How do you know it's Bipolar???

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-30-2007
How do you know it's Bipolar???
3
Fri, 03-30-2007 - 11:11pm
I have lived with the Dx of depression for 25+ years. Have been on too many Rx'd too even remember them all. None of them really worked. Several years ago I attended a two week outpatient program where they played with my meds something terrible, at that time I had been on Serzone for a year or so. By the time the program was over I was so messed up that I threw out every med I had and haven't used any since. I have periods of being functional and periods of extreme depression. I also suffer from anxiety. The past two winters have been really bad. Now my family Dr has been pushing the idea on me that I am bipolar. But I don't have the highs or mania, just functional or barely functioning. So I'm kind of bucking the Dx. The Dr says my highs are when I get irritated. Doesn't everyone get irritated at times? I tried Lexapro, but it makes me sweat buckets and I own a horse farm - it is no fun to sweat buckets and then freeze while you are working in the barn during the winter. He also tried getting me to use Seroquel, but I am one of those that researches all meds and weigh if the benefits outway the risks, so now I am thought of as paranoid when it comes to meds. I'm sorry, but I would rather be depressed than gain weight, possibly end up with diabetes and get more cataracts than I have now. Then I'd be more depressed than I am now. I tried Gabapentin, but it puts me to sleep or makes me so drowsy that I could get seriously injured handling horses. So how do I know if I am Bipolar?
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-30-2007
Sat, 03-31-2007 - 1:42am

Hi, I'm new to this site, but not to bipolar. It is hard to diagnose, especially because there are so many variations and different people have different degrees of depression/mania. My symptoms are mostly on the dpressive side and my manic periods were anything but 'happy'.

For what it's worth, You may want to get several opinions as you probably know this is hardly an exact field. Also there are drugs such as lamictal that stabilize the moods while especially focusing on depressive symptons. I have had ok results with few side effects.

See at least two/three doctors if you can.
Good luck!
-So

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-01-2004
Mon, 04-02-2007 - 12:21pm

Sorry, I posted earlier, but it got caught up in a computer glitch and just realized it never showed up!


BP has all kinds of facets and it's very common to be skewed more to one side of the spectrum than the other, with only moderate aspects of the other side .

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-22-2006
Tue, 04-03-2007 - 12:43am
If the winters are worse then you also might want to check into SAD - seasonal affective disorder. I know that this condition really affected me when I lived in more northern climes than FL. Just a thought.
Pug hugs, Kelli





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