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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by Alylene on October 10, 2002, at 9:18:57
In reply to Cyclothymia & mood stabilizers, posted by andrewb on August 7, 1999, at 10:33:51
I have just been diagnosed with Cyclothymia. I am having a very difficult time accepting it because what I have been thinking is my normal base mood, the psydr says is hypomania. I have been extremely depressed for over two months and anti-depressants alone are not working. The dr wants to put me on lithium. This sort of freaked me out and I told him I wanted to wait before we took such a drastic course. So until I see him again in two weeks I am taking 20 mg of Lexapro and .25 mg of risperdal. It's been four days and I still feel depressed.
He mentioned a few other mood stabilizers but I can't take those since they interfere with the eficacy of birth control pills.
After reading all the posts I see that many of you have had success on lithium. I suppose I'm just afraid of what my real normal mood will look like.
I would appreciate any feedback.
Thanks,
A
Posted by polarbear206 on October 10, 2002, at 19:28:34
In reply to Just Diagnosed, posted by Alylene on October 10, 2002, at 9:18:57
> I have just been diagnosed with Cyclothymia. I am having a very difficult time accepting it because what I have been thinking is my normal base mood, the psydr says is hypomania. I have been extremely depressed for over two months and anti-depressants alone are not working. The dr wants to put me on lithium. This sort of freaked me out and I told him I wanted to wait before we took such a drastic course. So until I see him again in two weeks I am taking 20 mg of Lexapro and .25 mg of risperdal. It's been four days and I still feel depressed.
>
> He mentioned a few other mood stabilizers but I can't take those since they interfere with the eficacy of birth control pills.
>
> After reading all the posts I see that many of you have had success on lithium. I suppose I'm just afraid of what my real normal mood will look like.
>
> I would appreciate any feedback.
>
> Thanks,
> AAlylene,
Hi and welcome to the board. I also have cyclothymia. I know what your feeling about accepting this illness. It took me along time. I'm even a psych nurse! I have an excellent web site for you to educate yourself. When you get to "Depression Central" web site, scroll down the page to cyclothymia. Check out the page "a discussion", you will see many of the post here at psycho-babble too. I am on Lamictal. It is an anticonvulsant used to tx. bipolar dosorders. It acts as mood stabilizer/antidepressant. Low side effect profile compared to the others. Lithium and Depakote didn't agree with me. I've been able to wein down to a very low dose of my antidepressant since starting Lamictal.www.psycom.net/depression.central.html
Laura.
Posted by BarbaraCat on October 11, 2002, at 11:18:05
In reply to Re: Just Diagnosed, posted by polarbear206 on October 10, 2002, at 19:28:34
Hi A. and welcome to our club. Before I begin, definitely look into your birth control pills. They're notorious for causing depression. I am BPII, finally diagnosed as such after being on all the ADs and not being sucessful in almost 25 years of trying. I was very surprised to realize I was bipolar instead of just severely depressed because my hypomanic moods just felt like a blessed relief and 'making up for lost time', so to speak. But I'd forget how a lovely high could morph into a scattered electrical type of blackness, and nothing much helped. First of all, lithium has an undeserved stigma, but is not a bad drug at all. In fact, many antiaging and longevity buffs are taking small doses of it because it's been shown to increase the 'plasticity' of the brain which is a very good thing. I researched it heavily before agreeing to start taking it at my pdoc's urging. If this turns out to be the best choice for you, don't be afraid or ashamed of it. It's a natural salt and no big deal at the proper dose. But it doesn't end there, so read on with my first-person report of my new wonder drug.
I started on lithium this past February and it helped very much on its own and to augment the Remeron. But not perfect and I gained 30 pounds. I still had much anxiety and occassional black despairing moments, and started going down again badly a few months ag and said hell with it, I'm depressed anyway and on a huge dose of Remeron. So I reduced it by 1/10th and it didn't make any difference one way or another. I was feeling pretty hopeless and disgusted with all meds and all suggestions.
