I don't know what to do

Hi, I'm new to this so here it goes. I was unofficially dx with bipolar type 2 about 2 months ago, the reason I say unofficially is because I'm in the military and we are still trying to figure out what to do because it could get me kicked out... but the only thing I can get for meds for now is antidepressants. I'm taking zoloft and right now for the past week I feel like I'm losing my mind. Ive been feeling really good except my thoughts won't stop racing, I'm barely eating or sleeping, but I've got so much energy I don't know what to do with myself, I've tried running it off, trying to focus on one thing. My thoughts are becoming obsessive and I can't stop. I've jumped from project to project and I just want to do one thing but nothing is satisfying. I feel this impulse to buy things I don't need but I know I'll regret it later if I do it... I'm agitated and I can't calm down because I feel good but not being able to focus on one thing is really pissing me off.

When are you going to see your pdoc again? Can you get in on an emergency basis? You may need a mood stabilizer.

Good questions here and good advice.

Alpha91, I don't have any advice to add to your situation, but I wanted to say that I sympathize with it and welcome to the site.

Becareful AD monotherapy can send a bipolar manic. Hopefully you can see your doctor soon.

Welcome to the forum, I'm sorry you have to go through this, being diagnosed is already too much to handle, but being at the point of loosing your job is stressing. Having single antidepressant is a bad idea, it's known for inducing mania in bipolar patients when used alone without mood stabiliser. Please see a pdoc, being diagnosed and treated is way more important than career, without a proper treatment anyways you might be up to something that can spiral out of control and make you lose the job. Take care of yourself!

Hi! Welcome to Psychcentral. Looks like you are a tank guy. Thank you for serving out country, I am a vet too.

I had a similar reaction to zoloft before I was diagnosed too. I did not find relief until I went to an actual pdoc who gave me a mood stabilizer. Please try to get a referral to an actual psychiatrist. I actually had an Army captain named Dr. Chin. I was not cared for well by my flight surgeons or at sick call, you need someone that knows what they are doing, trust me, and pretty please do this.

If you can get a good doctor and get your symptoms under control you should not have trouble staying in. I served 12 years with BP2 and got out on my own accord.

Welcome to PC.

Sorry about your current situation.

Please see a pdoc as soon as possible. It sounds like the antidepressant is inducing hypomania/mania. You want to get that under control quickly.
Sounds like you need a mood stabilizing medication asap.

I hope you get some additional medical help and feel better soon.
Thanks for your service.


WC

Thanks for the responses everyone. My therapist is currently out of town and my appointment with him isn't until the 10th. I'm trying to wait it out until I see him because the last psychiatrist I saw she didn't make me feel very good and didn't want to give me a mood stabilizer and did some things that she wasn't suppose to do so I'm refusing to see her until my therapist comes back and can send me to someone else. my wife doesn't understand and my family doesn't think i have bp because my grandma has bp1 and I'm not acting like her. i just feel alone right now in all of this

How do you keep this agitation, racing thoughts and everything under control? I'm trying to remain focused on one thing but Im ending up spacing out thinking about everything else I could be doing.

Sorry to say it but I highly doubt anything will calm down for you while you're using an antidepressant on its own.

Things can get very unpleasant while you stay on it waiting for a pdoc...

If I were you I'd try and get off it or at least reduce it, but I'm no doctor and know first hand what quitting meds can do, so not advocating it, just sharing what my choice would be.

I find it very negligent that a pdoc would DX BP (even unofficially) and RX an AD instead of a mood stabilizer. That's like a BP no no 101.

If you are having panic attacks and or anxiety attacks there is a technique called grounding look it up. Also journaling may help too.

You fix your symptoms by stopping the AD. Now. You're obviously experiencing the "kindling" effect, where an AD can push you to have manic symptoms. You don't have the luxury of 10 days. You tried it and it isn't working. Stop the med, tell the doc you did so, and wait until the 10th to figure out your next steps.

Since I'm in the military I'm pretty sure the psychiatrist was trying to not dx me so I could stay in. I didn't get a good feeling from her when I started talking to her.

I want to stop taking the zoloft but the thing is, it helps keep some of the anger and frustration down a little bit and since my wife deals with it I don't want it to get bad again.

How much zoloft are you taking?

I agree. The med is fueling the bipolar fire, so to speak.
Stop the med and get help. I, personally, would not wait the ten days.
You may have a beef with the psychiatrist but s/he is your lifeline right now.
you are describing a situation which could have very serious ramifications for you. Don't play with this. This is fire.


WC

I'm taking 100mg of the zoloft

I would have to agree with the other posters who have mentioned stopping the AD. It's making you hypo/manic. Can you call your doc and let them know what is going on?

100mg is a lot! I would worry about stopping that dose cold turkey. You really should talk to someone - a GP if not your pdoc - about coming down from it ASAP. They can probably give you something to help with the agitation and anxiety until you get on a better medication.

I can walk in to the health clinic but I'm afraid of what would happen.

Can you call the prescribing doctor?

What are you concerned about?
We are civilians, we might not know what concerns you.


WC

The fastest thing I can do is a walk in at the clinic. If I try to make an appointment it'll be for a couple weeks from now which I'm being told I don't really have. I'm concerned about my position I'm about to get into a squad leader position and I don't want that taken away if I have to stay at the hospital for a week because that's how long they will keep me for. Im also worried about getting kicked out. The sergeant in charge of me has no problem with what's going on, he only knows I'm on medication and I see a therapist but I've worked really hard to get where I'm at and I don't want to start over if something were to happen.

That's all understandable.

They might keep you for a week?

The psychiatrist does not handle this him/herself?

I don't know of other options, nor do I know if you are okay to taper off the Zoloft yourself.

I think you are going to have to decide what to do. It's a bummer, I know. The pdoc should be on call for this.
I am going to go back through this thread to see what other info is here -- a review.


WC

why do you think you will automatically be put in the hospital for a week? I'm not sure I understand the logistics of the situation you are in very well, but what you definitely DON'T want to have happen is to go off the manic deep-end, as you could end up not only losing your position but hurting yourself or others. I'm not a medical doctor, but if I were you and there was no reliable way to quickly get to one in order to change meds, then at the very least I would taper off zoloft starting now.

I had a friend who went to the hospital and they kept him their for a week to make sure nothing would happen to him and I'm sure they would do the same to me if I went. I don't mind being their it's just other things is all. Thanks for everyone's feedback it's been helpful. I think I just might go to the hospital tomorrow