Bipolar Type 2

Bipolar Type 2 is most certainly not a lesser condition than Bipolar Type 1. This is to say that both mental health conditions are very real and can both have an adverse affect on daily life. Luckily, Bipolar Type 2 mostly is manageable without having to be hospitalised and a course of Anti psychotics and mood stabilisers accompanied by Psychotherapy and regular visits to a Psychiatrist. Please share your experiences here.

More of an explanation:

Bipolar II disorder (BP-II; pronounced "type two bipolar disorder") is a bipolar spectrum disorder (see also Bipolar disorder) characterized by at least one episode of hypomania and at least one episode of major depression. Diagnosis for bipolar II disorder requires that the individual must never have experienced a full manic episode (unless it was caused by an antidepressant medication;[3] otherwise one manic episode meets the criteria for bipolar I disorder). Symptoms of mania and hypomania are similar, though mania is more severe and may precipitate psychosis.The hypomanic episodes associated with bipolar II disorder must last for at least four days. Commonly, depressive episodes are more frequent and more intense than hypomanic episodes. Additionally, when compared to bipolar I disorder, type II presents more frequent depressive episodes and shorter intervals of well-being. The course of bipolar II disorder is more chronic and consists of more frequent cycling than the course of bipolar I disorder. Finally, bipolar II is associated with a greater risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors than bipolar I or unipolar depression. Although bipolar II is commonly perceived to be a milder form of Type I, this is not the case. Types I and II present equally severe burdens.

Bipolar II is difficult to diagnose. Patients usually seek help when they are in a depressed state. Because the symptoms of hypomania are often mistaken for high functioning behavior or simply attributed to personality, patients are typically not aware of their hypomanic symptoms. As a result, they are unable to provide their doctor with all the information needed for an accurate assessment; these individuals are often misdiagnosed with unipolar depression.Of all individuals initially diagnosed with major depressive disorder, between 40% and 50% will later be diagnosed with either BP-I or BP-II. Substance abuse disorders (which have high comorbidity with BP-II) and periods of mixed depression may also make it more difficult to accurately identify BP-II.Despite the difficulties, it is important that BP-II individuals are correctly assessed so that they can receive the proper treatment. Antidepressant use, in the absence of mood stabilizers, is correlated with worsening BP-II symptoms.

I was given antipsychotics for this which had a mood stabiliser and anti-depressant all rolled into one. They are called quitiapine and you should speak to your doctor about these meds if you ever feel like you have these symptoms. They made a massive impact for me. Before my mood was all over the place. I'd be really angry and adamant that I was right for ages and then i'd wake up and everything I thought is not wrong and I'm useless. These meds helped balance me.

I was given Lithium and that worked for me. Made me tired all the time though.

Isn't Lithium dangerous?

Nexus wrote:Isn't Lithium dangerous?

Nexus, Lithium isn't dangerous if used in line with your doctor's prescription. Please see some information below on Lithium.

Overview

Information specific to: Lithium carbonate 400mg modified-release tablets when used in Depression.
Lithium Carbonate (lith-ee-um car-bon-ate) is a medicine which is used in depression, bipolar disorder, mania, self-harming behaviour and treating aggressive behaviour.
The information in this Medicine Guide for lithium carbonate varies according to the condition being treated and the particular preparation used.
Your medicine

Lithium Carbonate is used to treat a number of mental health problems that are thought to be due to a chemical imbalance in the brain. Lithium Carbonate affects the levels and activity of certain chemicals in the brain. Lithium Carbonate is used to treat mania, bipolar disorder, aggressive or self-harming behaviour. It is also given to people with certain types of depression when their previous treatments for depression have not been successful.

It is very important that you take the correct dose of Lithium Carbonate. This is to make sure that the level of lithium in your blood is not too low or too high. Very high blood levels may lead to lithium toxicity. Levels of lithium in the blood can be altered by dieting or changes in your diet, fluid or salt intake; certain medicines, infections; or by changing brands. It is important you tell your prescriber or medical team if there are any changes in your circumstances that could affect levels of lithium as your dose may need to be adjusted.

Your prescriber will regularly monitor levels of lithium in your blood during treatment with Lithium Carbonate. They will also advise you of the symptoms you need to look out for, if levels of Lithium Carbonate in the blood are high. If you develop any signs and symptoms of lithium toxicity, you must immediately seek medical advice. For more information about lithium toxicity and blood tests ask your prescriber or a member of your medical team.

During treatment with Lithium Carbonate it is important that you are well hydrated. You need to make sure that you are drinking enough fluid especially in situations where you could become dehydrated such as in hot weather or if you have an infection. Make sure you tell your prescriber if you have an infection. Your prescriber may need to adjust your dose or decide to temporarily stop your treatment with Lithium Carbonate.

Other information about Lithium Carbonate:

your prescriber will try to find the lowest dose of your medicine which can control your condition

if changing to a different brand or form of lithium, your dose may need adjusting. Your prescriber will monitor the levels of lithium in your blood and make dose adjustments
Do not share your medicine with other people. It may not be suitable for them and may harm them.

The pharmacy label on your medicine tells you how much medicine you should take. It also tells you how often you should take your medicine. This is the dose that you and your prescriber have agreed you should take. You should not change the dose of your medicine unless you are told to do so by your prescriber.
If you feel that the medicine is making you unwell or you do not think it is working, then talk to your prescriber.

Whether this medicine is suitable for you

Lithium Carbonate is not suitable for everyone and some people should never use it. Other people should only use it with special care. It is important that the person prescribing this medicine knows your full medical history.