Well, thanks to Laura's timely post, I just started on Lamictal 10 days ago and I don't want to be too gushing and enthusiastic until a few months have gone by, but so far I LOVE IT!!!!!. Thank you so much, Laura, for mentioning it just as I was off to my pdoc visit. Within 3 days I was feeling an optimism and an internal balancing that I had forgotten was possible. I'm only on 37.5 mg and will try to remain with a low dosage if I can. It's side effect profile is very low to non-existent, at least with me, and no rash with this slow titration. There have been posts on this board that it pooped after a few days or weeks and I pray this will not be so with me. It's the only med I have ever been on that has helped so dramatically in so short a time. It works on an electrical rather than a chemical basis in that it supposedly helps the ion gates within the neuron to produce a more balanced electrical potential than the bleak and disorganized Bipolar states we know all too well. I'm still on a very small dose of lithium and Remeron and it's possible that the Lamictal was the magic ticket to make the others work, or maybe it will prove to be effective on its own.
As soon as I'm stable on it and know that its not going to let me down, I'll post to the pb-board in general. Don't want to broadcast it and cry wolf too soon. But you're the first to know that this stuff is helping me greatly and I was rapidly going down the tubes and feeling hopeless.
Time will tell if this grace lasts, but right now I'm a much happier person and so grateful for Lamictal. BarbaraCat
> > I have just been diagnosed with Cyclothymia. I am having a very difficult time accepting it because what I have been thinking is my normal base mood, the psydr says is hypomania. I have been extremely depressed for over two months and anti-depressants alone are not working. The dr wants to put me on lithium. This sort of freaked me out and I told him I wanted to wait before we took such a drastic course. So until I see him again in two weeks I am taking 20 mg of Lexapro and .25 mg of risperdal. It's been four days and I still feel depressed.
> >
> > He mentioned a few other mood stabilizers but I can't take those since they interfere with the eficacy of birth control pills.
> >
> > After reading all the posts I see that many of you have had success on lithium. I suppose I'm just afraid of what my real normal mood will look like.
> >
> > I would appreciate any feedback.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > A
>
>
>
> Alylene,
>
>
> Hi and welcome to the board. I also have cyclothymia. I know what your feeling about accepting this illness. It took me along time. I'm even a psych nurse! I have an excellent web site for you to educate yourself. When you get to "Depression Central" web site, scroll down the page to cyclothymia. Check out the page "a discussion", you will see many of the post here at psycho-babble too. I am on Lamictal. It is an anticonvulsant used to tx. bipolar dosorders. It acts as mood stabilizer/antidepressant. Low side effect profile compared to the others. Lithium and Depakote didn't agree with me. I've been able to wein down to a very low dose of my antidepressant since starting Lamictal.
>
> www.psycom.net/depression.central.html
>
> Laura.
Posted by MrWhirly on October 11, 2002, at 12:00:06
In reply to Just Diagnosed, posted by Alylene on October 10, 2002, at 9:18:57
Hello Everyone. I have been recently given a preliminary diagnosis of Cyclothymia by a psychologist. She only met and talked with me briefly - she mostly just does referrals. I stumbled upon this site while doing some research. I am not sure if I have the same types of symptoms as many of you describe.
My main problems are mood swings, anger and irritability.
I don't reall have a "manic" up phase, I go from being fairly "normal" (I guess I mean stable when I say that) to having sudden and very rapid depressions that may last anywhere from a few minutes to a day or two. Most often they are triggered by something normal - hearing a song, seeing a dead animal by the road, watching a movie, etc. I feel restless and anxious at times, I also have a temper and get angry at the smallest things.
When I am in my "down" phase, I tend to withdraw and become detached from my feelings. I have brief but intense feelings of lonliness, or not really fitting in. I have also noticed I tend to be more tired and sleep more than normal sometimes. One day I slept for about 16 hours and still woke up feeling drained and tired. But I don't really have the lack of sleep or the mania on the other side.Sometimes I feel like Holden Caufield from The Catcher in the Rye. It's like Salinger wrote it about me.
I have found that while music can sometimes be the trigger, it also helps me get through my depressions a lot. It's strange to think that listening to depressing music can help with depression, but it helps me feel less isolated to know others have gone through this before. I think that sometimes it helps to let it "run it's course" and get it all out so I can start feeling better again.
