Posted by tulip on March 22, 2000, at 13:40:47
In reply to Re: Me? Bipolar III citations for Sherry, posted by Blue Cheer on March 22, 2000, at 9:24:56
> No psychopharmacologist is going to let vague descriptions of what does or doesn't
> constitute bipolar disorder affect his prescribing practice.okay, i have a similar question. last sept i saw my primary care physician and he decided from a multiple choice test i was depressed. put me on paxil 10, 20, 30, 40 mg/s day at which point he would not go higher. during that time i identified with having both an apathetic (blah, sleep alot) kind and agitated (the rest of the world breathing drives me nuts) kind of depression.
i think i may have "pooped out" on paxil at that point. i took it upon myself to ask for a psych referral. the psychopharmacologist increased paxil from 40 to 60 and started me on neurontin, two weeks later i started my pd and at the same time went flippy (fast thoughts, wide awake, connecting unconnected concepts with rhyme and alliteration, really buzzing all of the sudden but not having a *complete* blast because it was so unfamiliar to me. anyway, now i'm 1800 neurontin and he said im bipolar at the last (my 2nd) appt.
i asked what about me is it that makes you say bipolar (i have a strong need to identify in some way so i can recognize my symptoms better) and all he said was mood swings. i didnt go after him on that cuz i had such a headache at the time anyway.
1. but what i really want to know, is if ssri's, as i've read, can sometimes cause a hypomanic episode, does that automatically mean bipolar, or can this happen in unipolar too?
2. how do i know (what i will call, for lack of actual confirmation) the difference between agitated depresseion and dysphoric hypomania? (i asked this in an earlier thread but got no real feedback, someone please enlighten me on this!)
3. can you be *not* depressed, bipolar, whatever, but have events trigger it? can outside events set off a manic episode in normal bipolar, or is it completely uninfluenced by outside factors (not including meds)?
for me, any other factors may be (i'm 34) that in hs i was not caring at all about me and drinking, illegal drugs, and slutty, for 6 months straight (but this is in reaction to a trauma *immediately* beforehand) than after the 6 months i went the other way and just shut everyone out, not what i would call depressed, just resting, only going to classes but not being social outside of that. then in college i had two episodes of something (doc never said what) where i went to the doc cuz i was sleeping 23 hrs/day and had a migraine 24/7, he gave me elavil then weaned me of within 6-9 months. and that was it, but hey, it was a clinic so i don't know, here's some elavil, now go away? so, i guess i'm wondering what really makes a diagnosis (well, i wouldnt call then primary docs a diagnosis, but work with me here) change from depression to bipolar (dont ask me which one, i have no clue)? any of these factors? any feedback? thanks.
tulip
poster:tulip
thread:27727
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000321/msgs/27853.html