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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by Lollie on September 26, 2002, at 1:42:23
In reply to Cyclothymia & mood stabilizers, posted by andrewb on August 7, 1999, at 10:33:51
I have been experiencing for as long as I can remember cycling that does not fit with the parameters of bi-polar or cyclothymia. The cycles run every few days normally, but can run minutes or hours. Combined with this I experience mind noise, which can best be described as a very busy train station that runs 24/7. I talked to my psych about it and she had not heard of either of these syptoms, so I stopped seeing her and started my own research. Mind noise is experienced by hundreds of people, some of the more famous include Lord Byron, Emily Dickenson and Kurt Cobain. All known drug addicts. Does any of this sound familiar to you, I am looking for help other than drinking to much, the only thing to give quiet to my mind. Any suggestions other than alcohol or hard drugs? how do you deal with this? I would be interested in your story. The mind noise I experience sometimes is so loud, I can't hear myself speak, its chronic. Does this sound familiar? let me know is this rings true to you and your experiences, please!
Posted by calaway on September 26, 2002, at 9:30:45
In reply to rapid cycling and mind noise, posted by Lollie on September 26, 2002, at 1:42:23
I am interrested in any thing that you can find out about this. I don't know if what I experienced was the same thing as you are experiencing but your post struck something familiar in me. I have not experience this as an adult, but as a young child (about 8 or 9 years old) I experiance something that might be simular.
As best as I can recall, it used to happen about once every 3 months for about a year, and then after that I think it happened about 4 or 5 times about 6 months apart then disappeared. I can still remember being afraid at around the 6 month mark knowing that I was going to experiance another bout of what ever it was.
It funny that I can't remember how old I was, but I will never forget the episodes. It alway happened at night after I was asleep. I remember waking up to a loud racing noice in my head that just keep getting louder and faster, louder and faster. I can even remember getting out of bed and walking around my room or the tv room, an my walk getting faster and faster. It happing once when a babysitter was over and she and my older sister trying to catch me running around the house crying. I know thatI needed to go faster and couldn't help the walking then running. I can't say how long these episodes laster either they could have been as short as 20 minuites for all I know but they were terrifying.
I still think of those episodes ocasionally and have never figured out what they were or why they happened. My parents told me I was too wound up or they were "growing pains". I really don't know, and as they stopped maybe, but like I said before something in your post struck me as oddly familar.
Posted by Mal on September 26, 2002, at 9:36:23
In reply to rapid cycling and mind noise, posted by Lollie on September 26, 2002, at 1:42:23
Lollie, I have experienced some mind noise on occasion, though not as severe as what you describe. I have equated it to radio static in my head, so I can't think straight. It subsided on its own after a couple of days, and I haven't had it that bad in a year or so. I think it may have been stress related in my case.
I also experience a different problem- high pitched ringing in my ears. When I settle down at night to sleep sometimes it seems really loud, but I don't have a problem sleeping. I believe this is a different problem, though, and can be treated by a MD. This is pretty much all the time but I don't notice it when I am in my noisy daily environment.
I am sorry if this doesn't really relate, but I hope you find an effective treatment for your problem.
Posted by Ritch on September 26, 2002, at 10:34:05
In reply to rapid cycling and mind noise, posted by Lollie on September 26, 2002, at 1:42:23
What kind of meds are you on? Antidepressants can trigger a lot of the stuff you are talking about in bipolar folks. The "mind noise" I get are fragments of intrusive music that loop and play over and over and drive me nuts. Also, any thinking processes that were going on while I was working seem to stay in there and continue working on problems trying to solve them somehow. It is like my short-term memory buffer is expanded way too much and doesn't get cleaned out. It is this "continuing to consider" type of thing. Sometimes I have to shut off the TV and not play any music CD's all day to let my mind "quiet out". All of this stuff only happens when I am having hypomanic symptoms. I was checking an epilepsy web-site and they mentioned avoiding excessive exposure to music to prevent seizures (I thought that was odd). There are some other things too.. lately I have been getting these "flashes" of an intrusive image of a car wreck I was in a long time ago. Another analogy of what it feels like is a walkie-talkie where the "squelch" control is altered and you start picking up all sorts of extraneous stuff that you don't want to consider or hear. Yet another analogy I thought of is staring into a pool of water at your reflection while it is raining. If it gets to raining too much all the wavelets from the rain breakup the image so much you can hardly recognize it.
