Posted by Cindylou on April 30, 2002, at 21:27:09
In reply to A budding bipolar ??, posted by colin wallace on April 30, 2002, at 13:28:30
Hi Collin,
We talked before about responding to subtherapeutic doses of meds ... It seems we respond similarly to meds, and from your post here, it sounds as if you might be bipolar II.I was recently diagnosed as BPII, and I kept fighting it, denying it, because I never have any kind of "manic" episodes -- just highly agitated, then extremely fatigued, then back again -- never normal. I took the screening that Ron mentioned to you, and it did NOT seem to think I was bipolar because of the fact I don't have those manic episodes.
But my pdoc convinced me the other day. She said my reactions to meds are a strong sign of bipolar (reacting differently to ADs than most people.) Also, she said that people with the low energy, low motivation, sleep-alot depression are often bipolar II.
The thing that convinced me most (and that does not apply to you) is that I had serious postpartum depression/anxiety, and she has heard that in 90% or so of postpartum cases, the people are bipolar. She said I may have been bipolar all my life, but it didn't manifest itself until after I had my baby, which makes complete sense to me.
Sorry to ramble on here, but I really feel for you and with you -- this whole bipolar thing threw me for a loop! But I am accepting it now, and I believe just accepting the diagnosis is going to help me. I have just started a trial of Neurontin. I also take Klonapin for the agitation, and a tiny bit of Serzone (25 mg for now!)
I tried Lithium at one point and it made me extremely fatigued. With you being med sensitive, you may want to try Lamictal first -- it has very low side effects, and I was actually able to tolerate it, but it didn't help me much. I think I need something more calming (Lamictal tends to be activating), since this agitation is so out of control at times. But Lithium was TOO calming! All I wanted to do was sleep.
So far, I am doing well on the Neurontin, but I only started yesterday.
Take care -- I look forward to hearing more about your situation ...
cindy> Need some advice here: although I have (mostly) got may depression/anxiety under control with a low dose sam-e/zoloft regime ,I still suffer from periodic mood crashes;I can be in an upbeat, carefree mood one minute, and utterly crash into an angry, bitter,enraged mood in a few short moments.I have no control over these mood crashes, which vary in length(from minutes to hours) and frequency (occurring maybe once/twice/even three times daily, not at all, or even just once a week.The last few years have taught me that the higher the dose of AD (any AD), the more extreme the mood volatility.As I am highly med sensitive, and am otherwise doing very well (save the mood crashes), I am wondering whether to broach the possibility, with my GP, of trying out lithium for size.
> I am now beginning to suspect I may be bipolar 11, as I believe that may account for the downward swings, without the corresponding highs.
> Having said that, every account of a bipolar 11 diagnosis I have dug up seems to be a little vague.Do my symptoms ring true with anyone with a bipolar 11 diagnosis? Any drawbacks to a lithium trial I should really know about? 'Grateful for any insights.
>
> Col.
poster:Cindylou
thread:104523
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020425/msgs/104583.html