I've heard BP can have cycles like women with PMS.

My BP husband was doing great the pass few weeks. This is up from weeks of not doing well. After alot of fighting and calls to his DR. they found they needed to up his meds.

He has started again and I don't know what to think, I have questions and no one I can ask.

I wanted to know if BP have cycles that can be monthly like PMS ?

One of the joys of bp for many is cycling. There are different things that can trigger a cycle and it never seems to assume a definate pattern. Although it is known that women suffer more from reproductive hormonal fluctuations, there is no doubt that men can suffer too. Fluctuations in reproductive hormones may interactively affect neuroendocrine, neurotransmitter, and circadian systems. It is well known that a disturbance in a circadian cycle can cause cyclic disruptions. Maintianing a proper sleep/wake cycle is paramount in the treatment of bipolar.

Reproductive hormones can also interfere with the response of certain medications. It's difficult to protect against these fluctuations but I would maintain a journal and let the doctor know what is going on and what your theory is regarding his cycling.

It's wonderful to see that you are supporting him and learning everything that you can...good luck to both of you.

It's wonderful to see that you are supporting him and learning everything that you can...good luck to both of you.

Well, I don't think I am all that supportive. Nothing I do seems to help anyway.

Keeping a log wont help either his DR. doesn't listen to me. but it is a good idea for myself to se if I can see what's really going on.

Thanks

Hi, fast talking mom, I have read about the cycleing thing bp people can do. Some people can be on a 24hr. or 48hr. or weekly,biweekly, and monthly and even yearly. like what was mentioned, different things can trigger them. Myself, I started to notice myself cycling months ago. I am now convinced that I cycle with the moon. When it was a full moon last, it bothered me for several days. I was very up, talkitive, in the mood to socialize, drove all over looking for someone to be home to visit and ended up at WallyWorld at 1:30 am. spending money I didn't have. and for months now, I have been noticing the effects the new moon has had on me lately for months, at work and all nothing goes right, I'm more down, and things just aint right, nothing going along smoothly, just bump, and bruise, along the way. Nothing seems to satisfy me. Everything I go to do, just don't go like it should, like I am having off days.
I juggle hormones, and I am on Symbrax, and adderal.
I really have a hard time with this problem, I try to deal with it, without trying to pay any attention to it or it will just make things worse.
I will try and find this book that helped me understand cycleing and get back with ya...

Yes, I would say cycles are a staple of BP. I have been successfully treated for BP for 3 years. That means that I am as stable as I think I will ever be. Which means I can live a pretty productive life and keep my family life on mostly even keel. I don't have as many cycle changes and they are less intense, I believe this is due to finding the right meds, which took me a couple of years of trial and error till I found the right coctail. It is imparitive for the BP person not get discouraged and give up. Although one can not cure BP, one can change their life dramatically with meds and therapy.

Speaking of, therapy is also important, because I learned to identify my moods before they got out of hand and of course, discussing problems and feelings helps anyone especially for those who are sensitive to them.

So relay this info to those who are new or struggling with treatment. Cuz their is major HOPE.

Take Care.

I will try and find this book that helped me understand cycleing and get back with ya...

Thank you

Speaking of, therapy is also important, because I learned to identify my moods before they got out of hand and of course, discussing problems and feelings helps anyone especially for those who are sensitive to them.

So relay this info to those who are new or struggling with treatment. Cuz their is major HOPE.

Take Care.

Thank you, I have done same reading and all say the samething...... His Dr. (my husband) doesn't push it and I insisted he go and he did for about a month.

I was just diagnosed BP about 2 months ago. This was after trying about every antidepressant there is for the last 4 years, then trying ADD meds. I still think in some way that ADD is still mixed into my BP but I am most concerned with treating the Bipolar. I mostly have just been depressed, unable to organize and think clearly, which drove me crazy being a mother of 3. I also have never been able to stay at a job very long, not because I would get fired, but because I would just quit. Don't know if that is ADD or Bipolar.

I do agree that sleep patterns are really important. I had my first major manic episode a few months ago and had no idea what was going on, I just thought it was great to be able to stay up all night long, write poems, make greeting cards, and still be fine the next day. I mean for me, it was like heaven after fighting depression for so long. The crash after these 3 months of mania, was hell and put me in the hospital. I am now taking "Lamictal" which I believe is slowely helping me get my life together again. I am having the worst tension headaches though and they shoot down the left side of my neck and back as well.

FASTTALKINGMOM > Bipolar is definitely know for it's cycles, but what seems strange is why they wanted to up your husbands meds if he seemed to be doing well. I do know what you mean when you mentioned that you being supportive doesn't really seem to make a difference. Sometimes I feel like I am on the other end of that and my husband may try so hard to be supportive, but it's almost like I just have to snap out of it, no one else can do it for me.

There's a (research derived ) "one way comorbidity" between kids with bipolar disorder and ADHD, in that up to 97% of them also have ADHD, while the reverse isn't true.

There's a (research derived ) "one way comorbidity" between kids with bipolar disorder and ADHD, in that up to 97% of them also have ADHD, while the reverse isn't true.

That is interesting. I at one point while taking dexedrine (for ADD) felt like a lot of my racing thoughts were actually getting better and I could focus more. I am on Lamictal which is supposed to be helping racing thoughts as well as the bipolar, but I feel like it is helping neither. I guess it has helped regulate some irritability, but that is about it. I am still having major racing thoughts that I can't shut off, pretty bad depression, and I can't conecntrate. It's been almost 2 months and I think it's time to try something else. I have a cousin that takes Triliptal and says it works well for her. I have one aunt that takes Tegretol and one that takes Topamax and both of them also take prozac. I just feel like I have to add an antidepressant or something fast. As down as I have felt lately I wonder why I should exist.
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