I was diagnosed in 2019; late in life, mid 30s. One of the biggest issues I’ve been struggling with lately are these huge cyclical mood swings that can last weeks. I’ll be up and active, optimistic, and productive for a week or so, and feel like there’s nothing I can’t do. I’m excited about everything and often make a lot of overly-aggressive plans. Then the wave of depression comes, and I’ll spend a week in bed, crying, and then a week or two basically just disassociating and actively avoiding any responsibilities. The down is always longer than the up, and I feel like I’m slowly losing ground to the depression. I’m not sure if I’ve always had these issues or if they’ve just gotten worse lately. My ability to look into the past, especially in regards to my own emotional state, is limited.
My doc says that “cyclothymia” or mood cycles are not uncommon with ADHD, though they are not technically related I guess. That said, I don’t see too many people talking about it. Anyone else dealing with this sort of thing?
Yeah, I’ve been on a few different things, Sertraline and Atomoxetine is the current cocktail. They always seem to help for a few months, but it never seems to take long to get back to the regular-scheduled programming. I was previously on Adderall but I think it made things worse, I was unusually angry and aggressive. My doc says I don’t meet the qualifications for bipolar, as mentioned “cyclothymia” is the term she uses, basically bipolar-light, but definitely related.
For me, time is an illusion, lunchtime doubly so. See my comment in a thread elsewhere in this post. I really struggle with both measuring time and with my long-term memory. I am good with facts but bad with my own personal history, and have no ability to imagine or recall images in the way it seems most people can.
adderal: you were put on a constant overdose my friend. can be helped.
one question, bear with me:
did you gain weight? are you fit? are you thin? are you active? do you have cravings for alcohol or sweets or high caloric food?
thats important, be truthfull
to be honest:
sounds like atomoxetine and sertaline dont work for jack *hit
what you describe was unmedicated me all my life.
you can just as well stop taking those. they dont seem to do anything.
It’s against the rules of the community to advise others what to do with their medications.
thanks, i didnt know that. i will not do that again.
Yeah I’ve gained some weight in the last couple years. I hurt my back pretty bad a while back, and that combined with a bunch of new meds since then have not done my figure any favors. I don’t drink, though, haven’t for years. I definitely don’t crave sweets or foods in general, but I’m not nearly as active as I probably should be, given the back and the computer job and the 105 degree summer heat lately. I’m not thin by any stretch of the imagination, but I did just do a 4 day hike through the eastern Sierras so it’s not like I do nothing.
I agree with you that the meds don’t seem to help much. That said, I do trust my doc, and she has preached a slow and steady approach with good documentation, so I’ll keep taking the meds for now.
you have to realize that pretty much any medication that is designed to calm you down has side effects.
in my case, it all began when having high blood pressure. they gave me a beta blocker. had a huge accident , they put me on antidepressants. anti depressants make you insuline resistant. the beta blocker not as much, but it is suspected that it does.
thats the reason people gain weight when being on meds - its not so much that they eat more and are sedentary, they eat more and are sedentary because the meds make them. yes, that only happens to a majourity of people and not all of them, but the people that gain fat, have more insuline resistance that people that wont gain fat.
its easy to verify, just look in the side effects despription.
so, the more insuline resistent you are, the higher your insulin levels get. and thats not a normal state of being. it mucks up endochrine function, also glucose metabolism, i will not explain all of that now.
so, your endochrine system is kinda out of step.
but now you take all these meds, and they are influencing lots of things in your metabolism. its like throwing a spanner in a well oiled machine. stimulants are different, they are like putting a turbo on your car engine. antidepressants are like pouring sand in your engine so it slows down. it kinda works, yes.
one thing you can do, apart from optimizing your food, for possible intolerances (in my case, grains and nightshades), is to loose weight.
if you absolutely cant loose weight no matter what you do, its likely the meds. and then its up to you what to do.
realize that you once didnt have the mood issue, and now you do.
and once you didnt have the weight, and now you do.
omce you didnt took the meds, and now you do.
something is going on with you, and you dont know what, but all of this has an explanation. the body is not stupid. it does what it is supposed to do under the circumstances, via the tools you give it.
you are young, it is not aging or lack of sleep or to much screen time.
change up things and see what happens.