Bipolar relapse?

[hotfudge]

My partner was diagnosed as bipolar many years ago and takes lithium daily; in the 7 years we've been together, I've never seen a sign of it. However, recently, he has talked of not feeling himself, had trouble sleeping for a few consecutive nights, had a racing heartbeat, and most recently is waking very early in the mornings and heading out to work (up this morning at 4.30am!). When I asked him this morning what he was doing up so early he got very defensive and agitated. I told him I was beginning to worry that he may be relapsing but he didn't want to hear it and was resistant to the suggestion he go to his GP to get checked over. He is self employed and has a big job on right now which has been problematic and I know he is stressed out about it. Am I over-reacting to normal stress symptoms, or does this sound like it could be a relapse?

Sorry I don'r know enough about bi-polar to offer any advice, however my sense is (like yours) that this could be the onset of another episode, especially as he got defensive and agitated when you spoke about it this morning.

Difficult because you can't make him go to GP. Does he have any reviews of his meds (I thought people on lithium did) because of possible liver or kidney damage. I think all yu can do is monitor him and really press him to get to see GP or someone from the CMHT - maybe it will not be so bad if it's nipped in the bud. Ar your sure he is taking his meds.

It's possible it's a relapse, yes - although not definite. But the signs are there, and the sooner it's addressed the better, given that it will be harder to get through to your partner if his behaviour escalates.

My ex is bipolar, so I do know the signs.

It sounds a lot like my dad off his meds, but it could also be stress. If you can find a time when he's relatively calm and will listen, you could try saying that you felt worried that he seemed so defensive and agitated, and see what he says. Obviously his health is his responsibility but he should be able to understand that you're worried about him.

Just wanted to say thanks to those who responded. I managed to persuade him to go to his GP, which he did today. The GP then phoned me to say he'd seen him, and in his opinion my partner was definitely a bit 'high'. He has urgently referred him to a specialist centre that he went to a few years back for a review, and in the meantime has prescribed him temazepam to take at night to help him sleep. The GP said this alone may do the trick - I certainly hope so because things are definitely escalating, albeit slowly - nothing major yet, but definitely more slightly strange behaviour, and saying strange things. I am fearful because I don't know what to expect if things do escalate, don't know how bad it could get. Very worried as we have young children and I am about to go back to work pt, and he is meant to be looking after them on my work days!

hotfudge - I'm glad he went to the doctor. That's a sign that he's not too far gone yet, and so there is definitely hope that he can be stabilised.

Does he have Bipolar I or Bipolar II, do you know? It's easier then to tell you what kind of behaviour he might exhibit if things were to escalate (though hopefully they won't).

Shouldn't he be getting his lithium levels checked regularly too? My SiL has been on it for years, she goes either monthly or quarterly to ensure she is on the right dose/not getting too much.

You did the right thing in getting him to go to the doctor, it does sound like he's a bit "up." I have bipolar II and I know now what the signs are that my mood is becoming unstable - I can tell that it's on the move before I know whether it's going to go up or down, and if I catch it at that stage I can usually prevent an episode. Catching it early and regaining control is crucial, because by the time you're in the grip of a manic/hypomanic episode you have very little insight and it can be very difficult for anyone to persuade you that there's anything wrong with you; similarly, once you're in the grip of a depressive episode it is very hard to take the necessary steps to get yourself out of it.

I think that different bipolar people have different triggers but stress is a pretty universal one and it does sound like he is very stressed at the moment. Re-establishing normal sleep/wake patterns would probably be very helpful, so do whatever you can to support and encourage that.

And try not to panic. Seeing someone you love, someone you thought you knew well, morph into a totally different person can be extremely difficult; try to keep remembering that he is still in there.

Thank you so much hopkinette. Your last paragraph really chimes with me, and your point that he is still in there is a comfort.

When we went for his appointment with the psychiatrist, the upshot was he was admitted to hospital. They seemed confident they had caught it early, but things did escalate before he went in ... he has become very hostile to a neighbour (with no just cause) and it got to the point the neighbour was about to call the police. He seems fixated on this issue and is completely irrational in what he is saying. In hospital the blood tests revealed his lithium level to be very low (.3) so they are sorting that out, and also giving him olanzapine. He has improved considerably in the last few days so it was a real disappointment to me today when I visited and he started the same old nonsense about the neighbour, and then made some very unpleasant comments about me, again completely unfounded. Like you say Hopkinette, it's like seeing someone you love morph into a different person. But clinging to the hope that he will get back to normal once his medication levels are sorted.

Once his meds are sorted he will be back to his old self I promise. He's done really well to have gone so long without getting ill. This is just a blip.

Thank you fedupandtired, that has really cheered me up.