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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by HyperFocus on September 8, 2008, at 20:51:39
Bipolar II peeps: Whenever I have a positive response to an AD, as in I can feel the depression lifting off and my thoughts and emotions shifting, and I exist in this state of healthy euphoria, it lasts like 30 min and then inevitably I get really major depressed like sadness and obsessive thoughts and anxiety and all the rest. There is no real intermediate time between these states. If I had a stopwatch in fron of me I could pinpoint the exact time down to the minute when my thoughts and feelings reverse and all I roll back into this really bad depression. And I can alternate between these states nearly every hour. Apart from this, most of the time I seem to go up and down different grades of depression with no real life events to warrant the onsets.
I've actually been this way for a very long time. I just thought the particular ADs I was on weren't 'strong' enough to handle my depression. But I've been reading this: http://www.psycheducation.org/bipolar/frameset.html
and a lot of the stuff there hit home with me. Most of the ADs I tried either did nothing or brought on really bad states of depression. I know most ADs are contraindicated in bipolar but I never considered I might be bp (I had this typical idea of what mania was and I was pretty sure I didn't have that, quite the opposite.)Has anybody heard of or experienced really rapid cycling like what I seem to be experiencing?
Posted by B2chica on September 9, 2008, at 8:15:48
In reply to Anybody experience very rapid cycling like ~ 30m?, posted by HyperFocus on September 8, 2008, at 20:51:39
yep, on certain meds i could almost set my watch to them about every 2.5 hours cycle.
and ya i have different levels of depression throughout the rest of the time, with longer periods of time between usually every couple days.but depressed non the less.
> Bipolar II peeps: Whenever I have a positive response to an AD, as in I can feel the depression lifting off and my thoughts and emotions shifting, and I exist in this state of healthy euphoria, it lasts like 30 min and then inevitably I get really major depressed like sadness and obsessive thoughts and anxiety and all the rest. There is no real intermediate time between these states. If I had a stopwatch in fron of me I could pinpoint the exact time down to the minute when my thoughts and feelings reverse and all I roll back into this really bad depression. And I can alternate between these states nearly every hour. Apart from this, most of the time I seem to go up and down different grades of depression with no real life events to warrant the onsets.
>
> I've actually been this way for a very long time. I just thought the particular ADs I was on weren't 'strong' enough to handle my depression. But I've been reading this: http://www.psycheducation.org/bipolar/frameset.html
> and a lot of the stuff there hit home with me. Most of the ADs I tried either did nothing or brought on really bad states of depression. I know most ADs are contraindicated in bipolar but I never considered I might be bp (I had this typical idea of what mania was and I was pretty sure I didn't have that, quite the opposite.)
>
> Has anybody heard of or experienced really rapid cycling like what I seem to be experiencing?
Posted by sam K on September 9, 2008, at 21:24:31
In reply to Anybody experience very rapid cycling like ~ 30m?, posted by HyperFocus on September 8, 2008, at 20:51:39
> Bipolar II peeps: Whenever I have a positive response to an AD, as in I can feel the depression lifting off and my thoughts and emotions shifting, and I exist in this state of healthy euphoria, it lasts like 30 min and then inevitably I get really major depressed like sadness and obsessive thoughts and anxiety and all the rest. There is no real intermediate time between these states. If I had a stopwatch in fron of me I could pinpoint the exact time down to the minute when my thoughts and feelings reverse and all I roll back into this really bad depression. And I can alternate between these states nearly every hour. Apart from this, most of the time I seem to go up and down different grades of depression with no real life events to warrant the onsets.
>
> I've actually been this way for a very long time. I just thought the particular ADs I was on weren't 'strong' enough to handle my depression. But I've been reading this: http://www.psycheducation.org/bipolar/frameset.html
> and a lot of the stuff there hit home with me. Most of the ADs I tried either did nothing or brought on really bad states of depression. I know most ADs are contraindicated in bipolar but I never considered I might be bp (I had this typical idea of what mania was and I was pretty sure I didn't have that, quite the opposite.)
>
> Has anybody heard of or experienced really rapid cycling like what I seem to be experiencing?acutally yes, I have been dealing with this the past few weeks. I have been having UPS and DOWNS, its crazy. The ups are great, the downs just suck. Well I started Lamictal just today for that and I feel like it could work! Im on pristiq and I take caffeine also.
I hope you figure it out man!!
Posted by B2chica on September 10, 2008, at 8:10:53
In reply to Re: Anybody experience very rapid cycling like ~ 30m?, posted by sam K on September 9, 2008, at 21:24:31
sorry to hijack the thread but have a question for samk
how long have you been on pristiq?
when i first started, the first 4 or so days i felt really good...but then i started tapering off, old depression coming back slowly..
will it ever go back to how i felt those first few days?did it happen that way for you at all?
Posted by greenroomlady on September 14, 2008, at 16:45:27
In reply to Re: Anybody experience very rapid cycling like ~ 30m? » sam K, posted by B2chica on September 10, 2008, at 8:10:53
Totally!!
I'm currently in an intensive outpatient program, and on the hour-long bus ride to therapy, I might have three major mood shifts which I am able to mostly conceal--from vastly irritated, to hiding tears as I stare out the window, to humming happily and wanting to befriend everyone. Then, in group for the next three hours, I'll swing between sobbing uncontrollably to pacing anxiously, to laughing too loudly at things that are not quite funny.
Antidepressants can make you go manic if you are in fact bipolar (i'm living proof of that). They can also make you rapid cycle (proof again). Find someone to help you see if that is the case, and if so, get on a mood stabilizer and work your way off the antidepressant.
I'm in the middle of doing that right now. Yesterday was great--I felt almost normal. This morning sucked. This afternoon is better. I wish you all the best.
Posted by Phillipa on October 5, 2008, at 19:44:21
In reply to Re: Anybody experience very rapid cycling like ~ 30m?, posted by greenroomlady on September 14, 2008, at 16:45:27
greenroomlady welcome to babble great info here and wonderful people including you. Love Phillipa
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