Not to "Run the Well Dry" on the Bipolar Issue, but...

[one_angel]

Hello all,

It's me, again. Our bi-polar, depression, etc. threads have fallen under the others, so I thought I would post a new one again. I am still in the midst of trying to change my medication and have a new appointment with my psyc dr next week. I would just like to hear anyone else's thoughts and/or experiences (you or someone you are close to) to give me a "group" to which I can compare things. I have done all the research, med, and dr appts, but nothing can compare to the stories of others...

I may never find out exactly what chemical/biological problems my body is experiencing, but, I'd like to hear from others anyway. :rolleyes:

[annie169]

My husband is Bipolar. It took over 1 1/2 years to finally find what meds work for him and even now, they still up his doses every once in a while. If we could find the "chemical" cause of it and correct it, life would wonderful, but....so far, we just take it day by day. The important thing is to find out if it is Manic Depression or Bipolar Disorder. They are treated differently and the wrong meds could send you into an even further depression.

[llbriteyes]

Bipolar Disorder and Manic Depression is one in the same, and is treated with the same exact medication. It is characterized by extreme highs and extreme lows. There are co-morbid diseases that can go along with it. Medication can't cure it, but it can control the severity of the episodes, and time between.

I have been bipolar since age five. Yes... I CAN pinpoint it. I was diagnosed in the 90's. I was never mis-diagnosed like so many other people are. I have been through five different pdocs, the next to last almost killing me with Lithium toxicity. My new pdoc is wonderful. We work as a team. I am currently on a minimum of medications. Seroquel (anti-psychotic), Wellbutrin (anti-depressant), Trazodone (an older anti-depressant used for sleep), Lithium (a mood stabilizer) and Klonapin (anti-anxiety). This seems to be my perfect mix for now. Over the years, and all those pdocs, I've pretty much been on everything at one time or another. I was also hospitalized.

Its important to make sure you do your research on this. There are so many fallicies regarding bipolar disorder. There are also different types. I think its great your husband found his mix so soon.

Anytime anyone wants to talk to me about bipolark I'm pretty open. There's a lot to learn and a lot to share.

Linda



My husband is Bipolar. It took over 1 1/2 years to finally find what meds work for him and even now, they still up his doses every once in a while. If we could find the "chemical" cause of it and correct it, life would wonderful, but....so far, we just take it day by day. The important thing is to find out if it is Manic Depression or Bipolar Disorder. They are treated differently and the wrong meds could send you into an even further depression.

[one_angel]

I am also on Seroquel and Wellbutrin (XL) right now, but I am also on Xanax. I just recently had to have the Seroquel increased, and it seems to be better for now. I have read so much information regarding panic/anxiety disorder, bipolar, bipolar II, and the list keeps going... Currently, I have just started to read "Unquiet Mind" which is a book written by a med dr that is bipolar. I'm interested to see how it pans out. :o

[llbriteyes]

When you're done reading the book, let me know what you think. I have my own opinions on Kay Jamison.



I am also on Seroquel and Wellbutrin (XL) right now, but I am also on Xanax. I just recently had to have the Seroquel increased, and it seems to be better for now. I have read so much information regarding panic/anxiety disorder, bipolar, bipolar II, and the list keeps going... Currently, I have just started to read "Unquiet Mind" which is a book written by a med dr that is bipolar. I'm interested to see how it pans out. :o

[llbriteyes]

Oh... I forgot. You are almost on the same meds I am. Xanax and Klonapin are in the same family. I'm a bit concerned right now that you aren't on a mood stabilizer. Do you know what axis you are? (I, II or other)




I am also on Seroquel and Wellbutrin (XL) right now, but I am also on Xanax. I just recently had to have the Seroquel increased, and it seems to be better for now. I have read so much information regarding panic/anxiety disorder, bipolar, bipolar II, and the list keeps going... Currently, I have just started to read "Unquiet Mind" which is a book written by a med dr that is bipolar. I'm interested to see how it pans out. :o

[iowakat]

My husband was diagnosed as bi-polar after being hospitalized after a severe episode about 8 years ago. He currently only takes Depacote twice a day and is doing great.

[llbriteyes]

That's wonderful! Usually it doesn't happen that you find the right drug first off. I envy those who do.

