Posted by KaraS on March 25, 2005, at 22:09:17
In reply to Re: Cymbalta - teensy weensy dose still working great! » KaraS, posted by barbaracat on March 25, 2005, at 19:25:15
BTW, why do they call it "mixed states"? Does it refer to the combination of depression with anxiety?
>
> **Yes, someone described it 'depression on speed'. Until recently, bipolar was described as the classic depressed/euphoric poles. But now it's evident that bipolar 'mania' can also be irritability, distraction, disorganization, racing thoughts, anxiety. So if you get depression with any of these 'manic' symptoms, you can have 'mixed states'. Mine is very anxious and bleak with anguish, despair and some psychosis. Especially at these times, I'm very sensitive to everything - emotions, news, 'vibes', meds, foods. I was on the verge of a mixed state when I started Cymbalta cause they stopped lithium while I was hospitalized. You can imagine how far out of orbit I went.I didn't have, nor have I ever had, the racing thoughts. I have the anxiety, irritability along with the anguish, despair, anhedonia and the extreme sensitivity. I couldn't watch tv at all. Everything was too painful. It was bizarre. However, I started on 25 mg. of doxepin and it took care of the anxiety completely as well as the extreme sensitivity. I'm depressed still but functioning. I can watch tv now without feeling like I'm a raw nerve. Yet I'm not on any mood stabilizer. Would the fact that doxepin helped so much suggest that I hadn't been in a BP mixed state?
> I'm Bipolar I because I've had some flaming manias with psychosis, but mostly depression. All BP's appear to be sensitive to SSRI's and the criteria for BP-II is having hypomanias that can be exacerbated by meds and primarily depression. So when you say you may be 'soft BP', you may indeed be BP-II, in which case you definitely need some kind of mood stabilizer. If you're getting mixed states, unfortunately they tend to increase with time but can be prevented with the right mood stabilizer. Mine really picked up when I hit perimenopause before I was on lithium.I have been taking SSRIs and SNRIs for years without a problem. Recently, after withdrawing from Effexor, I have found that I couldn't tolerate them. They have seemed too activating of my anxiety. A sign that I'm BP-II? I wonder why I never had a problem with the SSRIs before now. For one thing I never took them when I was that anxious, never took them after Effexor withdrawal and always was on 25 mg. of doxepin too. Anway the SSRIs were only partially helpful in alleviating my depression though so I think I may have needed a mood stabilizer all along.
Sorry I'm rambling on here. I'm just confused because I have some of the signs of BP illness but not others. Probably the only thing to do at this point is try a mood stabilizer and see what it does for me. I'll probably try lithium orotate first. If that works out well, then there would be no need to start with more meds.
Anyway, thanks for all of your help and the website. I'll check it out. Take care and I wish you continued success with the Cymbalta.
Kara
poster:KaraS
thread:475145
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050322/msgs/475656.html