[Bellax3]

hi-
I'm 16 years old and "self-diagnosed" bipolar, I know that it isn't a smart idea, but I want to wait until I'm 18 before I take any action, so I can have total privacy.
Anyway,
I heared once someone say that a cousin of mine was bipolar, but that was his ex (they have a beautiful 5yr old girl) and I didn't take her seriously, because the little girl is a beautiful, well behaved intelligent lovely girl, but her mother claims she has ADHD, Hearing problems, Bipolar, Sensory disorder, Anger issues, Speech issues, so on and so forth. The little girl has a hearing aid, and she has told me that she doesn't need it, it helps her hear better but she has no problem without it. anyway- I was about to go on a rant about how she's perfectly normal, but I'll save you the long speech- I know that bipolar is thought to be largely genetic, and also that it can be related to thyroid issues, I might have a bipolar cousin, and the other day my dad's doctor office called to let him now his thyroid levels where sky high and he needed to get back on his thyroid medication that he stopped taking. My cousin is from my mother's side, so I'm wondering about the possibilities that I have bipolar on both sides of my family, since my dad's side has thyroid problems (I know they aren't necesarily related) and supposedly my mom's nephew is bipolar (but that is very much questionable) I kknow thyroid problems and bipolar aren't necesarily related, but what are the chances? My dad's side of the family is HUGE and a lot of them (particularly the older generation) are a bit closed minded when it comes to medical care (like my dad was convinced that he had no thyroid problem, the doctors just wanted more money from him) so I imagine psychiatric care must be out of the question for them- what, in your opinion, are the chances that there IS bipolar disorder in my family? unno:

**Edit to add sidenote** I also thought I'd mention that it is impossible to know for sure (especially for you guys who know me only online) and that only a profesional can make an acurate diagnoses (most of the time), but I was just wondering what your thoughts and experiences might be with this.

[reddevil]

It's possible, or it could be that some of them just have thyroid problems, and the rest have nothing, or they all just have thyroid problems.

Make sure you get your thyroid tested when you go to the doctor, as it could just be that causing your symptoms.

[Schatje]

Bipolar does tend to run in families, but that doesn't mean that if no one in your family is bipolar then you are immune. I have my suspicions of who might have bipolar in my family, but nobodies talking... It is also true that thyroid problems can read like symptoms of bipolar and usually a doctor will check your thyroid. I've had my thyroid checked many times and it is low normal. My mother was just dx with a thyroid problem and has to be medicated. It is also possible that you got hit with two whammies and you could be both bipolar and have a thyroid problem.

There is just no way to know for sure without going to a doctor. If you are concerned about being dx bipolar before you are 18 you might want to see if you can still have your thyroid tested before then. With thyroid issues running in your family it wouldn't be a far stretch to want to have it done. Then again getting dx with bipolar sooner means you get to start working on finding the right meds sooner and begin to feel better sooner.

[HALLIEBETH87]

i am bipolar and have hypothyroidism......really hard to settle issues between the two. first you have to get thryoid checked THEN go to pdoc for med changes...really sucks

[Bellax3]

Thanks for all the replies!

I did have regular bloodwork done a few months ago, do they check your thyroid levels with that? I know my bloodwork came back normal, and they were particularly screening for pre-diabetes (runs in the family) but I don't know if they checked my thyroid levels, I just remember that everything came back normal... I just googled signs and symptoms, and the only ones that match me are the BP related ones, fatigue (I'm out of shape) and intolerence to heat (being in a hot stuffy car makes me lose it, pretty quickly) nothing else seems to match, so I doubt it...
Any thoughts?<< love that sheep!

I also have bipolar in the family (my mother) plus she had low thyroid which it ends up from my blood work I have, too. However, I also have been dxed with bipolar 1, so you can have the thyroid issue & bipolar & to further complicate the issue check your B-12 levels as it was found I have pernicious anemia (so I get monthly B-12 shots) which causes if untreated--you guessed it--depression, fatigue, memory problems & finally insanity (which my husband claims has already happened in my case--that may be true), then also I have been dxed with ADHD so that has the added complication of the symptoms of difficulty of focus & attention which can mimic all these other things. Don't want to scare you. Just have a good internal medicine doc (at least that is what I have) working with your pdoc & they will cover all the bases--oh, then there is the therapist--but that is later in the game if, in fact, you are dxed as bipolar & your pdoc recommends that as part of your treatment plan (most do). Best to you. In my opinion, however, it is better to get help now rather than wait due to kindling effect. I started having difficulties at 15 & should have gotten treatment then. Maybe a lot of problems & bad situations could have been averted.--Suzy

[Bellax3]

Thanks for all the responses.
I just wrote a long post, and then it didn't let me post it, so heres a synopsis::

Before I would spend two and three days sleeping, and still be falling asleep in class. i would get home, go to sleep. go to school, come home, go to sleep, it was ridiculous. I told my doctor about it and she said that I just needed better nutrition (I'm a vegetarian) and to go for a walk instead of a nap when I get tired, and I had my blood tested, everything came back normal. the reason I didn't believe my BP symptoms were related to nutrition anyway, was that I can remember symptoms ever since I can remember. Being 8yrs old and wanting to jump in front of a subway, being 10 and having a breakdown, and not knowing why. Being convinced that I was really a superhero, and that some cute little animal would come and tell me the details of my destiny. Just now I told my mom I wanted to be a child psychologist, and she told me that she is going to take me one so that either she can smack me when they tell her i don't clean my room because I'm lazy, or she can give me "special" treatment when they tell her what a "special" little girl I am. (I'm 16!) She always threatens me with that- I wish she would stop threatening and do it. You talk the talk- so walk the walk mom...please.