I have been going through this since I was in my late teens, (I am 31 now) but when I was younger I had always just chalked it up to "emotional growing pains", but now I know that is not the case. I had talked to psychologist a few times over the years, but didn't have "classic depression" symptoms that lasted long enough, or severe enough ups and downs to be considered bipolar. So they usually ended up telling me everyone goes through these things at times, blah blah blah...(Damn HMOs!)
I have an appointment to go get a full evaluation soon, and am curious to see if the preliminary diagnosis changes. Does anyone else have experiences with mood swings like I describe and if so what meds worked to help this? The psych I saw recommended drugs and anger management therapy, at this point I am willing to try anything to be more "even-keeled". Anybody else suffering from these same types of symptoms I am?
Posted by polarbear206 on October 11, 2002, at 15:23:45
In reply to Re: Just Diagnosed, posted by MrWhirly on October 11, 2002, at 12:00:06
> Hello Everyone. I have been recently given a preliminary diagnosis of Cyclothymia by a psychologist. She only met and talked with me briefly - she mostly just does referrals. I stumbled upon this site while doing some research. I am not sure if I have the same types of symptoms as many of you describe.
> My main problems are mood swings, anger and irritability.
> I don't reall have a "manic" up phase, I go from being fairly "normal" (I guess I mean stable when I say that) to having sudden and very rapid depressions that may last anywhere from a few minutes to a day or two. Most often they are triggered by something normal - hearing a song, seeing a dead animal by the road, watching a movie, etc. I feel restless and anxious at times, I also have a temper and get angry at the smallest things.
> When I am in my "down" phase, I tend to withdraw and become detached from my feelings. I have brief but intense feelings of lonliness, or not really fitting in. I have also noticed I tend to be more tired and sleep more than normal sometimes. One day I slept for about 16 hours and still woke up feeling drained and tired. But I don't really have the lack of sleep or the mania on the other side.
>
> Sometimes I feel like Holden Caufield from The Catcher in the Rye. It's like Salinger wrote it about me.
>
> I have found that while music can sometimes be the trigger, it also helps me get through my depressions a lot. It's strange to think that listening to depressing music can help with depression, but it helps me feel less isolated to know others have gone through this before. I think that sometimes it helps to let it "run it's course" and get it all out so I can start feeling better again.
>
> I have been going through this since I was in my late teens, (I am 31 now) but when I was younger I had always just chalked it up to "emotional growing pains", but now I know that is not the case. I had talked to psychologist a few times over the years, but didn't have "classic depression" symptoms that lasted long enough, or severe enough ups and downs to be considered bipolar. So they usually ended up telling me everyone goes through these things at times, blah blah blah...(Damn HMOs!)
> I have an appointment to go get a full evaluation soon, and am curious to see if the preliminary diagnosis changes. Does anyone else have experiences with mood swings like I describe and if so what meds worked to help this? The psych I saw recommended drugs and anger management therapy, at this point I am willing to try anything to be more "even-keeled". Anybody else suffering from these same types of symptoms I am?
Hi Mr. WhirlyBeen through many of your above moments. What is very misunderstood about this illness is that you don't have to have MANIC symptoms for a bipolar diagnosis. There is a broad spectrum. Cyclothymia being toward the one end. I want you to check out these web sites. Read the excellent info on this illness.
psycheducation.com/depression/frameset.html
check out home page on above site too.
psycom.net/depression.central.html
Scroll down to cyclothymia pages
Laura
Posted by polarbear206 on October 11, 2002, at 15:32:32
In reply to Re: Just Diagnosed, posted by BarbaraCat on October 11, 2002, at 11:18:05
> Hi A. and welcome to our club. Before I begin, definitely look into your birth control pills. They're notorious for causing depression. I am BPII, finally diagnosed as such after being on all the ADs and not being sucessful in almost 25 years of trying. I was very surprised to realize I was bipolar instead of just severely depressed because my hypomanic moods just felt like a blessed relief and 'making up for lost time', so to speak. But I'd forget how a lovely high could morph into a scattered electrical type of blackness, and nothing much helped. First of all, lithium has an undeserved stigma, but is not a bad drug at all. In fact, many antiaging and longevity buffs are taking small doses of it because it's been shown to increase the 'plasticity' of the brain which is a very good thing. I researched it heavily before agreeing to start taking it at my pdoc's urging. If this turns out to be the best choice for you, don't be afraid or ashamed of it. It's a natural salt and no big deal at the proper dose. But it doesn't end there, so read on with my first-person report of my new wonder drug.
