Hello, I'm a 19 year old recently diagnosed with rapid-cycling bipolar disorder. I was prescribed Seroquel, in hopes that it would also help me sleep, but the sedation seems too much for me. It feels like the medication has induced depression in me -- has this ever happened to anyone else? Also, it seems to me that most people with BP disorder are on more than just one medication, why am I just being started on one?
My counselor told me that medications won't prevent me from having recurring episodes, so what am I supposed to do when I have an episode while I'm on medication?
I'm leaving to return to college this week, and I am very afraid of beginning classes while trying to get this all worked out. Any advice for a young newbie would be very much appreciated
Thanks,
Kelley

I am on Seroquel and it does nothing for my sleep. It's all based on the individual. It's important to communicate your concerns to your doctor.

As far as your counselor telling you the meds won't stop you from relapse, I'm not too sure how true that is. Isn't that why we all take the meds? Until very recently, I was symptom free for 1 1/2 years or so. I'm pretty sure the whole idea of the meds is to control your symptoms. They are supposed to keep you somewhere in between manic and depressed(normal).

Hello Kelley,

Welcome to the board. Going off to college before you have your meds sorted out is problematic!! My son is/was ultra rapid cycling Bipolar I (I say is/was because he has been stable and symptom-free for over 2 years now, so he is not rapid cycling, thank God!!!!) and it can be very difficult to control. He went through 4 pdocs before finding one that really understood neuropharmaceuticals and how to combine them to control his symptoms. And this did not occur until he graduated from college.

Depending on whether you are in a crisis situation when the meds are started, you will be treated differently. Often drugs are introduced one at a time so that the pdoc can tell which one is effective or causing side effects, etc. If you start several at once, you cannot tell whic might be working or not.

I would suggest that you keep a mood journal if you are not now doing so. It doesn't have to be complicated; just jot down an entry pretty much at the same time each day, how you're feeling, if you've noticed something that made you feel stressed, when a new drug is introduced, or a change in the amount of the medication, etc. You can find samples on line that you can copy. It makes it much easier for the pdoc to see what's going on and how you are adjusting to your meds, what your triggers are, etc.

Now the motherly stuff: it is very difficult for college student to live a life that is conducive to stabilizing BP. It is very important to have a routine regarding your sleeping and waking hours, and it is important for your body rhythms that you get that sleep during the night!! It is important to avoid caffeine and sugars, to eat healthfully, and to get moderate exercise. It is very important to avoid alcohol and drugs. A Partying lifestyle and BP do not mix.

I do not understand what your counselor was telling you, but I suspect you may have misinterpreted it. The whole point of taking a drug that is considered a "mood stabilizer" is to hold the episodes of mania and depression at bay. My son went through what seemed like every med in the book before finding a pdoc who had additional training in pharmaceuticals and how they work in combination. He was able to stabilize my son, eventually adding tegretol and lamicatal to the lithium he had been taking all along. Mood stabilizers all work on slightly different areas of the brain; by combining these drugs, he is able to feel well and stable with the fewest amount of side effects.

This is what you are searching for, too. Unfortunately it is, or can be a slow and frustrating process. My son still has shoeboxes full of old meds that were tried and discarded. I encourage you to keep going back to your doctor until you find what works for you. There are so many choices now that you don't have to settle for simply feeling "OK."

One caveat: you must give each medication a fair chance. Often a new drug will have some unpleasant side effects at the beginning, but the body has a way of adjusting. Sometimes, you know right away that you just can't stand the way a particular drug makes you feel...and then you tell your pdoc and ask for something else to try.

Please keep posting with your questions and comments. There are many wonderful people on this board who are generous in sharing their experiences and knowledge.

:wave: Tsohl

Thank you so much for your replies. It's comforting to hear that meds might actually keep me stable for an extended period of time. I'm not sure I even know what "stable" and "normal" are though, hah.
I know that I need to cut out partying, something that I jumped into last year, but why sugars? I crave sugar all the time... Last year I even went a couple of months only eating peanut m&m's. I tend to get hooked on a single food every now and then - is that related to the BP?
Also, I was wondering, I know that excessive drinking is out of the question, but what about having one drink on occasion?
Thanks

Hi Kelly, :)

I'm seventeen and also bipolar. The reason you should stay away from sugars is because it can help induce mania...the sugar, like caffiene, affects bipolar people moreso than it does "normal" people. I learned that one the hard way - I was a MAJOR caffeine addict (still working on keeping my caffeine to a minimum).... And craving one food for a good amount of time, especially one with a lot of sugar or carbohydrates, is common, too. When I was a freshman (I'm going into my senior year), I got totally hooked on bread - I was eating almost a loaf a day!!

Good luck. :)

~Paige

Kelley -- Did you ever get an answer about one drink and meds? I'm also new here and am newly on Lamictal, and my pdoc said nothing about drinking and I've been scouring the web but don't get much in the way of definitive info about drinking the occasional half glass of wine with dinner. . . .

Were you very manic/agitated when you saw your pdoc? That would be a reason to Rx Seroquel, to bring you down.
Drinking and sugar and caffeine and lack of sleep all can be big triggers for our condition.
As can too much stimulation (like too much partying).

As far as I know, an occasional half-glass of wine should be fine, as long as it stays at that level. But check with pdoc first to make sure, or ask pharmacist.

I'm sorry it's a difficult time for you to start meds now, with school starting. You will be with a doctor at school, right?

Best to you.