Urinary phenylethylamine and cortisol levels in the early puerperium

Phenylethylamine and cortisol were measured in 24-h urine samples taken from women day 2/3 postpartum, and matched controls. They also completed self-rating blues and highs scales. There was no significant difference in phenylethylamine excretion in those who scored highly with blues or highs, and either postpartum or normal controls. The number of raised values for phenylethylamine output was significantly greater in the postpartum women, who had no psychopathology, than in normal controls. Cortisol levels were significantly raised in postpartum controls compared with normal controls; women with the highs excreted significantly less cortisol than other postpartum women.