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#1
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I have no idea if I am Bipolar but my Pdoc seems to think that I maybe Bipolar II -- but has made no official diagnosis yet. I know the most common symptoms of Bipolar 2 are:
Hypomania: High energy levels Unrealistic optimism Irritability Hypersexuality Depressive: Sadness Low energy levels Cessation of usual activities Isolation from people But what are some of the other symptoms/indications, common or slightly less common, of Bipolar 2 that people may not be aware of? |
#2
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If you google bipolar disorder symptoms DSM you will find scores of sites that list all the symptoms.It is impossible to say which are the common or less common symptoms as everyone is different.
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![]() Cocosurviving
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#3
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Anxiety
Insomnia (Even if you still feel tired.) Restlessness Inability to Focus Disorganized Thoughts Panic Attacks These symptoms are "less common" because they are more difficult to distinguish from depression and anxiety (as they are extremely unpleasant.) However, they all involve a sort of activation. My psychiatrist helped me make sense of my bipolar 2 diagnosis by explaining that it is better understood as major fluctuations in energy. For me, my periods of increased energy are defined by what I wrote above. No optimism, unfortunately. ![]()
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Just a little tree kitty. Depression, Anxiety, Panic. Med free. |
#4
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A book that helped me a ton was "Why am I still depressed?" by Jim Phelps. Others on here have mentioned liking the book too. Very informative about BP II. I definitely had several ah-ha moments where I saw myself in the book and realized how well the diagnosis fits. It also has info like you are looking for, like things that are correlated with BP II that aren't part of the official criteria but may be clues (e.g., age of onset, reaction to certain meds, etc.)
Good luck, EJ |
#5
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Dr. Phelps works in the same office with my own psychiatrist, who sometimes consults with him on his BP patients (including me). Even with bipolar II, there's a wide variation in the number and severity of systems, and some people can get by on 1-2 or even no meds, while there are others like me who need 4-5 or more. (Actually, my diagnosis is still in flux, as he won't rule out BP I d/t the relative severity of my manic episodes.)
Some other lesser-known symptoms are psychomotor agitation (where you can't stop drumming your fingers/tapping your toes/shaking a leg etc.) and a feeling of restlessness, like you can't sit still for long or just have a hard time finding a place for yourself. Intrusive, unwanted mental images and thoughts that disturb or distract you. Impulsivity---like when you decide that you're going swimming at three in the morning, neighbors be damned. Gaining or losing weight without conscious effort. Mild paranoia. Free-floating anxiety. The list is almost endless. ![]()
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DX: Bipolar 1 Anxiety Tardive dyskinesia Mild cognitive impairment RX: Celexa 20 mg Gabapentin 1200 mg Geodon 40 mg AM, 60 mg PM Klonopin 0.5 mg PRN Lamictal 500 mg Levothyroxine 125 mcg (rx'd for depression) Trazodone 150 mg Zyprexa 7.5 mg Please come visit me @ http://bpnurse.com |
![]() noneedtoknow, Odee
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#6
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hey, i thought it was a side effect of the meds shaking your legs, tapping your fingers, i do it constantly, im always moving, it drives my mom crazy, when my kids r cuddling in bed with me watching cartoons they r like quit shaking your foot. My cat in the middle of the night right before im asleep attacks my feet, nothing like jumping out of your bed because u have claws in your toes lol
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#7
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Restlessness can be a symptom and it can also be a side effect. Med induced restlessness is called Akathisia. Akathisia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
![]() Although I still get very restless now, prozac made me exactly like you when I tried it -- I got so many jokes about when my legs will ever stop shaking. And kitty cats can be such little turds about grabbing your feet. ![]()
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Just a little tree kitty. Depression, Anxiety, Panic. Med free. |
![]() BipolaRNurse
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#8
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My Mickey-kitten LOVES attacking my feet even when they're not jumping around like a frog in a skillet!
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__________________
DX: Bipolar 1 Anxiety Tardive dyskinesia Mild cognitive impairment RX: Celexa 20 mg Gabapentin 1200 mg Geodon 40 mg AM, 60 mg PM Klonopin 0.5 mg PRN Lamictal 500 mg Levothyroxine 125 mcg (rx'd for depression) Trazodone 150 mg Zyprexa 7.5 mg Please come visit me @ http://bpnurse.com |
![]() Odee
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#9
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I have akathisia. My pdoc put me on propranolol for it and it helped a lot. Abilify is the drug that caused it and it stopped it completely until we increased the Abilify from 10mg to 15mg, but the akathisia is mild now.
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