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Having four or more mood cycles per year is called rapid cycling. The cycles don’t always switch between highs and lows. A person could have three depressive episodes in a row, then a manic one. In rapid cycling, the mood changes don’t follow a steady pattern. Instead, they are often sudden and unexpected.
Who gets rapid cycling?
Many people with bipolar disorder have rapid cycling. Bipolar disorder that is not treated, or that is not treated the right way, can lead to rapid cycling.
Some basic facts about rapid cycling:
- Rapid cycling is more common in women than in men.
- Hypothyroidism may lead to rapid cycling in some people. This is an illness in which the thyroid doesn’t make enough thyroid hormone.
- Medicine to treat depression can sometimes cause rapid cycling. This is why your doctor must watch you closely if you’re taking a depression medicine. If you think your medicine may be part of the problem, talk with your doctor. Never stop taking a medicine for bipolar disorder without discussing it with your doctor.
- A lot of people who have rapid cycling also have problems with drugs or alcohol.
- Rapid cycling can get better with treatment. Most patients can return to a stable mood, or to mood states that change less often. But, for a few, rapid cycling can be an ongoing problem.
Getting help
Rapid cycling can be hard to cope with. The frequent mood shifts also can make it hard for a doctor to treat. However, rapid cycling can be treated. It’s important to get help early.
The longer rapid cycling goes untreated, the worse it can get, and the harder it may be to treat.
Also of Interest
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