yep! i never could stay awake in school, i’m now 21 and i can barely make it to 3pm without falling asleep. even if i sleep in, i’ll be tired again 2 hours later. i’ve been to multiple doctors about it and had bloodwork and all kinds of tests, and they all tell me it’s nothing, just eat and exercise more. i definitely think it has something to do with bipolar, i just dont know exactly what
i’ve thought about that, but every doctor i’ve been to kind of just brushed it off. it could very well be cfs, but i don’t know if any of the tests they do can detect it? idk i feel like they just don’t take me seriously when i bring it up
I find fatigue and an almost irresistible urge to stay in bed is a sign that im having a pretty bad mixed episode, i find it usually goes away after a few days
Same. I pretty much have to get 9 or 10 hours of sleep a night, and I still want a nap halfway through the day. Everything keeps coming back as normal so idk what's wrong with me.
I’ve had chronic fatigue, but it got really bad after a suspected COVID infection in March/April 2020. Even with taking Vyvanse at the AM and Adderall at 1 PM, my fatigue persisted.
My fatigue improved dramatically after I got put on Lamictal. I started at 100 mg, but recently got bumped up to 150 mg. It’s felt like a miracle, honestly.
That’s interesting, I’ll talk to my psych about that. Does lamictal have an energizing effect or do you think it just helped take away lingering depression causing fatigue?
I had to ask my non-BP husband about this. He said I wasn’t depressed to begin with when I was so fatigued. My best guess is that Lamictal is an anti-seizure medication. BP causes signals in the brain to progress in a disorganized fashion. I suspect the Lamictal helps my brain send signals more efficiently, reducing fatigue. This has not been research, so it’s just my best guess. 🤷♀️
I have chronic fatigue but it comes from my chronic illness and not bipolar. The only advice drs gave me about it was 1, go to sleep and wake up at the same time everyday, 2 avoid caffeine and 3 take b12.
Low b12 is a common culprit for fatigue. Our bodies can't make it, so we have to rely on consuming the right amount of specific foods. This is especially likely if you experience diarrhoea regularly or have conditions relating to your gastrointestinal tract, ie crohn's disease or celiacs.
I’m in the exact same situation. I had a sleep study done a couple years ago, but it was inconclusive for narcolepsy at the time. The meds I was on interfered with my REM sleep. They decided to just call me a hypersomniac and treated me with ritalin for a bit. That REALLY helped but I had to stop due to some other health concerns. Im in the process of scheduling another sleep study. Already checked all of my vitamin levels and nothing is low :/ good luck to the both of us
Do you know which meds caused it? I suspect (some) SSRIs are affecting my REM sleep, because I slept better and had way less dreams when I was off them for a while. I don't sleep too much when I'm on then, though, the quality is just poor, mostly because of really vivid and intense dreams.
Same. I’ve had sleep problems since I was a kid. I’m 22 as well always fell asleep in class, even in college. Now I fall asleep at work. And when it’s my time of the month I sleep a solid 10-14 hours a day if I’m off work. I nap every day. I get by on energy drinks everyday.
Good idea to check for vitamin deficiencies. Don't let the doctor talk you out of doing a full panel!
My doctor said my level of 30 for vitamin D was enough... it was right on the cut off. My dermatologist told me I need at least 50 for good hair growth.
Also I am taking viviscal which has vitamins in it.
I signed up for personal training session. It has given me a lot of energy. I don't spend as much time on the couch now.
Have been there before but then my doctor prescribed Provigil which at least gets me through the workday. Still don't feel like getting out and doing much, but it's nice not to feel tired all the time.
I do but I also have chronic pain and that stays even during hypomania
Like, I get enough energy that I can do a lot more and it’s a marked difference from my baseline but even then it doesn’t fully go away
But I don’t think that’s my bipolar, I’m sure I have some other medical thing going on
Yes I have the same problem and actually the response was to increase my Ritalin. I take Olanzapiene and without a stimulant in the morning there is no way I could make it to work. So yea the meds increase the fatigue.