Your prescriber may only prescribe this medicine with special care or may not prescribe it at all if you:

are allergic or sensitive to or have had a reaction to any of the ingredients in the medicine
are breast-feeding
are dehydrated
are elderly
have a family history of heart attack or sudden death
have Addison's disease
have an infection
have certain metabolic problems or are at risk of having salt and water imbalances
have epilepsy
have heart problems
have hypothyroidism
have kidney problems
have low levels of sodium in your body which could be caused by factors such as being dehydrated or being on a low sodium diet
have or have a family history of Brugada syndrome
have psoriasis
have risk factors for developing convulsions
Furthermore the prescriber may only prescribe this medicine with special care or may not prescribe it at all for a child or an adolescent or for someone who weighs less than 50 Kg.
As part of the process of assessing suitability to take this medicine a prescriber may also arrange tests:
to determine whether or not the medicine is suitable and whether it must be prescribed with extra care to confirm that this is the right dose

to check that this medicine is not having any undesired effects

Over time it is possible that Lithium Carbonate can become unsuitable for some people, or they may become unsuitable for it. If at any time it appears that Lithium Carbonate has become unsuitable, it is important that the prescriber is contacted immediately.

Alcohol

Alcohol can interact with certain medicines.

In the case of Lithium Carbonate:

there are no known interactions between alcohol and Lithium Carbonate

Diet

Medicines can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your prescriber may advise you to avoid certain foods.
In the case of Lithium Carbonate:

this medicine interacts with caffeine

Lithium Carbonate is not known to interact with food. You should tell your prescriber if you change your salt or fluid intake
If your diet includes any of the above, speak to your prescriber or pharmacist for further advice.

Driving and operating machinery

When taking any medicine you should be aware that it might interfere with your ability to drive or operate machinery safely.

In the case of Lithium Carbonate:

this medicine may cause effects such as slowed action or reaction time which could affect your ability to drive or operate machinery
You should see how this medicine affects you before you judge whether you are safe to drive or operate machinery. If you are in any doubt about whether you should drive or operate machinery, talk to your prescriber.

Family planning and pregnancy

Most medicines, in some way, can affect the development of a baby in the womb. The effect on the baby differs between medicines and also depends on the stage of pregnancy that you have reached when you take the medicine.

In the case of Lithium Carbonate:

the use of this medicine during pregnancy is not recommended. You should only take this medicine during pregnancy if your doctor thinks that you need it
this medicine may harm your baby if taken during pregnancy. If you take this medicine during your pregnancy, your baby may need to have some monitoring before and after birth

if you are taking Lithium Carbonate and you could become pregnant, you must use effective contraception or abstain from penetrative sex while you are being treated with Lithium Carbonate

You should discuss your personal circumstances with your doctor if you are pregnant or want to become pregnant. This is so that together you can make a decision about what treatment you may need during your pregnancy.

You should discuss whether there are any other medicines which you could take during pregnancy which would treat your condition.
Breast-feeding

Certain medicines can pass into breast milk and may reach your baby through breast-feeding.
In the case of Lithium Carbonate:

this medicine passes into breast milk. Taking Lithium Carbonate and breast-feeding will affect your baby

Women who are taking Lithium Carbonate must not breast-feed. If you wish to breast-feed you should discuss with your prescriber whether there are any other medicines you could have. You should not stop this medicine without taking advice from your doctor.

Taking other medicines

If you are taking more than one medicine they may interact with each other. At times your prescriber may decide to use medicines that interact, in other cases this may not be appropriate.

The decision to use medicines that interact depends on your specific circumstances. Your prescriber may decide to use medicines that interact, if it is believed that the benefits of taking the medicines together outweigh the risks. In such cases, it may be necessary to alter your dose or monitor you more closely.
Tell your prescriber the names of all the medicines that you are taking so that they can consider all possible interactions. This includes all the medicines which have been prescribed by your GP, hospital doctor, dentist, nurse, health visitor, midwife or pharmacist. You must also tell your prescriber about medicines which you have bought over the counter without prescriptions.


The following medicines may interact with Lithium Carbonate:

amiodarone
amisulpride
caffeine
calcitonin
carbamazepine
chlorpromazine
cisapride
clozapine
diazepam
disopyramide
erythromycin
fluoxetine
flupentixol
fluphenazine
fluvoxamine
haloperidol
indometacin
methyldopa
metronidazole
phenytoin
quinidine
theophylline
thioridazine
urea

The following types of medicine may interact with Lithium Carbonate:

ACE inhibitors
anaesthetics
angiotensin II receptor antagonists
antiarrhythmics
antibiotics
antipsychotics
calcium channel blockers
COX-2 inhibitors
diuretics
loop diuretics
medicines that affect electrolyte balance
medicines that are damaging to the nerves
medicines that contain sodium bicarbonate
medicines that prolong the QTc interval
neuromuscular blockers
prostaglandin synthetase inhibitors
selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors
serotonergics
steroids
tetracyclines
tricyclic antidepressants
triptans
xanthines

If you are taking Lithium Carbonate and one of the above medicines or types of medicines, make sure your prescriber knows about it.
Complementary preparations and vitamins

Medicines can interact with complementary preparations and vitamins. In general, there is not much information available about interactions between medicines and complementary preparations or vitamins.

If you are planning to take or are already taking any complementary preparations and vitamins you should ask your prescriber whether there are any known interactions with Lithium Carbonate.

Your prescriber can advise whether it is appropriate for you to take combinations that are known to interact. They can also discuss with you the possible effect that the complementary preparations and vitamins may have on your condition.

If you experience any unusual effects while taking this medicine in combination with complementary preparations and vitamins, you should tell your prescriber.
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