Bipolar manic stage?!
Question: I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder as a teenager and have always taken some kind of SSRI. My doc took me off all meds when I got pregnant, I did considerably well without the meds. I has my daughter 8 months ago and have been doing great without the meds ever since up until 2 weeks ago. I was severly depressed at first but I have suddenly went into a manic state over the last few days. I do not want to get put back on meds, I want to get through this without them, I have done so good without them for almost 2 years now. HELP?
Answers: I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder as a teenager and have always taken some kind of SSRI. My doc took me off all meds when I got pregnant, I did considerably well without the meds. I has my daughter 8 months ago and have been doing great without the meds ever since up until 2 weeks ago. I was severly depressed at first but I have suddenly went into a manic state over the last few days. I do not want to get put back on meds, I want to get through this without them, I have done so good without them for almost 2 years now. HELP?
How would you describe mania? You need to watch the essentials...mood swings, sleep patterns, eating habits, etc.
SSRI's arent the first line of defense--most SSRI's will make a bipolar person MANIC! Without the addition of something called a "mood stabilizer" with examples being lithium, depakote, lamictal, tegretol...
You are no longer responsible for yourself alone, you have a child as well and the risks become even greater! You need to visit with a doctor and see what the chances are about seeing a psychiatrist to see what options you have for your needs...
I work with the menatally ill and cannot think of ANYTHING that will keep you stable, except the medicines and support services.
Pregnancy is known to cause some many hormonal changes that you were able to keep it put together without your pills---now the hormones have subsided and you may have trouble with your moods.
"geeked up?" not exact terms here. I would ask you to start a sleep log, monitor the hours during the day & night for the next 7 days and monitor your dietary intake as well--making sure to note if you are under-eating or binging on foods.
Sounds like you describe something called hypo-mania--the general feeling of being wide-awake, maybe overly alert? This can be a warning sign of full-blown mania and I will promise you this WILL NOT be fun. You can have the thoughts of being invincable, untouchable, etc... People have gotten into plenty of CRIMINAL trouble when feeling this way and thats why I am encouraging you to seek professional help!
Listen hun after you have a baby your hormone's always go outta whak! Don't worry this soon will pass. Your going to be alright. just get into your new Motherhood & enjoy it! Merry meet & blessed be...
Bipolar disorder does not go away. You may be experiencing post-partum depression and that alone is enough. Get back on your meds for your sake and your families. I stopped my meds during pregnancy too. I had to start back after I was done breast feeding. There is nothing wrong with taking medications in order to lead a healthy life.
If you can afford to take meds and you are not breastfeeding, you should take meds. You owe it to your child to be as healthy as you can be. A lot of people take meds to stay healthy. There is no shame in it.
Yes. That is right, SSRIs are notorious to flipping people in a manic stage. You need to try another medication for your depression. I have had success with the mood stabilizer Lamictal. Lamictal works on both poles but has had more success with the depression side in studies. That is what makes it different than other mood stabilizers like Tegretol that tend to work better on mania. I went off meds two times for my bipolar disorder. I did well for 2 years in between them, but it always came back. That is the very essence of bipolar disorder. When you don't have symptoms it is called being "euthymic". Unfortunately, you will need to be on meds as much as you don't want to admit it. Being on meds is a pain, but for me, being off meds ruins my life even though I can go through relative normalcy in between episodes.