Bipolar support thread?

[Crawling]

Ive noticed there are quite a few of us and thought maybe a thread for us would be good. All are welcome those diagnosed and those awaiting diagnosis.

Ill start with Ive been depressed so long now I dont remember how I used to feel, yet id still prefer this to mania as the havoc I reaked last time was very painful to clean up after my episode. If I had to chart my mood today between 1-10 1 being I cant think how to make a cup of tea and 5 being good 10 being the tv is talking to me and I must go out now im about a 3 today what about you guys?

[Crawling]

Babyheav ask to switch meds If weight gain is bothering you abilify is great no drowsy no weight gain no fuzzy brain Whats not to like. Plus remember you will take these meds forever Its important your Happy with them.

[nenevomito]

I'm not putting on weight at the moment as I'm doing enough exercise to keep me stable. I'm just going wrong by eating too much crap. There's nothing healthy about a cheese and salami toastie for lunch . It doesn't help that I walk past a vending machine every time I go in and out of my office at work either.

How are the wedding plans going?

I'm doing OK. I'm staying pretty stable in the face of an enormous workload, but I'm going to take a 1/2 day this week and a day off the week after to break the week up so I'm not so utterly knackered by the end of it.

[Crawling]

Wedding going great im not i feel im going mixed one moment im talking dirty with a guy im going out with on the weekend others im thinking wtf am i doing and crying my eyes out. But the peoblem is i want to go up so i dont have to be down.

[Crawling]

Btw Its a long term friend and a part of me knows this is wrong but i cant seem to stop myself cpn need to admit me soon before i do something stupid they know Whats going on but im on the max dose.

[nenevomito]

That's a pain that you're mixed again. I was hoping for a bit of stability for you. The positive that I take from your post is that you're still aware of what's going on.

You really don't want to be admitted though. It will be impossible to sort out the wedding if you're on a section.

I have everything crossed that things even out again for you soon.

[Crawling]

I know i dont think pychiatric wards do marriages. Im seeing my cpn regularly and pychiatrist im sure they can add another med to the mix.

[Crawling]

Thanks btw im really trying to stay stable.

[Crawling]

That came out wrong Thanks for your concern about my wedding and everything. I really am trying to stay calm.

[nenevomito]

No worries. I prob didn't express what I was trying to say v well. I know you've got a sensible head :)

[Juneywoony]

Hi everyone just checking in to see how you are all doing?

I'm doing a lot better at the moment and think I have evened out and got used to the depokate although not taking the suggested dose of 1000mg a day but 750mg which seems to be suiting me, CPN said this was ok and just to tell the psych when I see him next week.

It has mucked around with my periods a bit but i'm hoping that will settle and the hair loss has calmed down although had to have a fair amount chopped off last week to make it look a bit thicker

On the plus side my migraines have really calmed down so defo a bonus there!

xx

[Crawling]

Glad to hear your meds are going Well sotrry about the hair loss though.

[Juneywoony]

How are things with you at the mo crawling? How are the wedding plans coming along? xx

[Crawling]

I been very mixed was offered addmittance but refused not doing Well they want to change my meds as they are not working

[DiamondDoris]

Full of nervous energy at the moment with worry one minute then not a care in the world - but nothing too drastic ie no depression but no highs either. On medication so they are taking the edge off my "real" moods (wish I wasn't on meds, selfish I know). I hope everyone is okay. Obviously no time to read as I'm in a permanent rush. Anyone else like this right now? I'm kind of seeing faults in people - feel bad about that.

[Mitchy1nge]

hello bipolar people, hope you are all ok and that it's ok to join you for a quick question? Just wondering how you deal with unfounded concern about your mood and intervention (people contacting CMHT and GP and making extra appointments for you) - especially if you think their motives might be questionable but you can't say so without fuelling the situation. Or in case you know, they are actually being nice?

Would you just go to the appointment and trust to the judgment of whoever asseses you in the hopes that it will be ok? I HATE it and have been much better since I finally got discharged after over ten years

[Mitchy1nge]

sorry, did I kill the thread? I survived the appointment anyway

will leave you all to it!

[Just1willdo]

Hi there

I can see this thread is old but I wondered how did you approach your GP about your condition because I strongly think I am Bi-Polar, all the symptoms I see here I recognise in myself.
I have been too embarrassed to see my GP about mental health issues afraid it might affect my work. I know I need help, I've told noone about my mental health problems that I sometimes hear voices telling me to walk in front of a bus or just go jump on the train tracks. Sometimes I hear voices telling me I'm this horrible person who doesn't deserve to be alive and do everyone a favor and go.
Sorry to be rambling on.

