I believe I've been bipolar all my life but on been diagnosed for 2 years. I am currently on Lithium which works well for me, better than Valporate which seemed to send me in to a rapid cycling thing daily but it slowed my mind sooo much, but occasionally I have these agitated moods with intense irritability, restlessness and my mind feels like it been broken into a million pieces and I can't get it back together enough to make even the simplest decision (like do i want cornflakes or toast for breakfast). It's like tryign to herd cats. Does anyone else suffer from this???

[hamster-bamster]

Originally Posted by Bipolarartist

I believe I've been bipolar all my life but on been diagnosed for 2 years. I am currently on Lithium which works well for me, better than Valporate which seemed to send me in to a rapid cycling thing daily but it slowed my mind sooo much, but occasionally I have these agitated moods with intense irritability, restlessness and my mind feels like it been broken into a million pieces and I can't get it back together enough to make even the simplest decision (like do i want cornflakes or toast for breakfast). It's like tryign to herd cats. Does anyone else suffer from this???

I have a hard time understanding your post. Lithium works well. Depakote/Valproate slowed your mind too much (Depakote is sedating, so it can do that). That I understand. Now these agitated moods still happen on Lithium or were a thing of the past when you took Depakote?

It has never happened to me, but I do understand what you are saying because I occasionally try to herd cats and know that it is very difficult.

Originally Posted by hamster-bamster

I have a hard time understanding your post. Lithium works well. Depakote/Valproate slowed your mind too much (Depakote is sedating, so it can do that). That I understand. Now these agitated moods still happen on Lithium or were a thing of the past when you took Depakote?

Yes, they still happen but not as frequently and I never had them before I was medicated. Well I had the irritabily but not the constant need to move about whilst irritable. Restlessness with me is a warning for mania but irritablity comes towards the end when I'm crashing.

[faerie_moon_x]

Sounds like what I have with the mixed state or dysphoric mania. Racing thoughts and feeling like I'm going crazy with lots of irritability. Sounds familiar to me. I'm also on lithium but only just started it. I was having this for a long time before starting on it. I would say to call pdoc and see what they recommend.

[hamster-bamster]

Originally Posted by Bipolarartist

Yes, they still happen but not as frequently and I never had them before I was medicated. Well I had the irritabily but not the constant need to move about whilst irritable. Restlessness with me is a warning for mania but irritablity comes towards the end when I'm crashing.

It almost sounds like akathisia, but akathisia cannot happen on Lithium. I agree with Dark Heart's recommendation.

Originally Posted by dark_heart_x

Sounds like what I have with the mixed state or dysphoric mania. Racing thoughts and feeling like I'm going crazy with lots of irritability. Sounds familiar to me. I'm also on lithium but only just started it. I was having this for a long time before starting on it. I would say to call pdoc and see what they recommend.

I can't call pdoc asI have been discharged from the MH service (I'm in Australia) and my GP hasn't a clue whats going. Unless I'm psychotic again I'll not have contact with a pdoc as they are really expensive here and the waiting st is months long. All I have is my therapist.

[hamster-bamster]

Can the T help speed up the wait to see a p-doc?

My T does work full time for the MH service in a different capacity. He's the one who referred me in the first place. He was a bit peed off that I was discharged completely with no access to to a pdoc at all. We live in a small rural city about a thousand kilometres from the capital city. Professionals don't like working up here. I'll ask him at next appointment.

[hamster-bamster]

Wow! This is really tough. What is your dose of Lithium? When were your blood Lithium levels last checked?

[faerie_moon_x]

Hamster has a good point. Have you had your blood level checked? You want to keep up on that regularly.

Also do contact your T if nothing else. That's two things to work on at least to try and get things solved.

Had levels checked a month ago and they were brilliant. I did have some a stomach bug and tried to keep my fluids up I had a level done on Monday and they were on the lower side of therapeutic but still within range which my doctor said was ok. thanks for your help I'll contact my T. I was more concerned with the fact I couldn't keep track of my thoughts which has never happened before. I get racing thoughts but they are usually semi-complete thoughts and about six of them at once not bits of thoughts that disappear as soon as they appear and I don't even know what they are.