>
> I started on lithium this past February and it helped very much on its own and to augment the Remeron. But not perfect and I gained 30 pounds. I still had much anxiety and occassional black despairing moments, and started going down again badly a few months ag and said hell with it, I'm depressed anyway and on a huge dose of Remeron. So I reduced it by 1/10th and it didn't make any difference one way or another. I was feeling pretty hopeless and disgusted with all meds and all suggestions.
>
> Well, thanks to Laura's timely post, I just started on Lamictal 10 days ago and I don't want to be too gushing and enthusiastic until a few months have gone by, but so far I LOVE IT!!!!!. Thank you so much, Laura, for mentioning it just as I was off to my pdoc visit. Within 3 days I was feeling an optimism and an internal balancing that I had forgotten was possible. I'm only on 37.5 mg and will try to remain with a low dosage if I can. It's side effect profile is very low to non-existent, at least with me, and no rash with this slow titration. There have been posts on this board that it pooped after a few days or weeks and I pray this will not be so with me. It's the only med I have ever been on that has helped so dramatically in so short a time. It works on an electrical rather than a chemical basis in that it supposedly helps the ion gates within the neuron to produce a more balanced electrical potential than the bleak and disorganized Bipolar states we know all too well. I'm still on a very small dose of lithium and Remeron and it's possible that the Lamictal was the magic ticket to make the others work, or maybe it will prove to be effective on its own.
>
> As soon as I'm stable on it and know that its not going to let me down, I'll post to the pb-board in general. Don't want to broadcast it and cry wolf too soon. But you're the first to know that this stuff is helping me greatly and I was rapidly going down the tubes and feeling hopeless.
> Time will tell if this grace lasts, but right now I'm a much happier person and so grateful for Lamictal. BarbaraCat
>
>
> > > I have just been diagnosed with Cyclothymia. I am having a very difficult time accepting it because what I have been thinking is my normal base mood, the psydr says is hypomania. I have been extremely depressed for over two months and anti-depressants alone are not working. The dr wants to put me on lithium. This sort of freaked me out and I told him I wanted to wait before we took such a drastic course. So until I see him again in two weeks I am taking 20 mg of Lexapro and .25 mg of risperdal. It's been four days and I still feel depressed.
> > >
> > > He mentioned a few other mood stabilizers but I can't take those since they interfere with the eficacy of birth control pills.
> > >
> > > After reading all the posts I see that many of you have had success on lithium. I suppose I'm just afraid of what my real normal mood will look like.
> > >
> > > I would appreciate any feedback.
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > > A
> >
> >
> >
> > Alylene,
> >
> >
> > Hi and welcome to the board. I also have cyclothymia. I know what your feeling about accepting this illness. It took me along time. I'm even a psych nurse! I have an excellent web site for you to educate yourself. When you get to "Depression Central" web site, scroll down the page to cyclothymia. Check out the page "a discussion", you will see many of the post here at psycho-babble too. I am on Lamictal. It is an anticonvulsant used to tx. bipolar dosorders. It acts as mood stabilizer/antidepressant. Low side effect profile compared to the others. Lithium and Depakote didn't agree with me. I've been able to wein down to a very low dose of my antidepressant since starting Lamictal.
> >
> > www.psycom.net/depression.central.html
> >
> > Laura.
>
>
B cat,Did you check out the FAQ sheet on Lamictal from Depression Central. I sent you the address. Just checking to see if you got the message.
Crossing my fingers for you with Lamictal!!
Laura
Posted by BarbaraCat on October 11, 2002, at 19:20:34
In reply to Re: Just Diagnosed BarbaraCat, posted by polarbear206 on October 11, 2002, at 15:32:32
Hi Laura,
Yes I did receive it and read it. I communicated by email with Dr. Goldberg a few times last year and everytime I suggested lam to my pdoc he discouraged me. Apparently he had a patient that got the dreaded rash and ended up very sick, so he wasn't too keen on recommending it after that. I'll have to put his mind to rest that it's a miracle drug for some of us. Just hope it lasts. Anything else you can find on it, please let me know. I've done a net search, but there's probably much out there that I missed.
