Managing Mania

[long road]

Hi guys,

Was writing in my RV how I am struggling to manage mania right now and I realised you guys might have some tips.

My current mania appears to be steroid induced but I am still on steroids until end of September, although we are starting to taper the dose from Monday which hopefully may help reduce the mania, however it was still there at half the dose I am on now. As it's not really a thing for me when not on steroids I am not really sure how to handle it.. Sure I occassionally get stuck in a task train anda few hours later realise I was only intending to do one thing. But that's more of a hyperfocus thing.

Current symptoms that I think are mania are like fizzing in my blood, thoughts at a thousand miles an hour, too restless to sit still and the urge to just keep doing things, even when I know they aren't the safest in my current physical state. From the point of view of my asthma while it's flaring it's stuff like pacing the flat, and using cleaning products. From point of view of for my FND it stuff like generally doing too much or not thinking the risks through like last week when I cooked dinner on the gas stove while extremely tired and unsupervised as my partner was asleep (luckily this worked out ok but towards the end I was a bit dizzy and when I stopped to eat I realised how wrong it could have gone as dizziness is a warning sign of my non epileptic seizures.

I did talk to GP about it yesterday and because it's steroid induced and we are going to attempt to reduce the steroids again from Monday he doesn't want to medicate. And he says it's good I have insight it's just in the moment I don't always have insight its more of a hindsight thing. Gues if I have to step up steroids again I can push back on meds.

Which is a long rambly way if me asking if any of you have tips for managing Mania safely that aren't medication related?

[Pomegranate]

Aside from meds, the main thing for me is trying not to give into the urge to do ALL THE THINGS. Trying to remember to pay attention to sleep and sleep pattern and remembering to eat. The ‘fizzy feeling’ is awful- sometimes light exercise like walking helps with that but try to avoid hard exercise or fast beat music whilst doing it. Mainly trying not to do ALL THE THINGS and the basic self care stuff. If sleep is becoming an issue that will make it worse and might be worth asking for a short course of promethazine or something to keep that on track x

[long road]

Thanks for the detailed reply Emma.

I haven't been eating well but that's mainly because I keep having asthma attacks before meals and when breathing is hard, it's hard to eat. I have found I have less appetite as well. I am at least attempting 3 meals a day though.

Kind of reassuring to know the fizzy feeling isn't just me!

I find I pace around my flat quite a bit if I am not careful it's so easy to get sucked in.

Yeah steroids are causing difficulty sleeping alongside the mania. Plus keeping having to spend all night in A&E / on hospital wards which is even less ideal for sleeping. They can't give me promethazine or anything sedating unfortunately as my asthma flaring is reason I am on the steroids and it's too much if a risk to sedate my breathing. Luckily asthma seems to be improving haven't had an attack since Saturday evening.

[long road]

Went back up on the steroids but then down again as fancy consultant thinks it may be a condition co morbid with asthma rather than just asthma. Hence why standard asthma treatment isn't helping. Should be off them completely by 29th September.

Finally got so exhausted from poor sleep, asthma attacks and non epileptic seizures that I slept longer despite mania but did keep waking up and didn't manage to stay asleep past 6:30am.

Channelled this morning's mania into sorting a lot of health stuff and generally advocating for appropriate care. But now have bit point where am emotionally and physically exhausted but blood is still fizzing.

[long road]

Back on steroids only a short course but this time I am already unstable before adding in med side effects.

Going to try and talk to home treatment team about how to cope with it but debating whether I ask for some kind of PRN if there are any that would be safe to take with my asthma right now