Hormonal imbalances are commonly associated with increased irritability. Common hormone culprits include testosterone and thyroid hormones (T3, T4, and TSH, or thyroid-stimulating hormone). Testosterone is a hormone produced by the adrenal cortex, testes in men, and ovaries in women.
The stress hormones, otherwise known as cortisol and adrenaline, are released when a person feels threatened or senses danger. These stress hormones initiate the fight-or-flight response to help cope with the threat and prepare the body to take action.
Testosterone activates the subcortical areas of the brain to produce aggression, while cortisol and serotonin act antagonistically with testosterone to reduce its effects.
Serotonin is the brain chemical responsible for modulating mood. If serotonin levels are high, so are our moods. If levels are low, mood drops.
“If you're always down the second half of the month or are irritable right before you start a period, this could be associated with hormones,” says Dr. Daniel A. Skora, a reproductive endocrinologist with Fertility Specialists of Texas.
Serotonin is a mood regulator and happiness booster. When your body produces less estrogen, your emotions may feel off-balance. Your emotions should stabilize after your body adjusts to the decrease in estrogen. You may find that your feelings of rage are touch and go.
Vitamin B12 is a key component in the formation of red blood cells. Its deficiency could lead to an oxygen-transport problem in the blood known as pernicious anemia. This disorder may cause issues like mood swings, paranoia, irritability, confusion, dementia, and hallucinations (or mania).
There is evidence that some women experience unpleasant mood symptoms (such as irritability, depressed mood and anxiety) while receiving hormone replacement therapy (HRT) while taking the progestin / progesterone component of the HRT.
Many factors can cause or contribute to irritability, including life stress, a lack of sleep, low blood sugar levels, and hormonal changes. Extreme irritability, or feeling irritable for an extended period, can sometimes indicate an underlying condition, such as an infection or diabetes.
Irritability can be caused by physical and mental health conditions, including: depression, bipolar disorder and anxiety. post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) dementia.
Irritability may be a symptom of a number of things including stress, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance use, anxiety, bipolar disorder, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), sleep deprivation, autism spectrum disorders, dementia, chronic pain, and schizophrenia.
In men, too low a level of testosterone or too high a level of estrogen have both been shown to cause irritability. In addition, individuals of both genders can be adversely affected by adrenal imbalances in the body's stress hormones, adrenaline and cortisol, the precursor hormone DHEA.
Get quiet or alone time. Find a quiet place to think things through, or to disengage from the commotion and activity around you. Irritability can be your mind's way of alerting you that you need a break, so take one. Listen to music, do some stretching or yoga, meditate, or take a bubble bath.
Lithium stands out for its preventative effects in bipolar disorder, but it also has important benefits outside of the manic-depressive symptom lists. It is the only mood stabilizer that significantly reduces the risk of suicide, and it reduces mortality in other ways as well.
Feelings of anger and hostility have been most commonly associated with elevated levels of cortisol. Anger may be exacerbated with elevated cortisol or the “metabolic fuel” stemming from the HPA axis (Kemeny & Shestyuk, 2008).
Anger starts with the amygdala stimulating the hypothalamus, much like in the fear response. In addition, parts of the prefrontal cortex may also play a role in anger. People with damage to this area often have trouble controlling their emotions, especially anger and aggression.
As your body perceives stress, your adrenal glands make and release the hormone cortisol into your bloodstream. Often called the “stress hormone,” cortisol causes an increase in your heart rate and blood pressure. It's your natural “flight or fight” response that has kept humans alive for thousands of years.
Deficiencies in B vitamins, including Thiamine (B1), Riboflavin (B2), and B12, can lead to depression, anxiety, fearfulness, and irritability. B12 and folate (B9) are important vitamins for maintaining a healthy nervous system. Vitamin B12 and folate are needed for producing norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine.
Antidepressants for anger
SSRIs are commonly prescribed to treat conditions like depression and anxiety, but they've also been used to treat symptoms of anger or irritability. SSRIs that have been shown to help with anger include citalopram (Celexa), fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), among others.
When your progesterone levels are low, you may experience irritability, anxiety, insomnia, and depression. These changes in your mood can worsen right before your cycle, causing the mood swings associated with premenstrual syndrome (PMS).