Just visited my p-nurse and explained to her that ever since the weather has been very nice, I have felt very manic. With the warmth and sun out more and more the worse I am feeling. I thought I was going to loose my mind on Monday.
According to her, this is not uncommon. Basically it is reverse SAD. Most people with BP do better when it is cloudy out or during the winter months. So we have the beginnings of a plan. During the Spring and Summer I will be taking more Depakote, and in the Fall and Winter back to my original dosage.
So does anyone else seem to have the same problems too?

I am the opposite, when I lived back East, I suffered from SAD real bad.

Now that I am in a very different climate in the Southwest where the sun shines everyday, I am much better.

I suppose it depends on the person and where you live.

I am a sun lover anyway, so that must factor in too.

Hugs, Nikko

Yes Wendy I've been warned about the sun and mania. I was told to were sunglasses when I sit out or work in the yard. But because of the Lithium I'm not supposed to be out in the hot weather where I sweat a lot. Supposed to make you more dehydrated and the side effects of Lithium even worse. Food and water still tastes terrible, I'm like a walking zombie, don't know if I've been here or there. Going for the gusto and trying a 2 of Klonopin tonight. Cross fingers it knocks me out cold. Memories of my mom have made me stay awake and think and think about how much I miss her.

It's a shame that being BP you have to hide from the sun. I'm still a bit manic but I said the heck with it yesterday. It was almost 80 degrees and I said I'm going out to work in my hard. If I can't do that, what else is there? I live for the sun, my yard, my ferals and just being outside.

I hope you're able to find some happy medium Wendy, something that works.

Thanks gals. She recommended the slathering of sunscreen, which I do already because of rosacea and sun sensitivity because of the Lexapro I am on. She also recommended sunglasses. Tomorrow I am going to the eye doc and getting an exam and I want Transitions lenses instead of getting two separate pairs of glasses. I already wear a baseball hat on most days.
I was never really a sun person anyway. I would get impatient and bored sitting there. Now I know why I couldn't sit still. I also know why I prefer to have no lights on in the apartment and the blinds closed but raised up to let air in through open windows.
Oy, just another thing I gotta live with.

Hi, Wendy,
My apartment is dark too.
We never open the blinds.

Before I moved here with hubby I lived in an apartment that did not get direct sun. My gf and I picked it out because we thought that it would save money on A/C. -- we couldn't grow any house plants because not enough sun came in the window.

I live in FL and still manage to avoid the sun. I stay in side in the summer -- coming outside only at night sometimes!

M.

I am energized during the spring and love to get into the yard and dig in the dirt and lpant my annuals and clean up the leaves and brnches that have accumulated during our short winters here.
The flowers bloom so early here, the azaleas are done, the tulips and daffodils are done, my jsmine has already bloomed and the amarylus are almost done blooming and now the roses ae blooming and the marigolds and zinnas that I planted are dong well.
I love the spring, it is a relief that I am feeling better to get some things done. I do not like the cold...I am in Indiana now for a wedding this weekend in wisconsin..it is very cold and rainey today...don't like this at all.
fortunately it was nuch nicer yesterday!
bizi