Not convinced I am bipolar after all

[didi768]

Was told I am bipolar but all my highs stopped after I went off Lamictal and Lexapro a few months ago.
I want the highs back because then I feel HAPPY but don't want to go on ANY meds now because of weight loss then gain.
I've had two highs but only when on antidepressants which my doc said is common with bipolar.
There are days where all I do is cry but it could be my marriage too since I married someone I don't love 22 yrs. ago.

 

[sahjimira]

Was told I am bipolar but all my highs stopped after I went off Lamictal and Lexapro a few months ago.
I want the highs back because then I feel HAPPY but don't want to go on ANY meds now because of weight loss then gain.
I've had two highs but only when on antidepressants which my doc said is common with bipolar.
There are days where all I do is cry but it could be my marriage too since I married someone I don't love 22 yrs. ago.

 

[sahjimira]

What prompted u to go to the doc in the first place? How r u now? Meds r something u have to mess around with to determine what will work for u. Bummer, but usually the case. I'm no doc but sounds like bp to me. Most of us love the highs but the lows follow. Plus they're not healthy highs. Let us know how ur doing

​

 

[sahjimira]

Was told I am bipolar but all my highs stopped after I went off Lamictal and Lexapro a few months ago.
I want the highs back because then I feel HAPPY but don't want to go on ANY meds now because of weight loss then gain.
I've had two highs but only when on antidepressants which my doc said is common with bipolar.
There are days where all I do is cry but it could be my marriage too since I married someone I don't love 22 yrs. ago.

Was told I am bipolar but all my highs stopped after I went off Lamictal and Lexapro a few months ago.
I want the highs back because then I feel HAPPY but don't want to go on ANY meds now because of weight loss then gain.
I've had two highs but only when on antidepressants which my doc said is common with bipolar.
There are days where all I do is cry but it could be my marriage too since I married someone I don't love 22 yrs. ago.

 

[didi768]

Well, I have been depressed since age of 10 so went to psychiatrist for antidepressants. Then twice I got this spurt of energy I can't explain, waking me up at 3am making me raring to go. I'd clean, make lots of lists, organize things. I thought it was the prednisone I was on when I got Whooping Cough, but then it happened again. I didn't think I was bipolar because my lows are not to where I can function or anything, just sad and hopeless. He figured I was bipolar so put me on Lamictal and Lexapro. I decided to go off all meds because I didn't want to have to go cold turkey if my husband lost his job and benefits. Now I'm just feeling hopeless with no energy again. My Primary doc put me on Prozac last week so I'll see if I get another energy spurt. If I do, I KNOW beyond the shadow of a doubt that I am Bipolar. But maybe I'm just medicine induced Bipolar? I happens only when I am on just antidepressants but the pyschiatrist did say sometimes they trigger Bipolar.

 

[sahjimira]

How r u doing? Decided about bp yet?

 

[didi768]

How r u doing? Decided about bp yet?

Nope. No more highs as of yet. I only seem to get them when I am on an antidepressant and I am now as of two weeks ago. Nothing yet.

 

[sahjimira]

Was told I am bipolar but all my highs stopped after I went off Lamictal and Lexapro a few months ago.
I want the highs back because then I feel HAPPY but don't want to go on ANY meds now because of weight loss then gain.
I've had two highs but only when on antidepressants which my doc said is common with bipolar.
There are days where all I do is cry but it could be my marriage too since I married someone I don't love 22 yrs. ago.

Hi! Been awhile. Have u decided if u r bipolar? How r u doing?

 

[didi768]

Still not sure, I feel like I might be having a little high right now but could be from the increased Prozac dose,not sure.

 

[Korah]

didi768 you surely have OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), but I can't even assure you that you have even Bipolar II, much less Bipolar I. You don't seem like the Depressive Spectrum Disorder Type (unless you have male alcoholics in your family), so it's probably the standard Unipolar Depression.

Of course, that you're subject to highs means that you are not just depressed, but since it only comes from anti-depressants we call that Bipolar III. You're not really Bipolar, but it can be induced by meds.

 

[didi768]

I have many male alcoholics in my family. In fact my dad died at age 27 from drunk driving. I was 5 yrs. Old. My oldest son is drinking now.Why do you think I have OCD,?

 

[Korah]

I read your Post #5.
So then you DO have depressive spectrum disorder. Do not drink alcohol, even females with this can develop alcoholism. Indeed if you have the X-chromosome from BOTH sides of the family you are likely to die young from the worst form of alcoholism. Fear not, however, my Grandmother Adams had the X-chromosome from both sides but did fine, dying of Pleurisy (unconnected condition at age 78). But all her four sons were terrible alcoholics--my father only quit at age 60 when he drove home (no memory of it) and only awoke when he crashed into an apple tree 100 yards off the main road.
Note that my Grandmother Adams grew up a Baptist who never drank and became a Christian Scientist. I assume she never tried drinking. (Same as me, though I did drink a whole bottle of wine on my 21st birthday. Never drank again. I'm irrelevant, however, I as a male could not inherit my father's alcoholic X-chromosome. My mother's side, though also northwestern European, does not have the alcoholic gene. My mother drank wine frequently without harm, as does one of my sisters.)

