Mixed affective disorder- what is it?!

[wellington77]

Hi a few years ago I was diagnosed with mixed affective disorder by a top psychiatrist, he said it meant was basically on the bipolar spectrum as anti depressants were not working- many many tried until he added a mood stabiliser. I’m on Venlafaxine and Lamotrigine now and I have been doing well. My question is, I don’t really understand how it is bipolar as I don’t have highs then lows, just constant anxiety , what does mixed affective disorder mean and can you be bipolar without having highs?

Not an expert but my understanding would be that it meant bipolar with mixed episodes. So, high and low at the same time. No, I don’t believe you can have bipolar without the highs but you can have very few highs compared to the lows.

could you get in touch and ask them to clarify?

If you have high and lows at the same time, what does that exactly look like, symptom wise? I’ve asked but it was rather confusing and they said I didn’t need to have the highs to be diagnosed with bipolar which I didn’t really understand

I couldn’t tell you I’m afraid, I’m not aware of having any mixed episodes. I guess its symptoms of both mania and depression at the same time.
I could be wrong about not having to have highs, but I thought that’s what defined it from depression. Could it be treatment resistant depression?

the way they diagnose is quite complex and everyone presents differently. It depends on many factors. Do you have psychosis? Maybe that is a deciding factor

no phycosis, it’s essentially treatment resistant anxiety as far as I would describe it. But not anxiety over anything particular just a constant feeling of being on edge

Ok so just had a quick Google and turns out i was partly wrong, apologies.
…..

Bipolar disorder itself is high and low, however, on the spectrum it covers other things that don’t need the highs. Hope that makes sense

I know what you mean, it’s hard to pinpoint. I take propanolol for mine, it works wonders.

When I get mixed episodes I have the low mood of depression but with the energy of hypomania. I end up very anxious and jittery, restless can't sleep and can't stay still.

Can I just ask @wellington77 do u feel the anxiety has improved with the addition of the moody stabiliser to the venlafaxine? I’m on venlafaxine for depression/anxiety but I still feel on edge all the time! x

Hi sorry to jump on this post. I'm a week into lamotrigine 25mg and feel like utter crap. Can I ask how long it took to have an effect on you?

I've been on fluxoetine 60mg for ages now but feel like that's not doing its job either.

I've had lots of diagnosis and labels thrown at me and I genuinely don't know what's wrong with me.

Any info would be great. Thanks xx

I was on Lamotrigine for a number of years, I didn't start feeling any benefit of it until I reached about 250mg, although once I reached 350mg that was the ideal dose. 25mg is a titration dose so you won't be feeling any real benefit until you reach therapeutic range x

Yeah I feel nothing 😒 I'm not sure when I'm getting put up but it seems a long process! How did it make you feel? Would love some insight on it xx

This sounds like me, have you been diagnosed as mixed affective disorder?

Hi I started it about 6 ish years ago, I remember it taking a number of weeks like all of these tablets to take effect, 6 weeks ish. Your on a low dose, I’m on 225mg of venlafaxine once a day and 100mg of lamotrigine twice a day, maybe wait till 6-7 weeks if nothing ask to go up doses, I think it’s lamotrigine you have to slowly titrate up not suddenly for some reason.I was given Lamotrigine on top of Venlafaxine to work as a mood stabiliser, the dr said they try it with people where various anti depressants haven’t worked on anxiety, you add a mood stabiliser and if it works it could indicate you are in the bipolar spectrum

@hk1993x truthfully it was one of the medications with the least side effects for me. The first couple of months I had problems with word recall, random twitching and jerking at night and some hair loss. But that settled down really quickly then I just felt normal. I didn't get any of the blunted dull feelings I've had with other meds and no weight gain etc

Oh wow I’ve had and still do have problems with word recall- do you know why the medication does that?

yep I feel a lot better on Venlafaxine but only with Lamotrigine working as a mood stabiliser, I tried many different anti depressants , non really did anything until this combination.

@wellington77 I'm not entirely sure in all honesty. For me it was one of the most distressing side effects at the time. I felt like my brain had turned to mush. That said, it was definitely preferable to some of the side effects I've had from other medications so I put up with it. I was actively suicidal until the Lamotrigine started to work so on the balance of things, I tolerated the side effects because things were so much worse before.

@wellington77 my diagnosis is bipolar Type 1. I mostly have depressive episodes but I have had manic and mixed episodes as well

I have issues with word recall too but for me this is due to the mental health episode itself rather than the medication. I had a severe and long episode after my daughter was born and to took me 2 years to get back to a normal level of functioning and probably 3 years to get into a place where i was thriving not just surviving. It was only then that the word recall improve but I still can find that words completely disappear.

I've been on venlafaxine also, they added in a mood stabiliser as all the antidepressants seemed to have an expiration date with me, I haven't been diagnosed with bipolar because I don't have any mania? I was diagnosed with adhd last year by a different psychiatrist but this new one said I don't have adhd.

I have severe anxiety, OCD, depression and apparently panic disorder.

I noticed I'm having trouble with memory the now. I hope that goes away, I wish it would take the memory of mental illness away though 😂.

I have another review next week at some point so going to try figure out what exactly are they treating me for etc. I just completed 6 rounds of ECT also. I'm not sure to stick it out with the fluxoetine until the lamotrigine takes effect xx