Anybody else notice this about themselves?

[rBoulet]

I was just talking to myself and I came to a shocking revelation.
My mood swings now are way different than they were before I was on medication.
Right now I'm between doctors and am off all the medication I was on when seeing my last doctor, so I'm going to call this 'after' and the other 'before'.
Before the medication all my mood swings lasted longer and had a longer period between them, like I'd be manic for a week or month and then normal for a bit and then depressed for months or longer. I had the odd mixed episode or rapid cycle here and there but it was nothing major.
Now that I'm off all those medications while I look for a new doctor I've noticed that my moods are way shorter and swing way quicker. Like I'll be manic for a few days or weeks and then mixed and then depressed for a few days or weeks.

Has anybody else noticed this or is this just some sort of coincidence I've noticed with myself?

[corlenbelspar]

The Stephen Fry documentary I watched on Bipolar Disorder stated in one part that once people with Bipolar Disorder get on medication they usually have to stay on it because of problems like this.

[rBoulet]

There's a documentary with Stephen Fry in it? Does he have bipolar? I love that guy.

[corlenbelspar]

Yeah he made a documentary all about Bipolar Disorder and interviewed several different people who have it and covered pretty much every aspect of it.  He has it indeed.  The documentary is called Stephen Fry: The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive.  You can watch the whole thing on youtube, here's part 1.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nXgZlvjkAo&feature=PlayList&p=6A5D1548EE6AE0DF&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=21

[jada326]

Hi...I'm Bipolar II and even though I am on medications I have the same experiences you are feeling now.  It's been phrased "hypo-manic" and like you I do experience mixed episodes.  It's only a few days to several days long then I crash hard which lasts a few days and when I get through that... it all evens out as best as it can.  Personally I don't like the hypo-manic phase because my anxiety and panic mode kicks in.  Not to mention I know what's coming when it ends.

[Xila31]

Well, when I was just recently on Lamictal it did not help me at all. I was up and down about 3 times in one month. I am just the same as you say having never really been medicated. Up and down or mixed. Like jada326 says I hate the hypomania, too, for similar reasons, except I don't crash hard. I seem to go down in steps.

But I'm doing okay for the past week, I'm so happy. I was getting exhausted by the mood swings.

[gigiroj]

Well I currently see a psychartrist for my depression and have been extremely happy, and energtic for a month...then BAM!@#$% I feel like I hit a brick wall. I feel like a car that is slowly running out of gas. I am not sure what the hell is happened because this has never happened before, but I figured it was too good to be true and last forever. I guess i feel a bit relieved that I know its called hypo mania and that it can last a month, becuase mine did....and now today I feel like complete doo doo. I just want to get to bed. I havent been diagnoised bi polar but diagnoise depressed w/mood disorder...not sure if that is the same thing. Anyways just wanted to let you know that yes i have experience what you have experienced.