First off--whomever diagnosed you with bipolar type 3 definitely made a misdiagnosis. There is no "bipolar 3" (though I have it on my charts too, go figure). What they may have been referencing is cyclothymic disorder, but that disorder involves major depression and hypomanic cycles with no full fledged mania episodes. If you have been diagnosed with an actual episode of full fledged mania the diagnosis would be bipolar type 1. I personally would NOT go back to that doctor, especially if they are just an MD. I suggest finding a qualifed psychiatrist who can help make an accurate diagnosis and identify treatment options.
Second--this is just personal experience, no DSM approved knowledge here. But for the most part the only time I get hypomanic/manic symptoms is right after my period, lasting 3-5 days. It's not every month that it becomes severe enough to be qualifed as hypomania, but tracking for 5 months now there is consistently a "high" after the PMDD wears off and my cycle actually starts. I don't know that there is an "official" documentation of this scenario, but talking with my psychiatrist the theory in my case is that my brain simply tries to overcompensate for the depressive cycle and ends up sending me too far in the other direction. Upping my lithium during that time period and monitoring so I can avoid potentially destructive manic behaviors has diminished the effects, we're now trying birth control to see if we can possibly prevent the major depressive cycle altogether.
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First off--whomever diagnosed you with bipolar type 3 definitely made a misdiagnosis. There is no "bipolar 3" (though I have it on my charts too, go figure). What they may have been referencing is cyclothymic disorder, but that disorder involves major depression and hypomanic cycles with no full fledged mania episodes. If you have been diagnosed with an actual episode of full fledged mania the diagnosis would be bipolar type 1. I personally would NOT go back to that doctor, especially if they are just an MD. I suggest finding a qualifed psychiatrist who can help make an accurate diagnosis and identify treatment options.
Second--this is just personal experience, no DSM approved knowledge here. But for the most part the only time I get hypomanic/manic symptoms is right after my period, lasting 3-5 days. It's not every month that it becomes severe enough to be qualifed as hypomania, but tracking for 5 months now there is consistently a "high" after the PMDD wears off and my cycle actually starts. I don't know that there is an "official" documentation of this scenario, but talking with my psychiatrist the theory in my case is that my brain simply tries to overcompensate for the depressive cycle and ends up sending me too far in the other direction. Upping my lithium during that time period and monitoring so I can avoid potentially destructive manic behaviors has diminished the effects, we're now trying birth control to see if we can possibly prevent the major depressive cycle altogether.
May 13, 2011 - 5:22pmThis Comment
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