Manic depression: Is it the same as bipolar disorder?

[Steven_v]

I am pretty sure thats what he said so is it the same, cause I am being prescribed fluoxetine and i thought that was a anti-depressant, and that it can have a bad effect on someone with bipolar disorder

 

[braveheart]

Re: I sure my dr diognosed me with manic depression is it the same as bi-polar

yes, manic depression and bipolar are the same.

many people who are bipolar take anti-depressants, but usually they need a mood stabiliser as well. I'm no expert, but I would assume your dr knows what they're doing....??? perhaps its the depressive symptoms that are forefront just now and your dr is letting that settle before making any changes to what they prescribe...?? someone who knows more than I do will I'm sure reply pretty soon...

 

[Steven_v]

Re: I sure my dr diognosed me with manic depression is it the same as bi-polar

iam just worried cause last time i seen my doctor was over 4 months ago and since then ive deffinetly had more then one episode (from what ive read) that i am guessing is a manic episode. like i had a whole week going without sleep and yet i had bounds of enrgy and keept feeling the need to exercise, and was (acording to my family and my then girlfriend) over eneregetic to the point of anoying people alot. ive had things like that as well as serious depressive episodes (with suicide atempts during both types), even in the last month and a half , despite that i decided to see how i was if i came of fluoxatine a month and a half ago. and my mood swings have been no defferent so i was just thinking that maybe the fluoxatine never really did anything

 

[braveheart]

Re: I sure my dr diognosed me with manic depression is it the same as bi-polar

sounds to me like you need to see your doctor again asap and update what's been going on. when are you supposed to see him again? would you be able to get an appt scheduled sooner?

 

[Steven_v]

Re: I sure my dr diognosed me with manic depression is it the same as bi-polar

luckly this thursday. problem is ive already told all this stuff to my psychotherapist, and i find it hard to tell people all this stuff (aswell as i have a bad memory so cant always remember). and i really dont like repeating stuff over and over again. and my psychotherapist cant share the information with my consaltant dr (and the mental health ward) with out my consent and i dont see him till next week

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Your therapist CAN share the information if you give him or her permission to do so.

Fluoxetine is Prozac, an SSRI antidepressant. Such medications are commonly used to treat the depression in bipolar disorder - it's not a "bad" medication for that purpose at all. At times, you may require the addition of a mood stabilizer, as braveheart has said.

 

[Steven_v]

i was just woundering wether it actually has any effect since ive notticed no change since ive come off of it

 

[David Baxter PhD]

How long ago was that? And what was the dose you were on?

Fluoxetine has a very long half-life (about 10 days) so if you stop it suddenly, unlike other SSRIs, your body actually tapers off the medication gradually over 2 weeks or so. You may not notice much difference during that time.

Also, if you are indeed bipolar and entering a manic phase, you may not feel a difference in that respect since the hypomania will tend to counter the depressive symptoms.

 

[Steven_v]

it was a month and a half ago. and i think i was on 40mg a day

 

[Retired]

you may not feel a difference in that respect since the hypomania will tend to counter the depressive symptoms

If you are like me and wondered about the definition of hypomania referred to by Dr. Baxter, here it is according to Medicine-Net.com


Hypomania: A condition similar to mania but less severe. The symptoms are similar with elevated mood, increased activity, decreased need for sleep, grandiosity, racing thoughts, and the like. However, hypomanic episodes differ in that they do not cause significant distress or impair one's work, family, or social life in an obvious way while manic episodes do.

Hypomanic people tend to be unusually cheerful, have more than ample energy, and need little sleep. Hypomania is a pleasurable state. It may confer a heightened sense of creativity and power. However, hypomania can subtly impair a person's judgment. Too much confidence can conceal the consequences of decisions.

Hypomania can be difficult to diagnose because it may masquerade as mere happiness. It is important to diagnose hypomania because, as an expression of bipolar disorder, it can cycle into depression and carry an increased risk of suicide.