Oops I was wrong, what is this?

[PenelopeAnn]

I really thought I was levelling out for good. I'd experienced months of rapid cycling in which I would fly straight up for about three days then plummet down for about three days, and *maybe* have a normal day in between, before it started all over again. It was the first time I'd experienced rapid cycling. It happened when I was weaning off (bad pdoc suggested it) of Seroquel...I'm back on it.
I started spending more time in a more normal range and the highs and lows were less extreme. I thought it was all over.........but nooooooooo.... I had a string of low grade depression days--typical sleeping alot, worse in the morning, thinking a little slow, kind of stuff and then BOOM! I have had two days in which I have cycled in a matter of hours. In 24 hrs I have gone from low to high to low. And I'm not reacting to anything in my life, nothing has changed, and I can FEEL the changes take place. Yesterday morning I was depressed, by evening I was zooming. Tonight, just hours ago, I was writing brilliantly, words coming, ideas coming, projects going, and now I'm sobbing, melancholy, hopeless- yet I can already feel mania on the horizon, my brain is tingling, itchy like. And no, I'm not on drugs. Is this what they call ultra rapid cycling? It is one of the strangest things I've ever experienced. It is making me nervous, so I guess a call to the pdoc is in order. Last time I saw her she did tell me to call if I started cycling again.

[LeftCoastChick]

I guess my issue is that I've been on so many of the ssri's, Luvox, Zoloft, Wellbutrin(for a nanosecond), Effexor, Celexa, Cipralex, Cymbalta  - the last 4 made me hypo and the first two weren't too bad but I ate anything I could and I in retrospect lived many yrs in fog and anxiety while on these drugs. . Cymbalta's what put me in the hospital, albeit I'm glad I was, or I'd live more yrs without a diagnosis. I'm just jaded. I know it works very well for others, I'm not going to discount others positive experiences.

I'm on Lamictal 250mgs, 100mg SeroquelXR@noon and 300mgsXR@bedtime, wellbutrin 100mgs, and Trazadone 100mgs and ativan prn.  Lamictal has been the best ever to treat my depression, but I was told the chances of me still rapid cycling was pretty high, just tamer.  My anxiety is still troubling, but I was told no med would really stop that, my pdoc is really againt long term use of benzo's, I'm limited to 2mgs of ativan a day, which is okay, I don't always need it. I have a good job, but I don't know if I could return to that same position, I was twitching with anxiety before I went on sick leave. Wellbutrin is supposed to be a good AD for folks with anxiety as well, so I'm in a wait n' see position.
I hope it works.  I've barely been out of my house in days, my anxiety gets too much, I also still have low grade depression.I don't usually b#itch about my BP, but I could relate so well to Penelope .

[irishwriter]

glad to hear that it felt better to know you are not alone. i find these sites of hurge help when needed. it helps to view the symptoms like those of any other serious illness like any other where many of the symproms over lap with the symptoms are the same for a llot of us. it is just that we seem to need different combos ofmeds for each individual person. i wish you luck with your treatment and hope it works out for you.

left coast chick what was the problem with welburtun? have been talking to pdoc about taking it. its called zyban here and mostly used to help people to stop smoking but was originally developed as an antid. my sister has been on ir for years with no side effects.pdpc says that a med that is successful for one member of family may also suit another member, i am also a rapid cycler but with dysphoric mania so i don't always get the 'highs' although i do the 'shoppig spree' thing a lot. i try to bring the amoun of money that i need for essentials and sometimes this works. i am ta lamictal, xanax, klonopin (clonazepam) thyroxine and rivotril, but hope to start new regime soon.

[LeftCoastChick]

I've been going through the same thing, in the last three months I have mostly hypo, and it was manageable for the most part, until my pdoc put me on depakote. I went way manic, huge bad temper, tantrums, high manic behaviour to the point I almost hospitalized myself again. I stopped taking the drug because I know it was what was causing it. A week after stopping it and feeling more level, I started dropping and have been like that going on a month. My pdoc upped my Seroquel, which helps with the hypo and he told me I was now at levels where it should help my depression(400mgs/day), but nada.

Last Friday morning, I was put on Wellbutrin, and not that thrilled with going back on a snri/ssri at all, but he said it was a low dose so I shouldn't have any sexual side effects.
I'm just so frustrated that I can't stay stable for longer periods.  My pdoc said that I'm an exteme rapid cycler, I can have 3+ mood swings a day and I have mixed states.  I just want to be normal, go back to work and have a life, at least a better one then I had, seeing as I'm taking 4 meds a day and ativan when I need it.

[ILADVOCATE]

Rapid cycling is complex. It just means the change from mania to depression is fast (as opposed to people who have months of depression and then mania with some stability in between). But the most important thing is if its increasing that's of concern. Speak to your psychiatrist about getting the medication adjusted as it seems things are getting out of hand. No don't worry no one thinks you are drugs but mania is a natural "altered state". Things aren't working out right mentally and its of concern. Detail to your psychiatrist what's going on and they will be able to help you.