Steph - is there any chance that taking phenylephrine (and guaifenisin) on top of my usual 100 mgs Zoloft and 75 mgs Effexor could cause a mild hypomania? I've been feeling pretty blissed out for the last few days and now I'm on the edge of an anxiety attack for no reason. I am super sensitive to stimulants and cannot take pseudo ephedrine. Heck, I can't drink caffeinated coffee after noon or have more than two glasses of sweet tea at lunch.

I get something kind of similar during PMS, but the bliss usually only lasts a few hours and I shouldn't be PMSing for another week (am on the pill).

With that, I'm headed to bed.

smonster, I've gotten that pretty often from phenylephrine. I don't take it anymore, because it pretty much always triggers an anxiety attack for me.

Really, Hil? You would get a mild hypomania followed by an anxiety attack? Are you also sensitive to caffeine?

smonster, the place I always look up drug side effect (RxList .com) says the phenylephrine/guaifenisin combo can cause anxiety, restlessness, and nervousness; it doesn't specifically say hypomania, but that combination of symptoms could certainly read as hypomania to me.

I would think that if you're sensitive to stimulants, then you might be more likely to be sensitive to phenylephrine.

Really, Hil? You would get a mild hypomania followed by an anxiety attack? Are you also sensitive to caffeine?

Yep. I'm pretty sensitive to caffeine, too -- never more than one coffee in the morning, and if I have caffeine after about 2 or 3, then I have trouble getting to sleep. (And typing that sentence just made me realize why I haven't been sleeping much this week -- because I've been getting a soda at lunch and drinking it slowly through the whole afternoon. I should stop doing that.) I'm fine with regular Sudafed, but Sudafed PE makes me super anxious.

Smonster, I hope you're feeling better.

Last week was a sinus headache and joint pain every day due to the rain. This week the weather is better, but my stomach is awful and I still have the joint pain. OTOH, ltc, who is 9 months old today, has been a total delight lately. She is just such a happy baby.

How is she 9 months already?

She is just such a happy baby.

Every picture you post, she looks like "I LOVE EVERYTHING! This onesie! This book! My shoes! My parents! EVERYTHING!"

The trick to that is she loves my iPhone. So in every pick what she's really saying is "gimme that phone it looks nummy!"

And it sparked all kinds of discussion about using it as such, including whether it would poison anyone trying to do so:

Oh, I saw that. In one thread, someone mentioned the whole thing where CU++ in a damp, salty, acidic environment will kill beneficial internal flora, leading to all kinds of unfortunate results.

The science side of tumblr. Always there for us.

Every picture you post, she looks like "I LOVE EVERYTHING! This onesie! This book! My shoes! My parents! EVERYTHING!"

Totally.

So this morning I am super ragey for no reason. I guess my hormones are just a few days ahead of schedule. Which means I need to be careful about my neck and shoulders.

I'm just really bummed, because I thought the combo of new job and new AD was kicking in and that my anxiety was going to be at a much lower level. It sucks to realize that nope, just another weird blip in brain chemistry.