View Single Post
Old 08-23-2011, 06:10 AM
waves's Avatar
waves waves is offline
Legendary
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 10,329
15 yr Member
waves waves is offline
Legendary
waves's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 10,329
15 yr Member
Default

late onset is not typical, but not impossible.

were your prior depressions typical (melancholy mood, loss of interest in activities, low energy) or did you have agitated depressions (agitation, anxiety, irritable mood?)

also wondering if you were ever medicated for depression before this time?

if not, it is likely you had a manic reaction to the antidepressant Remeron, which can happen to bipolars and non-bipolars. but bipolars are more predisposed.

there is debate regarding whether a diagnosis of bipolar can be made based on a manic reaction to an antidepressant alone. the DSM clearly states that mania as a drug reaction cannot be considered, and that there must be manic or hypomanic episodes in the patient's history. however, some pdocs do, and some even give it a name (Bipolar III, where the DSM describes only bipolar I, II, and NOS).

perhaps when you were hospitalized, and they took your history, they were relatively able to establish or suspect prior periods of hypomania and went with Bipolar as being the "best-fitting" diagnosis for you at this point. this would also serve as a caution to new doctors who might otherwise feed you antidepressants and, possibly, make you manic again.

the deal with antidepressants is not all or nothing, either. just because one makes you manic doesn't mean another will. just keep track of your reactions, and let new doctors know. also slow titration is always prudent.

hope that helps

~ waves ~
waves is offline  
"Thanks for this!" says:
bizi (08-23-2011), BlueCarGal (08-23-2011)