Posted by Smudge on November 11, 2002, at 16:32:55
In reply to Re: Mild Bipolar - mood stabilisers » BarbaraCat, posted by polarbear206 on April 16, 2002, at 9:19:44
Hi,
I am on seroxat at the moment, but it does not seem to stabilise my moods. It has made my highs and lows less frequent, but every month I feel suicidal around my time of the month and in the last 3 months have attempted to leave the world and ended up back in a hospital bed. I am scared that I will soon be sectioned if nothing is sorted out. I believe I was abused as a child from my medical records prior to being adopted by my very caring parents I have today. Sometimes I feel almost normal, but still empty, I only feel normal as I am not embarrassing myself. I shout at people in the supermarket and tell children to shut up, this embarrasses my partner greatly but at the time I don't care. My sex drive is very low indeed, although during manic periods I do go over the top but its more like a shagging mission that making love. This is not the normal type of sex I enjoy. My partner is very supportive, even when my mood falls into the physical zone. My previous partner didn't understand my illness and unfortunately just felt the brunt of it until eventually he left me. I can't hold down a job because of my mood swings, my longest job has been 6 months and I am 26. I am currently working as a stripper and this I know is not good for me, the job does not make me happy but I feel stuck in it to make ends meet. I am very curious as to whether I suffer from mild bi-polar as oppose to depression alone. How can I find out if this is what I have? The treatment I am on is not working, I have tried dothiepin, which was horrible. Does anyone else have this problem, which is particularly bad during your menstrual cycle?
Smudge
Posted by BarbaraCat on November 11, 2002, at 23:18:12
In reply to Re: Just Diagnosed BarbaraCat, posted by polarbear206 on October 11, 2002, at 15:32:32
Hi Laura,
Another update - again you were right on. I've stopped Remeron completely. I wanted to give it a week before coming to any conclusions, but now that over a week has passed, I definitely feel sooooo much better after ditching the AD. Major reduction in anxiety, less somatic tension. I've also doubled lithium from 300mg to 600, which I think is enhancing Lamictal's positive effects, but ditching AD has stopped the negative cycling. What a blessed difference. - BarbaraCat
Posted by polarbear206 on November 12, 2002, at 17:15:59
In reply to Re: Just Diagnosed BarbaraCat » polarbear206, posted by BarbaraCat on November 11, 2002, at 23:18:12
> Hi Laura,
> Another update - again you were right on. I've stopped Remeron completely. I wanted to give it a week before coming to any conclusions, but now that over a week has passed, I definitely feel sooooo much better after ditching the AD. Major reduction in anxiety, less somatic tension. I've also doubled lithium from 300mg to 600, which I think is enhancing Lamictal's positive effects, but ditching AD has stopped the negative cycling. What a blessed difference. - BarbaraCat
BarbaraCat,This is great news! You have made my day!!
I do believe you are finally on your right cocktail!Laura
Posted by lostsailor on November 12, 2002, at 18:31:40
In reply to Re: Just Diagnosed BarbaraCat, posted by polarbear206 on November 12, 2002, at 17:15:59
Good deal for you. Remoron seems to make many people lives a nightmare re: of mdd or bpd. I fint that I can do well without , but when dep hits i go onto effexop immed. I usually take a small amount of an ssri for panic, as well as vaium.
Lamicatal. It is just amazing how many other's ar eusing it. ^months ago my doc did not want to write for this due to a rash in some ppl. Now he says he is writing it often and has seen good efficacy in the lit and in his practise. I hope the "potio" works for you. bb ~Tony
Posted by BarbaraCat on November 12, 2002, at 22:45:28
In reply to Re: Just Diagnosed ad discontiouation, posted by lostsailor on November 12, 2002, at 18:31:40
Thanks for your kind wishes, Tony. My pdoc also did not want to prescribe Lamictal for me. He had a patient who went up too fast, got the rash and wound up in intensive care for a week, so I can understand his hesitancy. Sure hope my positive response continues to be on his successes list. With any new drug the hype has to be separated out from the results (look at Lexapro - I'm not seeing much to recommend it). From what I'm seeing on this board, people with bipolar depression seem to fare the best on Lamictal. Some others have a terrible time. I did very poorly on Paxil and Effexor, but I guess that's just another indication of being an undiagnosed bipolar for whom no AD works. Are you really a sailor? - Barbara
> Good deal for you. Remoron seems to make many people lives a nightmare re: of mdd or bpd. I fint that I can do well without , but when dep hits i go onto effexop immed. I usually take a small amount of an ssri for panic, as well as vaium.
