Posted by Peter S. on January 28, 2003, at 17:01:50
In reply to Am I rapid cycling?, posted by amber_spirit on January 27, 2003, at 15:31:31
Hi amber,
That's an excellent question about rapid cycling and one that I've tried to answer for myself. I seem to be contiunally on a psychic rollercoaster. anti-depressants seem to increase the cylcing. I've had good responses for a day or two and then the crash begins lasting 3-4 days and then back up again. I'm currently on Lamictal which worked great for about a month and then faded out. Now it works to bring my energy up in the am but then fades out in the pm.
I think I've always been cyclic but on a weekly/daily basis just like you. Is this Bipolar II or III? I have no idea, but mood stabilizers don't seem to do something (except lamictal which I think has anti-depressant effects by itself.
Anyway it's all a mystery that it seems I will never solve. The diagnosis makes no difference if it doesn't respond to anything.
Best,
Peter
> Up till recently I've been DX major depression. Now I'm DX BP1.
>
> Anyway... I'm on depakote and lamictal. Depakote helped but didn't handle the depression. Lamictal alone seemed to make me too anxious. So, I'm on both. It seems that lately I'll feel good for a while (a few days, a day, part of a day) then suddenly I'm anxious, irritable, depressed. One day I'll think this is wonderful then the next I'm so down - for no reason. Sometimes its even one minute to the next. I'll be having an animated conversation and then in a lull I'll think how miserable I am. I don't know if this is depression getting better/worse, mixed state, rapid cycling or what.
>
> It seems with the lamictal that each time we increase the dose it gets better for a while, I plateau (feeling functional and pretty good) then it starts to go downhill again. Medication or cycling?
>
> Anyway, I'd like any input on what "rapid cycling" means to different people
>
> Thanks, Amber
poster:Peter S.
thread:137795
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030125/msgs/137990.html