Today's Pdoc Appointment - Bipolar Disorder Message Board

neon_dreamer · 08-03-2007, 03:57 PM

Hi everyone,

Today I saw my pdoc for a med check up.

Since last month was a roller coaster ride for me, I decided to write down my symptoms on paper so he could see what kind of emotional changes I've been through. (He liked the fact I did this and requested I do the same for future appointments.)

He told me that instead of being in a hypomanic state, I was/am manic. Some of the symptoms I experienced (and am currently experiencing) include feeling extremely happy, increased energy/restlessness, insomnia, more anger/irritability than usual (all of these were especially pronounced last week and are still present today), heightened sound sensitivity and difficulty concentrating/remembering details.

He increased my Depakote to 500 mg three times a day and gave me 100 mg of Trazodone to help me sleep. The only med that remained unchanged was Risperdal.

Seaturtle if you are reading this, I could relate so well to your complaint of being sensitive to people talking (re: sound sensitivity thread). Today the noise of the waiting room seemed so loud and made me not want to be there. I was so glad to finally escape all of that noise to the quiet of my home. I'm now listening to some quiet jazz music and feel so much better.

If truth be told, I'm feeling as if the wind has been knocked out of me emotionally after what I've experienced over the past few weeks and can't wait for the Depakote increase to finally kick in so I start to feel leveled again. I loved the initial euphoria, but I hate the anger and irritability it left behind.

Before I close, I want to thank all of you who've answered my questions ever since I joined this board.

I feel so lucky to have found all of you and look forward to the day I can offer my support.

That may take some time until I'm better able to understand my own mood patterns since this is the second manic episode I've experienced and was just as unprepared for this one as I was for the first one last year.
However, now that I know the symptoms of mania and how to prevent myself from going into a manic state, I feel better prepared to handle it the next time it happens.

Thanks again for all of your help!

neon_dreamer

mudhound · 08-04-2007, 04:10 AM

We are glad this board has helped you. It has helped a a LOT!
Keep postig. This is a great place for ideas to be shared.

tsohl · 08-04-2007, 07:55 AM

Good morning Neon_Dreamer,

I didn't check into the board yesterday and I missed your post. Thanks for the update and the report on your appointment with your pdoc. I am always struck by the level of self-awareness you have regarding your "dis-ease." You seem to sense when something is amiss and you search for ways to gain control before things get out of hand. These are all qualities that will help so much in learning to manage your bipolarity.

Are you familiar with the work of Julia Fast? She has a website as well as a number of books and workbooks. I think she is an author who has BP, and she came up with a system to manage her BP that includes some sort of flash cards; she also has a workbook, etc. It strikes me that you might find her approach to managing BP helpful, or useful. I didn't even suggest it to my son as I knew it wouldn't appeal to him. But you strike me as someone who would find it helpful.

If you find that the increase in depakote isn't making a big difference, or isn't enough to keep the manic symptoms in check, you might ask your pdoc about adding in an additional mood stabilizer such as lamictal.

You may find that you are affected by the seasons. Was your other episode of hypomania in the spring or summer? My son has to be a bit vigilant when the days start to get shorter in December through til Spring. He would probably find it easier to live in a more southern climate. This is something else you can jot down in your mood chart until you find what are your patterns. (I'm glad the pdoc thought you were clever when you pulled out your journal.)

I hope the increase in meds will do the trick and you'll be feeling more stable soon. In the meantime, keep listening to that soothing music and avoiding stimulating situations.

HUGS,

Tsohl

goody2shuz · 08-04-2007, 09:01 AM

Hi, Neon ~ I was so glad to read your progress with the pdoc appointment. I also was soo impressed with your level of self-awareness, that is going to be the thing that will keep you on track KNOWING the signs of mania, what precedes it and what you can do to keep it in check.

I believe there is a window of opportunity to keep it from progressing and that is within 48 hours of the initial symptoms. I KNOW for my daughter her pdoc has instructed her to increase her Seroquel by 25mgs every 8 hours as needed and that seems to really help. So you may wish to keep that in mind and come up with a plan with your pdoc of what you can do if you see yourself experiencing more symptoms of hypo/mania.

The sound sensitivity is quite interesting....my daughter experiences that as well. Do you also have problems with a clastrophibic feeling when in too close a proximity to others??? My daughter seems to dislike being squeeezed in a car to get somewhere....it makes her quite irritable & upset and was wondering if you experience the same.

Well thanks for the good news...it is great to hear of your progress and keep up the good work!!

(((HUGS))) ~ Goody