[SunAngel]

I saw my pdoc 2 weeks ago and she said I was headed for the hospital because she said I was manic. I disagreed with her, so she called my husband. I told her he would say I was fine.

Well, he didn't. He said I was manic at home, and to be honest with you, I had no freakin' idea. I thought I was fine.

She told me that a lot of BP's go manic during the Spring. My old pdoc said he saw most of his BP patients during the Spring for either mania or irriatability.

She gave me Seroquel XR, which I wasn't too happy about, but only took it for 3 days because I lost "me" again. So, I stopped taking it.

I saw her again yesterday and once again she told me I was manic. I told her I wasn't and we argued for a few minutes. She didn't tell me to take the XR, but instead said if my husband guages me, it was fine with her.

Do you feel like you go manic in Spring, or is there a certain season that you feel yourself changing moods?

[doglover5]

I'm not BP, but I often get hypomanic in the spring & summer. Apparently it's the longer hours of sunlight in the spring & summer that trigger it.

[SunAngel]

Doglover, do you know why it triggers it. I am interested in finding out.

[Direction]

I haven't noticed a specific trend for spring...but I do have to say that winter I'm generally lower...

I take it that when you are manic you are a danger ... you mention hospital? Is safety why? What action plans are in place prior to you getting to this stage. You mention changes in meds...but what changes in coping skills do you use? For me my up times are more like a spectrum...its not on or off but various levels...so for me I'm able to enjoy most of the spectrum...my really dangerous moods are really the mixed...

[BipolaRNurse]

I'm definitely more energetic in the spring and early summer, with a tendency to become restless and irritable in the last half of the summer and then depressed in the winter.

This past winter though, I had the infamous mixed episode where I couldn't tell if I was down or up or what the hell I was. That's why I acquiesced to my internist's demand that I accept a psych referral, and wound up with the BP NOS diagnosis. Now that spring has definitely arrived and we've had a couple of 80+ degree days, I've got some get-up-and-go again, even though my moods are still somewhat variable (we continue to titrate up on the Lamictal, and my pdoc is considering weaning me off citalopram as soon as I'm completely out of depression).

[Pamalooney]

Yes, I always go hypomanic in the Spring. It's like waking up from a long winters sleep. However, when my doctor recommends a change in meds, we can usually reach an agreement on it.

Give your doc a chance - he/she may be able to give you some insight. Something you haven't thought of yet.

Good Luck, I hope you don't have to go to the hospital.

[BuggsBunny]

Manic, spring.... So THAT'S what happened to all that money!

Yeah, I traditionally get hypomanic in the spring. I usually get the "loving it" part of mania, and up until the past few days was enjoying just that. Then yesterday everything irritated me and I couldn't sleep. I finally crashed early this morning and slept for twelve hours. I'm still tired. I figure another day of rest and I'll be back trying to figure out ways to spend money I don't have.

I Love the springtime!

[cocoabeans]

Spring makes me grouchy like I'm waking up from hibernation. Summer, good, mania is good for me.

[fergus]

I tend to get depressed between Nov-March. Spring I'm usually energetic....come to think of it I think I'm heading into a mixed episode....energetic, a bit hyper, anxious, voice inside the head telling me die, urges to smash the car and sometimes thinking people can read my mind. Wonder what my pdoc will say this week.

I get manic in the spring, and the end of summer. Every august I get so manic. This is when I would be near or be hospitalized. In my opinion for myself it has a lot to do with the sunlight. Light therapy works for depression, but the do say that too much light therapy can switch a bipolar person to mania, so this makes sense for me, it's very dark here in the winter. Also my kids are home all summer from school, which affects my usual routine. I'm guessing that is why in combination with to much light that by the end of august I am always a mess.

This year I have decided that I really need to regulate how much sun light I am exposed to this summer, maybe darker curtains in my bedroom and trying to maintain more routine. Hopefully this year will be better.

[Moose72]

I tend to get mania- including psychosis- in the Fall.

[SunAngel]

Buggs, LOL on your money comment.

[moremi]

Yesss I get manic in spring and summer. Depressed in the winter when its dark, definitely a trend of mine. I love the sunny long days. Its just beautiful out there....

[moremi]

Oh and yes I have spent way to much money this spring. I keep planting and spending and doing it all again day after day. Today Im not spending I am sitting back and soaking up the happiness....

[doglover5]

SunAngel, yes I believe the longer hours of sunlight trigger more serotonin release and/ or production in the brain, which makes us feel more energized & happier, etc. I believe it's along the same lines of the concept of how light therapy helps people with seasonal affective disorder. Its supposed to help people who are in a depressive state (in winter months especially) & in the same way, sunlight & longer days in the summer can trigger mania in those who are susceptible

[BusyMomma2]

I'm suffering mania as well. Just added seroquel xr for mme today. My pdoc says mania is common in spring for bps too.

[SmokeyPoole2012]

I get manic in the spring time. This year was the hardest ever because of the extreme depression I faced during the winter months.

In the past I would also have a hard time recognizing my manic episode. I believe the reason for this was because I was feeling so good about life and myself that I wanted to believe that everything was finally OK in my life.

After so many years of tracking my moods and actually listening to others opinion I'm better able to notice my manic episodes. Certain things that help me know are rapped speech, inflated self worth, and needing less sleep. Whenever I'm up at 2am and feeling like taking a walk because I'm board is a sure sign.

It might be difficult to find your "signs" at first but I'm sure you can find others to help. I guess the trick is to listen to others opinion.

[mel80]

I think my swings happen in Spring and generally through till Autumn.I will ride the highs because I love them and when I'm this way I don't feel the need for meds and s#x is like an aphrodesiac I don't do the lows well at all and these are made worse by the fact my shrink won't prescribe anti depressants as they apparently trigger my mania.SunAngel hope you get to a better place enjoy but not too high

[SunAngel]

Originally Posted by mel80

I think my swings happen in Spring and generally through till Autumn.I will ride the highs because I love them and when I'm this way I don't feel the need for meds and s#x is like an aphrodesiac I don't do the lows well at all and these are made worse by the fact my shrink won't prescribe anti depressants as they apparently trigger my mania.SunAngel hope you get to a better place enjoy but not too high

Hey Mel, I have missed you. I am still riding high and am enjoying it. I am not going too high.

[Dakota117]

I am always more angry in the spring I think its all the new life happing but were stuck the same while the floweres are new and new birds etc