Bipolar chicken pox
 

Hello, i am reaching out to all of you for help with my niece. She is bipolar II ( i do hope i am correct with the level, its very bad with stages ranging for 5-6 months, meaning when she is manic she can be that way without a break in her cycle for a full 5-6months leaving a path of destruction worse than a category 5 tornado). My sister is taking care of her 24/7 so i am doing this to help. I was talking with a family friend who knows someone with a bipolar child (now an adult) and she mentioned it came on after she had chicken pox at age 10, my niece was "born" with the virus ( my sister caught chicken pox when she was 8 months pregnant) and then my niece developed a form of shingles at age 5... Im wondering if there is a link to the chicken pox virus as a possible trigger and was wondering if any of you had noticed something post chicken pox....now just want to add that my niece, although a bit of an ocd child, was not diagnosed (nor showed signs of) with bipolar until she turned 20... Just reaching out, and am thankful for any info any of you can provide. Not finding anything on internet :(

I believe i had the type wrong, believe she is type 1, either way its bad, again appreciate any info offered

Hi,

Lots of things could have caused the bipolar.
The genes have to be present in the person for bipolar to manifest.
At some point the genes are triggered or turned on -- for example hormones.

Twenty-five is the average age of onset
http://health.nytimes.com/health/gui...k-factors.html

Other things that can trigger bipolar ---
corticosteroids, anti-depressants, stressful events

It is possible that a virus can trigger bipolar.
Do a search without chicken pox -- just do virus and bipolar.

With good treatment from a fantastic psychiatrist at a major medical teaching hospital, your niece can get well.

M