Posted 10/20/2012 11:02 PM (GMT 0)
Hey, I'm new to this website, and this is my first post. I am twenty years old and have bipolar NOS; I was diagnosed a few months ago, but I've exhibited symptoms since early childhood. I have mostly depressive episodes, but have had hypomanic episodes within the past few years, and (probably) had manic episodes as a child. My episodes are generally rapid cycling, although I have had long-lasting depressive episodes.
I'm currently on 7.5 mg of Abilify and 50 mg of clomipramine (tricyclic antidepressant) for bipolar, although the clomipramine also helps my OCD, and 40 mg of Vyvanse for ADHD. I only started taking clomipramine for a month, and have been at my current dosage for two weeks.
For the past week, I've been experiencing severe morning depression. I wake up miserable and exhausted, and I can barely get out of bed and get myself going. A few hours after waking and taking my meds, I feel much better, and about an hour after that, I am back at my normal functioning levels. It's just so hard to get myself up and going in the morning. I have polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), a disorder that has suggested links to bipolar, and recently changed the birth control I was taking to manage it (I'm now on Ortho Tri-Cyclen).
Does anyone else experience this? Is it a feature of bipolar? Could it be a side affect of the clomipramine or Ortho Tri-Cyclen?
Thank you very much for all answers.