade-psych.podcastpage.io/ to our website for source material, transcripts, and additional links for my guests. If you feel passionate about our message and what we're trying to do, and you'd like to donate, you can also follow the link in the show notes to our website.

Disclaimer, this podcast is for informational purposes only. The information provided in this podcast and related materials are meant only to educate. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. While I am a medical doctor and many of my guests have extensive medical training and experience, nothing stated in this podcast nor materials related to this podcast, including recommended websites, texts, graphics, images, or any other materials should be treated as a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice, diagnosis or treatment. All listeners should consult with a medical professional, licensed mental health provider or other healthcare provider if seeking medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

In this segment, Drs. Wood, Grider, and I discuss the flaws of the large NIH-sponsored Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Study that was intended to provide more clarity on the role of hormones during female transitional periods and its impact on the use of female reproductive hormones after 2002. The WHI was a 10+ year endeavor studying thousands upon thousands of female patients and evaluating the safety of utilizing different combinations of hormones (at a time when hormone replacement therapy was popular, with 15% of the female population taking it). The results came out in 2002 and were widely reported by the media as negative and associated hormones with significant risks of different forms of cancers and cardiovascular disease primarily. The only problem was... the average age in the study was >63, and the majority of women had already completed menopause and were therefore hormone naive. WE KNOW re-introducing medium or high levels of our natural hormones at a time in life when it has become unnatural IS DANGEROUS. Later re-analyses of this study, when we parse out the women who are IN THE MENOPAUSAL TRANSITION PHASE, or UNDER THE AGE OF 50, there is actually a decreased cardiovascular risk, and any increase in the risk of breast cancer is likely offset by the decreased risk of colon cancer. Unfortunately, the mass media widely reported on the negative findings, but interestingly, did not report on the positive re-analyses of the data. This led to a massive discontinuation of hormone therapy, with 50% of women in the US on hormone therapy stopping it abruptly in a 6-month period. As a skeptic, I wonder if it was another way the steamrolling train of industry was able to demonize an older, more natural form of treatment, to make way for newer synthetic and thereby patentable (and profitable) medications/treatments. Anyways, hope you enjoy our discussion and it gives good food for thought!

Thanks for listening. For more social media content, check us out on all social media platforms @Renegadepsych. If you have any comments, questions or challenges to the information we've presented here, if you'd like to be a guest to the show, or if you have general comments, questions, or suggestions, email us at [email protected] and follow the link https://renegade-psych.podcastpage.io/ to our website for source material, transcripts, and additional links for my guests. If you feel passionate about our message and what we're trying to do, and you'd like to donate, you can also follow the link in the show notes to our website.

Disclaimer, this podcast is for informational purposes only. The information provided in this podcast and related materials are meant only to educate. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. While I am a medical doctor and many of my guests have extensive medical training and experience, nothing stated in this podcast nor materials related to this podcast, including recommended websites, texts, graphics, images, or any other materials should be treated as a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice, diagnosis or treatment. All listeners should consult with a medical professional, licensed mental health provider or other healthcare provider if seeking medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

In this segment, I start out by providing a history of hormone discovery and using hormones as treatment. Dr. Grider gives us a basic explanation of what menopause is, including typical patient presentations, symptoms, and the relationship to fluctuating reproductive hormone levels. And Dr. Wood tells us what to expect with peri-menopausal psychosis patients and reviews some of the consistencies in their presentations. It's interesting to note that Dr. Grider has very little experience with menopausal psychosis, while typically Dr. Wood has less experience with milder presentations of menopausal depression. Based on the severity of the patient's symptoms (and possibly a lack of making a connection between hormones and psychosis), there's almost a type of natural selection AWAY FROM the psychiatric and OB/GYN provider crossing paths or both being involved with the same cases.

Thanks for listening. For more social media content, check us out on all social media platforms @Renegadepsych. If you have any comments, questions or challenges to the information we've presented here, if you'd like to be a guest to the show, or if you have general comments, questions, or suggestions, email us at [email protected] and follow the link https://renegade-psych.podcastpage.io/ to our website for source material, transcripts, and additional links for my guests. If you feel passionate about our message and what we're trying to do, and you'd like to donate, you can also follow the link in the show notes to our website.

Disclaimer, this podcast is for informational purposes only. The information provided in this podcast and related materials are meant only to educate. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. While I am a medical doctor and many of my guests have extensive medical training and experience, nothing stated in this podcast nor materials related to this podcast, including recommended websites, texts, graphics, images, or any other materials should be treated as a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice, diagnosis or treatment. All listeners should consult with a medical professional, licensed mental health provider or other healthcare provider if seeking medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

In this segment, Jenny and I discuss our cases involving first episode of psychosis in menopause, as well as our differential diagnosis for this phenomenon. While there simply isn't enough research on this specific presentation, it seems to be common sense that trying hormones to alleviate symptoms would be a much safer and possibly more effective alternative to antipsychotics, antidepressants, or even shock therapy. Knowing that female patients with known severe mental conditions like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder have worsening of their symptoms during transitional periods like menopause indicates a potential role for a hormone therapy trial. Hope you enjoy.