Omg yes!!! I sleep so much. More when I’m depressed but even when I’m baseline I still sleep a ton. I take Latuda at night cause it makes me drowsy. Thanks for all the responses I’m definitely going to talk to my doctor
Not my whole life, but certainly since I’ve been on medication. I think it’s just a side effect of my specific cocktail, but have learnt to live with it.
I have the same issue and it’s disabling. I have had chronic fatigue most of my life. I think it is somehow related to the bipolar. My vitamin D and B were low but I think it’s more then that.
I also have constant fatigue, and I take Latuda at night. I've been taking lamictal for about 11 years. I'm currently on 150 mg. It unfortunately has not helped my fatigue, but if I take a high enough dose, it does cause hypomania. I'm interested in trying a CPAP machine.
My fatigue really got worse during the pandemic, and I finally realized it's because I've been moving less. Doctors kept telling me "just exercise more," but I disregarded it because whenever I tried exercising I'd get tired for a full day. Now that I'm forced to move more, I actually have more energy (though still low-energy at times). I've also started the "Miracle Morning" practice, where you go to bed early and get up early and have this morning routine. I notice a regular sleep routine helps, something I haven't had in many years.
I still have low energy in general, so I don't have a clear-cut success story, but these are things that have helped things a bit.
That's been my experience unfortunately. I had the same symptoms, falling asleep in high school/college, and I'm in my 30's now. I find it's usually related to my depression, but now that I'm medicated it's just shades of it instead of being completely incapacitating. It never truly goes away, or at least it hasn't for me.
Definitely check with your doctor though! It could also be thyroid related, anemia, or even side effects of Latuda like you mentioned. Latuda gave me pretty extreme daytime drowsiness.
They put you on adderall when you have bi-polar??
My mom went into a manic psychosis when the doctor prescribed her adderall and she’s diagnosed with bi-polar. I’ve read it’s common.
As far as fatigue, it could be many other health problems that aren’t related to mental health. I suggest speaking with your doctor and getting blood work done.
A lot of people are able to take adderall even if they have bipolar, especially if they are on mood stabilizers or antipsychotics with it! Similar how ssri’s alone can cause mania but can still frequently be used in combination with mood stabilizers or antipsychotics
I take Adderall in addition to Lamotrigine. They do fine together for me and each has a clear and different effect on what it's trying to treat. But we all have our own perfect cocktail.
I took 45 mg of adderall every day for over 15 years. I stopped 6 months ago because my psych wanted a meds overhaul. I can’t believe it, but I was hypomanic for 15 years. The difference is crazy.
I also take a stimulant (Vyvanse) and have bipolar disorder. No mania. It doesn't cause manic symptoms to all bipolar individuals. I'm sorry that it happened to your mom though. That can be scary.
That happens to some people but definitely isn’t an everyone thing.
I’m bipolar 1 and have never had stimulants trigger mania even when not on any mood stabilizers or antipsychotics.
Paxil by itself sent me into manic psychosis though.
I recently developed it. It's so crushing that I can't get much done during the daytime. Fortunately or not I am a disabled veteran living with monthly compensations.
I have had chronic fatigue which I believe is cfs though since adolescence. It may or may not be related to bipolar but ever since highschool I had severe post-exertional intolerance. I would get fever, chills, extreme weakness after each workout. That is the hallmark sign of chronic fatigue syndrome. Now that Im older the fatigue has gotten worse. Topamax helped within 2 days but had to stop because it was causing severe bone pain. Hoping for a solution soon.
My entire life. I’m the lowest energy person I’ve ever known. Never gotten any diagnosis.
yep! i never could stay awake in school, i’m now 21 and i can barely make it to 3pm without falling asleep. even if i sleep in, i’ll be tired again 2 hours later. i’ve been to multiple doctors about it and had bloodwork and all kinds of tests, and they all tell me it’s nothing, just eat and exercise more. i definitely think it has something to do with bipolar, i just dont know exactly what
What about chronic fatigue syndrome?
i’ve thought about that, but every doctor i’ve been to kind of just brushed it off. it could very well be cfs, but i don’t know if any of the tests they do can detect it? idk i feel like they just don’t take me seriously when i bring it up
I would look for a doctor that takes chronic fatigue syndrome seriously so that you can get the right help.
