So after my hypo stint of screwing everything up in my life, I got knocked down a couple notches where I've been for the last month, really bouncy, feeling really really good but confined to my house so I can do no damage. A few days ago, I tipped over the edge of feeling great to agitation. The next day a little more, the next day even more agitated and so on and so forth. So here I am pretty bad, rocking back n forth, toe tapping, knee bouncing, picking my finger skin 'til it bleeds, screamed today at my husband for no good damn reason, almost a craving to slap the s*** out of someone and the feeling lingers, impatient, you get the picture. And today my energy just slowed like woah. I don't want to do anything. I'm exhausted just thinking about taking a damn shower which I haven't gotten around to yet. But I know I gotta push myself and not let this crap control me anymore. I gotta do that laundry and take a shower by the end of the night. Slowed down and agitated is not a good combo. It's like taking all the bad things about me and throwing them at everyone around me all at once. I'm doing my best to contain it but this is just the beginning. Maybe, hopefully, I'll feel better tomorrow. My friend called me wanting to get the kids together tomorrow and hang. I had to fake an upbeat attitude over the phone. Normally, I'd be excited and happy to get together cause I haven't seen her in a while but with how I'm feeling, I'm kinda dreading it and I feel bad about it. At least I'll get out of the house and get some fresh air for a while. It'll be good for the kids to run around at the play ground and it'll be good for my sanity to catch up with an old friend. Maybe it's just what I need to snap out of this agitation crap. Thanks for reading and letting me treat this forum like a journal at times.

Sure, High Priestess, that's what we're all here for.

Have you any idea what could be causing you to have these rapid cycling changes other than the illness itself? Are you watching what you eat and drink carefully?

Try the lemon thing when you feel you're getting agitated, please. It does help in some cases. Try even an aspirin, my psychiatrist says. Drink plenty of puified water and notice how you feel a couple of hours after trying new things like this.

I've found that we reach a threshold in our feelings when we tumble into a situation where we've too much acid in the system and need to reduce it. Lemons will help to do that; but I've discussed that with you several days ago.

Ever try keeping a record of what you eat during the day for one week and keeping a mood chart on how you feel? People tell me that helps them zero in on something in the diet that may be pushing the acidic side of ph of tissues and organs.

Your meds may need to be tweaked. When you reach the point that you're screaming at your husband, the meds aren't doing their job. If this continues after you've made some effort to defuse the status quo, I'd talk to my doctor a little about my meds.

Take care and get that hot shower and enjoy the outing with your friend and the children. That's an excellent thing to do to help.

Keep working on finding the solution for you. We all have to do that, you know.

Talk to you later.

Genetic

[hamster-bamster]

I once felt "almost a craving to slap the s*** out of someone". It was in 2009. I only once felt that, and I believe that it was caused by Seroquel. Going to the hospital and having them switch me from Seroquel to Lithium provided full relief. I have never felt like that since then. It has been more than three years.

Thanks for being there again for me, genetic. I still have another week or so before I can do my grocery shopping and get started on a healthy diet. I am seriously going to do that and hopefully it will help. Right now, we are tight on cash so I've been eating lots of carbs. Pasta and bread. Dairy also. I can't wait to buy up the produce section and get some fish and nuts while I'm at it. Those are my favorite foods anyway. No I haven't tried the food/mood chart. But like I said: carbs. Ugh.

As for the meds, yeah, I'm pretty sure this 'Latuda' isn't working. I just started it a couple weeks ago and I don't see my pdoc for another couple weeks. My t thinks I should be on lithium.

Yes, I will take a nice long shower and try the lemon water after I get out. Thanks again!

Thanks for your reply, Hamster. Unfortunately, I feel like that everytime I get into agitated mode and it lingers for a long while, even days, weeks sometimes but rarely. It's an awful feeling mostly because you can't do it so you just have to suck it up. And cleaning the house to get energy out doesn't suffice when you really want to hit something, someone. Someone made a similar post the other day about releasing this feeling. Someone suggested to them breaking cheap dishes with a hammer or something. I wish I could do that without everyone getting really concerned. Ugh, if only I had the money to join a gym. I think that would be helpful. Perhaps I should try fitting in some vigorous exercise at home for an hour a day. Ugh, I dunno.

