[Fairy102]

im Currently experiencing high irritability. When In your mood cycle are you irritable or quick to anger? Has anything worked well for you to calm down? My irritability is very hard for me to control and I usually end up snapping at my daughter and husband, and occasionally strangers. Most times I go right from irritability to hypomania and then crash into a depression. I’m scared for the next depression as I just got over a two month dark depression.

[Victoria'smom]

Headphones/music and meds help.

[Fairy102]

What kind of meds? I take daily medication but nothing for when this happens.

[Victoria'smom]

I usually take an extra zyprexa 5mg. Sometimes I take ambien but zyprexa says it works in 30 min.

[Wild Coyote]

I use gabapentin when I am overly irritable.


WC

tea, cucumbers, candy. yumm

[pirilin]

I have both.
My wife, La Bruja, is a specialist in pissing people off.

I have disco like lights for the holidays.
She asks me where to put the big one.
I say in the porch.
She replies: "what porch?."
We only have one porch.

Cheers.

[tecomsin]

Originally Posted by Fairy102

im Currently experiencing high irritability. When In your mood cycle are you irritable or quick to anger? Has anything worked well for you to calm down? My irritability is very hard for me to control and I usually end up snapping at my daughter and husband, and occasionally strangers. Most times I go right from irritability to hypomania and then crash into a depression. I’m scared for the next depression as I just got over a two month dark depression.

What medications are you currently taking? Are you on a mood stabilizer or an AP?

[Nammu]

Last time I had mood related irritability my Pdoc upend the AP, that helped

[Fairy102]

Originally Posted by tecomsin

What medications are you currently taking? Are you on a mood stabilizer or an AP?

I’m on seroquel and propranolol about to start on a tricyclic antidepressant. I’ve been on zyprexa before and it didn’t help me.

[downandlonely]

Maybe talk to your doc about the irritability. Might be something else that could help.

[tecomsin]

Originally Posted by Fairy102

I’m on seroquel and propranolol about to start on a tricyclic antidepressant. I’ve been on zyprexa before and it didn’t help me.

For people who respond well to seroquel, the effects can vary quite a bit depending on the dosage and how it is taken (XR or regular). Have you tried increasing or lowering the dose?

[Pookyl]

I take anything from 1/2 a 25mg Seroquel up to 100mg Seroquel prn extra
My pdoc describes this mood as dysuphoric mania and has told me to treat it like any other manic episode.
Seems to work.

[Fairy102]

Originally Posted by tecomsin

For people who respond well to seroquel, the effects can vary quite a bit depending on the dosage and how it is taken (XR or regular). Have you tried increasing or lowering the dose?

I’m on 325mg of regular at night. If I take 350 I am super tired during the day. If I take anything less than 300 I get depressed. I’ve alsp tried to take 25mg in the am but it makes me nap during the day.
The irritability is not new since being on this medication. Before the medication it was more intense and for longer periods.

Irritability (most often a weak word) is common during my hypomanias and full blown manias. I can go from elated to nuclear missle in seconds, if triggered. It almost got me fired from my old job where I had multiple behavioral reprimands, made me lose many friends, caused me to stop going to several stores/restaurants that witnessed severe outbursts, caused me to be dragged into isolation rooms in the psych hospital many times and given injections, made one therapist "suspend" me and tell my psychiatrist that I "scared her", and they also caused physical injuries (pretty much always mine).

Obviously the right medications make a difference. In my case, almost always an antipsychotic or benzo. My psychiatrist increases my dose, when needed. He also gives me extra supplies to use at my own discretion (or forced by my husband) "as needed".

Therapy helps, too. Preparing one's proper reactions ahead of time is useful. For example, if a tailgater annoys me, instead of retaliatory agression, I pull over to let them pass. Or, as anger rises, frequent reminders to self beforehand to take "time outs" or stepping away.

As irritable or mixed manic states develop, I try to lay low, see if lowered stress de-escalates it, or take the "as neededs". If these don't work, I call my psychiatrist.

Originally Posted by Pookyl

I take anything from 1/2 a 25mg Seroquel up to 100mg Seroquel prn extra
My pdoc describes this mood as dysuphoric mania and has told me to treat it like any other manic episode.
Seems to work.

Even though Seroquel XR (extended release) is part of my daily cocktail, my psychiatrist prescribes regular Seroquel for me to use "as needed" beyond my normal meds, like Pookyl mentions above. I usually take either a 25 mg or 50 mg tablet up to 100 mg in a day. If I need "as needed" Seroquel for multiple days, it's time for me to call my psychiatrist for a likely increase in my daily Seroquel XR dosage.

I also have 1 mg Ativan pills to use "as needed", up to 3 mg in a day. They really help, too. It could usually be either Ativan or Seroquel, but Ativan seems particularly quick at curbing my agitation. Ativan added to my evening meds helps me fall asleep better than just 25 or 50 mg extra Seroquel added to my usual 600 mg Seroquel XR. It's a no-no for me to make a habit out of using Ativan. My psychiatrist prefers I use the Seroquel for "as needed". Seroquel is also helpful for my acute anxiety relief, but Ativan is even better at that for me and doesn't sedate me as much as Seroquel during the day (even though it sedates me more at night).

[tecomsin]

Has anyone noticed a connection between their anxiety and their irritability? I think a lot of my irritability is an attempt to escape from thoughts that are making me anxious and unhappy.

Originally Posted by tecomsin

Has anyone noticed a connection between their anxiety and their irritability? I think a lot of my irritability is an attempt to escape from thoughts that are making me anxious and unhappy.

In my case, sometimes yes and sometimes no. It depends on the characteristics of my episode. For example, anxious, agitated, and/or dysphoric types vs. grandiose.

[wiretwister]

when I was depressed I had no anger ... now as I am transitioning from depressed to "hypo" with abilify ...the anger and rage have come back ... we have started dialectical behavior therapy and it seems to be helping ... I guess the answer is to find that balance ( that sweet spot ) between depression and hypo ... in the mean time I use xanex when it gets away from me ... thankfully I need very little now ...