[Rennerenner]

I've been having really atypical hypomania all week, and it's really confusing me. I normally have very brief episodes only lasting a few days, but they are generally textbook hypomania, with lack of sleep, racing thoughts, euphoria, etc.

THIS WEEK however, I've had the weirdest episode, that also happens to be my longest episode yet. Okay, so prior to this, I had a 2 1/2 week long depressive episode where I was feeling very suicidal. I started to pull out of it this past sunday, and have been hypo ever since. But, like I said, it's kind of atypical.

For one, my sleep has been totally unaffected. Like, I'm less tired during the day for sure, in fact I feel like I'm on a caffeine rush, but I've been able to get a full nights sleep every night this week. Usually I wake up after an hour or two wide awake feeling fully rested. When I wake up after a full nights sleep, I am UP, like super charged and super hyperactive with rapid speech, racing thoughts, and easily triggered laughter; all of course very typical hypomania traits. In fact, today, while I still felt hypomanic, I thought I was starting to come down. I felt tired after school today and took a nap, sure that I was officially out of the episode, however I woke up just now feeling just as hypomanic as I was before. It basically feels like my hypomanic body is trying to make up for all lost waking hours I missed when I was asleep and so I wake super charged.

I also seem to be a bit more controlled when I'm around people. Like at school, I still feel really hypo, but if I'm focusing on a project or talking with someone it's not really apparent to them as an observer, like I seen pretty stable. The second I'm alone again I'm jumping all over the place, laughing, with racing thoughts. No idea why this is.

I saw my pdoc wednesday, who was kind of freaked out by how much I was shaking my legs and arms when I had to sit still. She took me off of prozac, and doubled my dose of lamictal, but didn't give me a different antidepressant to replace the prozac. None of this has really affected me yet, as I'm still just has hypo as I was before the med change. She said she's considering changing my diagnosis to bipolar II given the duration of this episode, but that she wanted to see how I did with the med change first. (I'm currently dx'd with cyclothymia by my therapist, NOS by my pdoc lol)

Because this hypomania is so weird, it makes me wonder if I'm not even hypomanic, if I'm just hyper. But then again, I've never been hyper like this for a week straight, and it feels just like hypomania, just without the sleep. I've also been yawning all week for some reason, even though I'm not tired at all during the day. I don't know, I'm just sitting here crawling in my skin right now, not really sure what's going on with me. sorry for the long rant.

[Rennerenner]

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i'm def hypo i just wnrt and bought beer and cigars and i don't drink or smoke went to a park lit one of fire had a sip of beer and threw it all away and went home lol

[Rennerenner]

i think people must think im on speed ahaha

[roads]

You say your pdoc might change her diagnosis to bipolar II? From what? She may think the Prozac is what threw you into hypomania-- antidepressants can do that.

I'm sorry you're not getting responses, but keep posting ... If only to have a journal of this period. It does sound. Unusual to me. I'd check back with my pdoc if I were you and ask for another med change (something to knock down the mania) if you're not touching ground my Monday morning.

Hang in. Keep posting.

[Rennerenner]

i'm diagnosed as NOS right now by my pdoc, cyclothymic by my therapist because my hypomanic periods didn't usually last as long as four days. but this one's been going on since sunday. yeah she thought prozac might have triggered the hypomania. i'd been on it for a month before i felt hypomanic so idk. right now i'm just taking 100mg of lamictal

[BlueInanna]

i'm going through something, couldn't read every word of your post but i think i get it.

sounds like mania to me. weird feeling isnt it.

if you can ride it out , and know you're at risk to do weird and dangerous shiz , and stop yourself from doing said weird shiz , you be ok.

[Rennerenner]

Originally Posted by BlueInanna

i'm going through something, couldn't read every word of your post but i think i get it.

sounds like mania to me. weird feeling isnt it.

if you can ride it out , and know you're at risk to do weird and dangerous shiz , and stop yourself from doing said weird shiz , you be ok.

its weird!!!! i feel like i'm like pure energy and want to do reckless stuff and was starting to but i stoppedmyself thakns for replying!

[BlueInanna]

Originally Posted by Rennerenner

its weird!!!! i feel like i'm like pure energy and want to do reckless stuff and was starting to but i stoppedmyself thakns for replying!

Renner, you are a champ!! You caught it, used rationalizing, and stopped yourself. Awesome awesome job!!!!

