Loubiegirl24
04-30-2008, 03:42 PM
Hello,
I am new to being BP, and was just diagnosed about 2 months ago after some Cymbalta I had been put on made me have a manic episode and a nervous breakdown. I was hospitalized, but my doctor admitted me under another condition, autonomic neuropathy, that I have. That was over easter weekend, and every since then I haven't felt like myself.
It has been an endless barrage of doctor's appointments, medications, and feeling horrible guilt over what happened during my episode. Basically the only thing I did was spend just TONS of money (mostly on designer shoes, which I have an unnatural obsession with) and drink Red Bull like it was life juice.
But since being on all these meds (Lithium, Seroquel, Adderall, Prednisone, Aspirin, and was on Zyprexa and Celexa for a while) I have gained like 20 pounds, which is just absolutely devastating to me, because I have battled with an ED most of my life. I spoke with my doctor but she just told me to start eating better and exercising, but exercise is SO hard when your entire body aches, and then she tripled my seroquel and lithium dosages.
I am this close to just putting an end to ALL my medicines (besides the adderall, <3 it) and trying to go back to who I was. I feel like if I don't just stop it all then it will get out of control and take over my life.
No more psych meds, no more doctors, just ME.
Has anyone else ever done this/wanted to do this? Does it work?
I am new to being BP, and was just diagnosed about 2 months ago after some Cymbalta I had been put on made me have a manic episode and a nervous breakdown. I was hospitalized, but my doctor admitted me under another condition, autonomic neuropathy, that I have. That was over easter weekend, and every since then I haven't felt like myself.
It has been an endless barrage of doctor's appointments, medications, and feeling horrible guilt over what happened during my episode. Basically the only thing I did was spend just TONS of money (mostly on designer shoes, which I have an unnatural obsession with) and drink Red Bull like it was life juice.
But since being on all these meds (Lithium, Seroquel, Adderall, Prednisone, Aspirin, and was on Zyprexa and Celexa for a while) I have gained like 20 pounds, which is just absolutely devastating to me, because I have battled with an ED most of my life. I spoke with my doctor but she just told me to start eating better and exercising, but exercise is SO hard when your entire body aches, and then she tripled my seroquel and lithium dosages.
I am this close to just putting an end to ALL my medicines (besides the adderall, <3 it) and trying to go back to who I was. I feel like if I don't just stop it all then it will get out of control and take over my life.
No more psych meds, no more doctors, just ME.
Has anyone else ever done this/wanted to do this? Does it work?
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katlin09
04-30-2008, 08:15 PM
If you truly are BiPolar, then no, chucking all your meds and pdoc won't work. Instead of getting rid of your meds, it sounds like maybe a new pdoc is in order, someone who's a little more in tune to you and your situation. Have you thought of changing docs?
seaturtle
04-30-2008, 09:05 PM
Oh, yes. Not because of weight gain, because I seem to lose on everything I take. But because I am sick of meds, and I get in moods where I'm sure the meds are causing all my difficulties, and that I am really fine without them.
Ahem. Good idea, but not a good outcome. I ended up a mess.
A friend had a terrible time with her weight. She switched to something called Lamenda, apparently a drug used for Alzheimer's with an off-label for bp. It's really worked for her, and she has lost eight pounds in three weeks without trying. Maybe your doc could help out there?
I think it's really important to emphasize to your pdoc that the weight gain from the meds is making you want to just drop everything.
I'd ask for med changes and persist at that. And please, don't just drop your meds without a doctor's consent. It could result in danger to your health and maybe life.
Hang in there and keep us posted,
Seaturtle
Ahem. Good idea, but not a good outcome. I ended up a mess.
A friend had a terrible time with her weight. She switched to something called Lamenda, apparently a drug used for Alzheimer's with an off-label for bp. It's really worked for her, and she has lost eight pounds in three weeks without trying. Maybe your doc could help out there?
I think it's really important to emphasize to your pdoc that the weight gain from the meds is making you want to just drop everything.