Linda


My husband was diagnosed as bi-polar after being hospitalized after a severe episode about 8 years ago. He currently only takes Depacote twice a day and is doing great.

[one_angel]

Honestly, we (the drs, me, husband, parents) don't know if I'm bi-polar or not. At first I was diagnosed with panic/anxiety disorder, and everything I have done/taken hasn't worked. I am very, very negatively affected by any medication. We realized that very quickly at the very beginning. I took two low doses of Celexa at the very beginning and it sent me over the mountain. I have had a long row to hoe with medication. We are now exploring the possiblity of being bi-polar. I am looking back on how my emotions, etc, have been over the years, and my mom and husband are doing the same. My appt with the dr is next week, and I'm going to talk more with him then. If I am bi-polar, we think it is II. But, again, we aren't sure if the medication isn't causing some things to happen. I have to take so much of one medication to work that I have to be brought down with others. Also, about the mood stabilzer...my dr is calling the Seroquel a mood stabilzer. That is the med he just upped a week and half ago.

[llbriteyes]

Usually when one takes an anti-depressant without anything else and they go over the edge manically, that's a certain diagnosis of bipolar. Are you seeing a regular doctor or a pdoc?

Also, Seroquel is an anti-psychotic. You can look up the information on www.rxlist.com. They have great info on all your meds.

Linda




Honestly, we (the drs, me, husband, parents) don't know if I'm bi-polar or not. At first I was diagnosed with panic/anxiety disorder, and everything I have done/taken hasn't worked. I am very, very negatively affected by any medication. We realized that very quickly at the very beginning. I took two low doses of Celexa at the very beginning and it sent me over the mountain. I have had a long row to hoe with medication. We are now exploring the possiblity of being bi-polar. I am looking back on how my emotions, etc, have been over the years, and my mom and husband are doing the same. My appt with the dr is next week, and I'm going to talk more with him then. If I am bi-polar, we think it is II. But, again, we aren't sure if the medication isn't causing some things to happen. I have to take so much of one medication to work that I have to be brought down with others. Also, about the mood stabilzer...my dr is calling the Seroquel a mood stabilzer. That is the med he just upped a week and half ago.

[Willow]

Honestly, we (the drs, me, husband, parents) don't know if I'm bi-polar or not. At first I was diagnosed with panic/anxiety disorder, and everything I have done/taken hasn't worked. I am very, very negatively affected by any medication. We realized that very quickly at the very beginning. I took two low doses of Celexa at the very beginning and it sent me over the mountain. I have had a long row to hoe with medication. We are now exploring the possiblity of being bi-polar. I am looking back on how my emotions, etc, have been over the years, and my mom and husband are doing the same. My appt with the dr is next week, and I'm going to talk more with him then. If I am bi-polar, we think it is II. But, again, we aren't sure if the medication isn't causing some things to happen. I have to take so much of one medication to work that I have to be brought down with others. Also, about the mood stabilzer...my dr is calling the Seroquel a mood stabilzer. That is the med he just upped a week and half ago.


Just because the meds that you have tried don't seem to be working that doesn't mean that you have bipolar. I'm not saying that you don't, but for some people it takes a long time to find what meds work for them. I take Welbutrin and Zoloft for anxiety and depression. It took me over a year to find the right combination of meds. I tried about seven different meds before I found the right ones and the right combination. Paxil was the first med I tried. That was awful. I had bad side affects with that. Then I tried Celexa but Celexa is very much like Paxil in it's make up. The Celexa did not work either. I think after that I tried Buspar and Risperdal. I had no luck with those either. The Welbutrin has been the only thing that works for me. The doctor I see said it also has the least amount of side affects. I gained weight on Paxil so that is something I worry about with the meds but he said if anything I would actually lose weight while talking Welbutrin.

[evrita]

Just because the meds that you have tried don't seem to be working that doesn't mean that you have bipolar. I'm not saying that you don't, but for some people it takes a long time to find what meds work for them. I take Welbutrin and Zoloft for anxiety and depression. It took me over a year to find the right combination of meds. I tried about seven different meds before I found the right ones and the right combination. Paxil was the first med I tried. That was awful. I had bad side affects with that. Then I tried Celexa but Celexa is very much like Paxil in it's make up. The Celexa did not work either. I think after that I tried Buspar and Risperdal. I had no luck with those either. The Welbutrin has been the only thing that works for me. The doctor I see said it also has the least amount of side affects. I gained weight on Paxil so that is something I worry about with the meds but he said if anything I would actually lose weight while talking Welbutrin.