Thanks for listening. For more social media content, check us out on all social media platforms @Renegadepsych. If you have any comments, questions or challenges to the information we've presented here, if you'd like to be a guest to the show, or if you have general comments, questions, or suggestions, email us at [email protected] and follow the link https://renegade-psych.podcastpage.io/ to our website for source material, transcripts, and additional links for my guests. If you feel passionate about our message and what we're trying to do, and you'd like to donate, you can also follow the link in the show notes to our website.

Disclaimer, this podcast is for informational purposes only. The information provided in this podcast and related materials are meant only to educate. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. While I am a medical doctor and many of my guests have extensive medical training and experience, nothing stated in this podcast nor materials related to this podcast, including recommended websites, texts, graphics, images, or any other materials should be treated as a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice, diagnosis or treatment. All listeners should consult with a medical professional, licensed mental health provider or other healthcare provider if seeking medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Hey everyone, join us for the intro to our upcoming series on the role of female reproductive hormones, such as estrogen and progesterone, on women's health, especially during times of transition, such as menopause, postpartum, or monthly cycles. The title centers around clinical experiences with women having their first episode of psychosis and inpatient psychiatric hospitalization during menopause and I am joined by my friend and colleague, Dr. Jenny Wood, as well as another local OB/GYN and expert in the use of hormone (replacement) therapy, Dr. Ann Grider. This is an issue that is not talked about enough and can be important to both the physical and mental health of HALF the population.

In this segment, I give my typical introductory rant on the topic, then introduce our guests. ENJOY.

Thanks for listening. For more social media content, check us out on all social media platforms @Renegadepsych. If you have any comments, questions or challenges to the information we've presented here, if you'd like to be a guest to the show, or if you have general comments, questions, or suggestions, email us at [email protected] and follow the link https://renegade-psych.podcastpage.io/ to our website for source material, transcripts, and additional links for my guests. If you feel passionate about our message and what we're trying to do, and you'd like to donate, you can also follow the link in the show notes to our website.

Disclaimer, this podcast is for informational purposes only. The information provided in this podcast and related materials are meant only to educate. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. While I am a medical doctor and many of my guests have extensive medical training and experience, nothing stated in this podcast nor materials related to this podcast, including recommended websites, texts, graphics, images, or any other materials should be treated as a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice, diagnosis or treatment. All listeners should consult with a medical professional, licensed mental health provider or other healthcare provider if seeking medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Hey everyone, join us for our teaser for the upcoming series on the role of female reproductive hormones, such as estrogen and progesterone, on women's health. The title centers around clinical experiences with women having their first episode of psychosis and inpatient psychiatric hospitalization during menopause and I am joined by my friend and colleague, Dr. Jenny Wood, as well as another local OB/GYN and expert in the use of hormone therapy, formerly hormone replacement therapy, Dr. Ann Grider.

Thanks for listening. For more social media content, check us out on all social media platforms @Renegadepsych. If you have any comments, questions or challenges to the information we've presented here, if you'd like to be a guest to the show, or if you have general comments, questions, or suggestions, email us at [email protected] and follow the link https://renegade-psych.podcastpage.io/ to our website for source material, transcripts, and additional links for my guests. If you feel passionate about our message and what we're trying to do, and you'd like to donate, you can also follow the link in the show notes to our website.

Disclaimer, this podcast is for informational purposes only. The information provided in this podcast and related materials are meant only to educate. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. While I am a medical doctor and many of my guests have extensive medical training and experience, nothing stated in this podcast nor materials related to this podcast, including recommended websites, texts, graphics, images, or any other materials should be treated as a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice, diagnosis or treatment. All listeners should consult with a medical professional, licensed mental health provider or other healthcare provider if seeking medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

This extra segment involves a nuanced discussion about the role of long-term benzodiazepine use in the ability to learn and the risk of dementia. We know that Alcohol causes a specific type of dementia, but, despite their similarities in mechanism of action, don't regularly talk about Benzodiazepines carrying the same risk.

Hope you enjoyed listening to this series on Benzodiazepines. Feel free to email us with comments, questions, suggestions at [email protected] and check out our website at https://renegade-psych.podcastpage.io/ for additional links and resources. We will release the TEASER for our next series on Menopausal Psychosis and the treatment role of Hormones, on 1/26/24, with Tuesday/Friday morning episode releases into February.

