Bipolar Support Group

Hello, this is my first time posting here. I am 41 and have been diagnosed bipolar II within the last couple of years. I was taking Lamictal 200 mg and Lexapro 10 mg. I told my pdoc that I was getting more depressed lately so he just increased my Lamictal to 250 mg. I've only had one manic episode in my life (believe it or not, it was when I was taking Welbutrin). I have been on many antidepressants since I was about 23 years old that always seemed to work, but then would stop being effective. Last one I was on before I started taking Lamictal and Lexapro was Effexor. The Effexor actually made the depression worse. Mostly I have depression. Once in a blue moon I will be hypomanic. I was wondering, sometimes I start my day in a pretty good mood, but in the evening get extremely depressed. This has been happening almost daily lately. Does anyone else have this happen?

Thanks for your Reply!

OMG I am so glad you posted! I suffer from evening time depression to! I had one therapist that said it could be related to what I ate in the evening but that theory didn't pan out. I wake up happy everyday but by the end of the day I feel depressed. You are not alone in this. I am stumped as to why I am like this. Welcome to the group!

Thanks so much for replying April. Its just getting to be so aggravating. Pdoc says I'm on a good dose, but depression is really bad some days. I just started the new increase in Lamictal, so I'm hoping that starts helping soon. Thanks again April

I don't get the depression in the evenings, I'm so sorry you two get it. I am on 300mg of Lamictal and 20mg of Lexapro. It works very well for me. I was always on the depressive side, but since we added the Lexapro, I have been very much well. I don't get very depressed anymore. I hope it works for you. Good luck. Welcome to the group also. It's so very supportive here and I think you will love it here. I know I do!!

Thanks Joy. I've been on the increased dosage of Lamictal for about a week now and am starting to feel better. Dont know if its because of the Lamictal or coming out of the depression. Just glad I'm feeling better. Thanks again

yes i also start my day off usually in a good mood and as the sun goes down start to get very depressed and even cry. it's been so bad for the last couple of months because i just started to replace my geodon 40 280mgs daily to saphris 20mgs daily because i was recently diagnosed with spasmodic torticollis. a dystonia that the geodon was causing to get worse....

i have always battled with evening onset depression, even when i was a child. i just don't know what it is. as the summer months have been approaching here in new york, i've been just relaxing in bed and calling friends to try and take the edge off of the sadness. praying also does wonders. i wish you the best and don't ever forget. you're not alone in this. i was diagnosed with bipolar 2,11 years ago..

Before I was on my meds, I did the same thing. Except I had the manic episodes with it. The noise and bustling of the day faded. The kids were put to bed. And as everything started getting quiet and all the demands of my attention disappeared, my mind starting going insane... Depression hit every night and I would cry every night. But with the meds I'm on now, I've actually been doing pretty good for almost a year now. Recent stressers have started my evening depression back up again, but I do know what causes it, myself.

I'm glad you came here! This is a great group of people!!

I manage to get through work most days without depressive episodes but at night I can feel things kicking in on my depression. I'm sorry you have the nighttime depression too and hope the med adjustment works for you ((HUGS)))

I was just diagnosed Bipolar NOS almost 2 years ago. I have never had a manic episode off of meds. The first time I experienced a manic/hypomanic episode I was put on an antidepressant alone. This was before I was diagnosed Bipolar. After being put on a mood stabilizer I came down from my mania and still struggled with moderate to severe depression. I was the same exact way with getting more depressed in the evenings. I also had a problem with getting more depressed in the winter months. I don't know if it's a psychological thing from the sun going down and it being darker and gloomier and just playing a role on your emotions or if it may have something to do with hormonal drops in the evening, but I definitely know what your experiencing.

Whenever I have reported an increase in depressive symptoms at night, I've been told that is a common phenomena in depression, and my medications have been adjusted until that problem disappears.