BP or something else???

I am dating a man who has been told hes bi-polar. But when he gos into a down swing, He gives off this odor of infection. Like a person with a cold gives off or an animal with an infection does... He also gets very pail.

hes a vegetarian who hardly eats and I suspect an eating disorder behind it...

has anyone here ever noticed anything similar in them selves or another whos been diagnosed as BP?

its just that something just dosent 'feel right'.  Ive had manic friends, and he doesnt act the same or 'feel the same'. I cant put my finger on it-but something just isnt right...


hes always had 'anger' issues tho growing up. breaks his stuff or cuts. and hes had 2 episodes of Meningitis in his life. One of each type I believe.

hes also not taking meds for it. But in the past mentions the same complaint of feeling emotionally flat-lined on meds. Like having no feelings at all one way or the other.

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now I my self have been manic b4, in reaction to certain medications. Manic meds Make me manic and weird. I cant have anything used or sub-used to treat mania-or I start hallucinating and loosin it and getting violent. Very freaky. Effexor was the first med that screwed me up like that. I even thought it was OK to be nude when visitors came over. just wow... they had used the drug to try to treat PTSD after a very bad car accident(thankyou drunks). I didnt even know it was screwing me up until I went off it due to a loss of insurance to cover it. That one was a few years ago now tho. But Ive had even more serious reactions to others when they tried to give something for seizures that had its main use in BP treatment.

and in my exp. some doctors Will use you as a guina pig. Be Very Careful who you put your trust in. And because these doctors have no emotional investment in you they also dont care if they do you more harm then good. A result one way or the other is all that seems to matter.

I was on a med this nuro wanted me to try for seizures, now she Knew I didnt do well with BP drugs. I beat a chicken to death with a rake one morning. And was already planning how to kill the neighbors. I Freaked and stopped the med, and She wanted to keep me on it. She was ticked even with That for my reasoning, that I wouldnt go back on it! this was drug 2 she screwed me up on in a row. I was seeing things and hearing things and hadnt been able to sleep in several weeks. She didnt care that I was about to Kill a Human Next. Its not like She would have to pay the consequences for it.

So the point is, Dont Ever Loose your own common sense just because they are Supposed to know more. They Often Dont. So research and dont ever be afraid to question them or say a particular meds not right for you.

[lindahand]

I always research my meds before I will take it. I've refused meds I didn't think the benefit outweights the side effects.

I however have found my pdocs really do care about my wellbeing. They are tragically overworked in my city (Canada has universal medicare), but it depends in what region you live in. Some regions have more pdocs than others. But they really try to do what is best and are willing to look at alternatives. I have a very hard type of bipolar to treat. Ultridian cycling bipolar, so getting meds that even somewhat work has been difficult. I take three now and besides fatigue am doing well. No flattening of emotions for example.

As for your BF - if you know people who are bipolar and he doesn't act like that - probably something else going on. People with Eating Disorders sometimes cut as well. He may have something related like borderline personality disorder as I know a few people who have that and they all cut. Only a psychiatrist can officially diagnose and have the experience to do so. A psychologist may also be helpful. Especially if it is borderline personality disorder as that is something treatable.

[Seph1212]

I'll address only the odor part. What exactly do you mean by "odor of infection"?

Is he a diabetic or has he recently been tested to rule it out? Ketoacidosis has a characteristic sour smell. Diabetes has a definite impact on mood as well.

Ketoacidosis can also occur in people with severe carbohydrate restrictions, since he's vegetarian, I doubt this is the case since such a diet is usually very high in carbohydrates. Yet you say hardly eats. Again, if he's not getting enough carbohydrates, he may produce too many ketones.

Does he drink alcohol? If not, are you sure, some may hide it?Alcohol and mood are also definitely linked. Some people who drink also exude a sour smell from their skin.

[run4you]

Also with the 'odor', is he depressed to the point he's not taking good care of himself hygiene-wise? Is he bathing?

[AngelMyne]

HYGIENE: He showers every day. Very Clean Man. Shaves alot too. I mean not just his face-so very clean all around.

ALCOHOL: And he dosent drink. He has the Weirdest reaction to alcohol. It makes him twitch/jerk violently. Its the weirdest thing Ive ever seen! So he doesnt tend to care for it much.

Hes got some OCD type issues. with locking doors. everything's always gotta be locked. And he gets ocd clean. on everything in the house. Or it drives him nuts to be in a house with any clutter.

SMELL: The Smells alot like a festering infected wound. Like that of a animal almost dead from an infection... He gets pail even tho he's of a darker skin tone.  this along with the down swing in mood, always seem to correlate. And the more down the stronger the smell. And I think a pattern of not having eaten all day gos with it... He is Black/White ethnic background.

Diabetics usually have a sweet smell when their sugars to high or low. Like a bitter or rancid kind of sweet. And the smell stays in a room they sleep in often. I noticed it with a friend of mine who stayed in my guest room a few times a month. My first seizure dog even alerted to a sugar shift in his sleep once, and boy was the smell strong. I couldnt get the smell out of the room after that.

