I Got So Manic, I Gave Myself A Seizure

[Diana_99]

About two months ago, I went to my doctor because I could feel a depressive episode coming on and because these were still happening despite being on strong medication, I felt we should up the dosage of my anti-depressants. The anti-depressants I was taking work on the level of dopamine and help to stimulate your brain and give you energy. Well, a rare side effect is also seizures.
We upped the dosage from 300mg to 450mg, but I began to swing into mania and took the leftover 300mg I had with the 450mg for a total of 750mg. I was spiraling into mania. I didn't sleep, couldn't focus, and went on tangents about stuff even on here. The sudden upping to this dosage total encouraged this manis. Then, a few days later, I had a seizure.
I had never had a seizure before, and there's no history of them in my family. Luckily, I fell and hit my shoulder instead of my head, but I dislocated my shoulder. I woke up on the floor at work unsure of what had happened. People were talking, but I couldn't hear what they were saying. Next thing I know, there's these two guys trying to get me to go onto a gurney, but I was in total hysteria and refused because I didn't think I could afford an ambulance ride. But eventually, I went with them still not being able to remember what happened. I was in excruciating pain, and I had to ride in the ambulance all alone while still trying to piece together what happened.
When I got the hospital, they pushed me into a room with nurses who were telling me to remove my clothes, which only made me more hysteric. After that, they ran tests on me, pushed me into machines while I still had no idea where I was or why I was here. It was at least two hours before my arm was pushed back into place and another hour after that before I could change from my pee-soaked pants (yeah, you can piss yourself or even shit yourself when having a seizure for those that don't know. I sure as hell didn't know). It was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life because I had come so close to death without understanding why or how. Later on, the doctors told me it had most likely been my medicine since nothing came back on the MRI.
Moral of the story, if you feel yourself slipping into mania, get help before you do something so stupid you nearly kill yourself.

 

[Bipolarbear808]

About two months ago, I went to my doctor because I could feel a depressive episode coming on and because these were still happening despite being on strong medication, I felt we should up the dosage of my anti-depressants. The anti-depressants I was taking work on the level of dopamine and help to stimulate your brain and give you energy. Well, a rare side effect is also seizures.
We upped the dosage from 300mg to 450mg, but I began to swing into mania and took the leftover 300mg I had with the 450mg for a total of 750mg. I was spiraling into mania. I didn't sleep, couldn't focus, and went on tangents about stuff even on here. The sudden upping to this dosage total encouraged this manis. Then, a few days later, I had a seizure.
I had never had a seizure before, and there's no history of them in my family. Luckily, I fell and hit my shoulder instead of my head, but I dislocated my shoulder. I woke up on the floor at work unsure of what had happened. People were talking, but I couldn't hear what they were saying. Next thing I know, there's these two guys trying to get me to go onto a gurney, but I was in total hysteria and refused because I didn't think I could afford an ambulance ride. But eventually, I went with them still not being able to remember what happened. I was in excruciating pain, and I had to ride in the ambulance all alone while still trying to piece together what happened.
When I got the hospital, they pushed me into a room with nurses who were telling me to remove my clothes, which only made me more hysteric. After that, they ran tests on me, pushed me into machines while I still had no idea where I was or why I was here. It was at least two hours before my arm was pushed back into place and another hour after that before I could change from my pee-soaked pants (yeah, you can piss yourself or even shit yourself when having a seizure for those that don't know. I sure as hell didn't know). It was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life because I had come so close to death without understanding why or how. Later on, the doctors told me it had most likely been my medicine since nothing came back on the MRI.
Moral of the story, if you feel yourself slipping into mania, get help before you do something so stupid you nearly kill yourself.

Ouch I'm really sorry that happened to you, sounds absolutely horrifying!

What medication was this, Wellbutrin?

 

[Blue Opal]

That sounds so scary!
I'm wondering though, why did you take 750 mg of the antidepressant? Since you were already getting manic and antidepressants can cause mania.

 

[JeanPierre]

Don't take the extra meds.
We all do that sometimes.

 

[keith74]

Diana - do you think it could have possibly been a psychotic episode instead? I mention this because during the peak of my wife's recent manic episode, she had a psychotic event which looked a lot like a seizure. Fortunately it happened while she was in the hospital (for a routine surgery, not because of mental illness). Originally doctors thought she was having a seizure and did all sorts of tests that came negative. When I mentioned that she was having a manic episode, they had psychiatrists come evaluate her and it was determined that she was psychotic. My wife doesn't quite remember the details of what happened other than saying she was having hallucinations during that time.

