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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by sedona on July 22, 2005, at 12:54:25
Hi- I went off my antidepressant (Cymbalta) over a month ago because I felt it wasn't helping my depression and thought my moods have been more erratic on antidepressants. I have tried a long list of drugs including antidepressants, antipsychotics, and anticonvulsants in an attempt to tame my mood swings. I presently take Adderall for extreme lethargy and Klonopin for anxiety. My psychiatrist agrees that I have mood lability, but doesn't think I am bipolar. Since I have stopped the antidepressant I have been very depressed. However, this past week I had three nights where I only slept about 4 hours. On these days my mood has started off good and I have been productive without needing the Adderall to keep me awake. But usually by the evening I felt very angry, anxious, and suicidal and took Zyprexa samples to sedate myself. I just started Lamictal (for my third time) in the hopes it will help my depression and stop my mood swings. Anyway, I can't help but think I am bipolar. All the AD's I have taken have pooped out on me after a couple of months leaving me in a more severe depression than I was experiencing before I started taking AD's four years ago. I called my psych to tell him of my lack of sleep thinking this was proof of having bipolar disorder. He just said that I didn't sound manic and not to worry. But from things I have read agitation, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts coul be part of a mixed episode. What do you think? Is this soft bipolar or agitated depression? Any input would be much appreciated.
Posted by spriggy on July 22, 2005, at 21:06:01
In reply to does this sound like bipolar disorder? medications, posted by sedona on July 22, 2005, at 12:54:25
Do you have a family history? Did you experience any of these patterns in your moods prior to the medications?
The meds made me worse and made my doctor think that I *was* bipolar while I kept thinking, " but I never was like this before." sounds like you have the opposite problem.
I know certain meds can do strange things to certain people so it would be hard to say if you are bp or the meds have created these mood swings.
I do know you can have bp and not have the euphoric manic type and instead have the horrible anxiety/agitation dysphoric type. Maybe your doctor should consider that.
I don't know if you are bp or not but if you still feel this way, I would recommend seeing a new doctor if yours will not listen and help you figure it out.
Good luck and I'msorry you feel this way. I know how awful it is.
(((((hugs))))
Posted by linkadge on July 23, 2005, at 20:10:34
In reply to does this sound like bipolar disorder? medications, posted by sedona on July 22, 2005, at 12:54:25
The lack of sleep on those days can definately set you up for a bad day. I have a similar response to sleep deprivation where I feel good in the morning, and then absolutely crash by the end of the day.
It could be a combination of stress and inapropriate medications, but don't rule out the possability.Antidepressants can cause akathesia, which can look like a lot of things.
Linkadge
Posted by bimini on July 23, 2005, at 21:14:21
In reply to does this sound like bipolar disorder? medications, posted by sedona on July 22, 2005, at 12:54:25
I am dx'ed bi-polar and schizo affective and so forth. Effexor knocked me out of coherence, I knew less and less what was going on around me, it caused wild dreams and disrupted sleep. I never want to try another antidepressant again.
Lamictal mellowed the fluctating awareness states, calmed down the gaps, I had to quit that one because of a severe lymph node reaction.
Then I tried Abilify, felt like my head was trying to explode, like a water balloon. I braved out a month long trial, the pain didn't subside.I am now taking two stimulants and sleep like a log despite high dosage. That was working out well until blood pressure went zooming up, now I am doing some complicated reduction, a bit dramatic, especially waking up, WOW.
I am dx'ed having panic disorder, but it is missing its main incredience: panic. I have several attacks every day, no matter where, what, when, how..... I am not aware of all of them. I can't figure what I am dissociating from. I don't become another identity I just go missing. It feels rather pleasant, a pleasant attack then, can't function well through them, motorcontrol is unreliable. Makes my muscles sore and I want to lay down. Through these and anywhere in between I see sticks floating, hovering.
I think I am neither bi-polar nor schizo anything. Maybe someone can invent a disorder just for me? Or better yet, just shut the lights off and let me sleep.
bimini
Posted by sedona on July 23, 2005, at 21:50:00
In reply to Re: does this sound like bipolar disorder? medications, posted by spriggy on July 22, 2005, at 21:06:01
Thank you for responding. My family has a history of depression and anxiety disorders, but not bipolar disorder as far as I know. When I think back I can remember a few times when I felt slightly euphoric and overly confident for a week or two, however it usually happened in the spring and since I also have seasonal affective disorder I thought of it as nothing more than "spring fever". Since taking medications I go from feeling fairly good to being severly depressed.More depressed than I felt before taking AD's. Although strangely I have never been euphoric on AD's, but have definitely been dysphoric on them. I know that many bipolar people don't get euphoric and that has been my argument with him - that I don't have to be manic in the classical sense to be bipolar. He does let me try drugs as I please. In fact I was the one who insisted on trying some of the anticonvulsants and antipsychotics because I felt I needed something to stabilize me. He just doesn't think I am bipolar and would probably prefer I try yet another AD. Frankly, I think they have done more harm than good for me.
> Do you have a family history? Did you experience any of these patterns in your moods prior to the medications?
>
> The meds made me worse and made my doctor think that I *was* bipolar while I kept thinking, " but I never was like this before." sounds like you have the opposite problem.
>
> I know certain meds can do strange things to certain people so it would be hard to say if you are bp or the meds have created these mood swings.
>
> I do know you can have bp and not have the euphoric manic type and instead have the horrible anxiety/agitation dysphoric type. Maybe your doctor should consider that.
>
> I don't know if you are bp or not but if you still feel this way, I would recommend seeing a new doctor if yours will not listen and help you figure it out.
>
> Good luck and I'msorry you feel this way. I know how awful it is.
>
> (((((hugs))))
Posted by sedona on July 23, 2005, at 21:59:00
In reply to Re: does this sound like bipolar disorder? medications, posted by linkadge on July 23, 2005, at 20:10:34
Thanks for your reply. I can't really say that I know what is wrong with me. Only that my mood swings have been erratic since taking AD's. Even a few of my friends have told me that I seem to have higher highs and lower lows. When I tried Seroquel I had a problem with akathesia, and this has definitely felt different. It's a very negative energy in which I am irritable, angry at my friends (although I never have expressed this to them), obsessive with my anger, and self-loathing. I just sedate myself most nights because I can't stand the irritability. It could just be depression, however I am very wary of trying another AD.
> The lack of sleep on those days can definately set you up for a bad day. I have a similar response to sleep deprivation where I feel good in the morning, and then absolutely crash by the end of the day.
>
>
> It could be a combination of stress and inapropriate medications, but don't rule out the possability.
>
> Antidepressants can cause akathesia, which can look like a lot of things.
>
>
> Linkadge
Posted by linkadge on July 24, 2005, at 3:37:23
In reply to Re: does this sound like bipolar disorder? medications » linkadge, posted by sedona on July 23, 2005, at 21:59:00
It "could" be bipolar. Anger can also be classified as a symptom of depression.
I know that with me certain antidepressants induced anger more than others.
For instance, celexa or trazedone never made me angry but remeron and effexor did. Seems that noradrenic meds can make me irriatable. Some other have also reported this effect too.
Right now I am taking nothing but some nutritional supplements simply because no diagnosis seems to have fit.
I just know I have a lot of anxiety, and a lot of panic, and a lot of insommnia. Low dose TCA's seem to help a little, in combination with magnesium.
Linkadge
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