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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Lisa2712 on March 14, 2009, at 17:15:38
Can anyone tell me what's wrong with me? Is this mania?
I go very fast and I've always gone very fast; teachers in high school used to ask me if I was ok because I always seemed to be so hyper; even now it seems I'm either going very fast or I'm exhausted. Like people around me get red faced and nervous, people in cars next to me zoom off, people speed up around me, like this is contagious. Four years ago I went to a psychiatrist who diagnosed me as being bipolar and at the time I didn't fully believe her because I didn't have mood swings and I didn't think I had depression, and I remember her saying it was because of the way I was acting and my fast, incoherent, pressured speech. I now think maybe that psychiatrist was right and I went to a different nurse practitioner a few weeks ago to see if she would allow me to try another med for my hyperness in addition to the lexapro I'm taking but after doing an evaluation she told me I wasn't bipolar. If I had gone to that 1st psychiatrist now and was offered to go on a mood stabilizer I would definetely have tried it to see if it would help. I've been on 20 mg Lexapro for about 6 months for anxiety.
Can anyone help me and tell me what could be wrong with me? Is this mania?Thank you,
Lisa
Posted by polarbear206 on March 14, 2009, at 17:32:42
In reply to help-what's wrong w/ me? Is it mania?, posted by Lisa2712 on March 14, 2009, at 17:15:38
>
>
> Can anyone tell me what's wrong with me? Is this mania?
> I go very fast and I've always gone very fast; teachers in high school used to ask me if I was ok because I always seemed to be so hyper; even now it seems I'm either going very fast or I'm exhausted. Like people around me get red faced and nervous, people in cars next to me zoom off, people speed up around me, like this is contagious. Four years ago I went to a psychiatrist who diagnosed me as being bipolar and at the time I didn't fully believe her because I didn't have mood swings and I didn't think I had depression, and I remember her saying it was because of the way I was acting and my fast, incoherent, pressured speech. I now think maybe that psychiatrist was right and I went to a different nurse practitioner a few weeks ago to see if she would allow me to try another med for my hyperness in addition to the lexapro I'm taking but after doing an evaluation she told me I wasn't bipolar. If I had gone to that 1st psychiatrist now and was offered to go on a mood stabilizer I would definetely have tried it to see if it would help. I've been on 20 mg Lexapro for about 6 months for anxiety.
> Can anyone help me and tell me what could be wrong with me? Is this mania?
>
> Thank you,
> LisaFirst of all, you should only be diagnosed by a trained Psychiatrist and not an NP. I would suggest you do some research on Bipolar. There are different forms of Bipolar. You could very well have an underlying Bipolar disorder. How much sleep do you get? Do you have episodes of anger/agitation? Do you feel like a motor is running inside of you and it won't stop? Do you have periods of sleeping too much followed by periods of needing less sleep? Family history?
Posted by Lisa2712 on March 14, 2009, at 17:52:36
In reply to Re: help-what's wrong w/ me? Is it mania?, posted by polarbear206 on March 14, 2009, at 17:32:42
The psychiatrist I saw a few years ago did diagnose me as having bipolar disorder, the NP I saw recently told me I didn't have it.
If anything I sleep more than I should and feel tired a lot but this could be from the AD. Like I said I'm either full of too much energy or exhausted. Sometimes I feel agitated and frustrated. Yes, I feel like a motor is running fast inside me and it won't stop, and I was told this by my high school teachers. For me it always seems like everyone else is going 50 mph and I'm going like 150 mph. If I wasn't on 20 mg lexapro I'd be a lot worse than I am now, the lexapro has helped to slow me down a little bit but I'm still far from being normal. No, my sleeping habits stay the same.> >
> >
> > Can anyone tell me what's wrong with me? Is this mania?
> > I go very fast and I've always gone very fast; teachers in high school used to ask me if I was ok because I always seemed to be so hyper; even now it seems I'm either going very fast or I'm exhausted. Like people around me get red faced and nervous, people in cars next to me zoom off, people speed up around me, like this is contagious. Four years ago I went to a psychiatrist who diagnosed me as being bipolar and at the time I didn't fully believe her because I didn't have mood swings and I didn't think I had depression, and I remember her saying it was because of the way I was acting and my fast, incoherent, pressured speech. I now think maybe that psychiatrist was right and I went to a different nurse practitioner a few weeks ago to see if she would allow me to try another med for my hyperness in addition to the lexapro I'm taking but after doing an evaluation she told me I wasn't bipolar. If I had gone to that 1st psychiatrist now and was offered to go on a mood stabilizer I would definetely have tried it to see if it would help. I've been on 20 mg Lexapro for about 6 months for anxiety.
