Hi I was diagnosed as having psychosis? Scitzophrenia but I think I’m bipolar, previously I was diagnosed as severe depression and was given sertaline which made me manic then psychotic. I was started on olanzapine and I take 10mg a day. That was working well but then I started feeling that some outer force was wanting me to kill myself, the urge was horrible because I didn’t want to do it, I was scared this force was going to make me. I felt someone was doing it on purpose. They started me on mertazapine due to bad experience on sertraline. I’ve been taking it for 5 days and today it felt like a switch was flicked and I became really hyperactive, I was singing the words in my head, had lots of ideas, thinking I can do everything, pleased with life, I have strong urges to jump about etc I shook my mum (not hard) and was chatting away rapid because I had so much energy. I felt it in my arms and legs and hands. I also feel defensive when I imagine telling professionals my symptoms. I want to jump on something and have a thought of a gun in my hand. (Not to use and I don’t have one) it’s just to protect myself from them. That’s the best way to describe it. It’s obv its the anti depressants that are making me like this?? Any opinions?? X
Try keeping a mood journal and give to your doctor when you see him/her next. You can download free mood journals off the net. Might even be a few free apps around.
I was diagnosed with bipolar a long time ago by one of my first psychiatrists - he prescribed me an old fashioned tricyclic antidepressant Imipramine - I went completely manic and psychotic, and the ■■■■■■■ kept me on it for over 20 years.
People prone to severe mania or mixed episodes should really be avoiding antidepressants, they act like fuel to the fire and can cause a lot of damage by triggering manic or mixed responses with psychosis.
You could either have schizoaffective disorder - bipolar type or bipolar - either way, antidepressants could aggravate the situation.
I would talk to your pdoc ASAP and tell him or her whats going on with you - If he is a good doctor he will stop prescribing you antidepressants at least without a mood stabilizer of some kind.
Best of luck to you - and dont forget to get in touch with your pdoc as soon as possible
Was going to add but got side tracked. Do keep on eye on it and contact your pdoc as soon as you can.
I’m schizoaffective, I was given lexapro and before that celexa. Both made me manic. It’s normal to think the diagnosis given isn’t the correct one. I thought that when the diagnosis I was given of a psychotic disorder with borderline personality disorder.
Well I spoke to home based treatment team when they came tonight and they said that mertazapine doesn’t cause mania and it’s too early in treatment and it won’t be in my system after five days, so apparently it’s all in my mind, I’m expecting the anti depressant to act like that so it is apparently x
Yeah, verily. Truly horrible upshots for me in the 1990s.
Slamming head on desk right now. Remeron mirtazepine is occasionally associated with mania. If one became manic on Zoloft sertraline, it is likely (statistically, at least) that the same person will react similarly to any neurostimulant, slow-acting “long wave” or not.
I would find another prescriber. If what you’re reporting is accurate, you’re not in good hands. I wasn’t in the 1990s, and I paid for it Big Time.
Neurostimulants (which include all anti-D’s) are diametrically the wrong way to go for anyone who demonstrates manic symptoms. Anti-Ps are front line for mania now, though anti-S “mood levelers” (like Depakote valproix, Topamax topamirate (seems to work way better for females, as well as recovering drug addicts and alkies), Tegretol carbamazepine, Trileptal oxcarbazepine, or Lamictal lamotrigine are good to try initially because they may get the job done without inducing the kind of sfx common with anti-Ps.
One thing is FOR SURE: ER and community mental health docs who are not licensed, board-certified psychopharmacologists tend to prescribe anti-Ps all “full strength” for problems that may be much better dealt with at much lower dose levels.
I agree with above, I wasn’t worried about it causing mania to come back, I felt like someone flicked a switch and I necame really full of energy that I could feel through my body, I wasn’t feeling anxious etc it feels exactly how it started last time. I know my own body but again I’ve been told to stay on it. They’re talking about upping it next week. I’m confused as to what to do really.
Keeping a mood journal might help speed it along if you are BP. If you are concerned and struggling still try to get in contact with your pdoc. Might be an idea to push that before the weekend. As most of the home based treatment team are only physic nurses and social workers if you hadn’t already asked their qualifications. Which is always a good idea to ask.as nurse practitioners get through in the mix these days. Which is the next best thing to a psychiatrist.
plz see the post you commented upon; it’s been updated.
I’ll have to show that information to them tokay, it’s v frustrating. I’ve not expected it to cause mania or worried about it so it’s not my brain playing tricks on me, it’s exactly how it all started last time
Have you tried lithium or lamictal? Those are typically very effective drugs for bipolar patients.
I get that a lot. Feels exactly like a switch .
I was on Remeron and slept all day and all night. It is very sedating.
I’m only on olanzapene and mertazapine, they don’t bel I’m experiencing it so not giving me anything else and they said to keep taking it. They said five well now six days is too early to make me manic so it’s me imagining it. They’re going to up it to 30mg next week. I was sleeping well on it till last night when I wasn’t sleepy at all and I’ve been up since 4am.
It may not even be bi polar it may be induced by anti depressants. it’s frustrating
The consultant wants me to stick with them for a while longer 
I was originally diagnosed with undifferentiated schiz. Time and time again i would go to see my pdoc about concerns about my mood. I really felt that the original episode I had involved my moods but she insisted I was in denial of having schiz. That i was imaging my symptoms. But then she put me on an antidepressant and of course i went hypo manic. But she put that down to the med and took me off. I went for a second opinion outside the NHS and got diagnosed with schizoaffective but it was only when i had a manic episode did the NHS docs take notice too. So I’m sza but no episode of psychosis since 2010 (first one). I really feel I’m bipolar as well but I guess the diagnosis does not matter since the treatment is the same.
Sounds similar to me too. Sometimes I feel like professionals don’t listen. I’m going to come off the mirtazapine. My thoughts are racing and I want to do all this stuff but it’s making my body feel so slowed down and heavy walking up the stairs is a massive effort. I’ve got 4 kids and a job where I’m running round for 13 hours to go back to.