Posted by Mark H. on June 11, 2000, at 12:16:40
In reply to To all bipolar sufferers, posted by tina on June 11, 2000, at 7:53:43
Hi Tina,
Decades before I was diagnosed with bipolar, I experienced the kind of day-by-day extremes that you describe, so I would say "yes." Since most of what I've experienced on the "up" side has been hypomania, it was only recently that I experienced how unpleasant something approaching actual mania can be. Perhaps someone with more bipolar one experience could tell you the subjective differences between rapid cycling and mixed-state mania, which might be useful in helping you (and your doc) decide on a course of medication.
I recently tried an anti-psychotic that is also used as a mono-therapy for bipolar called Zyprexa. It's immediate effect was to enable me to sleep for 16 hours (it didn't "knock me out," but once I was asleep, I slept for a very long time). Then I felt more happy than I had in a long, long time, but there was an artificial, edgy, almost "metallic" quality to my happy mood. My closest friends didn't much like it.
After a couple of weeks on Zyprexa, I realized that the mania had passed and that I needed to stop the drug, which was affecting my work and attitude adversely (a real "didn't care" attitude). But I am glad and grateful to have it on hand should the mania return at some point in my cycle.
You may be "cyclo-thymic" or bipolar or simply allergic and moody right now. Clobbering your system with lithium may or may not be the right thing to do. Two decades ago, daily evening doses of Valium helped even out my days -- I'm suggesting that you and your doctor may need to experiment to find something that helps, and that it may or may not be a classical treatment for bipolar.
I hope others chime in with more seasoned advice.
Best wishes,
Mark H.
poster:Mark H.
thread:36911
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000610/msgs/36928.html