bipolar and irritability

isenephthys · 01-12-2008, 08:07 AM

hello all. i know i've been posting a lot, but my mood is really all over the place. i have an appointment with my psychiatrist on monday, so i do feel like there is some "light at the end of the tunnel."

i am very surly and irritable. i didn't even realize i was coming across as irritable until i snapped at my roommate (over nothing!) this morning. i felt terrible. i mean, i could have cried i felt so bad for snapping at her. i immediately apologized and told her that my bipolar mood has been somewhat irritable. she said i've been acting edgy for days. it concerns me that i'm acting in a way that i don't even notice until it came to a head. i'm also kind of cranky at work. i don't like this feeling. it's not "me." i don't know what to do or how to make it go away.

does anyone have any ideas or thoughts that might help me cope until i see my md? (other than locking myself in my bedroom all weekend!)

thank you all for letting me vent.

toshia · 01-12-2008, 05:26 PM

Do you have any hobbies? If so, do it! It will get your mind off of things and you will only be focused on what you are doing. I've found that it helps me. I oil paint so if I'm edgy I grab and canvas and start painting. How about going for a walk or something like that? Anything that will take your mind off of it.

Camisado · 01-12-2008, 07:54 PM

Me personally...I believe women with PCOS or PCOS-like health conditions are sometimes written off as mental.

I find it ironic how I'll be a suicidal mess before/during my period, then after my period I feel euphoric and happy.

To any Psychiatrist, this sounds like bipolar disorder. But I dunno, I think it's linked to hormonal disturbances, possibly making the psychological disorder worse, or exaggerating it.

LOUIE1 · 01-12-2008, 08:13 PM

what is your diet like the reason i ask that is because i have started a low carb diet and it has really help with my moods i have noticed a big diffrence.
I also snapped. I snapped at a work mate it was not nice and it was so not like me to do that we have talked and its all good now but at the time i felt so bad but everyone at my work know and understands my bipolar.
But since my diet change i feel so diffrent almost happy.
I only eat low carb food and i have cut suger out of my diet no suger at all not even in coffee.
I brought this book diabetes eat right for your blood type it a good read and helped put me on the rite track.
I hope this is some kind of help to you.
Love Louise

isenephthys · 01-18-2008, 09:56 AM

thank you both for your replies. i've too wondered if i was just hormonal or truly bipolar... i've recently been to a new psychiatrist who's pretty certain it's bipolar 2, given my history. i've had mood symptoms before i started w/pcos symptoms. i've also got pmdd evidently, which is kind of like bipolar mood swings right before your period.

louise, my diet isn't perfect. i am trying to cut out much of the carbs and the junk b/c i do notice i feel better when i am eating better. i'm also doing gastric bypass soon; i hope that helps.

isenephthys · 01-20-2008, 06:00 AM

well, the irritability is getting much better. i'm on trileptal and also seroquel for sleep. i was almost "irritability free" for a few days, but it's kind of coming back tonight. well, i've still got to increase up my dose, so hopefully things will continue to improve.

LOUIE1 · 01-20-2008, 06:13 AM

hi
Hope things do improve for you sweetie stay strong and eat right it dose make a diffrence i could not go back to the way i was eating and drinking before i feel so much better and i would not change that for anything i feel happy most of the time.
And i am losing weight i have lost 4 kilos in 3 weeks i am real happy with that cant wait til i get down to my goal weight which is 77 kilos
In lbs i am 184
louise

isenephthys · 01-20-2008, 09:08 AM

thanks. and congrats on the weight loss; that's awesome.

i'm about to start adding more exercise into my routine; my md thinks it will help. and trying to get on a more regular sleep-wake cycle.

Fuerte · 01-22-2008, 02:11 PM

So I have a sister that is bipolar and my one peice of advice for your first posting is yes, food exercise and hobbies will help, so do the best you can but most importantly....
Don't guilt yourself after an explosion, like you said it wasn't "you"
my sister has told me to my face that she hate me and that she never has loved me, so I have experienced these lashing outs, but I know it's not her and she knows that home is a safe place and we don't guilt her once it's over. Stay on your meds and do the best you can, but most importantly don't let guilt eat you alive for something you are the victim of! i'M glad you are getting help, support is som important. WHen you're ittitable I know Yoga sounds like you would want to open fire on the whole room, but if you can ease yourself into it, it will do wonders for you learning to controll your breathing and brings out the calming hormones in your body. Good luck!

isenephthys · 01-22-2008, 04:45 PM

thank you.

i am lucky to have roommates that understand my moods are biochemically induced, so they tend to be pretty patient when i'm moody.

i met w/my psychiatrist yesterday and asked her why i am so persistently irritable. she thinks it is related to a lack of sleep, which i can see as being pretty reasonable. i also think yoga would be great- i do a lot of deep breathing and visualization exercises on my own before i escalate and it is helpful. the only problem is that when my mood symptoms escalate, i find it hard to focus on any purposeful activities.

pal · 01-28-2008, 06:03 AM

Can you check your blood sugar levels regularly? (Like get a glucose meter?) I found I get the irritable attacks (like snap big time at everyone over anything!!) when my blood sugar is too low. It's one sign of hypoglycemia. Meanness also increases when stress and tiredness factors come into the mix! Be real careful to eat regularly, but eat right...lots of protein and limit your carbs to 30 gr. per 2-3 hour.

I've done lots of yoga, but it doesn't help when I get the sugar induced meanies! Best advice I got was from a shrink who told me to get a punching bag!! He also told me to hit a pillow, but be careful when you hit it so you don't hurt your hand... I also tried to stay away from people because of the "episodes" but it got to the point where I would isolate myself too much, and that wasn't good either.

Meds really help me with this problem. Just apologize for behavior, tell them it's "not the real you" , you "didn't really mean it" ...it's caused by your medical condition.

x.Krystle.x · 01-29-2008, 09:23 AM

Hey,

I too have mood swings with my pcos..

until this weekend just gone my mood swings had calmed down a hell of a lot but started up again this weekend, i too just snap and dont realise im in that mood until it happens. I take my frustration out on my boyfriend, and i too get emotional after ive had this stress burst and often cry after as i dont want to treat him like that.

It is a horriable thing, and i didnt even think of bipolar until now, but i dont think i have it as i have only had it since i got pcos..

I was taking vitamin b supplements and once my moods had calmed down a stopped taking them so maybe thats why i have been snapping recently.. im going to start taking them again to see if it helps.

pal · 01-30-2008, 04:03 AM

Hi Fuerte! Just want to tell you I love the quote in your signature. I've been thinking about it alot, very inspiring!

crazyfatchick · 02-04-2008, 02:04 PM

I hope that you are feeling better. Sleep definitely plays a role in how severe your episodes are. Diet, exercise, sleep, and the medication are going to play a big role in how you feel.

isenephthys · 02-13-2008, 09:42 AM

pal, i do have a meter and i am going to start checking my levels when i'm irritable. thank you for the suggestion!

krystle, i'm sorry you're feeling so moody! it is the pits! i'm really beginning to wonder how strong the link between mood d/o and pcos is b/c i just had a conversation on another pcos board- i think there are at least 4-5 of us officially dx'ed as bipolar 2.

crazy- i am feeling more level. sleep is definitely helping, as is having some time away from work. i'm revisiting my med situation as well as taking a long, hard look at my work situation and probably making some changes. working 12-hour intense critical care shifts are taking their toll!