bipolar without mania
I was wondering if anyone else had a bipolar depression diagnosis who does not experience mania? I've recently been diagnosed by my long time psychiatrist after years (6) of being treated for depression with prozac and wellbutrin, without much or any improvement.
I'm in the throes of a depressive episode that is going on 8 months. I'm often suicidal, I have no interest in anything, and sleep all day. I just finished a round of TMS treatment which yielded absolutely no positive results. My doctor has been scrambling to get me on an antipsychotic medication, but so far, both Latuda then Vraylar have given me side affects, I hate the way they make me feel. I'm scared of having to just go down a checklist of every available medication, hoping one will stick.
I feel completely lost and hopeless, after trying so many treatments, and I don't have 100% faith in my bipolar diagnosis, since I never experience manic episodes. Is bipolar without mania truly possible?
I'm looking to ketamine infusion or maybe even ECT. I don't know what else to do.
@humorousSugar4783 I am not an expert, but my understanding is that the diagnosis of bipolar disorder can sometimes be complicated. Your psychiatrist is almost certainly the best person to explain the diagnosis in your particular case. Failing that, it is often useful to get an opinion from a different psychiatrist.
The tricky thing is that a diagnosis of bipolar disorder only requires one manic or hypomanic episode at some time in the past, and people don't always remember these episodes clearly. So, to answer your question, yes, there are plenty of people who suffer from bipolar depression who do not (recently) experience mania, or who experienced mania just once long ago and don't remember it.
The long trial-and-error process of finding a medication that works for you and whose side effects you can tolerate is also something that many people experience, and I have never heard of any shortcut. I believe genetic testing can be used to try and identify which antidepressant is best for you, but as far as I know it's not reliable yet.
There are said to be five major classes of antidepressants, not counting the antipsychotics or psychotherapy, and if nothing in those seven categories has worked for you then I can understand why you are now considering other treatments like ketamine and ECT.
Charlie
@RarelyCharlie thanks for the reply and encouragement
@humorousSugar4783 I have bipolar 2 and the manic I experience is so small it's not really noticable to me. Sometimes it only lasts hours. However I do experience the rage and deep depression. If you would like to talk just let me know.
Hi,
I just read your post and it’s nice knowing I am not the only one with bi polar 2. Before I got help I had anger and rage every day and sometimes all day long sadness. The only highs I had were minimal and I only felt them to be highs because they were not anger or sadness. Once I started getting help I felt much of the sadness and anger eventually go away but the depression still comes around but not as much as before. I always up for talking to anyone because maybe someone has different ways of coping with it and it would be nice to hear their thoughts
Hi,
Same diagnosis with me! It’s called Bi Polar 2. My doctor told
me after telling him many of the things you were talking about with very little if any mania. However the lows were always there. He had told me I had Bi Polar 2. I read more about it and agreed. I am on 4 meds currently and The lows at a minimum compared to the last 4 years but please read about it. Also, tell him how each med makes you feel because each one is different and it can take a while before you find the right combo. I know how you feel I always worried about taking pills because of the same reason but when you find the right combo it will be worth it.