Can someone explain to me what mania is, exactly? Can it be caused by Prozac?

HelloWorld18 · Apr 27, 2014, 12:35 AM

Do you have to be bipolar to be manic? Because from my understanding mania is overly confidence. Can it be caused by Prozac? What's hypomania and mania? What's it like, exactly?

Altered Moment · Apr 27, 2014, 08:12 AM

There is bipolar 1, bipolar 2, and lower states of mania. It is like a very wide spectrum from slight mania to hypomania to full blown mania. Prozac can cause hypomania. There is controversy over if an antidepressant causes hypomania that you actually belong somewhere on that scale. The DSM 5 seems to say that if an AD causes hypomania along with other symptoms then you belong somewhere on that scale.

Over confidence is just one symptom of it. There is positive mania, where you feel euphoric, energetic, confident, etc...then there is negative mania in which you feel agitated, irritable, angry, etc.

I wouldn't call yourself bipolar just because you are experiencing some mania from Prozac. The chances are very high it will balance out and go away. If it continues and gets worse they may consider you on some level of the spectrum of bi polar and add a mood stabilizer to your meds. You really don't want to wish for mania and for a diagnosis of bi polar.

Bi Polar 2/ hypomania
Hypomanic Episode Symptoms | Psych Central

Quote:

Hypomanic Episode Symptoms
By PSYCH CENTRAL STAFF

A hypomanic episode is not a disorder in itself, but rather is a description of a part of a type of bipolar II disorder. Hypomanic episodes have the same symptoms as manic episodes with two important differences: (1) the mood usually isn’t severe enough to cause problems with the person working or socializing with others (e.g., they don’t have to take time off work during the episode), or to require hospitalization; and (2) there are never any psychotic features present in a hypomanic episode.

A hypomanic episode is characterized by a distinct period of persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood, lasting throughout at least 4 days and present for most of the day nearly every day. This hypomanic mood is clearly different from the person’s usual mood.

During the period of mood disturbance, 3 or more of the following symptoms have persisted (4 if the mood is only irritable) and have been present to a significant degree:

Inflated self-esteem or grandiosity
Decreased need for sleep (e.g., feels rested after only 3 hours of sleep)
More talkative than usual or pressure to keep talking
Flight of ideas or subjective experience that thoughts are racing
Distractibility (e.g., attention too easily drawn to unimportant or irrelevant external stimuli)
Increase in goal-directed activity (either socially, at work or school, or sexually) or psychomotor agitation
Excessive involvement in pleasurable activities that have a high potential for painful consequences (e.g., the person engages in unrestrained buying sprees, sexual indiscretions, or foolish business investments)
A hypomanic episode is associated with a change in functioning that is uncharacteristic of the person. For example, the individual may be far more productive or outgoing and socialable than they usually are. This change in functioning and in mood is not subtle — the change is directly noticeable by others (usually friends or family members) during a hypomanic episode.

A hypomanic episode is also not severe enough to cause serious impairment in social or occupational functioning, or to necessitate hospitalization, and there are no psychotic features. The observable symptoms of a hypomanic episode must not be due to substance use or abuse (e.g., alcohol, drugs, medications) or caused by a general medical condition (e.g., hyperthyroidism or diabetes).

People who experience a hypomanic episode are often diagnosed with a type of bipolar disorder called Bipolar II.

A hypomanic episode brought about by the effects of a drug or psychiatric treatment (such as starting a course of antidepressants) is generally not diagnosed, unless it continues to persist beyond the physiological effects of the treatment.

Quote:

Bi Polar 1
What Are the Symptoms of Bipolar I Disorder?

During a manic episode in someone with bipolar disorder, elevated mood can manifest itself as either euphoria (feeling "high") or as irritability.

Abnormal behavior during manic episodes includes:

Flying suddenly from one idea to the next
Rapid, "pressured," and loud speech
Increased energy, with hyperactivity and a decreased need for sleep
Inflated self-image
Excessive spending
Hypersexuality
Substance abuse
People in manic episodes may spend money far beyond their means, have sex with people they wouldn't otherwise, or pursue grandiose, unrealistic plans. In severe manic episodes, a person loses touch with reality. They may become delusional and behave bizarrely.

Untreated, an episode of mania can last anywhere from a few days to several months. Most commonly, symptoms continue for a few weeks to a few months. Depression may follow shortly after, or not appear for weeks or months.

Many people with bipolar I disorder experience long periods without symptoms in between episodes. A minority has rapid-cycling symptoms of mania and depression, in which they may have distinct periods of mania or depression four or more times within a year. People can also have mixed episodes, in which manic and depressive symptoms occur simultaneously, or may alternate from one pole to the other within the same day.

Depressive episodes in bipolar disorder are similar to "regular" clinical depression, with depressed mood, loss of pleasure, low energy and activity, feelings of guilt or worthlessness, and thoughts of suicide. Depressive symptoms of bipolar disorder can last weeks or months, but rarely longer than one year.

Altered Moment · Apr 27, 2014, 08:38 AM

For me I think I am bi polar II. This is because-
1.) Everytime I come out of a depression even though I have been on the same meds for months I get hypomanic for awhile. It goes away after a week or two.

2.) Even after I have not been depressed for a long time and on the same meds for months I sometimes get hypomanic. It goes away after a week or two.

3.) Recently I started taking Fetzima and for a month I was wired/hypomanic. There is a difference between hypomanic and wired but I was having both.

According to the DSM5 (Diagnostic Statistical Manual) I would be bi polar II.

I don't think having one hypomanic episode caused by starting Prozac would make you bi polar II. Although the DSM5 does say if it comes with the right symptoms you would be.

If I were you I would keep a mood log and everyday write down what you mood is, your symptoms like sleep, appetite, talk a lot, talk louder, overly confident, agitated, nervous, irritable, depressed. There is such a thing as mixed states where you bounce all over the place. Like me, I would be totally hypomanic one day and totally calm the next.

If it goes away soon I would not worry about it and I wouldn't even tell my doc because you really don't want them to tag you with bi polar II. If it continues or gets worse or if in the future you have them again then I would tell your pdoc and they would probably want to give you a mood stabilizer. Keeping a mood log is very important because a week from now you won't remember.

Ideally you want it to balance out and go away and for the Prozac to keep you from being depressed.

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Can someone explain to me what mania is, exactly? Can it be caused by Prozac?

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