First time in this forum.. Rapid Cycling BP

Ok so I was diagnosed Bipolar in 2000 and have been on medications since. I had the vertical sleeve gastrectomy on May 13, 2013. I chose this surgery because of the non malabsorption component for fear my meds would no longer work. I have been "BASICALLY" stable for about three years and just started working in October for the first time since 2000. I have sever anxiety attacks and have needed Klonopin to get through them, though I am currently with a counselor who is helping me with tools to work through them. I am attending school full time as well as working 30 hrs a week ( which is considered full time there)  I seem to be managing my bipolar OK for now but I fear that I will have another relapse because I have been on the verge of becoming manic for about two weeks now. Part of that is being triggered by my wls. See I had many expectations coming into this and one of them was being close to goal by my six month mark. I was a light weight at the start, being 234lbs and 5'4 BUT my weight loss has been slooooooow since the beginning with my first long stall at 11 days out. I am currently (hopefully) coming out of a month and a half stall. ( The next couple days will confirm or deny this ) I am finding that my stall has had a major effect on my eating, my thinking, my anxiety, and my bipolar. In a nut shell I'm going nuts. Every time I even SEE the scale I want to cry. But with a little bit of hope I can muster I step on every day hoping to see it move. I am starting to wonder if I have made the wrong decision in which surgery to have. I originally wanted the duodenal switch but because of malabsorption and the length of travel to have the surgery I did not have it done. Now I'm disappointed, to say the least, in my weight loss thus far. I am down to 179-183 depending on the day. I have been bouncing around these four pounds since October 2. I am so frustrated I want to cry. SO what I want to know is whether or not revision is something I should really be thinking about, and how are the effects of ryn or ds on psych medications?

Well, update... I finally crashed and ultimately the result was me quitting my job. Rather than be fired I quit hoping that one day I will be able to return. I loved that job and miss the kids I was taking care of, but I was having real bad anxiety even thinking about work let alone being at work. I was crying all of the time and crying at work. NOT a good combination when working with kids. So I quit. UGH. I'm hoping my Bipolar stabilizes again with the lack of so much stress. I'm still managing school but not doing real well. Right now in my class I have either a low C or high D. I need a passing grade to keep my financial aid. I can't afford to pay for schooling myself. I'm really struggling and still rapid cycling. I'm not getting any sleep and I'm still crying all of the time. It dosen't help that I'm not struggling financially as well. UGH I don't know what I'm going to do. ANy way, I hope the rest of you are doing well. Have a good week.

Nearly 4 months has passed since you posted and I hope things are better for you. You also posted this during Winter which is a really hard time for people with mood disorders. Are you taking any vitamin D3?  5000 IU is the suggested dose for people with mood disorders. I get mine at WalMart for around $8 for 100 capsules and you need just 1 a day.  It helps with depression and has shown it also helps with mood swings. My rapid cycling is definitely linked to increased stress and anxiety and lack of sleep. I was lucky to have a psychiatrist for a short period of time who put me on 1mg of Ativan every day, which made a huge difference!!  Last June I started working again and when I work too many hours I get physically sick and still get mood swings but not as bad. My new psychiatrist put me on Buspar 15mg twice a day to help with the residual anxiety. It's been 5 weeks and so far so good. At this time I can only handle 10-15 hours a week. I work one on one with seniors in their homes and the shifts are usually 2 or 3 hours. My therapist doesn't want me working more than one shift a day unless it's a rare pick up shift. I'm lucky with my job because the hours are flexible and my employer is supportive. I only have one client now and am working just 6 hours a week, so that helps out A LOT. My client and I also click well due to our mutual love of our cats. With the consistent schedule I might be able to get into more of a routine which also helps with the moods.

i have LITERALLY just stopped rapid cycling!!!! whih is strange because stress brings it on for me and im only six days from getting married. i had about nine months straight of only 2-6 hrs sleep a night. took me getting sick to finally crash now im getting 6-7 hrs most nights.... still struggling but putting up the good fight. i am on d3 and have been since surgery almost a year ago but was having trouble remembering my meds... that is definitely improving

YAY!!!! My surgeons program emphasizes sleep hygiene because sleep is known to affect weight loss.

It's funny how stress and anxiety messes with our memory to take meds at a time when we need them the most. That being said I should take my second dose of Buspar.

Hi! It's been a while since you posted all of this. I hope you're okay now! I was diagnosed with BP in 2009 and I was lucky that the fist meds they put me on worked. I lost my job almost a year ago, and secretly I was so relieved! Just like you, the thought of having a job really stresses me out! I have a special needs child and some days when I have had a hard time with him, I just don't have anymore of me left to give at a job! Or vice versa. After my surgery, I found that my anti-depressant was tearing up my sleeve. I made an emergency appt with my psych, thinking that she would switch me to something else. Well, to my surprise, she took me off anti-depressant totally! So, I'm still on mood stabilizer, but not on an anti-depressant... I'm really nervous! At any rate, give an update! I hope you're doing good.