[joe50000]

Just as the title says, I suffer from rapid cycling, although to a pretty abnormal degree. My depressive cycles used to last years, then months, then weeks, and in between, days, and sometimes, hours. I can literally wake up feeling terrible, then feel totally normal a few hours later, and then go back to being depressed. It goes back and forth like that constantly. The question I have is, how do you cope? I can't get normal tasks done because hypomania distracts me and I end up doing something stupid and impulsive with my time, or I get depressed and really lazy. I can barely focus most of the time. How do other rapid-cycling BPs cope?

[Forgive77]

I don't know yet, and judging by your post that's what I have. I'm going to have to bring it up with my doctor. I'm avoiding everything....It's like I have a good day, a bad day, a good day, a bad day, but I've been depressed for three years. My house is utter chaos...and I just want someone to do it for me, so I can get back on top of it and manage. I just want to be happy for an extended period of time.

[protector1973]

im thinking you have to organize your time more precisely, so what ever given day it is you always no what you should be doing, maybe this will help to keep you on track. like going back to school where you have a set schedule. HTH

[Forgive77]

Originally Posted by protector1973

im thinking you have to organize your time more precisely, so what ever given day it is you always no what you should be doing, maybe this will help to keep you on track. like going back to school where you have a set schedule. HTH

Eeek that's exactly what I'm not good at. it's the summer so I have no schedule with the kids, and I'd much rather slack it all off and enjoy doing nothing...however...if any of the parents of some of these kids came over and saw it...I don't think they'd let them around the next time. Bleh...

[bekthar]

Ugh. I do. And my mood often changes on a daily basis. (Though every so often I HAVE hit a long depressive phase, but it's only happened twice in the past five years.) I literally get NOTHING done unless I become manic and I feel angry. Then I clean, because I've become so messy that it's getting impossible to walk in my room. But yeah, I actually went down full grade levels in several classes in my last quarter of high school since I was just so out of it with my moods & such (a 92 to a 75 in AP Lit). I don't know how I passed all of my AP tests when I couldn't focus enough to study.

[madisgram]

i've had this and a mood stablelizer pretty much got it under control hope this helps.

[ladyjrnlist]

I am 80 percent severely depressed punctuated byt two-week long hypomanic episodes that happen every month or two. No middle ground yet. It's very difficult. I wish I could kick the depression. The meds help, but it's still pretty bad at times.

[porcupine2]

I cycle constantly, as I also disassociate a lot. I just make very small goals and keep telling myself I am doing the best I can. That's a powerful statement - I am (affirmation) doing (taking action) the best (positive statement) I can (empowerment)!
That's really all we can ask of ourselves after all, right?

[kaliope]

I had the benefit of dissociation as well. so i could separate myself from the mood by saying "its fleeting" and go about a seminormal routine. the phase ITS FLEETING has saved me from so much agony, especially when i was depressed. i know from my history that these moods cycle and that while i may be feeling terrible end of the world at this moment, that any day, hour, minute i will be feeling something else. so it was easier not to get caught up in the feelings that were causing me chaos. because i knew they were caused by a chemical imbalance and not REAL life stuff. saying its fleeting was able to remind me of that. sometimes i would have to repeat it over and over and over but it definately is a great coping tool for me. the other phase i use is "its normal for me". i react more intensely than other people do. i have anxiety that makes this so. so when i feel i am overreacting to something, i judge myself harshly because i am not acting in what i think is a normal way and get really down on myself creating more anxiety. then when i remember that my response is "normal for me" i am able to let go of all that judgement and all the anxiety disappears. its like a magic wand making me feel better.

[livelaughlove17]

Originally Posted by Forgive77

I don't know yet, and judging by your post that's what I have. I'm going to have to bring it up with my doctor. I'm avoiding everything....It's like I have a good day, a bad day, a good day, a bad day, but I've been depressed for three years. My house is utter chaos...and I just want someone to do it for me, so I can get back on top of it and manage. I just want to be happy for an extended period of time.

