throwing tantrums, going beserk, yelling,

[ginissimo]

I've been on lamotrigine (200mg) for 3 months now and although I feel better on the whole, I sometimes go into these irrational fits of rage to the point where I feel and act like a bloody lunatic on PCP. I used to have these before I was on meds. But I was more irritable before than I am now. Now I'm less irritable (the meds have taken the edge off my oversensitivy)  but I still explode out of the blue and they're getting more frequent, more irrational and more intense  So why do I still have them?  I must add that I also have difficulties controlling impulses (blurting out rude comments, facial expressions,....) But why doesn't lamictal take care of that? Are bipolar disorder and impule control disorder two seperate conditions?

advice and comments are welcome. cheers

[ILADVOCATE]

Well some medications (anti-psychotics and some anti-depressents) can cause temporary movement disorders such as akathesia. With Lamictal it happens infrequently but it did happen with me and some other people. Is there a feeling of inner restlessness when that happens? That could be treated with a side effect pill. If its exactly what happenned before and the Lamictal isn't treating it, there are seperate aspects of bipolar and some medications work better on some aspects than others (for example, Lamictal although a full mood stabilizer works better on depression than mania). Anger can sometimes be part of an agitated mixed state which has the down quality of depression and the speeded up quality of mania and it seems like you are angry at the world. Only a psychiatrist would understand this in full but these are some ideas that you might speak to them about.

[ginissimo]

Thanks for the quick reply. There's no feeling of inner restlessness when it happens and it passes really fast as if it didn't happen. I have never been manic only hypomanic but I have been seriously depressed in the past. I also used to have OCD and an anxiety disorder and that was just pure hell. It was unbearable.
And yes it's true what you say. When I get angry, it's cos the world doesn't adhere to my feelings of how everything should go/be e.g. I go beserk when my wife doesn't do the things the way I like them to be done. I've spoken to my shrink about this and he told me it ressembles a sympton of autism rather than one of BD. I don't know anymore. I think I'll give it some time and see what happens. If the fits get worse, I could switch meds.

Ta'

[zzzmykids]

I don't know if it was a mixed state, but prior to medication I would lose it out of nowhere. Unfortunately my family remembers it.  The last time before meds I flew off the handle at husband driving and I swore up a storm and let myself out of our stopped car.
The psych I have now, when I get really angry says my mania mainly shows up in anger. Hope this helps and that you consult with your psych and maybe run some tests/blood and maybe try a different or more potent dose.

[Xila31]

My mania also is agitated and angry. I don't know if I have mixed states instead of mania, though, because I don't get that euphoria but I'm not always depressed or depresed feeling, but sometimes I do. I just feel like I'm moving so fast and the world is slow around me and I'm losing my grip. I get very irritable, my anxiety levels go way up, and I am very likely to start screaming and crying at people for no reason or for very small reasons and say things I don't mean. It is very scary and I hate it so bad. My thoughts move so fast I can't really follow what is going on. Also I get paranoid and restless, but I also feel frozen due to the anxiety.

I was on lamictal for a month, but I had a bad side effect and had to stop, so I can't say much about that med except I felt like it wasn't helping me at all at that time. Also my husband will tell me I have an attitude and that usually happens when I'm in these crazy states and not at other times.

[ginissimo]

thanks for the reply and advice. Much appreciated. cheers

[ginissimo]

thanks for sharing. I wish you all the best. cheers