I'm taking Geodon and Lexapro. The Geodon was originally prescribed because of a psychotic episode that I had four months ago. I was being treated primarily for Depression at the time, but my PDoc now believes that I am likely BPII after having had observed my mood for the past nine months. So, he says that's why I'm continuing to take the Geodon -- for BP.

Do any BPers take a RX mix similar to this?

Thanks!

LW

P.S. I just bought my first motorcycle at age 40!:jester:

Hello LW,

Welcome to the board.

You will find that there are dozens of meds that are used to treat bipolar disorder and that many more when prescribed in various combinations. Each person is unique in how s/he responds to a particular medication and, unfortunately, most of it is determined through trial and error.

The negatives of the two drugs you mention is that each of them can cause mania, so you will want to watch out for that. If you find yourself buying more things in the motorcycle category you might want to check with your pdoc!! learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of manic behavior and hypomanic as well.

Otherwise, read and learn as much as you can about your disorder. Education is the best thing you can do for yourself. Learn all about the various treatments and medications. That way you can work as a partner with your pdoc rather than having to blindly follow his/her suggestions.

Post with your comments and questions. There is lots of great collective experience on this board!

xxTsohl :wave:

Hello and Welcome LW - I think you will find out everyone has different mixes. I take Depakote, Seroquel, Xanax and Ritalin and that is just for the BP. Please take the advise from TSOHL about educating yourself about the BP. It will make the trial and error road a road much less traveled. Congrats on the Bike if it is something you have been thinking about doing for a long time. However, if you did it on a whim, you may want to talk it over with your doc, it could be a manic episode. You really have to watch that or you could get into a lot of trouble.

Again, welcome to the boards and keep posting. You will find many friends and lots of support and information.
Cheryl

Hi!

My son takes a low dose of depakote and geodon and it seems to work very well for him. He was on ritalin also for his add but it started making him agitated and he is doing fine without it.:)

Thanks for the warm welcome!:)

I did take diazepam for a number of years but had a problem with dependence. One of my wilder episodes arrived about three months after I quit taking it. 30 mg of Lexapro daily contributed to that wild ride.

It's when my PDoc saw the motorcycle helmet that he finally spilled the beans about BP. That said, I love the motorcycle. The hypomanic phases seem to include a desire for the sensation of rapid movement, although I am very careful, if that makes any sense.

I have a couple of BP books and am in the state of mind to read them quickly.

Anyway, after being locked away on the dark side for awhile I'm happy to be on the high side of things. The depression is really bad.

My wife and PDoc are monitoring things to keep me in line.

LW

LoudWhispers - I have the need to reach out to you and I in no way mean any harm or disrespect. Please do not take it that way. I only want to help and believe me I have been down the road you are on. I know how bad the dark side of the depression can be. I have been on that side for many years at a time but have also been on the flip side for many years at a time. I know what you mean when you say you are happy to be on the high side of things. PLEASE BELIEVE ME, they can be just as bad as the dark side after a while.

I know you say that your wife and PDoc are monitoring things to keep you in line but I know as a person diagnosed with BP 1, there are many mask you can use at any given time depending on who you are around.

Please make sure to be honest and open with your wife and PDoc at all times even if you have to go to the dark times sometimes. That is the only way to get you on the right combo.

I do not mean to bring anyone down at all as I only wish to bring sunshine and happiness to all.

Please keep posting and God Bless to All.

Hi, Loudwhispers (like that username;) ) Just wanted to welcome you here and am glad to see that you are well underway trying to find the right med combo.

My 16 year old daughter was diagnosed somewhat like you....she started out with depression, was hospitalized a few times and treated with antidepressants which only worsened her behavior leading to a 4th hospitalization after a seccond suicide attempt. She was then diagnosed BP and her winning combo of meds ended up being Lamictal and Seroquel!!:D

The manic side is good compared to the depressive side but could lead to behaviors that end up hurting you and your loved ones so I can't tell you how important it is to keep that under control. It can turn from good to bad so very quickly and many times will have you refusing to accept treatment. So PLEASE make sure that you are honest with your doctor so that you can have a healthy balance. Another thing is, if the mania isn't kept at bay it will be followed by another low and each time you experience the highs and lows they are worse and more difficult to treat.

The motorcycle worries me.....I have a dear hubby who had one when we frist started dating. I worked in the hospital and shared with him how a couple came in after an accident....the woman was thrown from the bike and slide at least 100 yards. It went right through her clothes and sanded her breasts and face down to bare recognition. She survived but there were many reconstructive surgeries ahead for her. I shared with my hubby how I would NEVER wish to see somebody I loved go through something as horrific as that. Shortly after I shared this with him he relinquished his key to his bike to me. He teases me alot now that we have been married over 20 years but still believes it was a good tradeoff:D He now gets his thrill riding jetskis!!!

So...be careful...I must be honest that your new purchase could be a result of your impending mania and I am concerned about your using a motorcycle to serve as a means to exert the built up energy within. I would really encourage you to share this with your pdoc and see what he thinks about that. Personally, I would rather see you using your excessive energy in a healthier way such as running.

Anyway.....I will step down from my soapbox and hope that I didn't overstep my boundaries of welcoming you here.

~ Goody:angel: :wave:

Jen & Goody, I so appreciate your words of wisdom. Don't ever worry about me taking things the wrong way. I'm here to learn.

I do know that things can get very bad. I was completely out of my mind a few months ago, although my PDoc believes it was triggered by a stressful event. The diagnosis may be new, but the cycles have been around for a long, long time. I've left periodic wakes of carnage in my life.

I have a good relationship with my PDoc, am honest with him and my therapist, and know enough to at least keep taking my medication even when I feel up. I left my PDoc a message to let him know that I'm feeling on top of the world, so maybe there'll be a mood stabilizer in my near future.

LW

LW I am so glad that you made that call and that you understand as much as you do.

Let us know what the doc says.
Good Luck.

Doc says I can increase my Geodon if I'm feeling too up and then go back down when I'm feeling normal. Sleep appears to be the big key for me. In the past, I would stay up for days on end when my mood would shift up. Now, the Geodon usually helps me sleep, and I'll take 20 mg of Ambien on those stubborn nights, like the last two. I'm sleeping about 10 hours a night on the Geodon, but the trade off is worth it. I still do occasionally get those out of nowhere urges, like skipping out for a few days and taking the motorcycle to Big Sur, but I'm not acting on them. The meds appear to be keeping the volume down on things. So far, so good.

FYI: My daily Geodon dose is 160 mg up to 240 mg when hypomanic.

LW

Glad to hear things are working out and you and the Pdoc are working together. The sleep issue I can relate to big time. I can go for days without sleep and that is on the down side so I am really glad that you are able to sleep. They have even tried 8 different sleep meds but at least we are trying. My new med combo is helping with sleep however, sometimes a little to much.

Please keep us posted.
Good Luck