[hamster-bamster]

Can you go for a bike ride or at least walk very fast? A propos of nothing: a very cool avatar.

Sounds good, High Priestess,

When you grocery shop, remember to buy some lemons and go with lamb, fish, etc., rather than beef, pork, or organ meats.

I've read that bipolar patients have an allergy to grains. I don't know if that's true, but I do know that removing grains for one week for me made a great difference in feeling tone. I've learned recently that I have an allergy to wheat.

There may be some truth to the idea that bipolar illness is a cerebral allergy, in part.

If you have an interest in keeping a mood chart just to see how you feel you're getting along, there are several online sites that provide a free mood chart that you might print and keep handy for a week. Just look at "free mood chart" and select one you like.

Rest well.

We'll talk later.

Genetic

K so more venting. I just figured I'd keep it on the same thread so I don't annoy everyone with new threads. Did what I had to do last night and drank the lemon water afterwards but fell asleep right away so I dunno if it helped any. My friend and I took the kids to the park today and did a lot of catching up, came home had dinner, was nice and the kids enjoyed it. So kids bedtime came along and I'm like ah, I can relax and do my thing, chill out for the rest of the night but it seems like everytime I get some "me time" I just get super agitated. I can't be busy busy busy doing things from the time I wake up til the time I go to sleep. I have to have some downtime at some point in the day but that agitation comes rushing back everytime I do. At least I'm noticing this stuff now, I guess. But I still want to scream and get this negative energy out!

[Passion222]

Wow so what we eat can affect our moods??? Lemons?? Please fill me in when you can. I'm curious! Thanks :-)

[Passion222]

Hamster bamster so you found certain meds made you very angry?? We're you constantly annoyed by every little noise or God forbid you bumped your toe!!! I get like that now. Sometimes wonder if its Wellbutrin or Lamictal doing it

Genetic says to try some water with fresh lemon to possibly help moods and kind of make it a regular thing. I'm trying it. Also gonna be switching to a healthier diet with less carbs and more fresh fruits and veggies. More fish and nuts as protein sources, less sugar, and fish oil pills. What have I got to lose? Except maybe a couple pounds lol. Type bipolar diet in your search engine if you're curious

I just have this general constant feeling of agitation unless I stay busy. I want to crawl out of my skin!

[Passion222]

I know that crawl out of skin feeling. I have that right now. Would love to be in bed asleep and I just wanna move. Ugh. I'm gonna look that diet up. Thank you. Never knew one existed

[BlackPup]

Hope you can get your meds sorted to something that makes this agitation go away. Maybe while you are waiting try boxing or kickboxing to let off some steam. I did some classes while I was living with my sister and they were a great outlet.

Sleep is so vital in this illness. A regularly maintained sleep schedule should be part of our life.

We go through several cycles of sleep at night. The major one that recharges our battery is called REM sleep. If we don't get that, all kinds of symptoms can emerge. Sleep apnea, which can occur at all ages--it is not restricted to the elderly--ought to be investigated by bipolar patients, in my view. Please ask your psychiatrist what he/she thinks about your having a sleep apnea test to determine whether you are missing a portion of those cycles at night.

If you are are, using a constant positive air pressure mask at night and getting the added REM sleep can make ALL the difference in the world in how you feel, how you have added energy, lose the afternoon fatigue, and feel just wonderfully better. It is a must for me; I wouldn't be without it and I know that it works.

Barring that, about 1/2 teaspoon of unrefined sea salt is soporific
and helps you to relax and sleep. (American refined sea salt won't work. It has to be unrefined: Himalayan, French, and Hawaiian unrefined sea salt are all good.) It's the trace minerals that the salt provides which our bodies need replacing when we take psychotropic meds, in my view.

It worked for me before I began to use the continuous positive air pressure apparatus for sleep.

Take care.

Genetic