Hi guys,
I feel like wiping my slate clean and starting with a whole new course of meds. Currently I am on: Lamictal 200 mg, Wellbutrin 150 mg, Zyprexa 10 mg, and Remeron 30 mg. Can I function? Yeah, sort of, but not like my "normal" energetic self. How can it be good to take that many psychotropics? My question about Lithium is how good does it work on depression. (And I don't just mean the blues; I'm talking DEPRESSION. The kind where you write a suicide note and make plans to jump off your local highest bridge and the only reason you don't is because your husband finds the note too early and stops you.) Mania has never been my problem--I've been hypomanic once in the who-knows-how-many-years I've had this disease. I sleep crummy, have no interest in life, and just generally feel like someone absconded with "my" personality and implanted somebody else's brain in my head. YUCK! Any ideas?
Thanks,
-wobbly :cool:

Boy have you ever put alot of good questions on the table!
You mentioned having hypomania so I'm guessing that you are BPII?
I'm BPI, but I'm figuring that most stuff applies to both of us. Like meds. I'm the exception getting by on Lithium alone. Most folks take an "Rx cocktail". And, you're right - it stinks. It really boils down to living life as an untreated chemically imbalanced person or taking meds and dealing with the side effects.
And yes, there are days when I've gotten up 4-5 times to go to the bathroom and been so thirsty I'd have lapped water out of the toilet, and had my hands tremble when I pick up a cup of coffee in front of someone, where I've wanted to just toss them out.

Then... Then I remember the depressions so dark that I would look up to not see even ONE pinprick of light. Depression so deep that I was diagnosed as catatonic. Shipped to a semi-private mental hospital & given ECT. (it worked like a charm).
I'm not even going into my upward-spiraling manic episodes.

Would I ever go off lithium and risk that? Nope, I'm a weenie when it comes to anyone even suggesting a switch to another mood-stabilizer. But I haven't EVER been known to be "energetic" in my life so I don't know what I'm missing!

I would definitely talk to your doctor tho. Please don't ever just yank all your meds. There are awful boomerarangs from going cold turkey - just ask around here. And keep in mind, if you're on Lithium be aware that your doctor should not ever prescribe an anti-depressant that is an "SSRI". It can trigger mania in some bi-polars.

Do any of the rest of the gang have more experience with Bipolar II and Lithium? There's always more that I wish I knew. The longer I hang out here the more I learn!!

I'm BPI and I was on lithium for awhile. It didn't really help me very much.
I agree totally with a bunch of things that you guys said. I totally want to just start again with a whole new slate, no meds, see how that works for awhile. I hate taking meds.
Also, I disagree with the statement that docs should not prescribe SSRIs because it causes mania in bipolars. I am on a mood stabilizer AND an SSRI (as well as a bunch of other crap) because my depression is a lot more severe than my manias and it seems to be working for me, I'm not the least bit manic. Kristina :wave:

Just to clarify, I don't think anyone with Bipolar should ever just go off of all medication!!
That's when the cycling kicks right back in and you're worse off than you were before. I had months sometimes between my highs and lows but by staying on meds I never had those highs and lows at all.
I really meant to say that it is tempting, but never a good idea!
Some meds need to be tapered off, and you should always be under a doctor's supervision when changing/deleting/or adding meds...
Ok, enuff of Big Momma here!

:jester: [FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=Green]

Wobbly!!!! I think you are wearin my shoes my friend. Forgive me, I know ya'll don't know me, I just found this place and I like it. There are actually people who can relate to what you are goin through, instead of hearin "I know how you feel." Uhhh....no ya don't.
Anyhoo, I don't know really how this post/reply thingie works cause that *$*&($ Lamictal causes confustion. That just makes my blood boil. Not to mention all of the other side-effects to boot! I love it....the 'ZAPS'. Now, how the heck are ya gonna tell people you've got the zaps? But, that a perfect word for it! I was on Wellbutrin for almost 2 years, before that, Prozac, Paxil, Buspar, Zoloft..heck they all gave me the ZAPS. I took Lamictal for 5 weeks (the big ole sample book) my memory was shot, big time.
Before I go any further, just in case I'm doin this thing wrong, I'll send and see what happens. But, Wobbly.....I would love to type to you. :jester:

Wobbly,
I need to tell you about how you were like myself (only I went a bit further)some years ago. Take a deep breath friend, there is hope for you. I felt that NO ONE or NOTHING could take the despair I felt away from me. Bottom of the barrel I sat. Not anymore.
But I still don't know how to work this site yet, and you are offline, so I will check back sometime tomorrow.