> > Can anyone help me and tell me what could be wrong with me? Is this mania?
> >
> > Thank you,
> > Lisa
>
>
>
> First of all, you should only be diagnosed by a trained Psychiatrist and not an NP. I would suggest you do some research on Bipolar. There are different forms of Bipolar. You could very well have an underlying Bipolar disorder. How much sleep do you get? Do you have episodes of anger/agitation? Do you feel like a motor is running inside of you and it won't stop? Do you have periods of sleeping too much followed by periods of needing less sleep? Family history?
Posted by Phillipa on March 14, 2009, at 17:53:47
In reply to Re: help-what's wrong w/ me? Is it mania?, posted by polarbear206 on March 14, 2009, at 17:32:42
Agree with polarbear. Your writing not to be critical seems very fast. Any anxiety? Phillipa
Posted by Larry Hoover on March 14, 2009, at 18:36:38
In reply to help-what's wrong w/ me? Is it mania?, posted by Lisa2712 on March 14, 2009, at 17:15:38
I think it's pretty unlikely to be bipolar disorder. The diagnosis is far from standardized, but I'd think that the hyperactive form of ADHD makes more sense. If you look at the DSM-IV criteria under section B, you may see yourself there....I don't know. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attention-deficit_hyperactivity_disorder
Lar
Posted by Zyprexa on March 14, 2009, at 19:44:02
In reply to help-what's wrong w/ me? Is it mania?, posted by Lisa2712 on March 14, 2009, at 17:15:38
Sounds like racing thoughts. Could be a form of mania. I take zyprexa for this. It calms me down and helps me think things thru better.
Posted by desolationrower on March 14, 2009, at 22:22:00
In reply to Re: help-what's wrong w/ me? Is it mania?, posted by Zyprexa on March 14, 2009, at 19:44:02
well, ADHD and mania/mixed state could both explain anxiety, raciness, and disorganized writing.
Not believing the doctor when he said you had mania - well, that does sound like something someone with mania would do. it even sounds a bit like schizoaffective disorder. its hard to tell from just a brief description.
I guess it does seem like a mood stabilizer or antipsychotic would very likely be helpful in making you feel calmer.
-d/r
Posted by Larry Hoover on March 15, 2009, at 6:45:43
In reply to Re: help-what's wrong w/ me? Is it mania?, posted by desolationrower on March 14, 2009, at 22:22:00
> well, ADHD and mania/mixed state could both explain anxiety, raciness, and disorganized writing.
>
> Not believing the doctor when he said you had mania - well, that does sound like something someone with mania would do. it even sounds a bit like schizoaffective disorder. its hard to tell from just a brief description.
>
> I guess it does seem like a mood stabilizer or antipsychotic would very likely be helpful in making you feel calmer.
>
> -d/rI seldom make any comments in cases such as this, as diagnosis by lay people via the internet is not something I wish to promote, but this case seemed to be incongruent with bipolar as I understand it. That's why I suggested she "try on" the criteria for ADHD. Sometime a light bulb goes on. Or not.
This individual denies mood swings, denies depression, denies decreased need for sleep, and has had no manic induction while treated solely by an SSRI. There is a hyperthymic temperament (the mirror of dysthymia), but I don't see that fitting either, at least in so far as I can determine from this brief description.
I guess, in the end, I should have said this.... the implication of potential misdiagnosis is to consult with another psychiatrist, if the cluster of symptoms or the effects of treatment is/are having an adverse impact(s) on her life. In that respect, this inquiry is perhaps a stepping stone to finding help that is really helpful.
Lar
Posted by Racer on March 15, 2009, at 10:36:07
In reply to Re: help-what's wrong w/ me? Is it mania? » desolationrower, posted by Larry Hoover on March 15, 2009, at 6:45:43
> I seldom make any comments in cases such as this, as diagnosis by lay people via the internet is not something I wish to promote, but this case seemed to be incongruent with bipolar as I understand it.I understand what leads you to that conclusion, and I agree on two points: lay diagnosis over the internet is far inferior to a face to face diagnosis from a fully trained and qualified professional; and ADHD is well worth considering, as well.
