[pommybt]

I was diagnosed about 3 months ago with bipolar 3. I have suffered major depressive disorder for 9 years. I was wondering if anyone has been diagnosed with this?

[HALLIEBETH87]

What the heck is bipolar 3?

[pommybt]

This is what my Pdoc has called it, not 1 where episodes are quite far apart, 2 where they are more frequent but 3 where the highs and lows can happen rapidly even in the same day.

[vans1974]

Originally Posted by pommybt

I was diagnosed about 3 months ago with bipolar 3. I have suffered major depressive disorder for 9 years. I was wondering if anyone has been diagnosed with this?

From what the DSM V states there is no such diagnosis on the the bipolar spectrum. I've seen a handout though where bipolar 3, is when you're in a manic induced state due to meds like an SSRI.

[pawn78]

never heard of it. It sounds like you are mostly depressed. Have you ever had mania?

[pommybt]

Sorry only just joined DSM? I'm still on SSRI and seroquel just being indroduced. My Pdoc wants to eventually get me off SSRI's

[pommybt]

I have both depression and manic's. All I can put it down too is how quick I have the change in episodes.

[lilypup]

no idea at all...what will they come up with next?

[loophole]

It's probably nos

[pommybt]

I have an appointment with my Pdoc this week, it's called another name as well. I'll find out some more info.

[pommybt]

My Dr said because of how rapid my episodes are can even be with in the day, that there is now other bipolar besides 1 and 2.

[pommybt]

And yes pawn78 I have both mania and depression. I defo have something and it sucks

[BipolaRNurse]

That's called ultradian cycling. Ask your pdoc about that. There is no such thing as Bipolar 3, unless it's cyclothymia, and it doesn't sound like you have that.

[pommybt]

I will do thanks. I feel so stupid.

[BipolaRNurse]

Don't feel stupid. You just got some wrong information from your doctor, that's all. Stupid doctor. LOL

[pommybt]

I just searched ultradian cycling on here and it makes sense. I think I have bipolar 2 with the cycling!

[Love&Toil]

Yeah never heard of it.

[pommybt]

I think I've been told wrong or I didn't listen properly !

As far as I know, bipolar 3 means cyclothymia.

[pommybt]

Ok thanks, is ultradian cycling part of cyclothymia?

[HALLIEBETH87]

I think the ultradian/rapid cycling is a separate part of bipolar. Because in itself bipolar is a cycle. I have bipolar 1 with rapid cycling...I cycle a lot. When you have bipolar...you have the cycles of depression and mania/hypomania...but with the rapid cycling its quicker than your average bp cycles. Like...my Dr said she can count that I have had 5 different episodes in 7 month and the qualifications for rapid cycling is 4-5 episodes in a year.

[pommybt]

So is it still connected to bipolar? A year and a half ago I was diagnosed BP 2. But choose to ignore it as I thought it was the relationship I was in at the time. I've been seeing a Pdoc for 3 months, I think it's bp2 with rapid cycling because that is making sense now. When you have mania and low's isn't that bipolar? It's so confusing!

[HALLIEBETH87]

Yes. Its a part of bipolar that not everyone has. A lot do, yes. But not everyone. Every case of bipolar is different.

Check out the disorders part of PC-it can answer questions on a lot of it.

[BipolaRNurse]

Mania is what defines bipolar disorder, and it's the degree of mania you have which determines whether you are Bipolar 1 or 2. Then there's cyclothymia, which is what's sometimes called "bipolar lite" because the mood swings aren't as extreme as they are in BP 1 and 2. Rapid cycling is when a person has 4 or more major mood swings in a year's time, and ultradian is when they cycle every day or even several times in one day.

It's hard to tell sometimes if a person is suffering from ultradian cycling, or if they're actually having a mixed episode. I'm rapid cycling by definition, but there are times when I literally can't tell up from down or my mood shifts several times in a week. Those are my mixed episodes and they are HELL. Mixed episodes can appear in BP 1, 2, and NOS. (I don't know if it happens in cyclothymia.) Hope this helps clarify things a little more.

[pommybt]

I definitely ultradian cycle everyday. I definitely have bipolar. Everything I've been reading is me to a tee. Thank you for taking the time to write on my post it means a lot to me. I only found this site yesterday , and yes I'm manic at the moment, I've been on here for hours. My other half was pissed off I was on my phone all the time. This is the first time I have been in Contact and chatting to people with bipolar reading everyone else's posts I can't believe what others are going through is what I am going through. It's real it really is. When u get comments like "you can't blame everything on your bipolar" and "you need to sort your **** out" it's comforting that I know I'm not doing this on purpose just to piss people off. I have a mental illness and it's REAL.