 

[Blue Opal]

Diana - do you think it could have possibly been a psychotic episode instead? I mention this because during the peak of my wife's recent manic episode, she had a psychotic event which looked a lot like a seizure. Fortunately it happened while she was in the hospital (for a routine surgery, not because of mental illness). Originally doctors thought she was having a seizure and did all sorts of tests that came negative. When I mentioned that she was having a manic episode, they had psychiatrists come evaluate her and it was determined that she was psychotic. My wife doesn't quite remember the details of what happened other than saying she was having hallucinations during that time.

That is interesting. A part of my 2nd psychosis may have looked like a seizure too but it probably was some sort of catatonic state that I was in. I cannot remember much, I was lying on my back and staring at a lamp on the ceiling that was on and that I found the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.

 

[keith74]

I was there when my wife had her incident. She was sitting on the side of the bed when all of a sudden her body went limp. She slid off the bed and then started to loudly laugh - but it sounded more like an evil cackle. Her eyes rolled back, head shaking, and her tongue was sticking out. It looked like a seizure to me because of my limited knowledge. The doctors eventually ruled it out because they said in a typical seizure, the arms and legs start shaking involuntarily while with my wife, they were limp. Also all the tests came back negative. When she started talking about hallucinations, the psych team did an eval and decided she had a psychotic episode given that she is diagnosed with bipolar and is showing signs of mania.

 

[Jigglypuff Fan]

That sounds awful! But you can actually make yourself have a seizure? I have never heard of that happening before but still that is really scary.

 

[Blue Opal]

I was there when my wife had her incident. She was sitting on the side of the bed when all of a sudden her body went limp. She slid off the bed and then started to loudly laugh - but it sounded more like an evil cackle. Her eyes rolled back, head shaking, and her tongue was sticking out. It looked like a seizure to me because of my limited knowledge. The doctors eventually ruled it out because they said in a typical seizure, the arms and legs start shaking involuntarily while with my wife, they were limp. Also all the tests came back negative. When she started talking about hallucinations, the psych team did an eval and decided she had a psychotic episode given that she is diagnosed with bipolar and is showing signs of mania.

That must have been very scary for you to witness!
My boyfriend at the time was constantly on the phone with the crisis team asking them what he needed to do to get me out of that state. He was crying, I still have a frozen image in my mind of him leaning over me with tears rolling down his cheeks.
I was repeating the phrase: 'oh God oh God oh god' etc. very fast and was wildly gesticulating.
Really scary stuff.

 

[keith74]

That must have been very scary for you to witness!
My boyfriend at the time was constantly on the phone with the crisis team asking them what he needed to do to get me out of that state. He was crying, I still have a frozen image in my mind of him leaning over me with tears rolling down his cheeks.
I was repeating the phrase: 'oh God oh God oh god' etc. very fast and was wildly gesticulating.
Really scary stuff.

We were lucky that it happened in the hospital. As worried as I was, it was comforting when several nurses and doctors were in the room within minutes. I'm sure it would have been much more frighting if I was alone with her when it happened.

 

[Prettyroses99]

That sounds so scary!
I'm wondering though, why did you take 750 mg of the antidepressant? Since you were already getting manic and antidepressants can cause mania.

If you're bipolar 1 then antidepressants are like fuel to a fire.

If you're bipolar 2 then 10 out of 18 experts give antidepressants along with a mood stabilizer.

 

[keith74]

If you're bipolar 1 then antidepressants are like fuel to a fire.

Yes, absolutely. In such cases, you must take antidepressants with an antipsychotic or mood stabilizer that is good for treating mania (depakote, etc).

 

[Diana_99]

That sounds so scary!
I'm wondering though, why did you take 750 mg of the antidepressant? Since you were already getting manic and antidepressants can cause mania.

Because I was manic and thought thinking clearly. I thought, "there's a way I can be even happier." So that's why I did it, I suppose.

 

[Diana_99]

Diana - do you think it could have possibly been a psychotic episode instead? I mention this because during the peak of my wife's recent manic episode, she had a psychotic event which looked a lot like a seizure. Fortunately it happened while she was in the hospital (for a routine surgery, not because of mental illness). Originally doctors thought she was having a seizure and did all sorts of tests that came negative. When I mentioned that she was having a manic episode, they had psychiatrists come evaluate her and it was determined that she was psychotic. My wife doesn't quite remember the details of what happened other than saying she was having hallucinations during that time.

I honestly have no idea. This happened while I was at work, and the doctors ruled it as a seizure. I don't remember anything that happened, but I don't think I was having hallucinations either.

 

[Diana_99]

That sounds awful! But you can actually make yourself have a seizure? I have never heard of that happening before but still that is really scary.

I didn't directly induce a seizure on purpose. My mania was already reaching its peak, and I took the meds because I don't think clearly when I'm manic. I was hoping to go higher and barely sleeping at all. Because of my actions during mania, I caused myself to have a seizure without intending to.