I have severe bipolar type 1. It has been controlled really well with meds. Apparently, the news of my upcoming surgery has triggered a manic episode in me. I am having extremely bad mood swings. One minute I am happiest person on the planet and the next I am the evil b**ch that no one wants to meet. I am taking everything out on my poor husband. I am so happy about my surgery even though I have to wait to the end of June to have it and the next second I am super pissed that I had to help my husband pay the cell phone bill this month which kept me from having surgery in May. I am making all these plans in super high speed mode. I go to bed at about 10pm only to get back up at 1130 and not being able to go back to sleep. It just a matter of time before I am not sleeping at all. Is there anyone else who has had WLS and also has diagnosed bipolar disorder. I say dx'd because I have noticed after having this illness for so long that many people like to think they have BP disorder, when only two percent of the population actually have it. I totally chewed the secretary at the psychiatrist's office out. I have been calling there for three days trying to get some help. I have never called there this much and I am the patient that never calls unless some freaky is going on. I finally had to have my husband call there and that got there attention. I got an appointment for next week, which is pretty quick considering that my next appointment isn't until July. I have a feeling that I am going to back to seeing him once a month for a while. Thanks for letting me rant.

We have a lot in common -- I am preop (June 9) and I'm diagnosed Bipolar and take mood stabilizing meds. Like you, the excitement and anticipation of surgery has kind of triggered a manic episode. Having trouble sleeping, racing mind, difficulty focusing, etc. Then I start feeling tired from all the build up, feel depressed and feel like it's hopeless -- that it's not going to happen at all, blah blah blah.

I don't have any solutions other than the things we know help -- trying to keep a schedule, exercising to burn off some of that frantic energy and trying to just hold it together. Great to see your doctor and see if they can maybe adjust meds or something to get you through this period. I'm not feeling like I need to see my doctor yet but I'm "upping" my self-help activities.

Hang in there and feel free to PM me if you need someone to talk to.

Ginger

We have a lot in common -- I am preop (June 9) and I'm diagnosed Bipolar and take mood stabilizing meds. Like you, the excitement and anticipation of surgery has kind of triggered a manic episode. Having trouble sleeping, racing mind, difficulty focusing, etc. Then I start feeling tired from all the build up, feel depressed and feel like it's hopeless -- that it's not going to happen at all, blah blah blah.

I don't have any solutions other than the things we know help -- trying to keep a schedule, exercising to burn off some of that frantic energy and trying to just hold it together. Great to see your doctor and see if they can maybe adjust meds or something to get you through this period. I'm not feeling like I need to see my doctor yet but I'm "upping" my self-help activities.

Hang in there and feel free to PM me if you need someone to talk to.

Ginger

That's exactly how I feel, except instead of getting depressed I am getting angry because my surgery date just seems so far away. At the same time the days are just breezing by. All my planning is driving my husband up the wall. I'm just a bundle of energy.

Do you know if we can take our meds like we regularly do after surgery or if we should get them in liquid form or crush them?

I posted on your other question, too about the meds -- my surgeon said we'd make a decision about that at the pre-op visit about 2 weeks before surgery. Only one of mine is extended release -- those can't be crushed or broken so I'm thinking I'll either have to swallow it or get a liquid version.

I'll let you know what my surgeon says about meds when I meet with him on May 26th.

Again -- feel free to PM if you'd like to talk. It's hard sometimes for people who don't have bipolar or depression to really understand sometimes what we go through even when we're stable on meds. There's always self-doubt eating at the back of your brain making you over-analyze every decision. I'm hoping after the surgery some of the depression subsides and maybe I can even get off some of these meds. But, if not, I'm ok with that decision. Just like any other disease, sometimes it just has to be treated with meds.

Ginger

I'm not bipolar but def understand. I do take med for anxiety/depression and was so glad to find this post because Alot of what was said especially with ginger snaps I am feelkng. I feel like this planning and waiting for this surgery has consumed my life. I am completely obsessed. Sometimes I just want to get it.over with so I don't have to think so much about it.

I think about it all the time. I get on my own nerves. I know I will be in pain, but it will be such a relief to have it over with. Sometimes I wonder what I am going to do after surgery since I won't have it to obsess over anymore.

I know! I feel, like it will be a relief! But then after on to the next obsession...like working out, eating healthy and doing everything we r supposed to do. Maybe the structure will be good for us. Lol. I just want a damn date...I hate waiting, I'm horribly inpatient and really need to settle down. My insurance makes me do nutritional counseling...I immediately disliked the lady because she was saying Sept-oct. Is she nuts?!? My doctor and i have a plan and i am push ing him to push the insurance company as the only thing holding me back right now is this medically supervised deiting which is a waste of time.

I too am bipolar, I was sleeved in December 2012 and my medication never changed. I started pre op yesterday as I go in for an omega loop gastric bypass on 29th May. I too am feeling anxious, depressed and struggle to sleep. I have been advised that my medication won't change aft the bypass. I was also told that I cannot crush the tablets at all as they are time released for a reason

I think about it all the time. I get on my own nerves. I know I will be in pain, but it will be such a relief to have it over with. Sometimes I wonder what I am going to do after surgery since I won't have it to obsess over anymore.

You sound just like me. I am what my doc likes to call borderline bipolar. Which I think is stupid but I'm having the same sorry of feelings.

Jtickle any updates on your story?

I am doing great. Had my surgery last Wednesday. I have no pain or nausea. Even did some light house cleaning yesterday. The only issue I really had is getting the 64 ounces of fluids in, I'm having to put stuff in my water to give it some flavor. I used to love plain water. Other than that I am doing just fine. Not really having problems with gas, I walked most of that off in the hospital. It was mainly concentrated up under my lungs, never felt it in my shoulders. I hope everyone else is doing well.

I am doing great. Had my surgery last Wednesday. I have no pain or nausea. Even did some light house cleaning yesterday. The only issue I really had is getting the 64 ounces of fluids in, I'm having to put stuff in my Water to give it some flavor. I used to love plain water. Other than that I am doing just fine. Not really having problems with gas, I walked most of that off in the hospital. It was mainly concentrated up under my lungs, never felt it in my shoulders. I hope everyone else is doing well.

So how are your bp symptoms?

I'm so happy for you.

My bipolar is just fine. When I first got my date I had some anxiety issues because I didn't want to wait two months for surgery, but that went away closer my date got. Other than that my bipolar is well under control with my current meds.

I have not been diagnosed with bipolar but do suffer from extreme depressive episodes which sometimes manifest themselves in a manic state. Do not always have to take meds but have been on antianxiety and antidepressives periodically through my life. I am also in a manic state which is driving my poor husband crazy. Surgery not until July 25 but it is all that I can think about and talk about. I have been using other tools such as exercise but I am still not sleeping. I feel your pain and wish you well.

Another bipolar here awaiting surgery. I have a date and am awaiting insurance approval. I cant sleep at night either and am super absorbed by all things related to surgery.

I'm a month out now... I continued to swallow my pills after my surgery for 3-4 days and then I got readmitted to the hospital and my doctor told me he didn't want me swallowing any pills again from Sunday to Friday when he saw me. So, I quit cold turkey. I really struggled that week with feeling very weak and tired. It was a combination of the pneumonia, low calories and going off the meds. Once I saw him and he said I could start swallowing pills again, I did and I've felt great ever since.

So, I don't think I'll be asking the doctor to drop off any of meds for a while at least until I've dropped some more weight. Then, we might discuss it. But, it did prove to me just how important my meds are to my sanity!