Posted by colin wallace on November 12, 2002, at 13:46:35
In reply to SSRI mania, posted by Elysium9 on November 12, 2002, at 11:27:45
Hi there,
You will find that unfortunately, many people here- myself included- have had similar frightening experiences of coming 'unglued' on ssri's or other AD's, prescribed without a mood stabilizer.
Most would have been initially treated for unipolar depression, and may in fact have been suffering from a latent form of bipolar.In other words the condition only becomes apparent once antidepressants unmask it(or even cause it).It is very often missed, as the type of mania you describe is not classic(or euphoric), it is dysphoric, now known a mixed-state- very unpleasant and dangerous, and requiring immediate treatment with a calming mood stabilizer such as valproate.
There's no screening for this type of bipolar subtype( if that's what it is)- it's down to the vigilance of your doc.
If you get this reaction on more than one class of AD's, it's time to look at adding a mood stabilizer like lithium or valproate.
All the best,Col.
poster:colin wallace
thread:127371
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021108/msgs/127385.html