Posted by barbaracat on December 31, 2004, at 20:45:14
In reply to Re: Extrapyramidal Symptoms » Mr.Scott, posted by Ritch on December 31, 2004, at 18:24:45
HI Rich,
You brought up a point I've been wondering about for awhile. I've got a dx of BP-II but suspect I may be BP-I. I do horribly on SSRIs like a good little BP-II, but don't BP-I's as well? Some of my manic episodes have been corkers, complete with the singing of angelic hosts, and other not so nice hallucinations. My depressions, the mixed-state kind, are horrendous, simply ghastly, and I've heard somewhere that these mixed states are the province mainly of BP-I. Yes, I do have nice little hypomanias which are tons of fun, and these are the majority - but oh boy, those other ones. There's nothing 'hypo' about those others and no doubt something quite spectacular is occurring.I also used to have longish periods of normalcy in between when I was younger, but once I hit menopause, everything intensified and mixed states depression became my constant companion. I was on SSRI's of all various forms and potencies cause nothing was helping and no one knew that I was bipolar. I can't imagine we missed it since I'd had so many episodes that now are pretty unmistakable, however, mixed states depression was not yet in the common lexicon, so it was treated as major depressive disorder with SSRIs - bad bad idea.
I'd like your thoughts on the differences you've noticed with your BP-I acquaintences vs. BP-II (that's you, right?). I don't know anyone personally in my boat at all and it would help. The main reason this interests me is the fact that I've had a miraculous response to lithium and it seems like this is typical of BP-I's. Other supposed BP-II's I know are still struggling with finding a good mood stabilizer and lithium has not helped very many BP-II's, or those with cyclothymia. So maybe there's something else going on with BP-I, not just a matter of degree of symptoms, but a matter of different chemistry and response to treatment. - Barbara
> Scott, those symptoms are very much like mine. I think there is a big difference between BPI episodes and this chronic BP-IIish stuff.. I know the "spectrum" thing is big deal now, but they just seem like two very different illnesses altogether. I've known some BP-I's and they just don't have the same symptoms I have. I've seen them really high and I can relate to that racing consciousness, but it just comes out of the blue and goes ON and ON, then they seem OK for months at a time. Definitely a different expression.
>
poster:barbaracat
thread:435630
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20041228/msgs/436171.html