[xRavenx]

Hello,
I had a meeting with my pdoc yesterday. I described how I have been very hypersensitive lately. Sounds seem louder than usual, I get racing thoughts but the anxious kind, especially if something really small triggers me. I feel "up", but not euphoric. I have a hard time focusing and get irritable and angry quickly. I signed up for therapy and start in January, but it is with someone new since my old one is no longer accepting clients, so not sure how that will go.

I'm very "on edge." Seroquel has helped me sleep, which is a godsend, but these symptoms are still here and making me really distressed.

They cannot increase my mood stabilizer, because I get a serious side effect on a higher dose, but I am within the therapeutic range (Lamictal 200 mg...used to be on 400). She raised my Seroquel from 200 to 300 and said that I am hypomanic and heading towards mania if I do not increase my medication. I hope that's enough for it to help. Anybody else feel better after having Seroquel raised?

I am wondering how common it is to have hypomania, but more of the dysphoric, anxious kind rather than euphoric. Has anyone experienced this before? What has helped?

[Yaowen]

I am so very sorry that is happening to you. Wish I knew what to say that would help. I suffer from anxiety disorder and panic attacks so "being on edge" is a brutal experience to me. Hope those with experience regarding Seroquel will see your post and respond to it with helpful words. My heart goes out to you!

[Soupe du jour]

Originally Posted by xRavenx

Hello,
I had a meeting with my pdoc yesterday. I described how I have been very hypersensitive lately. Sounds seem louder than usual, I get racing thoughts but the anxious kind, especially if something really small triggers me. I feel "up", but not euphoric. I have a hard time focusing and get irritable and angry quickly. I signed up for therapy and start in January, but it is with someone new since my old one is no longer accepting clients, so not sure how that will go.

I'm very "on edge." Seroquel has helped me sleep, which is a godsend, but these symptoms are still here and making me really distressed.

They cannot increase my mood stabilizer, because I get a serious side effect on a higher dose, but I am within the therapeutic range (Lamictal 200 mg...used to be on 400). She raised my Seroquel from 200 to 300 and said that I am hypomanic and heading towards mania if I do not increase my medication. I hope that's enough for it to help. Anybody else feel better after having Seroquel raised?

I am wondering how common it is to have hypomania, but more of the dysphoric, anxious kind rather than euphoric. Has anyone experienced this before? What has helped?

Sure I've experienced dysphoric mania and the lower-level hypomania. And with them often came anxiety. I think it's more common than you may realize.

I also experienced good results from increases of Seroquel in the range of 100 mg or so, like you've just received. Or 150 mg to 200 mg tops. A little extra can go a long way.

When I've been so manic that I was put in a psych hospital, my dose of meds may have been even more aggressive. Or a new one added. [Actually, sometimes even my outpatient pdoc would sometimes add a new medication if a) my dose of another was already high, or b) adding more of an existing one would bring unbearable side effects.]

[Travelinglady]

I think anxiety can go along with hypomania and bipolar in general. It's scary to me that my brain is doing things to me that I can't control, for one thing.

[Tart Cherry Jam]

Yes, dysphoric hypomania with anxiety is quite common.

[Apogee]

Yes, very much so. Right now my psychologist are I are working on behavioral techniques, along wth medicine, to help me navigate this type of circumstance.