 

[didi768]

Aww crap. My making lists and cleaning that one time, it wasnt because I like order lol. I meant that I just had a burst of energy to clean which I usually hate doing lol. I'm unorganized usually but neat. Now, sometimes I do think I have OCD because I can't stop thinking about wasting money and stuff. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[Korah]

That sound normal, lol.
I suspect your meds are doing the work they're supposed to. Whatever your psychiatrist thinks you have, s/he is probably right. Ask for your current diagnosis (and prognosis as well. Prognosis means what s/he thinks your future holds.)
Your slang helps confirm depressive spectrum disorder as against Unipolar depression.

 

[didi768]

My slang lol? The 40 mg Prozac I am on now is giving me slight high with sligjtly more energy but the ambitious over the top energy I had two yrs ago I THOUGHT was due to the higher dose Prednisone I was on for Whooping Cough. But the high I got months later on two antidepressants sealed the deal for my psychiatrist. First high I had on the Prednisone I lost 10 lbs. Went on short taper dose of Prednisone 6 months later and got no high at all. So he KNEW it wasn't the Prednisone. So he thinks my bipolar is kick started by antidepressants. Hope I make more sense now lol.

 

[sahjimira]

Ya I've heard antidepressants can prompt mania r u bipolar 1 or 2? I'm 2. Am going soon (I hope) for evaluation and treatment. Been on lamictal and clonazepam for a couple months. Better but not good. Got rash couple days ago but Doc thinks it's reaction to antibiotic been taking for root canal last week. Dropped lamictal from 200mg to 150mg. Hope I can get eval and treatment plan real soon. I like the hypomania(of course)! but not when it turns to irritability and agitation.

 

[didi768]

Think I am Bipolar IV. I am on a high now which my Prozac precipitated I think. I can't stop cleaning the house which is really the only symptom I get. I sleep fine just wake up earlier. I used to wake up at 3AM when this happened. My Prozac is making me manic, I only get this way when I take an antidepressant. Until I find something natural I'm stuck with antidepressants because this sure feels better than dying which I usually want to do. I was on Lamictal once but I missed the highs so went off both that and Wellbutrin for quite awhile but got almost suicidal. This is better than nothing. I hate shopping so that is good lol.

 

[sahjimira]

Us UOTE="didi768, post: 68586983, member: 177019"]Think I am Bipolar IV. I am on a high now which my Prozac precipitated I think. I can't stop cleaning the house which is really the only symptom I get. I sleep fine just wake up earlier. I used to wake up at 3AM when this happened. My Prozac is making me manic, I only get this way when I take an antidepressant. Until I find something natural I'm stuck with antidepressants because this sure feels better than dying which I usually want to do. I was on Lamictal once but I missed the highs so went off both that and Wellbutrin for quite awhile but got almost suicidal. This is better than nothing. I hate shopping so that is good lol.[/QUOTE]
Ya it is good u don't like shopping! So have u actually got a bp2 diagnosis? I hate wellbutrin makes me feel like a piece of wood. Celexa I liked but at higher than recommended dosage. Doc realized her mistake and cut dosage back..I lost that little euphoria I had been enjoying! Usually my mania will turn to agitation and irritability which didn't happen on celexa. It's hard to find the right 'cocktail' so to speak. I'm working on that now. I too want
to die when i am depressed.. thoank God for being Christian huh! May have offed

 

[didi768]

Sometimes being a Christian makes it all worse because then Satan is on our case. I tell him to get behind me but it just doens't feel like He leaves for some reason and I do use an authoratative voice so I dunno. I too missed the euphorias so kind of nice to have that back lol.

 

[sahjimira]

True. Satan jumps in two feet stompin our minds when we're most vulnerable. I had trouble with demons not taking me seriously too. Then I reminded them it was not me they were dealing with but JESUS! That made a big difference to me and them. I stood my ground knowing it was His authority I was speaking in and they had to go...period. Some still tried to linger but the more I told them it was Jesus they were dealing with the stronger and bolder I got in that knowledge.. they go. They have to. They love to test u. There is for me sometimes a feeling of fear and doubt but I know that's their tacktics so I put it from my mind, remind MYSELF I have Jesus and push on thru. They go. They don't bother with me much anymore but occasionally will test me