Stereotypic Movements in Bipolar Disorder?

As a bipolar, I took Stelazine anti-psychotic and it made me want to keep moving all the time. When I sat to eat, I had to tap my foot, because I had to keep moving.

But drugs.com says the other medicine you’re taking besides Lithium for the manic side of your bipolar, you named as Sertraline, is an anti-depressant, not an anti-psychotic like I took.

I thought there couldn't be any way an anti-depressant could lend itself to wanting to move like my anti-psychotic Stelazine.

But drugs.com listed a number of side effects for your anti-depressant Sertraline which involved movement. I'm wondering if this could contribute to your movement condition.

It said:

1. Under commonly reported side effects of sertraline, it included: tremor.

2. Under less common or rare, it included:

inability to sit still, increase in body movements, muscle spasm or jerking of all extremities, overactive reflexes, restlessness, unusual or sudden body or facial movements or postures.

3. Under incidence not known: muscle trembling, jerking, or stiffness

4. under less common or rare:

• inability to sit still
• increase in body movements
• lack of energy
• muscle spasm or jerking of all extremities
• overactive reflexes
• restlessness

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I don't know if you noticed an increase in movement when taking this medicine.

If it’s not from the medicine, and the moderator at anxiety forum thought it might be a coping mechanism, were you under stress as a child? I have bipolar, but I don’t have the movement situation that you talk about.

And you don’t have any connection with autism “a developmental disorder characterized by troubles with social interaction and communication and by restricted and repetitive behavior” says Wikipedia).

But you don’t have that.

But the anxiety forum moderator is saying it might be a coping mechanism.

Yahoo.com says, “Stereotypic movement disorder is a mental health problem."

"Symptoms may also include shaking and swaying and notes that “Any action that gets repeated over and over is considered part of a stereotypic movement disorder.”

It adds that “ Sometimes the root cause is unknown. There are several known reasons for where this disorder will show up. Possible reasons for stereotypic movement to occur:

1. Drug abuse: especially cocaine and methamphetamine; this disorder may be short-lived or it can become permanent

2. Brain trauma injury

3. Sensory deprivation: seen in small infants deprived of human nurturing

4. Anxiety: sudden or long-term; heightened emotional stress can make this disorder worse

5. Psychiatric disorders

Since this happened at 3 months, were you deprived of human nurturing?
What were your parents/childhood like?

It says anxiety can be a cause, long-term emotional stress.

Maybe your anxiety, bipolar combined with stress.

Could this be inherited? Do you have siblings, parent's, grandparents, aunts or uncles with any of this?

Sometimes traits can skip a generation, with the grandparent having a trait, but not the parent, but the child picks it up.

Also, do you have autism?

Are the nightmares connected to the rocking, to some event, or ongoing stress?

When you crush your chair, do you do this in anger? Are you aware of what you are doing but can't stop that?

Post Edited (Tim Tam) : 8/29/2018 1:30:18 PM (GMT-6)