tragicallymoody
11-17-2008, 12:36 AM
Hi Everyone!
I'm so happy to have found this board. There's nothing better than feeling like you share in something rather than being all alone and lost. Thank you all for that!
I was just recently diagnosed in October. My Psychiatrist thought I may be Bipolar and then sent me for an official assessment at camh (centre for addiction and mental health). The psychiatrist deemed me Bipolar II with rapid cycling. I had been on 120 mg/day Cymbalta & 150 mg/day Lamotrigine for depression, stabilizing mood and migraines at the time. I was going completely off the wall cycling between manic and depressed. It was several times a day to a week. At the same time as locking myself in my room for several months I would come out at night and displayed some classic symptoms of mania. I nearly ruined my marriage of 8 years and had been unable to cope with raising our 4 year old daughter.
I feel finally at peace in a sense knowing what to "label" myself as. I have always had issues....depression diagnosed when I was 16. So it had been half my life thinking that all of this was just depression and me being a horrible person. I knew something was going on with me as far back as when I was around 11. It all makes sense now and I can look back into the times when I was manic and times of severe depression.
My current medication is Divalproex sodium (750 mg/day) so far and Cymbalta 60 mg/day. I think the Cymbalta may still be making me cycle. Because after being on the new meds since Sept 9th the mania hasn't stopped yet. I'm waiting to be admitted to a womens inpatient program for 4-6 weeks. I feel like I'm hanging on pins and needles waiting.
Does anyone have advice about Cymbalta use? Or perhaps about the open inpatient experience. I would really appreciate anything you could offer!!
Thanks
:jester:
I'm so happy to have found this board. There's nothing better than feeling like you share in something rather than being all alone and lost. Thank you all for that!
I was just recently diagnosed in October. My Psychiatrist thought I may be Bipolar and then sent me for an official assessment at camh (centre for addiction and mental health). The psychiatrist deemed me Bipolar II with rapid cycling. I had been on 120 mg/day Cymbalta & 150 mg/day Lamotrigine for depression, stabilizing mood and migraines at the time. I was going completely off the wall cycling between manic and depressed. It was several times a day to a week. At the same time as locking myself in my room for several months I would come out at night and displayed some classic symptoms of mania. I nearly ruined my marriage of 8 years and had been unable to cope with raising our 4 year old daughter.
I feel finally at peace in a sense knowing what to "label" myself as. I have always had issues....depression diagnosed when I was 16. So it had been half my life thinking that all of this was just depression and me being a horrible person. I knew something was going on with me as far back as when I was around 11. It all makes sense now and I can look back into the times when I was manic and times of severe depression.
My current medication is Divalproex sodium (750 mg/day) so far and Cymbalta 60 mg/day. I think the Cymbalta may still be making me cycle. Because after being on the new meds since Sept 9th the mania hasn't stopped yet. I'm waiting to be admitted to a womens inpatient program for 4-6 weeks. I feel like I'm hanging on pins and needles waiting.
Does anyone have advice about Cymbalta use? Or perhaps about the open inpatient experience. I would really appreciate anything you could offer!!
Thanks
:jester:
Sponsor
dreams in neon
11-17-2008, 07:36 AM
Hi there,
Just wanted to welcome you to the boards! I hope you find it as helpful and supportive as I do.
I'm also a rapid cycler (ultradian) and constantly deal with cycling between mania, depression and irritability.
In fact, I'm experiencing a manic episode right now and have been cycling between mania and depression for the past several weeks.
My inpatient experience 2 years ago for a severe manic/psychotic episode consisted of being given antipsychotics and mood stabilizers. During my stay I participated in an art and exercise class which was quite therapeutic. I was hospitalized for a little over a month.
I know exactly what you mean about finally being at peace knowing what your diagnosis is. I was diagnosed with MDD (major depressive disorder) in the early 90s.
However, my tdoc thinks I had Bipolar at the time, but didn't know it. When I look back on my behaviors (intense anger, mood swings, high energy levels, restlessness, spending sprees, auditory hallucinations, paranoia) it all makes perfect sense.
I'm diagnosed as Bipolar I with Psychotic Features Rapid Cycling with a secondary diagnosis of Schizoaffective Disorder - Bipolar Type. I was originally diagnosed as Schizoaffective 2 years ago until my pdoc changed my primary diagnosis over the past 12 months to Bipolar I.
