[Faltering]

Does anyone notice they get physically sick when they have severe mood episodes?

I usually only get sick with a minor cold once or twice a year, so my immune system is decent enough. A few years ago in college I had a severe mixed episode and along with it experienced mono and a strange skin disease with no trace of its origin. Now that I recently got out of IP for another mixed episode, I started with a cold and ended up with a bad mouth infection that I'm taking antibiotics for. I'm afraid bipolar disorder is wrecking havoc on my mind and my body.

Originally Posted by Faltering

Does anyone notice they get physically sick when they have severe mood episodes?

I usually only get sick with a minor cold once or twice a year, so my immune system is decent enough. A few years ago in college I had a severe mixed episode and along with it experienced mono and a strange skin disease with no trace of its origin. Now that I recently got out of IP for another mixed episode, I started with a cold and ended up with a bad mouth infection that I'm taking antibiotics for. I'm afraid bipolar disorder is wrecking havoc on my mind and my body.

The nature of the illness is very draining. The medications also have a lot of really bad side effects. Skin conditions of unknown origin....I've had this for years. Is it the illness or the medications we use to treat it? Probably a bit of both.

[fairydustgirl]

in 2013 I had a severe episode, went from manic to mixed to depression...in the time that it took to recover I had an ear infection that took 2 rounds of antibiotics to clear, resulting in a severe intestinal infection caused by antibiotics, finally recovered from that and ended up less than two months later with a urinary tract infection that took 2 rounds antibiotics to clear. all of this occurred between Oct '13 and April '14....thank goodness somehow after that I have been both generally stable and illness free for 2+ years. Not sure how but I am thankful for it.

[Unrigged64072835]

I do tend to become ill during a depression. Not so much when I've been manic, though.

Severe sleep deprivation during mania can compromise your immune system. Years ago when I had gone nearly a week without sleep during a manic episode, I had painful lesions in my throat that my doctor(s) had never seen before.

[gina_re]

Yes, major depression does in fact depress your immune system as well.

I have a lot of health issues which are either caused, or at minimum, complicated by my mental health issues. I used to get these odd spots on the roof of my mouth that looked like round cigarette or eraser sized ulcers in my mouth. I would get these when I was HIGHLY STRESSED aka mixed. Doctors couldn't explain it and the biopsy came back as just calloused skin but they couldn't explain the very painful, migraine inducing ulcers or why my mouth forms these ulcers. It's a painful mystery which comes and goes.

[Wander]

My immune system seems very resilient during and out of episodes but I do have a great diet and exercise program, when not IP (then it all goes to ****). However, I have Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome which my specialist believes were caused by childhood trauma so I guess I get sick from mental illness, juts not the usual colds/flus etc.

About 8 years ago my immune system was a mess and i got colds etc all the time. seems the slow pacing of activities, getting stress out of my life where possible and a great diet have strengthened my immune system. I haven't had a old or flu for at least 2 years. All would be awesome if I didn't have Fibre/CFS. Yet, even they have improved significantly but I doubt I will ever be rid of them. It is frustrating as I cannot do cardio exercise which would be great for my mental and physical health. I am restricted to a 45 min brisk walk 3 days a week as if I do more I crash badly and suffer for it.

[dwr3]

Does anyone notice they get physically sick when they have severe mood episodes?

I think it's actually the other way around. I think the ilness itself, especially autoimmune one, is the reason for the mood disorders. Every, for example, metabolic change in the body can cause psychological effects. Antibiotics cause changes in the nervous system. The theory of mood disorder causing physical effects is faulty, since what exactly is this "mood disorder" in the means of physical changes in the brain? There is no proof that there is some ilness happening purely in the brain itself that affects the rest of the body. Psychosis, hallucinations, delirium are often caused by inflammations and are a part of many autoimmune disorders.

[xRavenx]

During mania, the first physical sign I notice is lack of sleep, and that leads to multiple health problems, even within a short period of time. I've gotten bad headaches, my appetite is usually poor, and I'm prone to getting sick (viruses, sinus infections, and whatnot). During one manic episode, I couldn't hold hardly any food down over the span of a few weeks for some reason.

Sometimes the medications I am given to help me with a cold or virus during manias can make the mania twice as bad. For instance, Allegra D/pseudoephedrine has me bouncing off the walls and not sleeping for days.

I understand thyroid health is linked to depression. A sick thyroid is in turn linked to auto immune complications.

[dwr3]

Thyroid health is linked to depression as well to elevated mood, cognitive issues, anxiety and many other symptoms, depending on the type of thyroid disorder. Sick thyroid is not always autoimmune, on the other hand. Only Hashimoto has autoimmunological basis.