Posted by sparkinark on September 26, 2002, at 12:10:44
In reply to rapid cycling and mind noise, posted by Lollie on September 26, 2002, at 1:42:23
I think I have close to what you have. It's a form of mania I believe. Mine sounded like there were 100 people all trying to talk to me at once. Not voices that I heard which would be more schizo-related, but racing thoughts. I'm taking Seroquel currently for this and it seems to be doing fine. You might see if your's is a case of mania as well.
> I have been experiencing for as long as I can remember cycling that does not fit with the parameters of bi-polar or cyclothymia. The cycles run every few days normally, but can run minutes or hours. Combined with this I experience mind noise, which can best be described as a very busy train station that runs 24/7. I talked to my psych about it and she had not heard of either of these syptoms, so I stopped seeing her and started my own research. Mind noise is experienced by hundreds of people, some of the more famous include Lord Byron, Emily Dickenson and Kurt Cobain. All known drug addicts. Does any of this sound familiar to you, I am looking for help other than drinking to much, the only thing to give quiet to my mind. Any suggestions other than alcohol or hard drugs? how do you deal with this? I would be interested in your story. The mind noise I experience sometimes is so loud, I can't hear myself speak, its chronic. Does this sound familiar? let me know is this rings true to you and your experiences, please!
Posted by FredPotter on September 26, 2002, at 16:35:18
In reply to Re: rapid cycling and mind noise, posted by calaway on September 26, 2002, at 9:30:45
>It alway happened at night after I was asleep. I remember waking up to a loud racing noice in my head that just keep getting louder and faster, louder and faster.
I used to have something similar. As well as louder and faster there was a sense of my hands feeling close to my mouth, of strange textural sensations and of increasing significance and something that was all-knowing and mocking and as Laurie Lee says in Cider With Rosie "smiling smiles of unsmiling smileness". I gather that our Laurie had epilepsy. As his description ties in with my own experience so well I figure I must have some temporal lobe epilepsy, subsyndromal perhaps. Fever would bring it on when I was a child, and once as a young adult this happened, producing bouts of this phenomenon that continued long after the illness. The episodes would last about 10 minutes and would usually disappear if someone spoke to me. Make sense anyone?
Posted by fuji on September 29, 2002, at 10:07:01
In reply to Re: rapid cycling and mind noise, posted by Ritch on September 26, 2002, at 10:34:05
I get this quite frequently and I always assumed I was just anxious over something that I either did or didn't know about. When it happens, there is nothing I can do to stop it and the song can loop one particular line for what seems like days on end. At least I am not the only one experiencing it. It seems to go when it is ready to go...
>The "mind noise" I get are fragments of intrusive music that loop and play over and over and drive me nuts. Also, any thinking processes that were going on while I was working seem to stay in there and continue working on problems trying to solve them somehow. It is like my short-term memory buffer is expanded way too much and doesn't get cleaned out. It is this "continuing to consider" type of thing. Sometimes I have to shut off the TV and not play any music CD's all day to let my mind "quiet out". All of this stuff only happens when I am having hypomanic symptoms. I was checking an epilepsy web-site and they mentioned avoiding excessive exposure to music to prevent seizures (I thought that was odd). There are some other things too.. lately I have been getting these "flashes" of an intrusive image of a car wreck I was in a long time ago. Another analogy of what it feels like is a walkie-talkie where the "squelch" control is altered and you start picking up all sorts of extraneous stuff that you don't want to consider or hear. Yet another analogy I thought of is staring into a pool of water at your reflection while it is raining. If it gets to raining too much all the wavelets from the rain breakup the image so much you can hardly recognize it.
Posted by Ritch on September 29, 2002, at 13:43:24
In reply to Re: rapid cycling and mind noise, posted by fuji on September 29, 2002, at 10:07:01
It really seems to be a very reliable predictor for hypomania for me. It was getting rather bad the last several days, and last night I doubled my Depakote, doubled my Klonopin, and threw some Neurontin in and .... slept like a rock! I woke up feeling very calm and alert. I could sit and try not to think about anything and it was successful. No music loops, just quiet. ahhhh..
> I get this quite frequently and I always assumed I was just anxious over something that I either did or didn't know about. When it happens, there is nothing I can do to stop it and the song can loop one particular line for what seems like days on end. At least I am not the only one experiencing it. It seems to go when it is ready to go...