So you think its the same kinda thing maybe just smells differently?


Diet: He eats once a day I think. And usually its just some microwave veggies. Maybe a veggie burger on bread, and I think at least oatmeal most days. He takes some kind of vitamins and protein powder. I wouldnt call what he eats Real Food by any measure. To me he eats alot of crap. or zero value food. Hes not over weight but hes always obsessed that he is or that he will be. Hes not under weight either.

his lows last a long time. It kinda seems that low is his normal. But at times he gets this sudden hyper bonkers kinda moods. Like a dog obsessed with a ball.

hes always agitated. Most of the time hes impatient, mean to other people, down, withdrawn. Edgy, like hes looking for a fight. Some where to direct all his pent up frustration.
He loves conflict im finding. Not much with me, but then I wouldnt go for it... so In general any where he can find it. Hes not real nice to people. And he dosent keep jobs for long. Either he says hes bored, or he dosent like the people. But he provokes people. Alot.

He told me he was diagnosed as a rapid cycling manic. But Im not real sure what that means exactly...

But some aspects of this are getting harder to deal with at times. Mostly because its confusing. but can be frustrating also. granted Im not easy to live with either ;)

but the smell, and the paleness and all has me wondering.

[psyvamp]

sounds to me like he needs a very thorough medical exam, with blood tests and everything.
is he on medications? does he see a psych doc?

[run4you]

I would suggest a workup, too.

I'm not a medical expert by any means, but I'm guessing the vitamins have something to do with it. Getting those levels out of whack result in excess being excreted in sweat/urine. Even if he's not sweating heavily or anything, we all sweat some.

[AngelMyne]

Its been a long past several days. I wanna thank those that have offered ideas. My head seems to be else where and Im being rude...

Hes not seen a doctor of any kind in years. 'he dosent have a problem'.

but right now I am going to look into a thing that might give him free help until he can pay for it. or thats perhaps low cost. He lost his job over a week ago now. He fills out aps but wont go in and ask about jobs and give a face to go with a piece of paper. So I dont expect he'll have a job real soon.

Is there a support group for people on the other end of BP here? some times it would help to have someone to talk to about his swings and how to cope and stay patient. Now that my depressions better, its harder to handle his...

[run4you]

Ugh.

You're definitely not being rude. I've seen tons of posts here from the other side, so don't feel bad.

I don't know about other resources, but I did find this:

http://www.nami.org/template.cfm?section=Education_Training_and_Peer_Support_Center

You can look up your local NAMI chapter, they have meetings for those who care for/care about individuals with mental illness.

It's hard for me to understand your boyfriend. My husband would not put up with me off meds/not treated. It is hard enough for him when I'm trying, it would be cruel for both of us for me to quit taking care of myself. I can't imagine what you deal with - I love my husband dearly and appreciate everything he does... I know I'm not easy sometimes. However, he also has a say - when my moods start becoming unstable, he will say to me that I need to call my dr.

I'm sorry you're having to deal with this. Congratulations on beating your depression, by the way :)

[AngelMyne]

He was diagnosed as bi-polar rapid cycling, but... all the info says they have highs- a normal thing im used to in the typical nature... but can it be depressed moody and swinging to even more depressed? without any 'happy' time?

he gets moments that might last an hr or a day at best of 'dog with ball obsession' as I call it. but that seems connected to his eating candy. and he'll eat bags of hersheys kisses, something that would make most people ill...

Im trying to figure out if its really BP or if it could be Borderline personality disorder.... or both. Naturally this would be easier if hed just go to a doctor, then me trying to guess, his disorder details, and day to day mood changes throughout the day.

I just havent given up Yet, that things cant change for the better. And I dont know that Im always the easiest person to live with either.

one hard thing, is he will sit in his chair, reading a book and laughing at it. but say hes feeling lonely when Im sitting there and he wont join me in anything. like its my fault. and I Need to Make him social. I make my self available, what else can I do? put a collar and a leash on him, and Make him do things?

No one enjoys the false or forced sense you get when a person really dosent seem to want anything to do with you. Like walking off ahead of me like I dont exist, rather then with me.

tonight I desided he can sit by him self after I get up, come out, and he seems to get moody and then just leaves saying 'be back'. so wth?

Is this normal things that ocurre with BP?

I will look into that link, Thankyou very much. and Ive been looking for support stuff on the web. got annoyed right off about a guy Selling the answer to dealing with BP. fraud. people like that, ya know? just ger.

todays a day of more frustration then usual tho. definitely going to find a support group to learn from. In part I need to vent, and in part learn what to expect and How to approach him.

If I can get help, so can he. its only fair. I did and didnt do it for 'my self'. why cant he?...

ok, ive whined enough now lol, time to look some more into what I Can Do about things.

we will see in 6 months, if Ive beaten my issue. My body tends to go on revolt to meds after 6months. at least when it dosent do it immediately. My hopes are high tho... I still cope with it each day, but the med gives the boost I need to do the rest and be ok most of the time. :)  cant wait for the warm weather so I can go out. its harder to be 'happy' when the weather keeps ya cooped up.