Sexual Energy & Bipolar (Dis)Order

maybe one day. You must be further north, right?

I had relatively large breasts and relatively narrow hips and conceived very easily, as did my mom who had the lower body of Sophia Loren (tight waist and very wide hips) but smaller breasts–not small, but smaller. It is actually quite common to have one or the other body type and the body type as well as many other body types. And I knew women with boyish figures who conceived easily.

I love how Californians seem to make a line at Sac and call it good. Bay Area, Sac, etc. is geographically central if you’re being honest. Granted the only thing north of Sac are hippies, rednecks and weed but it does exist. 🤣

(I am only joking)

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Originally Posted by Tart Cherry Jam maybe one day. You must be further north, right?

One day may be just the thing! Nope, I'm east of you. El valle But, very familiar with the Bay Area since I was a wee 'un.

My son and DIL live in the Mission Dist.

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Originally Posted by Random 503 I love how Californians seem to make a line at Sac and call it good. Bay Area, Sac, etc. is geographically central if you’re being honest. Granted the only thing north of Sac are hippies, rednecks and weed but it does exist. 🤣 (I am only joking)

Yes, I'm central, but we are northern...so, I'm central vertically, northern horizontally Does that make sense? Sheesh, the only thing in Sac are hippies, rednecks, weed - and what used to be called Yuppies. I don't know what they're called now. My children, haha.

You know Calif well, my friend.

Mendocino county, of course. I have never been there but it is on my todo list. And yes we know we are in reality central.

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Originally Posted by Tart Cherry Jam Mendocino county, of course. I have never been there but it is on my todo list. And yes we know we are in reality central.

Ohhh, go to Mendocino when you are able to. The town itself is darling and it's smack on the ocean. If you can, stay at Van Damme State Park and hike through Fern Canyon - magnificent! (Most likely, you'd need reservations quite a ways in advance.) The only downside is that if you get car sick bring Dramamine, ginger, wear a copper bracelet, anything that works. Even when I drive I get terribly motion sick from the tightly winding roads.

Thanks for the advice! I get car sick on winding roads, even if I drive (if I am a passenger, then forget about it, it is so bad).

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Originally Posted by Tart Cherry Jam Thanks for the advice! I get car sick on winding roads, even if I drive (if I am a passenger, then forget about it, it is so bad).

I often feel slightly nauseated while bicycling, and I'm serious. I believe motion sickness has to do with something in the inner ear.

Yeah. Not pleasurable. In fact, I used to drive to the coast and up the coast a lot. 101 was the love of my life. But after so many years of it, I began to be just plain tired of getting car sick. I'd be driving and hanging over the wheel, praying not to puke in the car. By the time I'd get to the ocean I'd kind-of roll out of the car, stumble to the beach, and gulp in the fresh ocean air just to offset the nausea. Lie there in the sand and pray that I'd either throw up, not throw up, whatever, just that it would stop. And being a passenger? Oh, Lord help me.

I did find "not very drowsy" Dramamine usually helpful - and it doesn't make me sleepy, I don't think.

I feel very similar to you. I have always been pretty hyper sexual since a child honestly. It has always been pretty age appropriate sexual experiences tho. When I go thru my manic episodes I gain a ton of excess sexual energy that has led to some issues in my life for sure….

But in my early 20s after having my first son I got the depo shot and ALL my sexuality went out the window. For months at a time. My poor ex. I gained like a 100 lbs. I got all the weight off (and more) after our second son. getting the mirena iud along with a script to the weight loss meds Phentermine saved my life and gave me sexual balance (for the most part). *but also mentioned this transformation led to my ultimate demise. Before, when I was married and undiagnosed and had my first manic episode following a life tragedy, I was in person acting on it and it ended up basically ruined my life. That was 4 years ago. Since then I’m divorced.

