Posted by dove on March 7, 2000, at 12:40:26
In reply to Re: Rapid Cycling Bipolar Disorder, posted by Janice on March 7, 2000, at 11:52:14
For some strange reason, I have almost an identical cycle to your's Janice. Weekends are the worst, with weekdays, especially Wednesday, being the best, and most stable. I have experimented with the sleep-deprivation, getting up at 1am and staying up untill the next night. It pushed me over the edge. Started the day with great energy and spirits, by afternoon I was very aggravated and starting a manic-cycle, which is almost more dangerous to me than depression because it's always mixed.
I still haven't been put on any mood-stabilizer, the p-docs want to wait, making sure I'm truly mixed manic rather than just anxious, ADHD, OCD, atypical major depressed... Isn't that nice, so I'll have to wait until they trust my own description of what is churning inside me.
Another note, I did horrible on Tegretol, truly horrifying, but Verapamil had a mind blowing effect, and that's in the positive. It has been the *only* med ever, that calmed the cycles. I have gone to four p-docs, and two internal medicine docs, asking for it. Well, it ain't no scheduled med now is it, and no one's trying to buy it on the streets, so what's the problem. Their reasoning always returns to the primary p-doc's opinion that I need to get stabilized on the AD first, then add the mood-stabilizer. I live in a rinky-dink little midwest town, limited insurance, limited choices, keep hoping for the proverbial lightbulb to pop on over the doc's heads.
Keep us updated, I am very interested in how you manage the plethora of symptoms.
dove
poster:dove
thread:25437
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000302/msgs/26253.html