I'd ask for med changes and persist at that. And please, don't just drop your meds without a doctor's consent. It could result in danger to your health and maybe life.
Hang in there and keep us posted,
Seaturtle
seaturtle
04-30-2008, 09:07 PM
Hi again,.
Forgot to ask you why you're on prednisone. I had to take that for just a week once, and I gained an incredible amount of weight from that alone.
Any possibility of getting off that one?
Forgot to ask you why you're on prednisone. I had to take that for just a week once, and I gained an incredible amount of weight from that alone.
Any possibility of getting off that one?
Italia 43
05-01-2008, 08:26 AM
i am bipolar, and i stopped seroqual almost 2 years ago.. now im on nothing for bipolar.. i had stopped the seroquel cold turkey.. in which i was on it for 6yrs.. doing this caused me major issues.. ask your doctor if he or she reccommeds you stop it.. Thats what i did wrong.. Never stop it in your own, you could get a nervous breakdown.. goodluck and many blessings..
NY 1009
05-01-2008, 11:23 AM
Lamictal is what was prescribed for me after trying so many others that gave me such bad side effects. So far, so good.
I gained about ten pounds due to the fact I quit smoking two months ago which really is freaking me out.
everyone used to tell me I was way too thin and that the extra pounds look great on me. The only thing is....... I DON"T LIKE IT.
I feel so discouraged and unhappy with myself when I try to put on my pants that used to fit so well, now makes me feel like a stuffed sausage.
My partner tells me he LOVES that I gained, because I gained everywhere if you get what I mean. My chest looked like a mans before.
I started smoking again due to other stresses that are going on in my life, but will soon stick the patch on again before the addiction takes over even more. I did lose some weight when I started smoking again last week.
I know it's bad for me but at this point I am much happier with the weight.
I think alot of people stop their medications due to the fact it makes them gain way too much weight. Lithium made me bloated and I gained weight quickly on that one. I flushed them down the toilet. that was back in the late nineties and I went without meds for years and as time went by, I gradually got worst . Others could see it, but being I"ve lived with it a good part of my life, I didn't see any difference in my behavior.
I finally went thu so many jobs and couldn't stand it any longer and decided to start taking medicine again. I was much older and wiser then.
Now I'm happy to say that I"m not in denial anymore and I'm trying the different med's that won't make me gain weight.
Lamictal is best one so far for not gaining any excess weight.
sometimes it can take many many tries before you find the right medication that works for you. we are all individuals and we each are effected by medications differently. What may work for you may not work for others.
give it your best shot and I recommend you don't go off the medication without the recommendation or supervision of your doctor. sometimes stopping medications quickly can kill you.
I wish you the best outcome.
sincerely,
Linda
I gained about ten pounds due to the fact I quit smoking two months ago which really is freaking me out.
everyone used to tell me I was way too thin and that the extra pounds look great on me. The only thing is....... I DON"T LIKE IT.
I feel so discouraged and unhappy with myself when I try to put on my pants that used to fit so well, now makes me feel like a stuffed sausage.
My partner tells me he LOVES that I gained, because I gained everywhere if you get what I mean. My chest looked like a mans before.
I started smoking again due to other stresses that are going on in my life, but will soon stick the patch on again before the addiction takes over even more. I did lose some weight when I started smoking again last week.
I know it's bad for me but at this point I am much happier with the weight.
I think alot of people stop their medications due to the fact it makes them gain way too much weight. Lithium made me bloated and I gained weight quickly on that one. I flushed them down the toilet. that was back in the late nineties and I went without meds for years and as time went by, I gradually got worst . Others could see it, but being I"ve lived with it a good part of my life, I didn't see any difference in my behavior.
I finally went thu so many jobs and couldn't stand it any longer and decided to start taking medicine again. I was much older and wiser then.
Now I'm happy to say that I"m not in denial anymore and I'm trying the different med's that won't make me gain weight.
Lamictal is best one so far for not gaining any excess weight.
sometimes it can take many many tries before you find the right medication that works for you. we are all individuals and we each are effected by medications differently. What may work for you may not work for others.
give it your best shot and I recommend you don't go off the medication without the recommendation or supervision of your doctor. sometimes stopping medications quickly can kill you.