>
>
> >The "mind noise" I get are fragments of intrusive music that loop and play over and over and drive me nuts. Also, any thinking processes that were going on while I was working seem to stay in there and continue working on problems trying to solve them somehow. It is like my short-term memory buffer is expanded way too much and doesn't get cleaned out. It is this "continuing to consider" type of thing. Sometimes I have to shut off the TV and not play any music CD's all day to let my mind "quiet out". All of this stuff only happens when I am having hypomanic symptoms. I was checking an epilepsy web-site and they mentioned avoiding excessive exposure to music to prevent seizures (I thought that was odd). There are some other things too.. lately I have been getting these "flashes" of an intrusive image of a car wreck I was in a long time ago. Another analogy of what it feels like is a walkie-talkie where the "squelch" control is altered and you start picking up all sorts of extraneous stuff that you don't want to consider or hear. Yet another analogy I thought of is staring into a pool of water at your reflection while it is raining. If it gets to raining too much all the wavelets from the rain breakup the image so much you can hardly recognize it.
>
>
Posted by BarbaraCat on September 30, 2002, at 0:50:02
In reply to Re: rapid cycling and mind noise, posted by fuji on September 29, 2002, at 10:07:01
When you get mind noise, do you notice that you're also more buzzy than usual? The music loops have happened with me too, but I've also felt an emotional intensity during these times that's not normal, as if something gets triggered and the music loops act as a catharsis. One experience that stands out; a few years ago I happened upon a CD release of an album that I played a whole lot during my rather colorful youth in the late 60's. Hearing it triggered vivid memories I had misplaced for 30 years, and for the next few weeks I couldn't get bits and pieces of the songs out of my mind, looping over and over and getting louder and distorted sometimes and then like a droning hum other times. It was incessant and intrusive and had a deja vu quality. I liken it to a flash back, almost an auditory hallucination, it was so gripping. It brought back disturbing memories, but eventually it all played itself out, wound down and I emerged intact. I've had other wound up chattering loops but always accompanied by other weirdness, never out of the blue when I was feeling mentally healthy. - BarbaraCat
Posted by Jaye on October 2, 2002, at 8:34:10
In reply to Re: Cyclothymia mood stabilizers, posted by fiona on March 28, 2002, at 15:54:54
I've been searching for some sort of grip on this brain of mine and it's puzzling ups and downs all my adult life. I am so happy to find you all(!), as I am in my (what seems like)one millionth attempt at drug therapy and talk therapy to find some peace of mind.I am just now coming out of a bad two month depression made worse by being given a bunch of unsuitable drugs. I have such a sensitivity to drugs that I can hardly function on even the lowest dose. I never know whether to blame genetics, upbringing, diet,events, or my own negative self talk for my problem. That mystery may never be solved, but just knowing there is a community with similar experiences is an incredible relief. Like discovering the Mickey Mousecateers on TV when I was a kid and feeling less alone.
Now to go read a bunch more posts.
Posted by JaneB on October 2, 2002, at 9:11:01
In reply to new to this community, posted by Jaye on October 2, 2002, at 8:34:10
Posted by BarbaraCat on October 2, 2002, at 22:02:58
In reply to new to this community, posted by Jaye on October 2, 2002, at 8:34:10
Welcome Jaye. You will find much information here and a lively group to bounce ideas off. If you feel OK about it, it would be helpful to know what your symptoms and med history have been. You may have to repeat this info many times for us but at least it's a good exercise for yourself in clarifying your mental terrain. - BarbaraCat
Posted by Jaye on October 3, 2002, at 12:16:29
In reply to Re: new to this community » Jaye, posted by BarbaraCat on October 2, 2002, at 22:02:58
My symptoms are anxiety, low self esteem despite many successful endevors, mood swings, anger, hopelessness, crying several times a day, mental pain,trying to control thoughts to stay away from those that trigger bad feelings, loss of interest in life passions, confusion, sensitivity to foods(sometimes something in a meal I've eaten triggers "something" which causes confusion, unease), cannot tolerate caffeine. Can't "get it together" consistently and tend to drift and get "lost".
Posted by BarbaraCat on October 3, 2002, at 20:35:51
In reply to Re: new to this community » BarbaraCat, posted by Jaye on October 3, 2002, at 12:16:29
You're in good company, sounds like alot of us. Have you checked into physical issues like hypoglycemia, low thyroid, nutrition or digestive problems, food or other allergies? Your symptoms ring many physical illness bells.