… Recently I’ve been extremely triggered (hence why I’m reaching out to support groups). So In all honesty these manic episodes still happen but Now if it gets really really really bad I just go to a chatroom to release in an anonymous and detached way. Thanks for sharing your experience, I felt nervous with so many asexual comments and my experience has been so different.
If you’re reading this and struggling as I am, try to stay strong. I know it’s hard

I had a high sex drive and would have issues because no partner cause I'm fat. I prayed for it to go away it has I'm much more selective now and not dating random guys. much happier. weed out guys just looking for sex too now.

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Originally Posted by Aviza I had a high sex drive and would have issues because no partner cause I'm fat. I prayed for it to go away it has I'm much more selective now and not dating random guys. much happier. weed out guys just looking for sex too now.

Good for you, Aviza!

Hmm...where'd @Tart Cherry Jamgo?

I am back! I went on a trip to New England to meet my son's GF. She is wonderful. I am really glad I went but it was not easy for me as I was depressed and tried to put on a front of a cheerful person.

Then I got back, was depressed for several days, then flipped into hypomania (last Thursday, depressed in the morning to the point of not being able to get up from the bed, euthymic in the afternoon, hypomanic by evening). Hypomania lasted a couple of days and even Zyprexa did not provide enough sleep. It was for the first time in my life that even Zyprexa was powerful.

I started thinking of adding Lithium since the presentation of my bipolar illness is becoming classic with ups and downs. My dr agreed and I have filled the script but I have not taken Lithium yet, remembering the side effects Lithium gave me when some years ago I was on it, and also remembering that it did not always help.

Right now I am trying to go back to Latuda and Thorazine as I do not want to stay on Zyprexa.

To the point of this thread: I switched to Vraylar which is known not to give sexual side effects a couple of weeks ago. Indeed thinking sexual thoughts started coming back to me but I also believe that it destabilized me.

It is so difficult managing this mercurial illness.

So difficult.

Thank you for starting the thread and wondering how I have been.

I'm so glad you've checked in @Tart Cherry Jam. Great news that you like your son's GF, but oh, ouch...the agony of having to be cheery when you feel depressed.

I had a very similar situation in August. My son and dear DIL took my husband and I to lunch; we all had an absolutely lovely time. But I was having issues with my Gabapentin dose, wasn't feeling at all well (physically), but was determined to put on a happy face. (God forbid they should know I'm taking all these psych meds.) So, I pulled it off. But by the time I got home I was drained so badly that I felt terribly unwell and ended up (sorry) puking for hours.

Yeah, this illness is a blast What is your next step with medication?

Hi all, from the male viewpoint on the OP. Disclosure: diagnosed Bipolar 1 12 months ago at age 51; current coctail: lamotrogine, risperidol, and escitalopram.

First, thank you Beth for the OP. This is exactly the topic I was hoping to explore (like @Teachnbipola1991 I am coming here instead of feeding the problem). I'm like Beth and teachnbipolar, hypersexual. When I get (hypo)manic I can lose control. It has led to a disastrously sad life without real fulfillment, an inner struggle that I often lose leading to full on Catholic guilt, and a recent separation from my wife of 22 years (whom I fell immediately in love with 15 years before our marriage and spent my life trying to convnince her I was the one).

I actually considered the hypersexuality (or at least my inability to control it) as one of my symptoms and thought it was a fairly commonplace symptom of bipolar. I am surprised to hear many of you do not suffer the same fate. It has led to delusions of jealousy and some erotomania (never with a famous person, just most non-celebrity people I meet).

I have a really high sex drive when manic but outside of those episodes I have zero sex drive. I'm 28 years old and female

I've had every diagnosis in the books. But my recent hospitalization was bipolar disorder (very bad racing thoughts). I was diagnosed bipolar with mixed states in 2003 (and acute anxiety disorder). I don't get manic, I get agitated with racing thoughts and I can be agitated and depressed at the same time. It's horrible, been on SSA disability for 20 yrs and been hospitalized over 25 times. I always had a high sex drive (not sure if it was hypersexual or not) but I'm 58 now and it has decreased. Paxil and SSRI's gave me sexual side effects (retrograde ejaculation) and Cymbalta (inability of erection), Not sure if I was hypersexual but my Dr. 30 yrs ago told me he had a patient who masturbated 10 times a day! That's crazy! My sex drive when I was young kept me going-it's what I lived for. Madonna said little while ago that sex had kept her going.