I wish you the best outcome.
sincerely,
Linda
katlin09
05-01-2008, 11:30 AM
Loubie,
Just another lil story, because the thought of you going off meds does concern me...I was Dx'd 17 yrs. ago BP/BPII with sever suicidal depression...and after the first 5 or 6 years and 2 suicide attempts I stopped taking meds and going to therapy I thought I was cured and I didn't need it anymore I could handle it by myself thank you very much!...Yeah right, I was good at convincing myself of that. 1 more suicide attempt a few years later and being heavy into Self Harming, I figured out that I wasn't handling anything, just suffering needlessly, and causing everyone around me to suffer as well. So my suggestion is that you stay on your meds until you talk to your pdoc. because this really isn't a disease that you can cure yourself with just will power and a good attitude, sorry but it just doesn't work that way....it will continue to get worse, and worse and harder and harder the longer you go untreated. If you and your pdoc don't see eye to eye, then find another one, but please don't just stop cold turkey, it can be very dangerous for you to do so.
Just another lil story, because the thought of you going off meds does concern me...I was Dx'd 17 yrs. ago BP/BPII with sever suicidal depression...and after the first 5 or 6 years and 2 suicide attempts I stopped taking meds and going to therapy I thought I was cured and I didn't need it anymore I could handle it by myself thank you very much!...Yeah right, I was good at convincing myself of that. 1 more suicide attempt a few years later and being heavy into Self Harming, I figured out that I wasn't handling anything, just suffering needlessly, and causing everyone around me to suffer as well. So my suggestion is that you stay on your meds until you talk to your pdoc. because this really isn't a disease that you can cure yourself with just will power and a good attitude, sorry but it just doesn't work that way....it will continue to get worse, and worse and harder and harder the longer you go untreated. If you and your pdoc don't see eye to eye, then find another one, but please don't just stop cold turkey, it can be very dangerous for you to do so.
Loubiegirl24
05-01-2008, 12:40 PM
I'm on prednisone for an autoimmune condition, I have what they call an autoimmune complex, which is basically a big ball of immune cells blocking an artery to my heart. The prednisone is supposed to super suppress my immune system and make that big ball either go away, or get smaller, or something.
Anyway I'm not on much anymore, just 5mm/day. I was on like 70mg a day for a couple of weeks and didnt gain a pound. It all really packed on after the hospital stay. They gave me zyprexa and celexa, both of which are supposedly weight-gain prone. Now they have me on 900mg/day of Lithium and 50mg/day of Seroquel.
I have never been a depressive person, always more manic than anything. Every since I started the weight gain, I have been spiraling downard into a depression. I just cant seem to get it off. I managed to lose 4 pounds one week, but that was because I literally starved myself.
They kept telling me that it was becuase I was constipated. I was severely constipated for over a month, and am still not that much better, but I havent seen the weight come off like it woud have if it was just constipation.
Im just totally at a loss. No matter what I do I cant get it off. I cant exercise because I have autoimmune conditions and arthritis that make it hard to walk sometimes, much less exercise. I have autonomic neuropathy and orthostatic imbalance which makes me dizzy and lightheaded constantly. I feel like I am going to pass out every time I stand up. Exercise is pretty much out of the question, as just getting up and going to work every day and living my life is hard enough on my body, I am afraid what exercise would do to me.
Basically all of my self-worth is tied up in my appearance. I have always been beautiful, and that has been my self-identity since I was young. I have a twin sister, and she's the "smart one" and I'm the "pretty one" (even though I have higher test scores and GPA). I feel like in getting fat and losing my figure, my self-worth is plummeting, and I am feeling more and more like I just want it all to stop.
Thanks for reading my superlong post, it really helps to get this out.
Btw I am 24, but most days I feel like I am 84.
