Bipolar support thread

pink_numbers

not bad, I'm finding not taking any processed sugar is really helping with keeping my moods leveled.

How are you?

dane-katie

Im good thanks, been a bit up and down today but hopefully seeing my pdoc this week so she can increase my meds to calm me down, i should calm down on the sweet things i have got so big especially since ive been on the meds

savagej

pink_numbers wrote: »

not bad, I'm finding not taking any processed sugar is really helping with keeping my moods leveled.

How are you?

funny, I have been on the Atkins diet for 3 weeks now and in the "induction" phase which more or less cuts out all carbohydrate and the same thing has happened to me.

I was wondering if sugar levels were part of the reason, also a friend mentioned something about sugar feeding Candida, but have been reading that it is not really beleived to exist by the medical profession.

My degree is in chemistry so I have a tendency to "go with the party line".

pink_numbers

dane-katie sorry to hear that you are a bit up and down at the mo, but it's great that you are seeing your pdoc soon, I'm sure she will be able to help you even out.

savagej - I started to cut out sugar & additives a few months back now, mainly because I also have Asperger's and I read that cutting them down really helps. As a bonus, I've been finding it has levelled out my mood somewhat. Also, when I do have some sugar, I find that I am very irritable and feel down afterwards. I can see how cutting out simple carbs would help, as they get turned into sugar quickly don't they?

skipsmum

Oddly, before I was diagnosed with bipolar I had symptoms which the doc put down to low blood sugar and fluctuations of sugar levels. Was tested for diabetes as well. I still have to be careful with my sugar intake (have to have it!) - possibly these things are linked.

pink_numbers

skipsmum, oddly, I too have exactly the same issue with low blood sugar. If I have sugar, yes I would get a sugar hit, but then feel very weak and fainty afterwards. Apparently, eating more animal protein helps, so I have been trying to eat more meat (I used to hardly ever eat meat). I'm not sure if it helps me, but I sure am enjoying eating pork again

Trialia

Hm, I don't know how I would do without sugar. What with the chronic fatigue, I pretty much live on the stuff to keep my energy levels up...

savagej

pink_numbers wrote: »

I can see how cutting out simple carbs would help, as they get turned into sugar quickly don't they?

yep they do and the complex ones more slowly, so on a food label in the UK (the US ones are different as their carbohydates include fibre which we list separately) all the carbohydate eventally become a simple sugar and are absorbed. The fact the complex ones become sugar less quickly does avoid spikes but I have cut done on them so far I think my blood sugar is now level.

I know that drinking alcohol (something else I have recently quit) certainly makes my sugar levels drop through my socks. All I want to do is eat and eat and eat, and then the next day I want to even more. The day after that I am back to normal. So, this has helped me greatly too.

Fantabulous

Am here to ask for some advice and guidance please

A very close friend has what the GP thinks is Cyclothymia - a form of soft Bipolar.
Rapid-cycling in that he is manic for one day, perhaps two, then is depressed the rest of the time.

He is awaiting an appointment with the Psychiatrist. I know that he doesn't want to go and has put off and put off allowing the GP to do the referral.

The problem is that in the manic episodes he gets very aggressive and bolshy, pushing folks around and in his own words "I cannot seem to stop myself". To be truthful he makes me very frightened of him.

I am at my wits' end with all of this which has been going on since January of 2009. He has been seeing his GP since June 2009, prescribed Diazepam since about August.

This not wanting treatment and not wanting a Psychiatrist's diagnosis seems a bit strange to me.

Is the aggressiveness normal with bi-polar?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

lolababy

Hi Iv bi polar but my problem is mainly depression. Im no expert but could your friend be taking something that makes him aggressive.
He may have a good reason for not wanting to see a psychiatrist ie being labeled , frightened or in case he tells the psychiatrist something he would prefer to keep to himself.
All you can do is offer to go with him to see the psychiatrist and if he wants be in the room to give him support.
Remind him that his aggressive outbursts are upsetting and making you frightened of him . Id keep in touch via telephone until the appointment as its not good for your sanity if your scared.