Posted by Ritch on January 1, 2005, at 10:13:42
In reply to Re: Extrapyramidal Symptoms » Ritch, posted by barbaracat on December 31, 2004, at 20:45:14
>...I'd like your thoughts on the differences you've noticed with your BP-I acquaintences vs. BP-II (that's you, right?). I don't know anyone personally in my boat at all and it would help. The main reason this interests me is the fact that I've had a miraculous response to lithium and it seems like this is typical of BP-I's. Other supposed BP-II's I know are still struggling with finding a good mood stabilizer and lithium has not helped very many BP-II's, or those with cyclothymia. So maybe there's something else going on with BP-I, not just a matter of degree of symptoms, but a matter of different chemistry and response to treatment. - Barbara
I think the main difference that I've personally seen is the striking difference in *chronicity* of symptoms. "BP-II" people seem to have more chronic dysthymic symptoms and seem to rapid-cycle and also have a lot more comorbid anxiety problems that are sometimes tough to weed out from the bipolar symptoms. In my case, I wouldn't be surprised if the correct dx term would be something like "Multimodal Affective Disorder" or "Bipolaroid Anxiety Disorder" :) The folks that I've known that are BP-I's can have so many months of "euthymic" clear-headed functioning it just boggles my mind. I don't think I go more than a few days in a row at most where I feel "normal". .... As far as treatment goes I found lithium useful in the past for the years that I took it, it just seems that anticonvulsants work *better* for me. They say that Li doesn't help rapid-cyclers as much, and I would have to agree with that somewhat. .. As far as BPII going to BPI with time.. there have been hypomanic episodes in the past where it seemed that all I would have to do is stop meds and it turn into something fullblown, but it seems that anxiety is a limiting factor to that.. My symptoms tend to flux or morph from hypomania into hostility then into PANIC, and when things start getting mixed and agitated I can't stand it and I treat it aggressively to get a lid on it. The BPI people I've known just get this pure EUPHORIC nonstop racing derailment that just goes and goes and they feel great. Not so with me.
poster:Ritch
thread:435630
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20041228/msgs/436314.html