Bipolar disorder is associated with extreme shifts in mood and energy, but it can also have physical effects on your body. Sensory changes, weight fluctuations, and aches and pains are just a few examples.
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition featuring significant shifts in your mood, energy, and cognitive function.
It involves major depressive episodes, periods of extremely low mood and motivation, and times of elevated, agitated mood known as “mania” or “hypomania,” depending on their intensity.
Several types of bipolar disorders exist. Doctors determine a diagnosis based on your symptoms and their frequency.
Bipolar I disorder typically involves full depressive and manic episodes, for example, while bipolar II disorder features depressive episodes with less severe hypomania episodes.
Even though bipolar disorders are characterized by mood and energy changes, they have widespread effects on your physical health.
Read on to find out the answers to some of your most pressing questions about how bipolar disorder affects the body.
Bipolar disorder affects the function of your brain, and changes in your brain can affect everything from pain perception and sleep regulation to hormone production and immune activity.
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, text revision (DSM-5-TR), the clinical guidebook that outlines diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder, physical features often associated with bipolar disorder include:
- sensory changes (heightened or dulled senses)
- sleeping too much or too little
- changes in libido
- body aches and pains
- fatigue
- weakness
- weight fluctuations
- gastrointestinal distress (nausea, diarrhea, vomiting)
- increased heart rate or palpitations
- elevated blood pressure
Many of these physical changes occur secondary to bipolar disorder’s core effects on mood and brain function. Nausea and elevated blood pressure, for example, can stem from feelings of anxiety and agitation in bipolar disorder, just as fatigue, body aches, and weakness are typically linked to depressive episodes.
Changes in sex drive, sleep, and weight can be influenced by hormonal imbalances and persistent stress. When your sleep becomes disrupted in bipolar disorder, a host of other physical challenges can develop, including:
- headaches
- fatigue
- muscle tension and pain
- changes in heart rate and blood pressure
- weight changes
Do physical symptoms in bipolar disorder vary by race?
Bipolar disorder can affect anyone of any race or gender, but symptom presentation can vary across different racial demographics.
According to a 2023 report, for example, Black people are more likely than white people to experience physical symptoms of decreased appetite, weight loss, and insomnia, particularly during depressive episodes in bipolar disorder.
How bipolar disorder feels physically can depend on your current mood and energy state. During mania or hypomania, periods of elevated and agitated mood, it can feel as though you’re invincible or have more energy than you know what to do with.
During mania or hypomania, the DSM-5-TR notes many people experience excessive optimism, grandiosity, and poor judgment. It’s also possible to feel aggressive or extremely reckless.
Physically, you may notice:
- elevated heart rate
- sensation of overheating or skin flushing
- muscle tension
- reduced need for sleep
- lower pain or fatigue perception
- increased libido
Depressive episodes can feel like your energy is at an all-time low. You might sleep more than usual, feel unmotivated for the simplest tasks, and be unable to think clearly. Some people describe it as feeling “heaviness” or like moving sluggishly through sand.
Depressive episodes can contribute to:
- fatigue
- muscle aches and pains
- slowed movements and thoughts
- nausea
- appetite loss
- weight changes
- a sense of unease or restlessness
- decreased sex drive
- menstrual cycle changes
- self-harm
Not everyone living with bipolar disorder will need medications to manage symptoms. Your individual diagnosis, unique symptom experience, and how bipolar disorder affects your daily function are all considered in developing your comprehensive treatment plan.
Many people benefit from treating bipolar disorder with medications that help stabilize mood and energy levels. Without these medications, your mood cycles may be more frequent and more severe, and the quality of your life with bipolar disorder may decline.
Even if medications aren’t a part of your treatment plan, bipolar disorder should still be medically managed through strategies such as psychotherapy, lifestyle changes, and social support.
Sticking to your treatment plan is important for managing symptoms even when medication isn’t necessary.
Talk with your doctor about the physical symptoms of bipolar disorder as soon as you experience them. Not only can your doctor see to your comfort before symptoms start to impair your daily life, but making physical symptoms known early helps alert your doctor to possible medication side effects or other conditions that might be developing.
Certain medical conditions have a high rate of co-occurrence in bipolar disorder, including:
- anxiety disorders
- substance use disorder
- eating disorders
- metabolic syndrome
- overweight and obesity
- cardiovascular disease
A relationship of trust and good communication is essential when working with a doctor to manage bipolar disorder. You should feel confident in your medical care and feel heard when you voice concerns.
To help communicate the seriousness of symptoms with your doctor, consider bringing a list of your experiences that includes when they happen, their frequency, and how they affect you.
It helps to be completely honest. If they feel unbearable, tell your doctor exactly that. It can also be helpful to come up with a list of questions so nothing is left unsaid at your appointment.
If you still don’t feel your doctor is taking symptoms seriously, it’s OK to seek a second (or third or fourth) opinion. Finding a doctor you’re comfortable with ultimately supports your treatment adherence and long-term goals.
Bipolar disorder is more than just a condition that affects your mood and energy. It can directly and indirectly contribute to a variety of physical symptoms such as weight fluctuations, aches and pains, fatigue, and a racing heart rate.
Discussing your physical symptoms with your doctor as soon as they develop can help you manage them effectively before they become impairing.
Talking with your doctor about the physical symptoms of bipolar disorder can also help rule out other underlying causes, such as co-occurring conditions.
Treating bipolar disorder and staying consistent with your management plan can help reduce the frequency and severity of physical symptoms.
