Anyone else have this lately/ever?

Hey all,

This past week has been a roller coaster for me - depression, mania, depression, normal, depression, severe depression, normal, blah blah blah.. OH MY GOD!!!

I'll refer to the past 2-3 days - I've been cycling between a quite severe depression (or at least what I think is depression) and my normal state (just a happy guy). Sometimes the low feelings become almost unbearable, and I start thinking along the lines of suicide, but then I make my way downstairs and bang away on my drums until I feel normal again.

I just can't stand this anymore. My psychiatrist won't put me on an antidepressant in fear of it causing mania, yet my episode earlier this week, which was clearly mania, she blew off as nothing. Sadly my original psychiatrist is on maternity leave, so I've had a fill-in for the past 2 months. Boy, do I ever miss my other one. She always had the answers and said the right things.

I'm just curious if anyone has experienced this kind of cycling before, or is even now? As I've mentioned in another irrelevant post, my current diagnosis is schizoaffective, but my psychiatrist is leaning more towards bipolar with psychotic features. I'm wondering if my meds just aren't working anymore or something along those lines....? I'm on Risperidone Consta 37.5mg and 175mg of Lamotrigine.

Thoughts anyone?

Nupy

**EDIT - I should probably mention this cycling is happening many times throughout the day. I have tons of energy and I'm restless, but my mood is just totally holding me back.

Hey

Sorry to hear you are struggling hon

I dont cycle that rapidly but I hope that ppl here are able to help

Hugs

Cracked

I cycled like this before mood stabiliser was introduced (and I was told I had bipolar rather than depression). Every few hours, no warning, mood swing into random direction for seemingly no reason. Terrible thing and I hope you get better VERY soon -- wish I had more help available! For me, valproic acid helped a lot -- if only the side effects were a bit less awful as well.

I also have had similar rapid cycle symptoms, which occured the first time that I tried going off of meds. That was when I tried cold-turkey. Bad idea.

I ask a few questions that could shed some light:

1) what kind of physical activity do you have? (I play tennis and do p90x)
2) what kind of food do you eat? (mostly veggies/fruit/protein and lower on carbs is what I do)
3) do you take vitamin and enzymes to help regulate thyroid and adrenal glands? (helps me a lot)
4) do you meditate, and if so, how often? (I spend 15mins to 2 hours almost every night)
5) what do you do for excitement? (I do particle physics, which is exciting to me...)

Mind Ian, if you recommend everybody does particle physics to help with their BP it might be quite hard to some people to follow

(Personally I think blacksmithing is a cure to everything )

Thanks for the replies, everyone. I think it's going to be another day of this...

Ian Reynir wrote:I ask a few questions that could shed some light:

1) what kind of physical activity do you have? (I play tennis and do p90x)
2) what kind of food do you eat? (mostly veggies/fruit/protein and lower on carbs is what I do)
3) do you take vitamin and enzymes to help regulate thyroid and adrenal glands? (helps me a lot)
4) do you meditate, and if so, how often? (I spend 15mins to 2 hours almost every night)
5) what do you do for excitement? (I do particle physics, which is exciting to me...)

In response to this:

1) Nothing right now, which I know isn't helping. This past summer my health was great because I was cycling everyday, but now it's a wee bit too chilly.
2) A LOT of carbs. This is especially terrible when you decide to quit smoking and keep eating the same way. I've gained 20 pounds since July.
3) All I take right now other than my prescribed meds is omega 3s. My fill-in psychiatrist swears but them.
4) I'd really like to know what kind of meditation you do? I want to start!
5) Drum drum drum and drum. After 3 years of being sick and not touching my drums, I'm finally back on them. I drum at least 2 hours a day. It's the only thing that's keeping me somewhat sane.

I know it takes a lot of effort on my part to try to help myself, but lately I just don't have it in me other than the drumming. It's my only outlet.

Nupy wrote:1) Nothing right now, which I know isn't helping. This past summer my health was great because I was cycling everyday, but now it's a wee bit too chilly.
2) A LOT of carbs. This is especially terrible when you decide to quit smoking and keep eating the same way. I've gained 20 pounds since July.
3) All I take right now other than my prescribed meds is omega 3s. My fill-in psychiatrist swears but them.
4) I'd really like to know what kind of meditation you do? I want to start!
5) Drum drum drum and drum. After 3 years of being sick and not touching my drums, I'm finally back on them. I drum at least 2 hours a day. It's the only thing that's keeping me somewhat sane.

1 - I would look into p90 or p90x or some similar type of workout routine that pushes you, but not too hard. There are many good workout routines, such as cross-fit, so just find something you like and try to stick to it for at least a few months. As for outdoors, winter is hard to do outside stuff - very understandable.
2 - Look up good food regiments that people who do p90 or p90x eat - it freekin works and it tasts good. You still eat about 2000 cals a day so you won't be starving, but you'll definately lean up.
3 - You can look into the Pfeiffer center, but I know of a natural path doctor who is a bit better in my opinion and not that expensive. To do the job right you need tests to get the levels right. Everyone is different.
4 - I do various forms (three main types). Describing here would take a while, which is why I included them in my book, which has most of a chapter on meditation. Feel free to PM me if you're stuck.
5 - I have activities that balance out mind, body, spirit. I challenge myself in each. Sounds like drumming does a bit of all 3, but it never hurts to ask yourself what your life's work is (or purpose). That is a long discussion, so again feel free to pm me if you get stuck.

Yeah im all over the place also. If my mind isnt kept distracted my moods fluctuate fast. I find that work is about the only thing that keeps me in one mood or the other. But we cant work 24 hours a day. Strange doc wont give meds cause you might go manic. Unless your manic episodes are worse than depression. Personally id rather be manic than depressed anyday. But i hope you get to feeling better

Yeah im all over the place also. If my mind isnt kept distracted my moods fluctuate fast. I find that work is about the only thing that keeps me in one mood or the other. But we cant work 24 hours a day. Strange doc wont give meds cause you might go manic. Unless your manic episodes are worse than depression. Personally id rather be manic than depressed anyday. But i hope you get to feeling better

Thanks for the replies, everyone! The cycling has pretty much come to an end, and now I'm just depressed. Such is life!