[musicsinmysoul]

Recently diagnosed with ADHD Combined type, and I do know for a fact that it is what I have because my symptoms have always been there, I'm just more aware of it now since I'm 21.

Not so fond of my psychiatrist, don't feel like I can tell him every detail because, well, he makes me feel as if he couldn't care less. Was taking 18 and then 36mg of Concerta for it for about 6 weeks, saw SOME improvement but I was still freaking out about everything, if not more than before. Lost about 10 pounds and I'm never hungry which isn't like me. Insomnia got so much worse, I now can't sleep until 5:30-6am....yes, I am WIDE AWAKE until 6am then I sleep in until 1 or 2pm.

Saw him today, told him how the meds were doing, he nodded his head like he's heard it all before blah blah blah, didn't explain much to me, then said he couldn't raise my dosage as it would likely worsen symptoms. Switched me to 30mg of Vyvanse to start. Now, I'm not sure if this is the LOWEST dose there is....but it's expensive for someone with a part time job and no drug benefits ($150)

I've had a lot of people on this site comment about my posts and say that it sounds like I have Bi-Polar Disorder. I HAVE thought that too at times, but I know that I DO have ADHD, since I've had the symptoms for as long as I can remember.

My understanding of the difference between ADHD and Bi-Polar is that(feel free to correct me if I'm wrong,):

- Bi-Polar comes and goes without anything provoking it, like if you get upset it doesn't make you majorly upset for weeks. Where as ADHD is usually connected to overly emotional towards life events.
-BP needs to have at LEAST 2 weeks duration of depression or mania at a time(ive never felt high...only very irritated-- but i know it can show up as irritation instead of feeling elevated, i never feel overly happy). Where as ADHD you can go from mania(or at least irritated or kinda happy...i call it feeling motivated..cause i often feel motivated at night and ill stay up and try to work on many things at once and get a crap load or brilliant ideas..then cant finish them but don't feel tired..next thing i know its 5am) to feeling fine, to feeling depressed and then fine all in a SINGLE DAY. I have felt like this before...

So..... If any of you have BOTH adhd and bipolar disorder(type 1 or 2--preferrably helpful if youre 2 because i know i wouldn't be 1, im not extreme enough and people dont really notice, they just find me annoying -.-)
please feel free to share your symptoms! I really would like to get a grasp on if its possible that I would have both. I honestly wouldnt doubt it, but I dont feel like my pdoc is looking for anything else, and I want to be able to have some sort of explanation if im going to suggest that he check me for it.

Any info is greatly appreciated!

[cocoabeans]

My husband has ADHD and bipolar 1. He describes his ADHD as waves of energy and pure inability to focus and it lasts, it doesn't matter if he's manic, depressed or just "normal" he can't focus even if he wants to but, sometimes he'll get hyper focused on things, apparently an ADHD thing too. When he's focused on something, good luck getting his attention on the first try.

Bipolar comes and goes. There was a really nasty period a couple years ago where he was in a mixed state and going from euphoric to depressed in the same day but, generally it isn't like that for him though it happens emotionally sometimes. I've seen him through and heard of his depressions lasting months, same for manias.

The emotional ups and downs though, I swear that man is more emotional than a stereotypical woman perhaps it is the interplay between the bp1 and the adhd.

ADHD meds make his moods worse even the non-stimulant ones so, he doesn't take 'em. And too be honest, he's off all meds right now too...watch out world, there's a bipolar couple on the loose with no meds! Hahaha.

But really, if you think it might be bipolar, talk to your doctor about it. Watch out though, that could mean you get prescribed even more pricey medications. Do you feel that is needed?

[Setso]

Im ADHD and bipolar ii
Sucks doesn't it.

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[Setso]

Im like u a lot, rapid cycles sad okay sad okay happy sad miserable ugh

Been on almost all the meds and nothing helps
And been in so much therapy and idk anymore

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[musicsinmysoul]

Well I dont necessarily think that I have bipolar as well but i meet the ENTIRE criteria for Inattentive type and 1 less of the ENTIRE criteria for Hyperactive/Impulsive type. So Adhd is deff there. I just tend to see a pattern between WHY i end up crying and depressed after having panic attacks and feeling like no one can help me and feeling the urge to hurt myself(but dont actually, just the thoughts are there). But it's not every day all day its just...random enough that I can't mentally keep track of it..and writing it all down is exhausting to even think about.

I'm sorry to hear that not much has worked for you, honestly that makes me nervous just thinking about it.

How "extreme" (the irritation and mood swings) does it have to be for a person to be classified bipolar?

Like without medication, referring to you, Setso, is it like extremely obvious that you're upset and angry(for lack of a correct word), or is it mostly an internal kind of struggle for you? Just curious.

[cocoabeans]

"Extreme" enough to have a significant impact on your work, educational, social or family life, usually all of the above.

Feeling anxious, panicky and depressed sometimes is totally normal for anyone sometimes. It is also expected with ADHD affecting your functioning.