There's a key phrase in the first post, though, which leads me to suspect the psychiatrist was dead on accurate in this case: "fast, incoherent, pressured speech."
Bipolar may not look like classic mania with classic depression. Mixed states are another option, and quite easily overlooked in making a diagnosis.
On the other hand, there's another piece of this which I think is forgotten regularly: we're people, not diagnoses. If you have a reaction of greatly elevated mood after an anti-depressant kicks in -- which has happened to me virtually every time something has worked -- that isn't necessarily a sure sign of bipolar. Every time it's happened, I've been evaluated for bipolar, and every time it's been ruled out. Maybe it's a reaction to the medication, maybe it's a reaction to relief from depression, maybe it's related to my basic personality structure -- or maybe it really is bipolar. It has always passed within a week, and never come back again during treatment, so the doctors and therapists have written it off as another of my quirks. (Similarly, if I miss much sleep, I often go into a hypomanic state -- which has also been declared "not bipolar" every time it's happened. It's considered hypomania related to a general medical condition, ie: insomnia.)
Hi, Lar -- are you coming to SF in May?
Posted by Larry Hoover on March 15, 2009, at 11:13:53
In reply to Key phrase in original post..., posted by Racer on March 15, 2009, at 10:36:07
The only time I've been hypomanic or worse has been due to medication. I have a lot of bipolar in my family tree, but I'm not one of them.
> Hi, Lar -- are you coming to SF in May?I really would like to, but I can't commit yet. My financials are in a horrible mess since last fall, and I don't know yet if I can afford to go. My dad was born there, in Burlingame, and I always wanted to check it out.
Lar
Posted by garnet71 on March 15, 2009, at 13:52:27
In reply to Re: help-what's wrong w/ me? Is it mania? » desolationrower, posted by Larry Hoover on March 15, 2009, at 6:45:43
"I seldom make any comments in cases such as this, as diagnosis by lay people via the internet is not something I wish to promote, but this case seemed to be incongruent with bipolar as I understand it. That's why I suggested she "try on" the criteria for ADHD. Sometime a light bulb goes on. Or not."
I don't know if this will help Lisa or not, but to add to what you said...
When I was having a semi-meltdown less than 2 months ago, I started getting racing thoughts simulataneously with my panic attacks. It scared the hell out of me. I've been asked repeatedly over the years "have you ever experienced any racing thoughts", never knew exactly what that meant but I sure do now. I thought I was losing my mind with those racing thoughts and then when the distorted/wavy vision started to appear. Weirdly, after the panic attacks and racing thoughts and distorted vision were in its height--a few days of the racing thoughts coinciding with the panic attacks--symptoms suddenly quit after a dream I had.
A couple of people here suggested in the past I might have bipolar II or I. So after this, I went back to old PDoc who had a few years' of my records. I was afraid he was going to put me on a mood stabilizing drug as I could not go through a potential year of trials while trying to graduate college. I dreaded the risk or possibility while knowing this may not be the case. This is personal and not related to anyone else here. I have faith and hope my condition is temporary, and still do. Having that faith is a personal choice, but nevertheless, I felt myself losing that faith at the time.
So PDoc told me to forget about everything I ever heard about bipolar as well as everything I read on the internet. He said all those symptoms are from my anxiety and that I have inattentive ADD; also, anxiety and ADD or ADHD coexist quite often. His diagnosis and the treatment resulting from his conclusion is in complete contradiction with the last 2 PDocs and I am 75% better off because of it.
So I conclude (and most of us know this, but it might not be as apparent to some) that a. different doctors have different professional opinions resulting from training, aptitude, and experience with patients; b. personal experiences of symptoms and subsequent treatment reflects those different opinions, and the same goes for internet support sites; c. some doctors are not so good or don't spend as much time analyzing your history in relation to your symptoms--many do not take the time; therefore, you can easily be misdiagnosed.
Having a good doctor--in terms of attitude, experience, training, and dedication or time, makes all the difference in the world.
I can't say whether or not what you are experiencing is mania, but as you can see many will have different opinions whether antecdotal or professional. I hope everything works out for you, Lisa.
This is the end of the thread.
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