ITA there are so many mental illness out there :( My DD has OCD\anixety disorder and she is on fluvoxamine(sp) and another med.

I am BiPolar and I have found the right meds for me and it took years to find out I was Bipolar. The moods arent all there is too BiPolar I have black out spells when I get angry thank god the meds have helped those and therapy pretty scary to lose minutes of your life come to and have your hands around someones throat :eek: The addictions the manic there is sooo much more.

I dont know how some can talk so freely about it I know it is hard for me to because of all I have been thru I wont take a mood stablizer since they cant find one without putting me in the hospital to regulate it.So I guess I just deal :o

I can tell you I have a bad experience with prozac lets say it wasnt a happy pill for me :mad:

Good luck I hope you find the answers your looking for

[llbriteyes]

I would like to ask a question... how many people here are seeing an actual psychiatrist for bipolar? I see a psychopharmachologist. He specializes in the the medications part of bipolar disorder.

Linda

[one_angel]

I am with a psychiastrist. And, yes, I know that I might not be bi-polar, but I have been doing this since September of 2003, and I have been through more than seven meds since then. That's why I just wanted to hear other stories...just for reference or conversation if nothing else. I keep researching and going to the dr, so hopefully we'll find something sometime.

[Willow]

I would like to ask a question... how many people here are seeing an actual psychiatrist for bipolar? I see a psychopharmachologist. He specializes in the the medications part of bipolar disorder.

Linda


I see a psychiatrist for meds but not for bipolar because I don't have bipolar.

[one_angel]

Bumping back up... :rolleyes: ;) :D

[schsa]

I went for three years before I got the right dosage and med. I did therapy and the meds through a psychiatrist. He was great!

But I have to agree with llbriteyes that Lithium is one mother of a drug. It not only added to my depression but the side effects I had were horrible. I have never felt so out of control as I did on Lithium. But it does work for some people. I guess I just wasn't manic enough.

In the delphi forums there is a grouo Manic Dance and those people are all bi-polar. I spent a great deal of time there after I was diagnosed and I found out alot about my behaviors. For the longest time I thought that my behavior was normal until I found out how out of control I was. It is a great place with loads of reference materials.

[one_angel]

Schsa, could you post the link for that site? I would love to visit it.

Thanks! :) ;) :D

[llbriteyes]

Well, hang in there. It took years for me to find my mix. Probably at least 5 years. The hardest part is waiting for it to kick in. Most psych meds take anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks to even START working. Patience, when you have bipolar disorder is not one of our virtues. lol

Linda




I am with a psychiastrist. And, yes, I know that I might not be bi-polar, but I have been doing this since September of 2003, and I have been through more than seven meds since then. That's why I just wanted to hear other stories...just for reference or conversation if nothing else. I keep researching and going to the dr, so hopefully we'll find something sometime.

[llbriteyes]

You know... this is how I feel about pdocs: If you had cancer, you'd go to an oncologist, because the specialize in those diseases. If you had heart problems, you'd see a cardiologist. Many people don't want the stigma of mental disorders and seeing a psychiatrist (obviously not me!), so they just go to their regular MD. In my opinion, that's a mistake. I think you should lgo to your MD to have everything else ruled out first, though.

Linda


QUOTE=Patchouli]I see a psychiatrist for meds but not for bipolar because I don't have bipolar.[/QUOTE]

[llbriteyes]

That's a good group. The people there are really knowledgeable.

I'm still on Lithium, but I'm Bipolar 1 to the extreme, so it was the right med for me, just not at the toxic levels Dr. pain in the butt had me on.

Linda



I went for three years before I got the right dosage and med. I did therapy and the meds through a psychiatrist. He was great!

But I have to agree with llbriteyes that Lithium is one mother of a drug. It not only added to my depression but the side effects I had were horrible. I have never felt so out of control as I did on Lithium. But it does work for some people. I guess I just wasn't manic enough.