Again, welcome!
dreams in neon
Bipolar I - Rapid Cycling
Schizoaffective Disorder - Bipolar Type
Just wanted to welcome you to the boards! I hope you find it as helpful and supportive as I do.
I'm also a rapid cycler (ultradian) and constantly deal with cycling between mania, depression and irritability.
In fact, I'm experiencing a manic episode right now and have been cycling between mania and depression for the past several weeks.
My inpatient experience 2 years ago for a severe manic/psychotic episode consisted of being given antipsychotics and mood stabilizers. During my stay I participated in an art and exercise class which was quite therapeutic. I was hospitalized for a little over a month.
I know exactly what you mean about finally being at peace knowing what your diagnosis is. I was diagnosed with MDD (major depressive disorder) in the early 90s.
However, my tdoc thinks I had Bipolar at the time, but didn't know it. When I look back on my behaviors (intense anger, mood swings, high energy levels, restlessness, spending sprees, auditory hallucinations, paranoia) it all makes perfect sense.
I'm diagnosed as Bipolar I with Psychotic Features Rapid Cycling with a secondary diagnosis of Schizoaffective Disorder - Bipolar Type. I was originally diagnosed as Schizoaffective 2 years ago until my pdoc changed my primary diagnosis over the past 12 months to Bipolar I.
Again, welcome!
dreams in neon
Bipolar I - Rapid Cycling
Schizoaffective Disorder - Bipolar Type
CarenR
11-17-2008, 09:59 AM
Welcome to the board,,,
hugs, Caren
bipolar1
hugs, Caren
bipolar1
tigger5150
11-17-2008, 07:23 PM
Welcome to the board. I am also on Cymbalta 120mg/day. As for inpatient stays, I just did one about 3 months ago (and fixing to do another 3 weeks).... my time actually wasn't bad. I was pretty depressed so I did not participate in much of the classes that they had (plus I'm a bit shy). But it wasn't a bad experience, although I think it is where you go that makes a difference. We'll see if I feel the same way with my next admission in 2 weeks....
Good luck and best wishes
Good luck and best wishes
katlin09
11-18-2008, 12:51 AM
tragicallymoody,
Welcome to the Board. In response to your question regarding Cymbalta and mania, yes it can cause it. I've been trying to get my pdoc to try me on it, but he's concerned because it can be very activating and cause mania/hypomania.
Good Luck with your appointment.
Kat
Welcome to the Board. In response to your question regarding Cymbalta and mania, yes it can cause it. I've been trying to get my pdoc to try me on it, but he's concerned because it can be very activating and cause mania/hypomania.
Good Luck with your appointment.
Kat
tragicallymoody
11-18-2008, 10:44 AM
Thanks so much for the info back!
I just received notice of my appointment for consultation to the inpatient program and I'm nervous. But it really helps to have read a little about your experiences tigger5150 and dreams in neon. Thank you!! :wave:
I spoke to my doc again about the Cymbalta and that was considered to be a big trigger for me (mania) at the higher dose. We may drop it all together or switch to Welbutrin since that has less of a history to induce cycling.
From what I understand this can take a while to get the meds right! :eek:
Thanks to Kat and Caren for a warm welcome as well...Hugs back at ya!
Hope everyone has a great day :)
I just received notice of my appointment for consultation to the inpatient program and I'm nervous. But it really helps to have read a little about your experiences tigger5150 and dreams in neon. Thank you!! :wave:
I spoke to my doc again about the Cymbalta and that was considered to be a big trigger for me (mania) at the higher dose. We may drop it all together or switch to Welbutrin since that has less of a history to induce cycling.
From what I understand this can take a while to get the meds right! :eek:
Thanks to Kat and Caren for a warm welcome as well...Hugs back at ya!
Hope everyone has a great day :)
blugreen
11-21-2008, 10:09 PM
I was just diagnosed this week with bipolar and I think I too have the BP II with rapid cycling. Before I was diagnosed, I took Cymbalta for a few months, only 30 mg though because the 60 caused me to be too tired, but then restless at night. Anyway, I had to get off of it because my anxiety was worse and I would fly into rages, etc. now, come to find out, all of that was because of the bipolar I guess. I had gotten off of the Cymbalta and got back on Wellbutrin which seemed to help better, not as much anxiety, and raging, but didn't stop it completely. was just started on Lamictal this week and can't wait for it to kick in. So, Cymbalta in my experience didn't work so good, maybe for the depression, but it I think it made my anxiety and mood swings worse.