I feel like I'm on speed (but i'm not)

[maggiethemagpie]

Every few months or so I seem to get a very speedy sensation that can last a few weeks. I can't sleep very well and wake up early feeling like I'm buzzing (but not in a good way), I completely lose my appetite (good for weight loss but I'd rather feel normal) and my brain seems to going at a million miles a second, I talk fast, think fast, have very poor concentration and patience.

I have done speed once as a teenager a long long time ago and this feels similar but without the high... I just feel like my brain is on fast forward and with the lack of sleep it soon begins to really annoy me.

Does anyone have similar experience or know what this can be? I was thinking maybe some form of bipolar but I don't really get lows. It seems to happen a few times a year, I'm fine inbetween. It's annoying more than anything really serious. I don't really want to take medication for something which doesn't last that long and don't really want to go to the doctor, but just interested if anyone has had similar or knows what it could be.

[massivearse]

I get spells of hyperactivity myself- they've got rarer since I took up regular exercise. Seems to smooth our peaks and troughs when I'm out running/riding. Do you?

[FuturePerfect]

Have you had your thyroid checked - could be overactive.

[maggiethemagpie]

Would overactive thyroid be a thing that comes and goes Future? This is something I seem to get fairly regularly but then inbetween I'm fine for a few months. I'd say I get it maybe 3 times a year or so. I can lose a pound a day as I just don't want to eat (which is great as usually I do want to eat) but that's about the only silver lining!

[maggiethemagpie]

I've just checked wikipedia for hypomania and marked my answers below

pressured speech - YES
inflated self-esteem or grandiosity - NO
decreased need for sleep - YES
flight of ideas or the subjective experience that thoughts are racing - MAYBE
easily distracted and attention-deficit similar to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder - VERY MUCH SO
increase in psychomotor agitation - YES MY KNEE IS WOBBLING UP AND DOWN AS I TYPE
involvement in pleasurable activities that may have a high potential for negative psycho-social or physical consequences (e.g., the person engages in unrestrained buying sprees, sexual indiscretions, reckless driving, or foolish business investments). NOT REALLY