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Theresa1991
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Default Feb 07, 2018 at 07:41 AM
  #1
After feeling pretty stable for a while and realizing too late that I was way up and feeling on top of the world I crashed like a week ago, first slowly, then faster, and now I think I might be gitting a hold of it, but as the depression and agony fade away, the anxiety hits.

I have been diagnosed with Cycothymia, also unofficionally referred to as Bipolar 3, because it neither meets the criteria for Mania nor for major depression, but for hypomania and dysthymia, and also includes more rapid cycling. Doctos in Germany don't usually prescribe meds but prefer to give behavioral treatment.

Is there anybody here who has the same thing? how does it feel for you? I feel that my ups and downs are by far not as bad as some of those I read about but still I also don't feel like it was nothing. I know it could be far worse but I still suffer from it, so I would love to have an experience exchange with someone who has the same thing.
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Default Feb 07, 2018 at 10:33 AM
  #2
Hi Theresa1991. I'm sorry you've crashed again, but glad you had a break recently with a long-lasting stable period.

I do not have Cyclothymia. I have bipolar type 1, but it is nice to learn about other types of bipolar disorder on the spectrum. I once read that people with Cyclothymia tend to have longer lasting episodes than people with other bipolar types? Are very long episodes of hypomania and dysthymia common for you?

When my bipolar type 1 first started I had a severe depression followed by a mixed episode and then hypomania that reached full blown mania, but often after that I would have long-lasting episodes of hypomania that didn't always reach full blown mania. My depressions were relatively short back then, but later in my life I did experience fairly lengthy periods of dysthymia in between more severe episodes. So even though I have had severe depressions and manias, I do understand long milder ones. They were definitely still very disruptive in my life. Though I was taking a big cocktail of medications to prevent more severe episodes, sometimes when I had milder ones my psychiatrist, too, advised me to use therapy to ease them, rather than manipulating my medications even more.

I hope you feel better soon. I hope someone with Cyclothymia will find your post and respond shortly.

Last edited by Anonymous46341; Feb 07, 2018 at 10:56 AM..
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Default Jul 27, 2018 at 01:27 AM
  #3
I was unofficially diagnosed with cyclothymia five years ago by a friend who was a psychiatric nurse. It made sense to me once I started reading....but then when I was more officially diagnosed by a therapist (on my first visit) I was a bit leery. I told my GP of my therapist's opinion, and he seemed to concur. Though I had only seen him for the first time as well. So now I'm on 25 mg of lamictal and 10 of zyprexa, though I don't take the zyprexa unless I am really low, and panicky and feeling hopeless. HEre's the thing: Some days I'm certain I have cyclothymia or even BD II (never had true mania, and i question the depth of my depressions) but other days Im not convinced. I feel it is more PMDD. Until I feel hypomanic. Hypomania was/ IS the only time I'm convinced something is going on because the ideas! the way my brain works! its undeniably different and better, though some days it only last one day. Other times, Ive felt hypomanic for a week or ten days. The other problem with this, is that I feel my hypomania is often connected to my menstrual cycle. It's often with ovulation, but not always. It also often happens right before I get my period. This pattern is not totally stable but it is present. Then other times, ovulation brings a terrible mood turn, terrible panic and hopelessness. Terrible insecurity. Lasting 4-5 days and sometimes this ends in a few days of hypo and then sometimes it doesn't. It has remained bad for several weeks or just gone back to normal for a while. Sometimes this dysthymia seems to fall with PMS, other times it doesn't. But it can be debilitating. As in I don't enjoy one thing about my life that I normally had before. My ego is shriveled. Im certain I've wasted it all. Then, sometimes, the next day I will be hypomanic. This is rare but it happens. I switch over night. Sometimes Ive felt a switch during the day, but when this happens, its not as drastic as when it happens overnight. I just keep wondering if this IS cyclothymia or just PMDD with general anxiety disorder. Supposedly hypomania does not happen to people who have only PMDD, though. This is rambling, but this is my experience of it so far. The lamictal has taken the edge off--maybe 20 % off the highs and lows. I am wondering though, how many women on here have noticed (or not noticed) any connection with their menstrual cycle???
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Default Jul 27, 2018 at 03:11 PM
  #4
I know numerous people that are diagnosed.. They just pull out every coping skill they have and fling them until something sticks...

It sucky that moods can flip on a dime. Sorry your struggling with it

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Default Jul 28, 2018 at 01:38 AM
  #5
You are rationalizing. You have answered your own questions. You do know the truth of your diagnosis. For that matter, I think that you do not get hypomania from PMDD. Sorry. You can always get a third, or will it be the fourth, opinion.

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Default Jul 16, 2019 at 04:39 PM
  #6
I think I have cyclothymia as I only have major episodes about every two years.

I used to think I had PMDD too, but it was more triggered by relationship issues. Check out psycheducation.org for info on hypomania and PMDD. It depends on what time in the menstrual cycle that PMDD occurs.
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Heart Jul 16, 2019 at 04:56 PM
  #7
Quote:
Originally Posted by Grad0507 View Post
I think I have cyclothymia as I only have major episodes about every two years.

I used to think I had PMDD too, but it was more triggered by relationship issues. Check out psycheducation.org for info on hypomania and PMDD. It depends on what time in the menstrual cycle that PMDD occurs.
I LOVE psycheducation.org!!!
A great resource!!!

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Default Jul 16, 2019 at 06:24 PM
  #8
Theresa1991 I have not been diagnosed with cyclothymia, but I have been diagnosed with bipolar unspecified which I guess is also somewhere on the spectrum without being I or II. However, my therapist doesn't really see the bipolar which has me confused about that diagnosis. I am sorry you deal with the mood swings. Have you found anything that helps?

Cerby I have PMDD, too. As you may know there is also something called premenstrual exacerbation (PME) and it is an exacerbation of an underlying disorder around that time of the month. I think they can be difficult to distinguish. My psychiatrist told me PME is common with bipolar disorder. The reason I (and my gynecologist and one of the psychiatrists I've seen) think I have PMDD in addition to a mood disorder is because along with my moods cycling very clearly with my hormones I get a lot of intense physical symptoms that are known to be associated with PMDD. More than are common with just PMS. Have you ever discussed it with your gynecologist or psychiatrist? I found this non-profit site to be useful on the topic IAPMD.
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