Agitation

Does anyone know if agitation is a sign of mania? Does anyone have any suggestions for dealing with agitation or any idea of meds that are helpful with that particular problem?

Thanks!
Carla

Yes, agitation/hostility can be signs of mania. Ask your pdoc about clonzapam. As far as dealing with it, I try to stay from stress as much as possible and tend to avoid people.

Definitely a sign of mania - Wellbutrin has worked for me for anxiety and agitation.

Breathing exercise and grounding techniques work for me.... to a degree.

also clutching on my crystals.

It is a symptom of mania, it can also go with depression and also mixed states.

I was literally just reading an article about zyprexa having a a big role when it comes to severe agitation. I was just put on zyprexa a few days ago, also have really bad agitation to the point of pacing and doing nothing else at all. Although that's not the main reason I was put on it.

People here suggested trying to switch up what I was doing. I tried It and it seemed to help, for the moment while I was "doing" something else, but has returned. From everything I've read online, it's like the above suggestions, relaxation techniques, music, getting away from stessors.

[quote=Anika;1903435]It is a symptom of mania, it can also go with depression and also mixed states.

Anika, My friend has this severe agitation and has for over a year. Thank you for your post as I was unaware it can be present during all states.
As far as I know he only takes 2 meds, do you know if Zyprexa is for a short time or can it be used longterm? I have never heard him list this as a medication he has taken. But would like to suggest he ask his doctor, if he does not know of this medication.
Thank you

[quote=Likeable-me;1903693]Likeable-me,

I'm not sure of zyprexa's long term use, It is an anti psychotic. According to wikipedia it is approved for long-term treatment in Bipolar 1. And is approved for acute agitation in Bipolar 1 mania.

Agitation can also also go along with Anxiety. So if you have Bipolar and an Anxiety disorder (rather common I think ) I could see how this could help keep you in a state of agitation.

It's can also be caused by illness, vitamin B6 deficiency, hyperthyroidism, and some medications ( including some used to treat Bipolar) something worth looking at.

I hope this is of some help, a year is an awfully long time to feel awful

Carla - this is a good question. I also experience agitation and irritability over the smallest things. Do you too? I did not even know it was connected to mania - I just thought it was a symptom of living. Someone correct me if I'm wrong on this - if so I need advice on meds too.

I think it's more part of a mixed episode

Hi, again, Anika: I'm glad you mentioned agitation for all three states cause I get agitation from many states. I have to stop and check myself: Is this an irritated agitation? Is this the restless agitation I get? Is this an anxious agitation? You see how tough it can to pin it down. So my response is that I am often in mixed....am just as often in depression, which I also get irritable. And recently I definitely have experienced it with hypomainia/mania.

For meds, I have limiations so I've been on lithium for a mood stabilizer for years and now have built up to a high dose of tegretol. I can see where the tegretol has helped with the mixed and helped me avoid atypical antipsychotics for mania finally. For someone else, I'm sure their pdoc can help sort all this. It'll be a quest for the right mix.

Beezup,
I take antipsychotics for this along with my mania, or mixed states, because anticonvulasants have never done a thing for me. I would rather take an anticonvulsant than an antipsychotic any day tho. I also take lithium but that really doesn't help with agitation.

You know what I find interesting, is that I never have an episode without agitation ever since I have started meds five yeas ago. Countless cycles since I rapid cycle, and not one yet. Makes me curious about others?

Okayone,
Agitation usually appears when the brain is over stress capacity from what I understand, so ya sometimes it's just a life thing. A kin to anxiety I would think.

I have a dx. of major depression. When it rears its ugly head I get aggitated so its not just a sign of bipolar disorder

Take care Carla!!
Hugs;

Good afternoon, Anika:
You kinda pointed something out that I said...my comment about antipsychotics and mania made my comment sound like I thought antipsychotics CAUSED mania...no, I was meaning their use as a treatment for mania. Anyhow, I can't take them, although I have several times, due to the side affects. Hence, the unusual load-up of tegretol,which is working for my latest mania. Just clarifying if only for my benefit!

Good point - as I've experienced that anticonvulsants don't work well for my mania. Also, never thought about the constant agitation as I rapid cycle too. Hhmmm.

Beezup, haha aww no I think I understood what you meant. Internet isn't always the easiest communication.