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Originally Posted by AmIbp1 Hi all, from the male viewpoint on the OP. Disclosure: diagnosed Bipolar 1 12 months ago at age 51; current coctail: lamotrogine, risperidol, and escitalopram. First, thank you Beth for the OP. This is exactly the topic I was hoping to explore (like @Teachnbipola1991 I am coming here instead of feeding the problem). I'm like Beth and teachnbipolar, hypersexual. When I get (hypo)manic I can lose control. It has led to a disastrously sad life without real fulfillment, an inner struggle that I often lose leading to full on Catholic guilt, and a recent separation from my wife of 22 years (whom I fell immediately in love with 15 years before our marriage and spent my life trying to convnince her I was the one). I actually considered the hypersexuality (or at least my inability to control it) as one of my symptoms and thought it was a fairly commonplace symptom of bipolar. I am surprised to hear many of you do not suffer the same fate. It has led to delusions of jealousy and some erotomania (never with a famous person, just most non-celebrity people I meet).

Welcome, welcome, AmIbp1. It is a delight to meet you. I am so sorry to learn that you and your wife have separated. How are you doing these days?

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Originally Posted by Blue_Bird I have a really high sex drive when manic but outside of those episodes I have zero sex drive. I'm 28 years old and female

That truly is bi-polar. Do you find it difficult?

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Originally Posted by cool09 I've had every diagnosis in the books. But my recent hospitalization was bipolar disorder (very bad racing thoughts). I was diagnosed bipolar with mixed states in 2003 (and acute anxiety disorder). I don't get manic, I get agitated with racing thoughts and I can be agitated and depressed at the same time. It's horrible, been on SSA disability for 20 yrs and been hospitalized over 25 times. I always had a high sex drive (not sure if it was hypersexual or not) but I'm 58 now and it has decreased. Paxil and SSRI's gave me sexual side effects (retrograde ejaculation) and Cymbalta (inability of erection), Not sure if I was hypersexual but my Dr. 30 yrs ago told me he had a patient who masturbated 10 times a day! That's crazy! My sex drive when I was young kept me going-it's what I lived for. Madonna said little while ago that sex had kept her going.

Agitated with racing thoughts...I've experienced similar states and yes, they are quite hellish. You've been through so much, cool. Good for you for making it, for surviving, and for keeping on keeping on. I feel really proud of you for you!

Yeah, I've heard about and read about people who compulsively masturbate almost constantly. It can sound amusing, but way back, back in history before there was medication for such disorders, I doubt such a compulsion was much fun, at all.

I believe Madonna, but then she probably meant sex within reason, and in a variety of ways. Sexy fashion, flirting, sexy dancing, sexy singing...I mean, there are a lot of ways to be sexy besides actual sex. Marilyn Monroe could be sexy just by the way she blinked her eyes.

It can be , it used to lead to me ending up in some risky not so great situations due to being reckless during the episodes but it’s not a huge issue for me now since I got on meds that help me a lot

I feel very lucky though to have found a good combo finally that helps me a lot

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I can easily see how you would be drained badly after pulling it off. Easily.

My next step with medication is increasing Latuda to see where it leads up. I have started today, upped from 40 mg to 60 mg. Yesterday I could not fall asleep and even Zyprexa did not cut it. It was the second time when Zyprexa did not cut it. Scary, as in the past Zyprexa always caused sleep. Yes it is a blast, this illness.

There are so many ways to play around with meds when it comes to sleep, because Latuda can be such a helpful med if the Zyprexa isn't helping with sleep. Have you ever used melatonin?

So being off meds for awhile has increased my sex drive. But it may because I need that closeness to feel we (as a couple) are okay. 2-3x a day is the only time I feel like I'm not ****ing up. And that's with him being insight reassuring me. I can't imagine if he had to leave for hours at a time.