Recently Answered Questions
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My younger brother is behaving unusually and doing crazy things. Is he suffering from schizophrenia?
Query: Hello doctor, I have a younger brother who is doing crazy things. I am the only person taking care of him in my family. There is no one to take care of him and I need help to identify his problem. My brother believes that he is the only person who created heaven and earth. He also believes that he c... Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. I went through your query and understood your concern. It seems your brother does not have schizophrenia but he may have bipolar type 1 mood disorder with mania. A person suffering from mania talks more than usual has anger outbursts and thinks that he has a special po... Read Full »
Query: Hi doctor, My husband has mood swings. He feels either depressed or very much excited. He is very irritable and gets angry for small things. This has started before four to five years. He sleeps for very less hours. He also drinks alcohol daily and goes for late night party in the weekend. Currentl... Read Full »
Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. I read your query and understand your concerns. The information provided is not adequate to make a diagnosis. If he had frequent mood swings and lost his job due to mood swings or irrational decision, then there is a possibility of bipolar disorder where you have extremes... Read Full »
Query: Hello doctor,I have a brother who seems to be suffering from a mental disorder. He is married twice. But even in his second marriage, he mentally and physically tortures his wife. He is very possessive and tries to control his wife. I am very worried.Please help. Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com.I went through your query and understood your concern. It seems he suffers from psychosis or severe mood disturbance like bipolar disorder with mania. It could be some personality issue also. So, I suggest you give him mood stabilizers like Sodium valproate (anti-epil... Read Full »
My son has social withdrawal and isolation. Yet, he refuses treatment. Please help.
Query: Hello doctor, The problem started in 2010. Social withdrawal, isolation, inability to continue at a job, negative talk, jealousy, lack of initiative, low self-esteem and fickle minded behavior. What could these point to? The prescriptions are lost in transit. No medicines are being taken. Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. I can understand your concern. The symptoms of withdrawal from society, loneliness, difficulty in continuing the job, negative thoughts, lack of motivation, indecisiveness, etc could be due to some severe underlying mood disturbance. Since the symptoms are persistent a... Read Full »
How can polydipsia and TD be cured in a manic-depressive patient?
Query: Hello doctor, I was diagnosed as manic-depressive (now bipolar 1) 43 years back. For many years I was on Lithium and then subsequently on Haloperidol. Then, I switched over to Valproate 18 years back. The results of the Lithium and Haloperidol were polydipsia and TD. TD was treated with Quetiapine, ... Read Full »
Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. How many episodes you had in the past? Why are you taking medication for the last 43 years? Thank you. Read Full »
Are my symptoms related to bipolar disorder or schizophrenia?
Query: Hello doctor, Since I was around 8 years old, I have experienced mood fluctuations but not in the normal bipolar way (which I am being tested for). I do not feel like my mood sways between depression and mania. It is always some level of mania but without depression. I also experience tactile hallu... Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. Yes, your psychiatrist is correct. Bipolar is a more likely diagnosis. Bipolar disorder need not be present with depression and mania both. Recurrent mania also comes under the category of bipolar disorder. In mania, our sensitivity to stimulation increases like colo... Read Full »
How to get someone out of manic state?
Query: Hi doctor, How would you calm someone out of a manic state? Read Full »
Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. Mania is a psychiatric condition that is ultimately treatable with medicines. It can be treated by counseling or therapy. In the initial stages certain non-medication first aid measures can be useful. Asking the patient to go to bed and take rest as if he has flu. ... Read Full »
Can lithium damage your kidney and thyroid?
Query: Hello doctor, My health issue started 11 years back when I was diagnosed with mania. Since then, I have been taking Olimelt 5 mg. My weight has increased from 65 to 100 kg. Whenever I tried to stop the medicine, the problem worsened. I have had four manic episodes in all these years. The last epis... Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. Yes, Lithium can cause this side effect. Kindly discuss with your treating psychiatrist regarding substituting Lithium with Lurasidone or Quetiapine. Topiramate can be added to counter weight gain after discussing with your treating psychiatrist. Remember, every probl... Read Full »
How to identify a person having bipolar spectrum?
Query: Hi doctor,How to diagnose and treat bipolar II? How is it different from bipolar I? How do you identify people on the bipolar spectrum? What are the biggest misconceptions about Bipolar II? Is it the same thing as bipolar depression? Kindly explain me. Read Full »
Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. Alike any psychiatric disorders, diagnosis of bipolar disorder is completely based on the history. This is elaborated from the patient, family members, colleagues and significant others. There are set of symptoms and the history need to suggest the presence of a cert... Read Full »
Will lowering the dose of psychiatric drugs help to reduce the manic episodes in my son?
Query: Hi doctor, My 25-year-old son just came out of the psychiatric hospital and the medication given to him makes him more manic, delusional with side effects, but the doctor did not listen to them. Now I need to adjust quickly because he is escalating. This has happened after every release. They incre... Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. Stopping the medicines abruptly might precipitate withdrawal. But you can reduce the doses gradually. Tegretol can be reduced to 100 mg twice daily, and then after a week evening dose can be stopped. Dose of Temazepam can be halved, and then this can be stopped aft... Read Full »