9 "good" days, 9 bad days, then repeats

Hi! I found many posts on this forum so close to my heart, and provided so much precious information at the same time. I am very grateful to have found this forum!

My son is 22. Many people around him, including himself, felt that he had ADHD to some degree before he went to college. In college, he used marijuana, alcohol, cigarettes. Last year, a doctor prescribed Adderall for him. After taking it for 1.5 month, his demeanor became rude and physical. He stopped taking it after 2 months. 3 month later, he became paranoid, and perhaps delusional. At that point, he came home. After coming home 14 months ago, he was cut off from marijuana, alcohol and cigarettes. Early this year, he was prescribed with Abilify 7.5 mg, which made him agitated, and he dropped it. Then he was prescribed with Zyprexa 5 mg, which made him faint after 3 days. So he dropped that and was not on any med until 4 weeks ago.

My son have this cycle. The length of the cycle varies from 17 to 23 days. He would have one very clear day which signals the start of a good period. The "good" period would last 8 to 10 days, in which he can study, can participate in conversation, can socialize with other people. In the "good" days, he is usually irritable, and anxious. So his "good" day might be a "mixed" or hypomanic day.

Toward the end of his "good" period, he would gradually go into a bad period, which last 8 to 10 days. In the bad period, he would not be able to study, because he would feel too much stress and anxiety. He could not focus. The activity that he could do and can help him escape is playing video games. He would play video game all day long when the bad period start.

Near the end of the bad period, he would experience his worst days, in which he would look like he was locked in his own world. He would smile often, presumably on something taken from his own world. He would avoid participating in conversations. He would have affect flattening (acquire feeling late or no feeling at all), alogia (not talking or lack vocabulary) and avolition (lack of motivation).

He has been taking a very low dose of Risperdal 0.25 mg for 4 weeks now，which has basically no effect on him. I hate the of trial and errors thing, which is what he is undergoing right now.

I wonder if anybody knows any case like his, and will welcome any comment. THANK YOU!

I don't know how common it is for someone with bipolar or cyclothymia to cycle so regularly. I can only imagine there's something comforting in knowing what's likely to happen during the next two weeks or so and knowing you'll get a clear indicator about the start of a good period. Some people spend a very long time figuring out what their triggers are or what the signs are of the mood change that's coming.

Has he been formally diagnosed with cyclothymia? Or is it one of the possibilities being considered at this point?

Dark_in_the_Light wrote:I don't know how common ...

Thanks for the reply!

Yes. It is a blessing that the cycle brings a hope when he is in the depressive period. But it is still a debilitating thing that at this stage destroys his normal life.

Current working diagnosis is schizophrenia. A very knowledgeable friend said it could be cyclothymia.
His psychiatrist calls Risperdal a mood stabilizer with a little anti-psychotic effect.