Watch yourself for the effects of Lamictal, Rennerenner. It threw me into mania--even at 15 mg. once daily. To come down, try using lemons squeezed into ice cold water.

Lemons are so alkaline in ash --(the residue after digestion) that they have a strong
calming effect on the system. Usually, about two lemons will suffice to calm your
mood.

Often the acidic residue of meds is a contributing factor in hypomania. We have
to do something to counteract that.

I sympathize with you, and I hope you're feeling better very quickly.

If things don't work well with changes, I'd ask my doctor for an antianxiety med such
as Clonazepam or Xanax for use when things are really tough.

Take care of yourself.

Genetic

[moremi]

Renner thats awesome that you can stop yourself from doing reckless things especially being new to being manic. It can be hard to stop because of feeling so good that it dont feel wrong but you got a handle on it. I was not so smart as you in the beginning. I went out and charged up credit cards and did crazy impulsive things. I had no idea what mania meant though, didnt even know I was sick I thought I was just freaking great. So Kudos to you for knowing something was up. I finally recongnize now when things start getting a little to good and I start wanting to spend money or start feeling attracted to everyone or thinking I can do anything I know something is up. I still try to enjoy it a bit but without hurting the bank account or the people I love. I try to think instead of being so impulsive, doesnt always work but doesnt hurt to try.

[Rennerenner]

thanks for the support everyone!

I managed to get some sleep last night though it was difficult falling asleep. i woke up this morning still feeling hypomanic, but not like last night.

thanks for the nice words on my self control, but honestly, the only thing that stopped me was i remembered you're not supposed to mix alcohol and lamictal. i just didn't want to risk any weird side effects lol, that's it. i also didn't have the control to go out and buy the stuff in the first place haha. but i'm still glad i atleast recognized that i should probably just go home and wait it out haha.

i'll try that lemon thing genetic, thanks for the advise!

[treehugger727]

Thats really interesting about the lemons. Ive been on a crazy hypo lately too and just upped my lamictal this week. Im gonna try this.

Id caution anyone on Lamictal to take clonozepam or xanax, though- i think i remember seeing some moderate interactions between Lamictal and these. Anyway, good job managing it

[cocoabeans]

You're not supposed to mix alcohol and lamictal? I mean sure, you're not "supposed to" mix any psych meds with alcohol but, is it dangerous? No more than mixing psych patients with alcohol in most cases.

So, I'm a bit confused here. What is the problem? Your happy, hyper and why is this a bad thing?

What exactly would drinking in the park end up in? You an alcoholic?

[Rennerenner]

Originally Posted by cocoabeans

You're not supposed to mix alcohol and lamictal? I mean sure, you're not "supposed to" mix any psych meds with alcohol but, is it dangerous? No more than mixing psych patients with alcohol in most cases.

So, I'm a bit confused here. What is the problem? Your happy, hyper and why is this a bad thing?

What exactly would drinking in the park end up in? You an alcoholic?

i was reading that alcohol and lamictal can trigger seizures or really really really really really bad hangovers and i just decided that it wasn't worth the risk, and as i was feeling good anyway i just went home.

Originally Posted by Rennerenner

i was reading that alcohol and lamictal can trigger seizures or really really really really really bad hangovers and i just decided that it wasn't worth the risk, and as i was feeling good anyway i just went home.

________________________________
More than anything, Renner, I think it's the idea that alcohol alone makes bipolar illness worse. Adding it to psychtropic drugs just makes the risk more severe, I think.

Genetic

[moremi]

I think when we are manic we are already impulsive and the alcohol just adds to this and makes it disasterous. Takes away inhibitions, consequenses are non existent, so on and so forth. Alcohol is a big no no when manic.

[JerseyBoy8]

Originally Posted by Rennerenner

i was reading that alcohol and lamictal can trigger seizures or really really really really really bad hangovers and i just decided that it wasn't worth the risk, and as i was feeling good anyway i just went home.

I take lamictal twice a day, daily for epilepsy/seizures, but I never really drink at all, maybe once or twice a year, if that, & I have friends that get seizures as well, and if they drink, they usually take their seizure meds afterwards, so that's interesting that you heard that lamictal, a seizure medication, among other things, would induce a seizure, not prevent it.

Alcohol, stress, head trauma, & for those like myself who already have seizures and take meds for them- not taking your medications can all induce any kind of seizure.

But anyways, to the OP- I hope things got better for you.