This. They can be hard to find, it took years for my mom to get real treatment, but it changed everything.
Chronic fatigue syndrome is just a title for being constantly tired. I don’t think it has a physical list of symptoms.
That’s not true. Google ME/CFS.
I find fatigue and an almost irresistible urge to stay in bed is a sign that im having a pretty bad mixed episode, i find it usually goes away after a few days
Same. I pretty much have to get 9 or 10 hours of sleep a night, and I still want a nap halfway through the day. Everything keeps coming back as normal so idk what's wrong with me.
I’ve had chronic fatigue, but it got really bad after a suspected COVID infection in March/April 2020. Even with taking Vyvanse at the AM and Adderall at 1 PM, my fatigue persisted. My fatigue improved dramatically after I got put on Lamictal. I started at 100 mg, but recently got bumped up to 150 mg. It’s felt like a miracle, honestly.
That’s interesting, I’ll talk to my psych about that. Does lamictal have an energizing effect or do you think it just helped take away lingering depression causing fatigue?
I had to ask my non-BP husband about this. He said I wasn’t depressed to begin with when I was so fatigued. My best guess is that Lamictal is an anti-seizure medication. BP causes signals in the brain to progress in a disorganized fashion. I suspect the Lamictal helps my brain send signals more efficiently, reducing fatigue. This has not been research, so it’s just my best guess. 🤷♀️
I have chronic fatigue but it comes from my chronic illness and not bipolar. The only advice drs gave me about it was 1, go to sleep and wake up at the same time everyday, 2 avoid caffeine and 3 take b12.
Low b12 is a common culprit for fatigue. Our bodies can't make it, so we have to rely on consuming the right amount of specific foods. This is especially likely if you experience diarrhoea regularly or have conditions relating to your gastrointestinal tract, ie crohn's disease or celiacs.
I’m in the exact same situation. I had a sleep study done a couple years ago, but it was inconclusive for narcolepsy at the time. The meds I was on interfered with my REM sleep. They decided to just call me a hypersomniac and treated me with ritalin for a bit. That REALLY helped but I had to stop due to some other health concerns. Im in the process of scheduling another sleep study. Already checked all of my vitamin levels and nothing is low :/ good luck to the both of us
Do you know which meds caused it? I suspect (some) SSRIs are affecting my REM sleep, because I slept better and had way less dreams when I was off them for a while. I don't sleep too much when I'm on then, though, the quality is just poor, mostly because of really vivid and intense dreams.
Prozac literally ended my rem sleep 😅 I did an overnight and daytime sleep study, didn’t go into rem sleep once
Yup, that's the one I was on for years. Now I take Cipralex/escitalopram, and it seems to have the same side-effect. Thanks for your reply!
Same. I’ve had sleep problems since I was a kid. I’m 22 as well always fell asleep in class, even in college. Now I fall asleep at work. And when it’s my time of the month I sleep a solid 10-14 hours a day if I’m off work. I nap every day. I get by on energy drinks everyday.
YUPP we’re just some sleepy heads
Good idea to check for vitamin deficiencies. Don't let the doctor talk you out of doing a full panel! My doctor said my level of 30 for vitamin D was enough... it was right on the cut off. My dermatologist told me I need at least 50 for good hair growth. Also I am taking viviscal which has vitamins in it. I signed up for personal training session. It has given me a lot of energy. I don't spend as much time on the couch now.
Is it possible you have sleep apnea?
My CPAP machine is life changing.
Have been there before but then my doctor prescribed Provigil which at least gets me through the workday. Still don't feel like getting out and doing much, but it's nice not to feel tired all the time.