Hi,

I am not being a jerk when I ask this....But how did you come to be married if you feel that way about yourself? Was it that you were not taking so many meds before? Or maybe the depression has gotten worse recently?

I ask because my daughter has just been diagnosed with bi-polar and prescribed medication. I am wondering where this will lead her. I am trying to learn and understand this whole thing more




Hi guys,
I feel like wiping my slate clean and starting with a whole new course of meds. Currently I am on: Lamictal 200 mg, Wellbutrin 150 mg, Zyprexa 10 mg, and Remeron 30 mg. Can I function? Yeah, sort of, but not like my "normal" energetic self. How can it be good to take that many psychotropics? My question about Lithium is how good does it work on depression. (And I don't just mean the blues; I'm talking DEPRESSION. The kind where you write a suicide note and make plans to jump off your local highest bridge and the only reason you don't is because your husband finds the note too early and stops you.) Mania has never been my problem--I've been hypomanic once in the who-knows-how-many-years I've had this disease. I sleep crummy, have no interest in life, and just generally feel like someone absconded with "my" personality and implanted somebody else's brain in my head. YUCK! Any ideas?
Thanks,
-wobbly :cool:

Hi,

I am not being a jerk when I ask this....But how did you come to be married if you feel that way about yourself? Was it that you were not taking so many meds before? Or maybe the depression has gotten worse recently?

I ask because my daughter has just been diagnosed with bi-polar and prescribed medication. I am wondering where this will lead her. I am trying to learn and understand this whole thing more

Kent - I see that your daughter was recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder. My son, who is now 16, was diagnosed 3 years ago. As I'm sure you already know, it is a very mean roller-coaster ride for her and for the entire family. I don't know how long she has been diagnosed, but some things that might help you to help her are: the Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundations's web-site which is www.cabf.org and also the book The Bipolar Child by Popolos and Popolos. Make sure that your daughter is evaluated by a child and adolescent Psychiatrist who is well versed in this disorder. It has only been within the last 10-12 years that this diagnoses has been given to kids. Make sure that doc (or another one if you need to get a different one) starts with mood stabilization FIRST, only adding and anti-depressant AFTER mood stabilization is achieved and only if TRULY necessary. The very best thing you can do to help your daughter is to be sure to take care of YOURSELF first and foremost. If you're not doing worth a crap, you can't help her. I don't know how old she is; could be an adult daughter for all I know. If she is an adolescent, once she is relatively stable, I recommend reading Parenting Teens With Love and Logic. It is a great book that teaches you how to let your child own his/her own consequences and takes the responsibility of their behaviors off of you and puts them back where they belong...with them. Certainly, as a parent, you will always carry some responsibility, but eventually, these kids need to learn how to function in society and how to be responsible for their own actions. Something that isn't easily accomplished for anyone with bipolar disorder regardless of age or time of onset. If I can be of any help at all, feel free to e-mail me. cinnamon_65251

I don't think you're being a jerk for asking. I've been married 13 years and was only diagnosed in July of this year. Looking back, I can see that I've probably had BP a lot longer than that, but never this bad. I've had spells of depression but was never manic (I was hypomanic, but that was great!). So hubby just didn't know what he was getting into when he said, "For better or for worse"!
Actually, he's been fabulous throughout this whole ordeal. The best advice I can give is that you need to pick your partner based on more than physical/sexual attraction. Is the person also good, caring, giving, and mature? Thankfully, my spouse is all that and more. I can't say enough about how great he's been and how supportive.
Also, I have to tell you that the depression of bipolar may or may not involve hating yourself. I had major issues with self-esteem growing up, but I resolved them years ago and, believe it or not, I was suicidal only because I wanted to stop the horrible mental pain, not because I thought I was worthless. Even through all I've been through, I still believe myself to be a worthwhile person. For a lot of us BP's, suicidal really means a search for some relief and not a desire to harm yourself because of self-hate. If someone gave us a choice between suicide and total relief of our symptoms, for most of us it would be a no-brainer...we'd take the relief and run with it!
Hope this helps!