[BlueInanna]

Hey music
You already know i have add. I have a bipolarII dx as well. I forgot to take all meds today so I'm having major trouble focusing. I don't even remember your questions. Hopefully the others answered them for you. I'm in a mania right now, no big deal at the moment, but I'm looking forward to my clonopin and ambien - I don't forget to take those. Please ask anything you like, I'm happy to try to help

[musicsinmysoul]

Oh! thanks for posting I honestly can't say that I remember knowing you had both, otherwise I probably would have just asked you specifically about it.
I know it's rude, but I'm going to go ahead and assume that when YOU are manic, it's the elevated happy one?
I never seem OVERLY happy, more so just motivated and I get a stream of what I think are good ideas(usually are) and try to say to myself im going to do them or I can do that, and then go through that adhd process of losing my thoughts and then ultimately giving up and getting depressed for about an hour. Then I'm just kinda HERE. And I don't feel anything..literally.
So I guess when you're manic you are like that every day all day for a few days or weeks? It doesn't all shift from down to up or reverse in one day, or even a few hours?

Just hard to wrap my head around someone who has BOTH. I mean...adhd is enough in itself.

[BlueInanna]

ok, so for me, i've been in this manic episode about a month. and it's not black and white. it's like euphoric sometimes, extreme agitation & irritability, crying spells, screaming, rage, ok-ness, craving for drugs and alcohol and sex, these all come & go. and it really varies in intensity... but it's been persistant. personal stress and crisis triggered it, I think. I am medicated so it makes riding it out a little easier, but I do think I could do this without the lithium. It is really good that I have the clonopin for anti-anxiety... you really just could have anxiety ya know? or maybe something to help you sleep at night would help? I have to make myself sleep every night so I be productive with work and dealing with the kids and all... ughh...

[musicsinmysoul]

Yeahh see you sound like extreme to me, and I'm nowhere near that kind of level, I don't scream or throw things or hit things or anything, it's more of an internal struggle really, beat myself up mentally i guess.

I feel like my anxiety gets worse with this, but my psychiatrist has yet to mention that its even relevent, maybe he just thinks its from the meds I was on. I switched meds today, so we'll see how this next one goes.

As far as the sleeping....Insomnia is wayy worse now than before. Maybe cause I'm up half the night researching this stuff, i dunno. I'm lucky if I can get to sleep by 5:30am, literally. I have tried sleeping pills in the past, but just like everyone else that's taken them will say...bad idea. You get addicted to them and then it just gets worse and they don't work and then you withdrawal. At least that happened to me, it was horrible.

[BlueInanna]

I'm not addicted to my sleeping pills... I just know not to rely on them. I'll take them like 1 out of 3 nights or less. There's just times where I need them and I don't want to be dependent on them, or anything.

But yea, bp is not something you want to have. This current episode would probably put me at bpI status. I've spent most of my time depressed since I can remember.

[Eliza Jane]

I think a lot of people wonder if they have BP because they have "mood swings." I think that is what a lot of the public understands to be BP. In fact, only some BP folks would describe what they experience as mood swings. For a lot of us, BP consists of distinct (and sometimes lengthy) periods of depression and other distinct periods of mania or hypomania. Mood swings alone don't make you BP. In fact, I'm pretty sure that the "swing" part is not even in the criteria that professionals us to diagnose you.

That said, it sounds like you have something serious going on and ADHD and BP can occur together. The only way to really get to the bottom of this is to have a thorough assessment by a pdoc or psychologist. If your pdoc isn't listening, you should consider replacing him. Another thing that one of my friends did with this issue was to seek a formal assessment with a psychologist. The psychologist met with her several times and had her complete lots of questionnaires (with a million questions) before arriving at a diagnosis.

Good luck,
EJ

[musicsinmysoul]

I honestly would LOVE to get re assessed by a Psychologist, but where I live they're not covered under our Provincial Health Plans(the one we get for free), and it's expensive. I don't have any extended health benefits or drug plans for that matter, so unfortunately I can't afford the help I know I need. I see a Psychiatrist who doesn't do Psychotherapy, and who also doesn't give referrals to other specialists. My regular doctor would probably just tell me I'd have to get a referral from my Psychiatrist(who by the way was referred to me by my regular doctor).

There isn't any Psychotherapists that practice under the Provincial Health Coverage that are within a reasonable distance away from where I live (probably 3 or 4 hours away to the best ones), and a lot of them you have to be a patient of one of those doctors anyways to even be able to get in to see them.

Anyways I'm rambling. So this is just one big vicious cycle of a dilemma. Haha.

[Eliza Jane]

Okay, that makes it much, much harder. It sounds like your best angle is to try to get your current pdoc to listen to you. One of my favorite sites on BP (II primarily) is psycheducation.org. Reading this website will give you ideas in general, but he also has specific tips on how to talk to your doctor.

Also, I would start tracking my mood in order to bring in some "data" to show him and also to help notice patterns for myself. There are all sorts of apps, websites, and forms for this so you can find one that suits you. A lot of people like the Optimism site (there is an active thread on this right now).

Best,
EJ