My house is the same way. And every time I start to clean or try to control the chaos, I don't even know where to begin it's so bad. Or I get started and end up feeling defeated because so much work needs to be done. Wish I had the money to have someone come in like you said- do it so it can then be managed.

[livelaughlove17]

Originally Posted by bekthar

Ugh. I do. And my mood often changes on a daily basis. (Though every so often I HAVE hit a long depressive phase, but it's only happened twice in the past five years.) I literally get NOTHING done unless I become manic and I feel angry. Then I clean, because I've become so messy that it's getting impossible to walk in my room. But yeah, I actually went down full grade levels in several classes in my last quarter of high school since I was just so out of it with my moods & such (a 92 to a 75 in AP Lit). I don't know how I passed all of my AP tests when I couldn't focus enough to study.

My mood usually changes on a daily basis as well. Sometimes even within hours. My motivation is constantly changing as well.

[joe50000]

It's terrible, but i'm glad i'm not alone. When I get depressed, I have to constantly reassure myself. But the problem is that when I become hypomanic, I become egomaniacal and I totally lose control. I don't do anything excessive, but I can't tell myself to calm down properly. If anything, it's the medication that triggers my hypomania, but if I go off them, my depression gets worse. My doc says that it's going to take a while for me to even out, but i've been on my meds for over a year and I don't seem to be getting any better.

I'm on Lamicatal 200mg, Zoloft 200mg, and resperidal. What's the typical dose for lamictal to start working?

[xp1155]

I have mixed episodes and rapid cycling. I used to pop Xanax (prescribed for anxiety) and simply knock myself out. Plus, I was misdiagnosed for YEARS as simply depressed (dysthymic, major, and existential) with anxiety and didn't understand why simply taking SSRIs wasn't cutting it. Now that I know, I can combat it easier. My mania is hypomanic; but, the depression and anxiety are what really gets to me.

I write a lot and listen to an insane amount of music. These things help the most. Other than that, I just take it one day at a time and continue to seek out the right meds for me.

Originally Posted by joe50000

It's terrible, but i'm glad i'm not alone. When I get depressed, I have to constantly reassure myself. But the problem is that when I become hypomanic, I become egomaniacal and I totally lose control. I don't do anything excessive, but I can't tell myself to calm down properly. If anything, it's the medication that triggers my hypomania, but if I go off them, my depression gets worse. My doc says that it's going to take a while for me to even out, but i've been on my meds for over a year and I don't seem to be getting any better.

I'm on Lamicatal 200mg, Zoloft 200mg, and resperidal. What's the typical dose for lamictal to start working?

You say that when you go off the meds it triggers your depression, are you stopping and starting your meds on your own? If so that can keep you very unstable. Also a year is a long time to see if a med is going to work for you. I have tried Lamictal but I can't remember the dose. It might be time for a change in meds if you've been taking them as directed and still no change. Or a dosage change.

Moods changing within the day, or hours sounds like it could be ultra-rapid (days) or ultradian cycling (hours). I believe rapid cycling is a little bit slower than this. Also there is often lingering symptoms in many people long after the episode has passed. I rapid cycle and even when I am in a normal me phase, I still have many residual symptoms hanging around.

It can be really complicated to get it all figured out, I would just be persistent with the pdoc about how you feel like the meds are not working. Also are you charting your moods on a mood chart? This would give the pdoc a really good view of how you are fluctuating and help to make a better plan for you.

Lastly rapid cycling (i'm sure you know this) can be a lot tougher to treat with meds. It doesn't always respond to the medications and sadly that means you might not be able to expect really great results with meds. You just have to hang in here and keep plugging away at it. It is frustrating for sure.

[porcupine2]

I'm on 200 mg Lamictal, down from 400 mg. That medication has been a lifesaver for me but when I had to go off them and then start them up again a month later, it took months for me to get the full effect again. The generic lamotrigamine (sp?) did not work at all - are you on the brand or the generic? Hang in there....it takes time to find the right combination as the chemicals in our body vary for each individual. One step at a time...