Lived Experience Forum

[Abcd]

Hi there,

Just wanting to know if there's anyone who had an antidepressant induced hypomania experience and was told that they couldn't have antidepressants again. Also at time was told it would take 18 months back to normal. This is over 7 years ago.

So I still get depressed, feel like everything is meaningless at times, find it hard to concentrate. The thing is when I saw doctors after the episode - my mother convinced that one  medication made me angry. The thing is that doctor didn't listen to my parents and told me and my parents that I had the right to k##l myself because I was over 18. The next doctor told me to try an antihistamine and it didn't do anything and said other people had it worse than me.

So um... And then I have had periods where I find it really had to concentrate and meaningless. The thing is I've had my mother say you can't have medication...

I also had six months of waking really early and couldn't really concentrate. Tried to tell my mother and she told me that intelligent people need less sleep. And I was feeling more extroverted.. And getting flashbacks of the antidepressant induced hypomanic episode and also grief of a friend came up.

How do you know if you are unwell enough for medication? If I confide in my mother she sometimes doesn't sleep from worry but when I went to doctors and suggested medication she's like you always react to medication...

And I did try a medication (after 6 months of waking up early) after a doctor rejected my referral after waiting 2 months and waited another 2 months and that doctor tried to get receptionist to charge for time I didn’t have and the doctor was like but you get most of it back from Medicare and then tried to put on another medication immediately that you have to wait because of interactions with a previous medication...

But now a doctor I now seeing is like it's autism... And it's like Autistic people naturally get depressed.

No one has seem to able to tell me about any literature about outcomes of treating anyone who has an antidepressant induced hypomanic episode. It seems all ad-hoc. Or I get told I'm anxious...

[saharagirl]

Hi

I've experienced antidepressant induced hypomania and been told I can't and won't tolerate antidepressants because of it. So that's literally what we do, just avoid them all. If I have to start one (like I did recently for my OCD) then we start really low and monitor me closely. It's my bipolar that sends me hypomanic with antidepressants, but I'm also hypersensitive to most other drugs as well. My Dr arranged for me to have the myDNA test done to see which drugs I react to and why. It's expensive but it did confirm that I will not react well with most antidepressants. It also ruled out antiinflammatories interestingly enough.

As for the hypomania, I don't get those swings very often now but I'm also on two mood stabilising medications which help, and which are also closely monitored.

Not sure if that helps, if you have other questions I can try answer from my own experience if I can.

SG 

[Abcd]

Thanks saharagirl.

The thing is I was told when I went hypomanic on the antidepressant that it was a temporary thing re reaction to antidepressant...

And when I felt depressed and had trouble concentrating (at Uni) and when I've withdrawn from all but one course and it's taken all my time to try to do assessment tasks my parents have told me I had a confidence issue.

Or when the first antidepressant (SNRI) I was put on - the doctor kept increasing the dose and I went like a zombie. Then the doctor suggested MAOI or ECT and my mother took me off the medication (and I had lots of suicidal thoughts) Then when confided in parents re feelings I was spoken to "why would you want to hurt us" and they took me to a GP who did nutritional medicine. Then 5 months later, still had suicidal thoughts and then was put on metabolite of the first antidepressant which is one I went hypomanic on. The thing is I thought I was a bit weird but I didn't want to get suicidal again plus my parents had framed those thoughts as something I had control over (which I didn’t)

I mentioned to two doctors about pharmcogenetic testing and they have dismissed me. I'm studying Genetics and have learnt about results from GWAS etc and variants of enzymes can affect responses...

Had a neuropsychologist test me (very expensive) - (recommended by  a nurse practitioner at a hospital) and the neuropsychologist said if there was something wrong she could teach techniques re deficiencies. Like I was told I had really low percentiles in working memory and attention. Then the neuropsychologist said I just tend to do testing. (seems to me sometimes people lie so you pay to get expensive reports which aren't relevant) Then I went to a seminar at Uni by a neuropsychologist and they were talking about brain lesions identifcation. Then when I rang number re state health service re hospital and mentioned about the report it was like we don't use this.

So I got the problem if I'm feeling awful about family members telling me to change my thinking. Or having my moods blamed on exercise or because I'm female and monthly stuff.

[BabyHowYaFeelin]

I wish I had more time, but, yes, I've experienced hypomania and mixed moods with anti-depressants and chosen to go back to antidepressants despite side effects of hypomania. What I've learned over the past 8 years after tonnes of meds, ECT, TMS, and more is that if an antidepressant works, even if I experience the random mixed episode or hypomania, I stick with the antidepressant. This is because depression is what I battle 98% of the time. Mood stabilisers were ineffective with my depression. I've been on SSRI, MAOI, tricyclics, etc. I can much easier manage a few episodes of hypomania a year with less depression than being debilitated by depression. The way I manage them easier is by identifying they may be happening and taking sick leave and social media breaks so I don't say something that could put my job or reputation at risk. 

[Shaz51]

hello @BabyHowYaFeelin , @Abcd , @saharagirl 

my mr shaz is on anti depressants but it was finally he was put on anti anxiety that it made a difference 

we still have ups and downs each day but it has helped xx

[Shaz51]

@Abcd, @BabyHowYaFeelin , when is your birthday my friends 

I am the forums birthday keeper xx

[Former-Member]

@Abcd 

I think you should find a different psychiatrist.  Have you considered it may be adhd? Or do you feel it is a mood disorder that you experience?

Monthy moods can be more serious like PMDD. I'm sure you have considered this yourself.

After many years I think one thing I've learnt is to trust yourself. Well meaning family, friends etc can sometimes dismiss because symptoms.

After reading your post, I just felt the need to say, trust yourself. If you need to pursue, perhaps only share with people who support this. It can be very delicate. Because MI's can someone be taken personally by the people closest to us.

Ive experienced hypomania on SSRI's. I currently use a mood diary. You could google apps for this. It's a personal choice I feel with respect to this. It may help you recognise patterns, so you are more equipped to speak with practitioners of your concerns.

Hope this helps. 🙂