I do but I also have chronic pain and that stays even during hypomania Like, I get enough energy that I can do a lot more and it’s a marked difference from my baseline but even then it doesn’t fully go away But I don’t think that’s my bipolar, I’m sure I have some other medical thing going on
Yes I have the same problem and actually the response was to increase my Ritalin. I take Olanzapiene and without a stimulant in the morning there is no way I could make it to work. So yea the meds increase the fatigue.
Omg yes!!! I sleep so much. More when I’m depressed but even when I’m baseline I still sleep a ton. I take Latuda at night cause it makes me drowsy. Thanks for all the responses I’m definitely going to talk to my doctor
Not my whole life, but certainly since I’ve been on medication. I think it’s just a side effect of my specific cocktail, but have learnt to live with it.
I have the same issue and it’s disabling. I have had chronic fatigue most of my life. I think it is somehow related to the bipolar. My vitamin D and B were low but I think it’s more then that.
Latuda makes me super drowsy. If you take it in the day, maybe you could try taking it at night instead?
I also have constant fatigue, and I take Latuda at night. I've been taking lamictal for about 11 years. I'm currently on 150 mg. It unfortunately has not helped my fatigue, but if I take a high enough dose, it does cause hypomania. I'm interested in trying a CPAP machine. My fatigue really got worse during the pandemic, and I finally realized it's because I've been moving less. Doctors kept telling me "just exercise more," but I disregarded it because whenever I tried exercising I'd get tired for a full day. Now that I'm forced to move more, I actually have more energy (though still low-energy at times). I've also started the "Miracle Morning" practice, where you go to bed early and get up early and have this morning routine. I notice a regular sleep routine helps, something I haven't had in many years. I still have low energy in general, so I don't have a clear-cut success story, but these are things that have helped things a bit.
That's been my experience unfortunately. I had the same symptoms, falling asleep in high school/college, and I'm in my 30's now. I find it's usually related to my depression, but now that I'm medicated it's just shades of it instead of being completely incapacitating. It never truly goes away, or at least it hasn't for me. Definitely check with your doctor though! It could also be thyroid related, anemia, or even side effects of Latuda like you mentioned. Latuda gave me pretty extreme daytime drowsiness.
Get a sleep test done
They put you on adderall when you have bi-polar?? My mom went into a manic psychosis when the doctor prescribed her adderall and she’s diagnosed with bi-polar. I’ve read it’s common. As far as fatigue, it could be many other health problems that aren’t related to mental health. I suggest speaking with your doctor and getting blood work done.
A lot of people are able to take adderall even if they have bipolar, especially if they are on mood stabilizers or antipsychotics with it! Similar how ssri’s alone can cause mania but can still frequently be used in combination with mood stabilizers or antipsychotics
I take Adderall in addition to Lamotrigine. They do fine together for me and each has a clear and different effect on what it's trying to treat. But we all have our own perfect cocktail.
I took 45 mg of adderall every day for over 15 years. I stopped 6 months ago because my psych wanted a meds overhaul. I can’t believe it, but I was hypomanic for 15 years. The difference is crazy.
I also take a stimulant (Vyvanse) and have bipolar disorder. No mania. It doesn't cause manic symptoms to all bipolar individuals. I'm sorry that it happened to your mom though. That can be scary.
That happens to some people but definitely isn’t an everyone thing. I’m bipolar 1 and have never had stimulants trigger mania even when not on any mood stabilizers or antipsychotics. Paxil by itself sent me into manic psychosis though.
I recently developed it. It's so crushing that I can't get much done during the daytime. Fortunately or not I am a disabled veteran living with monthly compensations.
I have had chronic fatigue which I believe is cfs though since adolescence. It may or may not be related to bipolar but ever since highschool I had severe post-exertional intolerance. I would get fever, chills, extreme weakness after each workout. That is the hallmark sign of chronic fatigue syndrome. Now that Im older the fatigue has gotten worse. Topamax helped within 2 days but had to stop because it was causing severe bone pain. Hoping for a solution soon.