[Mitchy1nge]

I didn't approach my gp, it was more sort of straight to hospital without passing GO, a really big shock have never quite got over because I didn't know I was ill (am still not sure I was) then I was just in and out of hospital quite a lot (their fault for later giving me antidepressants I think, made me really really ill) until it settled down with lithium (or the passage of time?)

Obviously it must be better to see someone and discuss your concerns before it gets to that stage, you will probably need to be referred to a psychiatrist. Am not sure but don't think gps can do much except the blood tests and things, mine won't anyway, she just bounces me back to the mental health people for any medication changes. Could you write it all down first, would that help?

[Mirages]

Guess who is back!
How are you all doing? I got out of hospital last month and I am doing better.

[gatsby79]

Hi, is this thread still current? I have bipolar and am in the two week wait right now. It's my first real go and it is driving me crazy. Like really. I'm doing pregnancy tests every 12 hours and spending all my time googling pregnancy symptoms. Should I be worried? Can't seem to focus in anything else at all.

[MightyQuin1201]

Would love to get this thread going again... Hello everyone, I'm bp2 and currently doing pretty well- been off the meds for 3 months now and I've been having B12 shots which have had an incredible effect on me- anxiety massively reduced with a good example being the fact that I have been properly terrified of spiders for years- as in screaming at the tops of tomatoes terrified, but now I don't freak out if I see one...

Silly example, but an easy way to explain reduced anxiety to non bp people too...

Anyway, I hope this thread isn't dead- really useful place to come.

[nenevomito]

Hi MightyQuin - just noticed this popping up in my Active convos.

I'm interested in your being off your meds. Are you worried at all about relapse or going back on them if you find yourself slipping? I'm going to be on mine forever I think.

That's good about the B12. I didn't know that it could reduce anxiety, although thats not a big problem of mine. Is it just the injections that do it or would supplements be enough?

[Crawling]

Popping in to ask do you know what your b12 levels were I was at 90 and severely deficient and my psychiatrist is pushing for a pernicious anemia test but my go won't do one. I have b12 tablets at a high dose and while my levels are raising its very slow.

[Mirages]

MightyQuin1201: sounds interesting. Maybe one can use it alongside meds. I am aiming to be med free but it won't be happening anytime soon.

My mum had her B12 levels measured and she started to take injections. She had loads of, good knows what, problems. She seems to be doing much better both mentally and physically.

[MightyQuin1201]

I think I'm really lucky with my gp- she had me tested twice- i was low, just not massively low, so was tested for pernicious anaemia & results were negative but the b12 was still low. I was on Lamotragine for 7 years DH and I married last year and the plan was to try and come off my meds before we started ttc- I tried coming off last year and it was a nightmare, especially at the very end, then my Nana died (we were very close) so I gave up on coming off, and actually went through a bad patch for a while.

I came off the Lamotragine 3 months ago (took a couple of months reducing the dose) & once I finally stopped I started feeling exhausted, wobbly, faint, EXHAUSTED, irritable (being an utter bitch to DH)- I put this down to withdrawal, which I just had to deal with, telling myself I would get better and could go back on the meds once I'd had a baby...

Apologies for the long post, but it's a long story- sorry! So a completely separate thing is that I started getting a rash on my hands in the springtime for the past few years and last year it got particularly bad, was initially diagnosed as an eczema flare up, until after a holiday last August when it was terrible and I took pictures (it would die down once I was in cool and grey UK) & my gp said she suspected polymorphic light eruption. So my mum has lupus and PLE can be a precursor to lupus (great! I thought, that's all I need...), so my gp finally referred me to a dermatologist this year, when I reminded her, around the time I was coming off the Lamotragine. Because of a possible lupus link, my gp ordered all the autoimmune blood tests, and this is where the b12 thing came up!

So, I've had 2 shots so far (prescribed shot a month, for 3 months), and I'm feeling a zillion times better!

Crawling- my diet contains more than enough b12, but I don't absorb it properly- apparently stress and anxiety can inhibit the body's ability to absorb it from the gut, but it absorbs it perfectly via the injection.

So, part of me wonders is it bp2 or just years of low b12? For the record psychiatrist thinks all is connected & prob still bp2, but to keep an eye on this development....