Man it's real hard figuring out the moods sometimes hey. Depression with mania, mania with depression, agitation, anxiety, ugh mixed episodes I get all to often. I really hate the side effects of he antipsychotics, but I guess I just have to ride it out.

I get a lot of psychomotor agitation, the wringing of hands, marathon pacing, picking at my skin causing harm, pretty much every useless thing one could do, moving my feet if I have to sit, pulling my clothing ect. Do you experience this too when highly agitated ? Just curious.

I was just reading , along with stress reduction and calm environment , that adequate lighting, and sleep also can help out. For such an awful state, I'm really having a hard time finding much valuable info.

I'm not sure if it's just specific to me but I have noticed that certain foods increase both the likelihood of feeling and the intensity of any agitation or manic stage I enter.

For me spicy foods and red meats are not great, and I also now get very strong caffeine buzzes from coffee since I started my meds. A strong Espresso ramps up any slight sense of agitation considerably in my case. Alcohol is a pretty obvious culprit too.

But as I stressed before, this may be specific to me and more simply a general diet issue.

Yeah,for me it's a sign i'm at the tail end of a mania and am about to fall into the abyss of depression. Saying that I've found lithium has worked wonders in the year I've been on it. Hope everything works out for you.

Still trying to learn this posting! Ugh! (Bingo! agitation in action ha ha) Re: your question....mostly I have hypomania but anyway my agitation does manifest with a few outward things. Like I just HAVE to stretch. This makes sense b/c most of my difficulties I perceive INWARDLY...like a coiled snake ready to strike. So my walking (not pacing) also helps a lot. This also helps me get tired enough to sleep. So rather than move with no purpose, I try to move for sure, but with a goal in mind. I even run stuff back and forth in the house all day and use this to clean house...i.e. towels from laundry to linen closet, heap of jewlry on the table - back to the dresser drawer. It's a game that helps clean the house! I think that's clever . Distration, distraction, distration.

Very good thread.

"Coiled snake ready to strike'....wow, perfect image.

Right! Pretty perfect. I'm an agitated person now. It happens when I'm manic. A person at Best Buy agitated me today. I have five kids, and today I had my triplets out shopping with me. I tend to have 15 -20 minutes tops before hell breaks loose. I went into best buy and was looking for this particular computer, and this one didn't have it....so....okay...moving on...my husband found another one that he thought would make me equally happy. I was good with it, but then they have non in stock. Well...I have already been furniture shopping by this point buying a dining room table and china cabinet. At best buy they only had one car shopping cart left...I said I had triplets right? Two can fit in the car, and on can fit on top in the basket type thing. Ask me if the female was pissed. She she's crying then proceeds to squish my finger between the cart and her almost 4 year old shoe. I almost lost it. The best I could muster up was. "I'm done. We gotta go." The whole time my kids were wigging out...this sales associate is yawning, and not directing us to a computer we could purchase that day that would have been of equal value and quality. He was slow, and I think uneducated in the note books, and I was frustrated. I like to get to the point!!! We left, but I didn't tear anyone's head off. Yeay for me!! Woo Hoo!!! Esp cause I used to work in sales. I would have has sensitivity to children going haywire, and would have made the quick sale ASAP.

I think this is a nature and nurture thing. It's also part and parcel of the disease as any book will tell you. We go off...that's the deal. It's just learning to control it, and leaning on our partners, and trusting them to do the right thing that will help us. My husband said we'd just order the notebook I wanted off the internet. Works for me...other than I couldn't get it that day...but who cars...I already have an iMac....this pc was just a cherry on top of the cake so I could walk around the house with it and watch my kids.

Best of luck to you...and try not to wring too many people's necks. LOL

I think it depends on the situations going on in your life. I was very agitated and anxious due to multiple stressful things happening in my life. I called my doctor and spoke with my therapist who said I was not manic, but they did give me some meds to help quelch the feelings. I was given 7.5 mg or Abilify to add to my mix of 900 Mg Lithium, 100 Mg Lamogritine, 120 Mg Propanolol and 30 Mg of Temazepam. The Abilify helped immediately and immensely. I am a highly sensitive person in addition to being BP 1. Hope this helps. BTW Abilify is expensive so if your insurance doesn't pay for it you might want to look for other alternatives.

Agitation is definitely a symptom of mania. That's how I know I've moved from hypomania to mania.