Thanks for listening. For more social media content, check us out on all social media platforms @Renegadepsych. If you have any comments, questions or challenges to the information we've presented here, if you'd like to be a guest to the show, or if you have general comments, questions, or suggestions, email us at [email protected] and follow the link https://renegade-psych.podcastpage.io/ to our website for source material, transcripts, and additional links for my guests. If you feel passionate about our message and what we're trying to do, and you'd like to donate, you can also follow the link in the show notes to our website.

Disclaimer, this podcast is for informational purposes only. The information provided in this podcast and related materials are meant only to educate. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. While I am a medical doctor and many of my guests have extensive medical training and experience, nothing stated in this podcast nor materials related to this podcast, including recommended websites, texts, graphics, images, or any other materials should be treated as a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice, diagnosis or treatment. All listeners should consult with a medical professional, licensed mental health provider or other healthcare provider if seeking medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Michael and I give our closing thoughts and recommendations on benzodiazepine use. In summary, while benzo's have many appropriate uses, there is no good data to promote long-term regular use of benzodiazepines for anxiety or other conditions, Use Xanax/Alprazolam for Xanax/Alprazolam withdrawal (other benzo's will provide incomplete coverage of the withdrawal syndrome), and DO NOT USE (or prescribe) OPIATES WITH BENZO's.... or you might stop breathing and die.

Stay tuned for a listen to a local Louisville artist, Nolia Noon, with their hit, 'Looking Back in Anger'

Listen throughout January 2024 with episode releases every Tuesday and Friday morning on the topic of Benzo's. Feel free to email us with comments, questions, suggestions at [email protected] and check out our website at https://renegade-psych.podcastpage.io/ for additional links and resources. HOPE YOU LIKE IT!

Thanks for listening. For more social media content, check us out on all social media platforms @Renegadepsych. If you have any comments, questions or challenges to the information we've presented here, if you'd like to be a guest to the show, or if you have general comments, questions, or suggestions, email us at [email protected] and follow the link https://renegade-psych.podcastpage.io/ to our website for source material, transcripts, and additional links for my guests. If you feel passionate about our message and what we're trying to do, and you'd like to donate, you can also follow the link in the show notes to our website.

Disclaimer, this podcast is for informational purposes only. The information provided in this podcast and related materials are meant only to educate. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. While I am a medical doctor and many of my guests have extensive medical training and experience, nothing stated in this podcast nor materials related to this podcast, including recommended websites, texts, graphics, images, or any other materials should be treated as a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice, diagnosis or treatment. All listeners should consult with a medical professional, licensed mental health provider or other healthcare provider if seeking medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

-Here, we start off with a discussion about why the question of whether someone with long-term benzo use and abrupt discontinuation experiences symptoms of benzo withdrawal or if those represent rebound symptoms of the original anxiety or panic. If you're on a benzo (or any other powerful neurotransmitter-altering substance, for that matter) for long enough, YOU WILL HAVE WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS when you try to stop it (same as alcohol). You cannot reestablish a baseline for their original condition until they've effectively withdrawn from the benzo. We use British psychiatrist Heather Ashton's, The Ashton Manual, published in 1999 and widely available online via a simple google search, to review how to effectively withdraw from benzo's, including what symptoms to expect, and how to manage them from both a patient perspective and a provider perspective. If you know someone struggling with benzo addiction who has struggled to try to discontinue them in the past, I highly encourage you to check out her manual, as well as look online for benzo withdrawal clinics in your area or available via telehealth.

Listen throughout January 2024 with episode releases every Tuesday and Friday morning on the topic of Benzo's. Feel free to email us with comments, questions, suggestions at [email protected] and check out our website at https://renegade-psych.podcastpage.io/ for additional links and resources. ENJOY!

Thanks for listening. For more social media content, check us out on all social media platforms @Renegadepsych. If you have any comments, questions or challenges to the information we've presented here, if you'd like to be a guest to the show, or if you have general comments, questions, or suggestions, email us at [email protected] and follow the link https://renegade-psych.podcastpage.io/ to our website for source material, transcripts, and additional links for my guests. If you feel passionate about our message and what we're trying to do, and you'd like to donate, you can also follow the link in the show notes to our website.

Disclaimer, this podcast is for informational purposes only. The information provided in this podcast and related materials are meant only to educate. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. While I am a medical doctor and many of my guests have extensive medical training and experience, nothing stated in this podcast nor materials related to this podcast, including recommended websites, texts, graphics, images, or any other materials should be treated as a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice, diagnosis or treatment. All listeners should consult with a medical professional, licensed mental health provider or other healthcare provider if seeking medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.