>
> Lamicatal. It is just amazing how many other's ar eusing it. ^months ago my doc did not want to write for this due to a rash in some ppl. Now he says he is writing it often and has seen good efficacy in the lit and in his practise. I hope the "potio" works for you. bb ~Tony
Posted by izle on November 14, 2002, at 22:38:38
In reply to rapid cycling and mind noise, posted by Lollie on September 26, 2002, at 1:42:23
I experience exactly what you experience, both the very rapid cycling (minutes and hours) as well as the noisy brain. My brain isn't only noisy, it's also very busy. I just can't stop thinking. And the noise is just as you describe it (busy train station). I can't remember a time when I wasn't like this. I have been to many mental health professionals who have never picked up on any of it. I've told them about the busy brain but they don't seem to know what it is. Through research on the web I found cyclothymia. I went to another pshychiatrist recently and mentioned the cyclothymia. I told her how quickly the cycles can change and she said this could still be cyclothymia. I don't know what the noisy, busy brain is about but I hope to someday find a mental health professional who does. FYI: I also have Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE) which is a brain wave disorder. I'm not sure how this fits in. Best of Luck.
Posted by Ritch on November 15, 2002, at 9:06:57
In reply to Re: rapid cycling and mind noise, posted by izle on November 14, 2002, at 22:38:38
> I experience exactly what you experience, both the very rapid cycling (minutes and hours) as well as the noisy brain. My brain isn't only noisy, it's also very busy. I just can't stop thinking. And the noise is just as you describe it (busy train station). I can't remember a time when I wasn't like this. I have been to many mental health professionals who have never picked up on any of it. I've told them about the busy brain but they don't seem to know what it is. Through research on the web I found cyclothymia. I went to another pshychiatrist recently and mentioned the cyclothymia. I told her how quickly the cycles can change and she said this could still be cyclothymia. I don't know what the noisy, busy brain is about but I hope to someday find a mental health professional who does. FYI: I also have Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE) which is a brain wave disorder. I'm not sure how this fits in. Best of Luck.
Hi, with me it is *sometimes* "noisy" thoughts, but mostly it is music. I believe the temporal lobes are responsible for processing auditory data in the brain-hooking together your auditory memory with auditory sense info (from you ears). What meds are you taking for the TLE? In my cse, (bp-II), anticonvulsants tend to "quiet-out" the music and serotonergic antidepressants tend to increase the musical racket. My hypomanias (AD-induced or not), are *always* accompanied with increasing musical memories, snippets, sometimes blending of different songs together. I also have trouble when I am depressed with lyrical recognition and understanding people's speech, and even sensing direction of sounds. It seems to resemble a "temporary" Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD).
Posted by izle on November 15, 2002, at 9:59:18
In reply to Re: rapid cycling and mind noise » izle, posted by Ritch on November 15, 2002, at 9:06:57
> > I experience exactly what you experience, both the very rapid cycling (minutes and hours) as well as the noisy brain. My brain isn't only noisy, it's also very busy. I just can't stop thinking. And the noise is just as you describe it (busy train station). I can't remember a time when I wasn't like this. I have been to many mental health professionals who have never picked up on any of it. I've told them about the busy brain but they don't seem to know what it is. Through research on the web I found cyclothymia. I went to another pshychiatrist recently and mentioned the cyclothymia. I told her how quickly the cycles can change and she said this could still be cyclothymia. I don't know what the noisy, busy brain is about but I hope to someday find a mental health professional who does. FYI: I also have Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE) which is a brain wave disorder. I'm not sure how this fits in. Best of Luck.
