Bipolar Disorder. Sex, Hyper sexuality, High Libido.
Are there any blood tests or other tests for bipolar disorder?
No objective tests are available for the diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Some tests such as blood tests or brain scans measure levels of certain chemicals or look at brain functioning.
These are research based only and presently have no diagnostic utility for clinical practice. Your doctor may order blood tests to check for any underlying conditions that may mimic depression or mania. Blood tests or electrocardiograms may be ordered for baseline purposes, depending on the medication that is to be prescribed, as some medications may have effects on certain organ systems in the body; for example, lithium may have effects on thyroid or kidney function. In addition, there is typically some level of blood monitoring over the course of treatment with many agents used in bipolar disorder.
Although rating scales and self-report forms are not a required part of an evaluation, some clinicians will use them to assist in the evaluation process. Scales may be useful in tracking the progression of symptoms in a quantifiable way. Comprehensive diagnostic scales can guide the clinician in going through a differential diagnostic process in order to exclude other causes for the symptoms before establishing a diagnosis. Such scales may indeed establish a diagnosis, but they are based on the same clinical criteria used without a scale.
These scales are mostly useful in research to establish reliability in diagnosis and to improve the validity of the study.
Leslie’s comments:
Frankly, I wish there were biological tests. I think having undisputed scientific evidence would “normalize” the disorder and would limit the amount of stigma people feel. It would be viewed as just another medical illness that one grapples with and I think those with the disorder would be far less hesitant to share if it were taken out of the realm of a “mental” illness.
