[luckyme808]

I was diagnosed 5 years ago and we've tried a goodly number of meds. Currently I'm on Effexor, Wellbutrin, Latuda, and we've recently added Gabapentin (for anxiety). And this has been working well for me for over a year. But in the last two months, I feel all buggy and like I'm going to jump out of my skin. My anxiety was so bad it was affecting my work (I'm a nurse) and so that's when the doc added Gabapentin. It's helping, but I still feel out of sorts. I feel like I'm giving myself pep talks all day long, telling myself what I have to do and kicking my own butt to get me to do it.

I've been really stable for years now. Am I experiencing some sort of episode do you think?

[Curiosity77]

Does it feel like you have to keep moving? Feeling like you are going to jump out of your skin could be akithesia, although it's less likely since you have been on those meds for a while. Did it start before or after the gabapentin? That med doesn't usually cause akithesia, but everyone is different, so you never know.

Or it could be anxiety on it's own or as part of a mood episode. BP is cyclical, so even after 5 years stable you can have an episode.

I hope you feel better.

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[littlemiss44]

You sound like you are having break thru anxiety. Meds can only go so far. I'm also on gabapentin and I still have some anxiety. I am on latuda just like you. I don't know if I like it or not. At first I thought it was working but now I feel flat. How do you feel on it? Does it work well for you?

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[~Christina]

Could be a lousy hypo/mania .. they arent all fun ... Have you contacted your Pdoc about this ?

Ps..... there is no " normal " for Bp's or anyone else on this planet .. Everyone has a struggle/fight to deal with.

[r010159]

IMHO I think if you constantly have to strongly motivate yourself to do your job, you may be suffering from some sort of depression besides the anxiety. My experience with a mix of the two is different from experiencing one or the other individually.

Take care.

[PoorPrincess]

Originally Posted by Curiosity77

Does it feel like you have to keep moving? Feeling like you are going to jump out of your skin could be akithesia, although it's less likely since you have been on those meds for a while. Did it start before or after the gabapentin? That med doesn't usually cause akithesia, but everyone is different, so you never know.

Or it could be anxiety on it's own or as part of a mood episode. BP is cyclical, so even after 5 years stable you can have an episode.

I hope you feel better.

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Thanks, Curiosity, for the call of attention to akisthesia.
Reading up just a bit on it and it fits what I struggle with every day all day.
Thanks again.

[Sad&Bipolar]

No one should have to work at being "normal." There really is no such thing as "normal." Everyone is different. It is best to just be yourself, and not worry what others are thinking. Chances are, others are too wrapped up in themselves to care anyway.

Having the gift of bipolar, though, I found myself going through cycles of very emotional periods. I only noticed the depression moods, and they were almost always accompanied by anxiety. I too have felt that wanting to jump out of my skin. If your anxiety is increasing, chances are you have some stress-related trigger or triggers. If you can pinpoint anything that has recently changed, or something that is causing you
more stress than usual, you may be able to make changes that will help calm your anxiety.

To determine if you are entering a bipolar episode, you need to speak with your doctor or therapist. They will know the right questions to ask you and together you can work out the answer to your question.