>
> Hi, with me it is *sometimes* "noisy" thoughts, but mostly it is music. I believe the temporal lobes are responsible for processing auditory data in the brain-hooking together your auditory memory with auditory sense info (from you ears). What meds are you taking for the TLE? In my cse, (bp-II), anticonvulsants tend to "quiet-out" the music and serotonergic antidepressants tend to increase the musical racket. My hypomanias (AD-induced or not), are *always* accompanied with increasing musical memories, snippets, sometimes blending of different songs together. I also have trouble when I am depressed with lyrical recognition and understanding people's speech, and even sensing direction of sounds. It seems to resemble a "temporary" Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD).I also have music but never attributed it to either bipolar or TLE. Just thought everyone had it. I'm not on any meds right now. Trying to work with physicians to determine best med.
Posted by FredPotter on November 17, 2002, at 22:40:19
In reply to Re: rapid cycling and mind noise, posted by izle on November 15, 2002, at 9:59:18
I have constant music in my head. I always thought my ability to hear all the individual instrumental parts in the Rite of Spring in my head was a gift, but perhaps it's an illness
Posted by vagen on November 20, 2002, at 7:55:03
In reply to Re: rapid cycling and mind noise, posted by izle on November 14, 2002, at 22:38:38
> I experience exactly what you experience, both the very rapid cycling (minutes and hours) as well as the noisy brain. My brain isn't only noisy, it's also very busy. I just can't stop thinking. And the noise is just as you describe it (busy train station). I can't remember a time when I wasn't like this. I have been to many mental health professionals who have never picked up on any of it. I've told them about the busy brain but they don't seem to know what it is. Through research on the web I found cyclothymia. I went to another pshychiatrist recently and mentioned the cyclothymia. I told her how quickly the cycles can change and she said this could still be cyclothymia. I don't know what the noisy, busy brain is about but I hope to someday find a mental health professional who does. FYI: I also have Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE) which is a brain wave disorder. I'm not sure how this fits in. Best of Luck.
I am cyclothymic as well and lately it seems I am cycling faster. I have always heard music in my head. (from Pantera to television themes)and I can change songs with a little effort. It can be annoying, yet listening to live music makes it go away. When I am in a downward spiral I cannot understand what people are saying or understand the written word. I am constantly under a stream-of-consciousness –fluid thought—and all that. It can come in handy as I am a professional writer. I take prozac and wellabutrin and have added lamictal. Although, I am itching like fire today (only had one dose at 25mg) it was quiet for a while. It was just strange, yet affirming to see others who carry a jukebox with them!
Posted by BarbaraCat on November 21, 2002, at 10:49:36
In reply to Re: Just Diagnosed ad discontiouation » lostsailor, posted by BarbaraCat on November 12, 2002, at 22:45:28
I've experienced mind music for many years, not all the time and not even during any discernable blip in my mental state. Does it feel like you're wearning especially great stereo headphones and the music is very clear? Sometimes I wake up with it, almost on the tail end of a dream but can't remember it because it's so complex and layered. It's always very beautiful music of orchestral grandeur, soaring ecstatic choral passages with unpredictable and delightful musical turns of phrase. I feel like I'm totally present and marvelling at this rapturous enthralling music which is more real than anything in my surrounding. And then it fades away. I love having these private concerts and for a long time when I was young I believed the angels were joyfully singing among themselves and wondered I was able to hear their music. I didn't think it at all odd that no one else could hear it, only odd that I could. No matter what I'm emotionally feeling, this transcendant music can lift me and illuminate me and I wish it visited me more frequently. When it's gone, it visits and then vanishes like a deja-vu, and only an echo of a memory is left. I've come to be much more cynical and suspect that it's probably only a spiking auditory neuron. But what a lovely form for a dissident neural blip to take.
This is different from the buzzy crackling static I also hear when I'm frazzled and manic, but that's not so much a inner sound/music as it is a hollow ringing discordancy truly like the clanging of raw nerve endings banging against each other, or a blanket of murky brownish gray static electricity that creates interferrence patterns with all signals coming in and going out. Definitely not the sublime coherent sweetness as with the Angel's music.
