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Old Dec 05, 2011, 01:17 AM
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roads roads is offline
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Member Since: Aug 2011
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Innerzone View Post
I've always felt that they are seizure-like in ways, just like... a personal suspicion simply based on my personal experience. Which is this:
"I think the thing about rages sometimes being seizure-like is especially interesting. I have always sighed at "count to 10" advice. It's hard to explain to those that haven't experienced it, that it's just not like that. It's like being hit by a bolt of lightning. I don't choose it. It lasts in duration till it's over. I can't just choose to stop it. There's a certain feeling of exhaustion when it's over, and though I can remember some, it's certainly not all.

Interestingly enough, AniManiac, I take Lamictal, and they seem to have been less frequent and of shorter duration since then. Hmmm."


So this is what I'm wondering... For those that can relate to what I describe, if you've been on them, how have anti-convulsants worked for you in this regard? Or not.
(And if you can relate to what I describe and experience seizures, please pipe up as that would be a particularly interesting perspective.)
I was in hospital when I was first dx'd bipolar (vs clinically depressed). The Cymbalta I'd been on was continued with gabapentin added. When I left a month later, I was very aware that my irritation/anger threshold had been reset. The sort of explosions that I'd been prone to I knew were not going to be as common. They weren't. With the change to Topamax, and within the past several wks the addition of Lamictal, I am still depressed--but the entire irritation/anger issue feels gone.

Rages. Well, I wouldn't have characterized my "episodes" as rages. TBH, looking back at them now from a somewhat different perspective (& reading your post, IZ), they were indeed rages. I'm sure the objects of my attentions would agree ... The change from irrataion to anger was always split-second--your lightning strike.

I will add that if I could not corner the person I was enraged by, I could go off "in abcencia" (sp?) & simply imagine them there. I knew they weren't, but I had to get it out of my system. Afterward I would be exhausted & often slept. I seldom remembered much if any, although sometimes bits & pieces would drift back later.

That's all I can add.

Roadrunner

Last edited by roads; Dec 05, 2011 at 01:22 AM. Reason: lightning strike note