> My symptoms are anxiety, low self esteem despite many successful endevors, mood swings, anger, hopelessness, crying several times a day, mental pain,trying to control thoughts to stay away from those that trigger bad feelings, loss of interest in life passions, confusion, sensitivity to foods(sometimes something in a meal I've eaten triggers "something" which causes confusion, unease), cannot tolerate caffeine. Can't "get it together" consistently and tend to drift and get "lost".
Posted by polarbear206 on October 4, 2002, at 8:20:47
In reply to Re: new to this community » Jaye, posted by BarbaraCat on October 3, 2002, at 20:35:51
> You're in good company, sounds like alot of us. Have you checked into physical issues like hypoglycemia, low thyroid, nutrition or digestive problems, food or other allergies? Your symptoms ring many physical illness bells.
>
> > My symptoms are anxiety, low self esteem despite many successful endevors, mood swings, anger, hopelessness, crying several times a day, mental pain,trying to control thoughts to stay away from those that trigger bad feelings, loss of interest in life passions, confusion, sensitivity to foods(sometimes something in a meal I've eaten triggers "something" which causes confusion, unease), cannot tolerate caffeine. Can't "get it together" consistently and tend to drift and get "lost".
>
>Hey,
How are things going? Did you ever get to try Lamictal Yet? This drug is doing wonders for me! Up to 100mg now. Feeling stable and normal for once.
Laura.
Posted by BarbaraCat on October 4, 2002, at 11:29:34
In reply to Re: new to this community BarbaraCat, posted by polarbear206 on October 4, 2002, at 8:20:47
Hi Laura,
Thanks for asking. I'm doing crummy. All the naturopathic treatments helped for a while and then I went back to work because of financial havoc. First time in 1-1/2 years and I lasted 1 week before having to take off sick - I felt horribly ill and my brain was frozen. I'll try again next week cause I desperately need the money, but don't think it's good for me in my present condition.I am SO GLAD you sent me this post and so very happy that you are doing well on Lamictal. I have an appt with my pdoc today and I am out of ideas and so obviously is he. I was going to tell him that I've decided to just live with these awful symptoms because there's no hope in meds for me. I was also tempted to tell him to take a flying leap. Our 20 minute visits every 8 weeks are ludicrous. I've reduced Remeron to basically a homeopathic dose because it wasn't helping and all I'm on right now is lithium and lorezapam. Can't lose weight, feel blasted and wired, crying alot, and I'm losing faith pretty fast. I will tell him I want to try Lamictal and Xanax instead of lorezapam. I've been on all the other ADs but perhaps this combo will be different. Guess I'm not out of hope completely. If you have time, I'd love to hear a more detailed account of how Lamictal's helped you vs. other things you've been on. I'll let you know how it goes. Many blessings to you. - Barbara
> Hey,
>
> How are things going? Did you ever get to try Lamictal Yet? This drug is doing wonders for me! Up to 100mg now. Feeling stable and normal for once.
>
> Laura.
>
Posted by BarbaraCat on October 5, 2002, at 0:18:47
In reply to Re: new to this community BarbaraCat, posted by polarbear206 on October 4, 2002, at 8:20:47
Laura,
I got an Rx for Lamictal today. We'll see how it goes. I believe I will start a new thread on how other Lam users are doing lately. I'll ultimately have to judge for myself but so far most of the old posts I've read on it have been pretty discouraging. - BCat
Posted by polarbear206 on October 5, 2002, at 9:11:09
In reply to Re: new to this community BarbaraCat » polarbear206, posted by BarbaraCat on October 5, 2002, at 0:18:47
> Laura,
> I got an Rx for Lamictal today. We'll see how it goes. I believe I will start a new thread on how other Lam users are doing lately. I'll ultimately have to judge for myself but so far most of the old posts I've read on it have been pretty discouraging. - BCatBCat,
I 'll send you a link from Depression Central web site. It is an FAQ sheet on this drug. Just be patient when you tirtate your dose. I got alittle wired in the beginning, but that subsided. I didn't get real theraputic response til I hit 100mg/day. I lowered my AD after I started to titrate up to 75mg/day. In the beginning I got a diffuse rash on my arms and trunk which went away. Since going up to 100mg, I got alittle itchy, but no visable rash. that's getting better too. Start your post on Lamictal, and I think you'll get alot of positive feedback from others.
www.psycom.net/depression.central.lamotrigine.html
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.
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