Posted by Alylene on December 4, 2002, at 21:30:38
In reply to Cyclothymia & mood stabilizers, posted by andrewb on August 7, 1999, at 10:33:51
Help...After six great weeks of feeling completely normal, not depressed, and not manic, I have started to spike up toward hypomania...insominia, mind racing and high irritability. Anyway, I went to my psydoc and she put me on Zyprexa (2.5 mg) in addition to my 20 mg of Lexapro. But...she said that weight gain is probable. UGH! If this is true then I'll be back in the depths of depression in no time. Are there any success stories of taking Zyprexa and NOT gaining weight?
Posted by BarbaraCat on December 5, 2002, at 15:36:45
In reply to New Med Question, posted by Alylene on December 4, 2002, at 21:30:38
Why the heck are you on Lexapro? It sounds like you're having classic Bipolar II cycling, an absolute SURE THING eventuality with any antidepressant in the absence of a mood stabilizer. Zyprexa can be of help if it's the right med for you, but it can also affect dopamine which, if it's NOT the right med for you, will plunge you into a very scary place. Weight gain will be the least of your concerns. Hang in there and know that there's something not working with you med combo and royally screwing up your chemistry. Sheesh, if I was on that combo, I know I'd be in the throes of a schizoid mixed state frenzy. Have you read "Why your depression isn't getting better", Dr. M. Bartos yet? Read it. Your symptoms and probable solution are spelled out in black and white. This should be mandatory reading for any pdoc but go figure. - BarbaraCat
> Help...After six great weeks of feeling completely normal, not depressed, and not manic, I have started to spike up toward hypomania...insominia, mind racing and high irritability. Anyway, I went to my psydoc and she put me on Zyprexa (2.5 mg) in addition to my 20 mg of Lexapro. But...she said that weight gain is probable. UGH! If this is true then I'll be back in the depths of depression in no time. Are there any success stories of taking Zyprexa and NOT gaining weight?
Posted by sjb on December 6, 2002, at 8:55:47
In reply to New Med Question, posted by Alylene on December 4, 2002, at 21:30:38
I was more depressed on Zprexa, lethargic and the only exercise I was getting was driving to the bakery. I hated this med. I also do not think it is a safe drug unless one truly is pyschotic.
Posted by Alylene on December 8, 2002, at 21:53:13
In reply to Re: New Med Question » Alylene, posted by BarbaraCat on December 5, 2002, at 15:36:45
Thanks for your reply...I'll check out that book. I know that my history has made a made a definitive diagnosis of bipoloar difficult. My previous psyc doc was convinced that I had agitated depression, not a bipoloar disorder. Anyway, the lexapro was the ONLY thing that worked on the depression. For awhile I was on Risperdol too, but I was not showing any signs of mania, so they took me off of it. Anyway, the zyprexa has worked beautifully! I feel so good, I don't care if I gain weight. It took away the mind racing and irritability, but I still have good energy during the day and I can sleep at night. For now, this combination is definitely a good thing for me...I just hope it will carry me through the holidays!
Posted by BarbaraCat on December 18, 2002, at 16:49:42
In reply to Re: rapid cycling and mind noise, posted by FredPotter on November 17, 2002, at 22:40:19
> I have constant music in my head. I always thought my ability to hear all the individual instrumental parts in the Rite of Spring in my head was a gift, but perhaps it's an illness
Hmmmmm, The Rite of Spring. Now that's a heavy duty score to have burned into your brain-pan. Maybe you can request something like Beethoven's Symphony #6? Little randy Centaurs and Pan frollicking about have to be more enjoyable than those poor dinosaurs.
Posted by jimmygold70 on December 21, 2002, at 12:12:12
In reply to Re: rapid cycling and mind noise, posted by izle on November 14, 2002, at 22:38:38
Temporal lobe epilepsy does what you describe. Don't you take anticonvulsants ? They do work.
If this doesnt solve the problem, add a serotonin-dopamine antagonist. Zyprexa works best, followed by Seroquel and Geodon. Side effects are in the reverse order.
Good luck!
Jimmy
Posted by justyourlaugh on December 21, 2002, at 15:51:04
In reply to Re: rapid cycling and mind noise, posted by jimmygold70 on December 21, 2002, at 12:12:12
wow,
to me ,everything is too loud.
all smells are to strong-and make me ill.
i think i am seeing way too much(stuf that are not really there).
j
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