[iscreamparty]

When I got diagnosed with MDD and BPD they put me on Sertraline, but I stopped sleeping and felt really speedy and powerful. When I saw my doctor they said I wasn't depressed but bipolar. They didn't tell me anything about it, but had to switch my medications. Does this sound right? Normally my moods switch really fast, but they're typically negative and don't involve feeling like I'm on speed. What kinds of things should I know about potentially having this?

[MuddyBoots]

Sounds about right.
BPD is the fast switching emotions (the weather). Bipolar is the long-lasting moods (the climate)--(hypo)mania/depression/euthymia.
One thing I can tell you is track your sleep and any particular, tangible symptoms you noticed (like spending more, different handwriting/more pressure, getting into a greater number of conflicts, talking more, whatever you notice happens when things aren't your norm).
---
For example, I've been hypo/manic/mixed since like April and I know this because I've been journaling and keeping track of sleep and I've been sleeping like 0-4 hours almost every single freaking night since then, ****ing whoever whenever, drinking/drugging to an extreme extent, and have been constantly complaining about feeling depressed but it's obvious I'm more impulsive, energetic, and frantic than normal (things are settling).

Meds are key and, though there are patterns, "individuals respond to individual meds individually." Lithium is good for "classic" bipolar, then there's atypical antipsychotics like ziprasidone, aripiprazole, quetiapine, olanzapine, etc., and anticonvulsants like valproic acid, lamotrigine, carbamazepine, etc. Therapy helps too--and is essential with comorbidities like BPD. Antidepressants, as you found out, can trigger an elevated mood, but I guess sometimes they can be helpful if you're on some sort of mood stabilizer (I haven't found this to be the case but like I said, everyone is different).

[Fuzzybear]

Originally Posted by MuddyBoots

Sounds about right.
BPD is the fast switching emotions (the weather). Bipolar is the long-lasting moods (the climate)--(hypo)mania/depression/euthymia.
One thing I can tell you is track your sleep and any particular, tangible symptoms you noticed (like spending more, different handwriting/more pressure, getting into a greater number of conflicts, talking more, whatever you notice happens when things aren't your norm).
---
For example, I've been hypo/manic/mixed since like April and I know this because I've been journaling and keeping track of sleep and I've been sleeping like 0-4 hours almost every single freaking night since then, ****ing whoever whenever, drinking/drugging to an extreme extent, and have been constantly complaining about feeling depressed but it's obvious I'm more impulsive, energetic, and frantic than normal (things are settling).

Meds are key and, though there are patterns, "individuals respond to individual meds individually." Lithium is good for "classic" bipolar, then there's atypical antipsychotics like ziprasidone, aripiprazole, quetiapine, olanzapine, etc., and anticonvulsants like valproic acid, lamotrigine, carbamazepine, etc. Therapy helps too--and is essential with comorbidities like BPD. Antidepressants, as you found out, can trigger an elevated mood, but I guess sometimes they can be helpful if you're on some sort of mood stabilizer (I haven't found this to be the case but like I said, everyone is different).

Good post

[insideoutsider]

Antidepressants are a pretty good way to tell if someone has bipolar. Seeing if they become manic.

Yes it feels, at least to me, like I'm on drugs. When I'm manic I wake up extremely stimulated. Barley sleep. Euphoria, etc.

You ask what you should know: it is manageable with medication, but can quickly process without

[Victoria'smom]

What you need to know:
It takes time be kind to yourself.
Find a doctor willing to work for you
Get a therapist and if you have a family a family therapist too.

I've had my best luck when I have a team that shares notes. The psychiatrist prescribes meds, the therapist keeps me compliant, the PCP keeps tabs on my physical health. When I was younger my whole family had a team that shared notes. Each of us had a therapist and psychiatrist and they all worked together. So if one of us were having issues the other professionals already knew.

[Aurelius710]

I had a similar experience with SSRIs, save for my med being citalopram. It was a 24 hour turnaround for me. Just up and up and up. Sadly, despite the fact I was IP at the time, no one medical recognized it as the mania it was. I waited another 2-3 years for a diagnosis.

I'm glad your doctor caught that! Save you some trouble.

I find a seasonal component to my moods, exactly the way you'd expect. Up in the spring/summer and down nearer to winter. There's general ups and downs throughout the year, but that's been the overarching trend.

I had a time and a half finding what works for me, med-wise, but once I did... thank heavens! Worked with eight different meds before I found lithium and lamotrigine to work for me. It'll definitely be trial and error, but once you find the right combo...

As far as therapy goes, I have someone I see on the regular (every 1-2 weeks). We'll talk about everything under the sun, but I typically use him as a sounding board of sorts. He knows me well enough and long enough to catch when something is genuinely off mood-wise. Or worse, that I've lost insight.

Doesn't necessarily have to be a mental health professional, but if you have someone you trust to fill that role, you've got someone outside yourself to offer input and possibly see things you don't.

Apart from that, I second what the others have said.

[iscreamparty]

Thanks everyone!!!