Anyone have experience with bipolar?

[BippityBoppity87]

Sorry, already posted this on another thread, but I would be greatful for answers!

There had been mention of a bipolar diagnosis, don't know what to do. Ok I was a bit hyper in therapy today, but I'm just happy. I have to fill out a mood/depression chart thing and I have honestly had nothing to grumble about the past few weeks.

I've picked up more shifts at work, I don't need as much sleep, my spending has been a bit bad ok, I'll admit that, but I'm not in huge debt or anything. I get by. My DP said I sounded hyper on the phone after I left CBT this morning, but I was just being chatty? Nothing wrong with being a bit happy and chatty surely!

Does anyone have any experience of this?

I rang my therapist and she's spoke to my psychiatrist and is trying to get an appointment for me. I explained everything, she helped calm me down a bit, but I'm going to ring the gp tomorrow and see if I can get an emergency appointment to see if they can give me anything to calm down.

Great bip, just try and get some sleep as lack of sleep makes you worse.
You'll probably get some diazepam.
Did she talk you down a bit? You do seem a bit more sensible in this post!

Yes she did. I was still a bit jumpy and my heart feels like it's going 100 miles an hour! The heightened happiness I had has just turned into agitation and I'm feeling very irritable and the constant butterflies are doing my head in!

I'm still seeing things in the corner of my eye, and for a moment I was really paranoid thinking someone was in the house - again I told her all of this.

And I'm going to brought a packet of cigarettes a day like nobody's business! Which probably isn't helping.

Through not brought.

Great news, glad you’re feeling better. The other important reason for getting checked out by your doctors is to rule out other conditions that can mimic or cause elation - such as an overactive thyroid. Having had both they’re virtually indistinguishable from one another not only by me but by my doctors.

Good point. My face feels like it's on fire, but I don't know if it's because I've got myself all worked up.

It’s probably more likely you don’t get on with this drug than anything weird happening endocrinologically (that can’t be a word 🤔) or neurologically or whatever but only your own doctors can work that out.

How about family and friends, do they seem concerned?

My DP does. He says I've been very agitated and hyper. The mental health team asked how long I had been on sertraline and I said about 4 months, and said if it is a reaction to the drug, it seems odd that it's started now 🤷‍♀️ I said it did the first time (50mg) then I levelled out and was fine, bumped up to 100mg, thought I was ok, the last 3 weeks have just gone complete hay wire again.

My friends just think I'm more talkative really.

Bip the same thing happened to my friend with setraline. What she really needed was a mood stabiliser (in her case, lithium). Please do see your GP/Psych ASAP. You definitely sound manic.
Hugs to you

Was she diagnosed with anything if you don't mind me asking? @bluejelly Or was it just a reaction to the sertraline?

OP why did they increase your SSRI, were you still quite depressed?

@BippityBoppity87 she was diagnosed with bipolar.

The ssri exacerbated her mania - she needed lithium to stabilise. She's been stable and happy for several years now. No manic or depressive episodes.

I can't remember, I think so. But looking back I think I was probably in a mixed state that probably looked like I was still depressed, I have no idea. They didn't tell me they had increased it either. When I went to pick up my prescription, it had been upped to 100mg, felt like saying thanks for telling me

Thank you @bluejelly That's interesting. I've always known something wasn't quite right, it hadn't all kicked off out of the blue because of the medication, although I don't think is helped! I've probably had these mood fluctuations since I was about 15/16 years old.

Meant to say, I'm 31 now.

💐 I hope you have a more settled night, do you have any sleeping pills you can take?

Sorry about all the YOU WILL BE SECTIONED FOR LIFE and other stuff earlier, I think sometimes it’s hard to explain why elation is not only a form of mental distress sometimes but also the closest thing to an emergency in psychiatry. Didn’t mean to add to your stress!

It's ok WhyDidIEatThat Like I said, I had a bit of a melt down earlier, but I'm ok now. The advice given on this thread made me actually just think right, I need to ring someone! And I wouldn't have done it otherwise. I have a tendency to underestimate what's going on and think I'm fine and I can plough through.

💕 hopefully someone from your team will be in touch tomorrow

I need to stop smoking I say currently with a cigarette in my hand I'm smoking over 20 a day now, it's ridiculous. I did stop for about 3 months, then had a massive a massive breakdown and started again.

Does anyone else do similar?

I’ve smoked heavily on and off since I was first hospitalised - I came out (after 4 months 😫) with nicotine stains on both hands. Gave up for a year but at some point resumed. I even smoked a whole pack the night before running a marathon (then celebrated with beer and another pack 😀)

Glad I'm not the only one! Oh god, I have the same, it's not pleasant and I get embarrassed about it. I will stop once I'm a bit more stable.

I’ve been told that stopping smoking >>> lower dose of antipsychotics but as I’m not taking any routinely these days it’s not much of an incentive.

Think there’s also some suggestion that smoking works a little like a MAOI type antidepressant? Could google

After a quick Google as I was curious and needed answers!

Cigarette smoking may have effects on the human brain similar to those of antidepressant drugs, and this may explain the high rate of smoking among depressed people and their resistance to quitting. Researchers have noted previously that depressed people are more likely to smoke and are more resistant to quitting.

Learn something new everyday!