In the delphi forums there is a grouo Manic Dance and those people are all bi-polar. I spent a great deal of time there after I was diagnosed and I found out alot about my behaviors. For the longest time I thought that my behavior was normal until I found out how out of control I was. It is a great place with loads of reference materials.

[belleofpa]

I would like to ask a question... how many people here are seeing an actual psychiatrist for bipolar? I see a psychopharmachologist. He specializes in the the medications part of bipolar disorder.

Linda

I do, every 3 months for my med checks. Sooner if I have a problem

[llbriteyes]

Me too.

Linda



I do, every 3 months for my med checks. Sooner if I have a problem

[evrita]

I do I saw one for over a year straight and then I went to one about 3 years later and now I have such an understanding of the disease and I have an awesome supoort system. My dr monitors my meds and the blood work on it

[Willow]

You know... this is how I feel about pdocs: If you had cancer, you'd go to an oncologist, because the specialize in those diseases. If you had heart problems, you'd see a cardiologist. Many people don't want the stigma of mental disorders and seeing a psychiatrist (obviously not me!), so they just go to their regular MD. In my opinion, that's a mistake. I think you should lgo to your MD to have everything else ruled out first, though.

Linda


QUOTE=Patchouli]I see a psychiatrist for meds but not for bipolar because I don't have bipolar.[/QUOTE]


I agree with that. With the agency that I go through you can't get the meds without also seeing a therapist at least twice a month. I see the psychiatrist for about 15 every three months to get my prescriptions and then I see the therapist for 50 minutes every two weeks.

[one_angel]

One of the problems I encountered before I finally got a pdoc, is that I was going to my regular physician. Although I even brought it up with my GYN. Both of them told me (at the time), you are a young woman that has just went to college, you have had a lot of changes in your life, you need to get more sleep and less caffiene, etc... Even after I had went to the ER once or twice for this I was still being told that I had nothing to worry about/wrong with me. Then, it finally did really hit me. My husband took me into my reg. dr's office in the middle of one of my attacks when I couldn't talk or anything because I was hyperventilating, shaking, crying, and he STILL didn't believe that I had anything. "I was just a little stressed." !?!?!? I had no stress in my life right then. I was not working, didn't have children, or anything else. It was so terrible to have to break out of that to get to a pdoc. I used to really believe in my reg. dr., but it's hard to believe him now...

[one_angel]

Bump...just in case.

[A0305]

Hi All,

I was diagnosed about a year or so ago with Bipolar 2. I am currently on Effexor and Seroquel but lately my moods have been out of control. I seem to get angry about things more quickly than usual. Maybe my meds need changing. I see a therpist every 2 weeks and a psychiatrist once every 4 weeks. I have alot more down days than up days. My daughter does not like to be around me anymore because I am so down. She feels that I should be able to take a pill and be all better. I hope that one day she will understand that it is not that easy.

[JEFF352]

I have bi polar...I take lamictal for it..Lamictal is the third med I have been on an so far it really helps..

[Katt]

I have bi polar...I take lamictal for it..Lamictal is the third med I have been on an so far it really helps..

Glad to see you posting again. :)

[llbriteyes]

It is so hard sometimes on the family. I sometimes think it is worse for them then for us. There isn't much you can do but keep the lines of communication open. Teach them what is wrong. There are brochures you can get from the pdoc's office to explain what is happening to you and why. When there are movies on TV (and there are some really good ones out there), watch them together and talk about it.

Knowledge is power.

I hope your DD will come around. I hate that it's so hard for them. :(

Linda



Hi All,

I was diagnosed about a year or so ago with Bipolar 2. I am currently on Effexor and Seroquel but lately my moods have been out of control. I seem to get angry about things more quickly than usual. Maybe my meds need changing. I see a therpist every 2 weeks and a psychiatrist once every 4 weeks. I have alot more down days than up days. My daughter does not like to be around me anymore because I am so down. She feels that I should be able to take a pill and be all better. I hope that one day she will understand that it is not that easy.

[one_angel]

I am so fortunate, and I thank the Lord that I have such a great husband and parents. Without them I wouldn't be where I am now. It took some adjustment, and I know that it is harder on them than me because when I do certain things, it is terrible for me at the time, but I don't hardly remember it later. They remember everything.