Anyway I'm not on much anymore, just 5mm/day. I was on like 70mg a day for a couple of weeks and didnt gain a pound. It all really packed on after the hospital stay. They gave me zyprexa and celexa, both of which are supposedly weight-gain prone. Now they have me on 900mg/day of Lithium and 50mg/day of Seroquel.
I have never been a depressive person, always more manic than anything. Every since I started the weight gain, I have been spiraling downard into a depression. I just cant seem to get it off. I managed to lose 4 pounds one week, but that was because I literally starved myself.
They kept telling me that it was becuase I was constipated. I was severely constipated for over a month, and am still not that much better, but I havent seen the weight come off like it woud have if it was just constipation.
Im just totally at a loss. No matter what I do I cant get it off. I cant exercise because I have autoimmune conditions and arthritis that make it hard to walk sometimes, much less exercise. I have autonomic neuropathy and orthostatic imbalance which makes me dizzy and lightheaded constantly. I feel like I am going to pass out every time I stand up. Exercise is pretty much out of the question, as just getting up and going to work every day and living my life is hard enough on my body, I am afraid what exercise would do to me.
Basically all of my self-worth is tied up in my appearance. I have always been beautiful, and that has been my self-identity since I was young. I have a twin sister, and she's the "smart one" and I'm the "pretty one" (even though I have higher test scores and GPA). I feel like in getting fat and losing my figure, my self-worth is plummeting, and I am feeling more and more like I just want it all to stop.
Thanks for reading my superlong post, it really helps to get this out.
Btw I am 24, but most days I feel like I am 84.
katlin09
05-01-2008, 06:16 PM
Loubie,
First of all Don't Give Up, your life is worth you fighting this battle. On top of having BPII I am a Chronic Pain patient. I've had 9 knee surgeries, and 9 abdominal surgeries most of which in the last 9 years, I have cluster migraines and a seizure disorder. I also have osteoarthritis in my wrists and knees and a degenerative cartiledge disease in both knees. I have tendonitis in my left rotator cuff and both hips. I take Seroquel 450mg, Lamictal 25 mg, Zoloft 50 mg, Topomax 75 mg, Ambien CR 12.5 mg, Sonata 10 mg, Premarin 0.9 mg, Fentanyl Patch 50 mcg/48 hrs, Singulair 10 mg, Vitamin D 1000 IUD, Ibuprofen 2000 mg, every day all of this amounts to 29 pills a day. So, I know what you're going through and I'm pretty sure I know how you feel. It sucks, believe me I get it. But you just have to keep going. For the constipation you could try Miralax, it's now over the counter, just ask your pharmacist, it's a powder that you mix with liquid, no taste, no funky texture. For your psych meds, Talk to your Pdoc, maybe you could switch to something like Lamictal that is weight neutral instead of the Seroquel. There are always options, but it may take a couple of trys to find the right one, just don't give up, kay?
Any time you need to vent or talk, or yell....whatever I'm around.
First of all Don't Give Up, your life is worth you fighting this battle. On top of having BPII I am a Chronic Pain patient. I've had 9 knee surgeries, and 9 abdominal surgeries most of which in the last 9 years, I have cluster migraines and a seizure disorder. I also have osteoarthritis in my wrists and knees and a degenerative cartiledge disease in both knees. I have tendonitis in my left rotator cuff and both hips. I take Seroquel 450mg, Lamictal 25 mg, Zoloft 50 mg, Topomax 75 mg, Ambien CR 12.5 mg, Sonata 10 mg, Premarin 0.9 mg, Fentanyl Patch 50 mcg/48 hrs, Singulair 10 mg, Vitamin D 1000 IUD, Ibuprofen 2000 mg, every day all of this amounts to 29 pills a day. So, I know what you're going through and I'm pretty sure I know how you feel. It sucks, believe me I get it. But you just have to keep going. For the constipation you could try Miralax, it's now over the counter, just ask your pharmacist, it's a powder that you mix with liquid, no taste, no funky texture. For your psych meds, Talk to your Pdoc, maybe you could switch to something like Lamictal that is weight neutral instead of the Seroquel. There are always options, but it may take a couple of trys to find the right one, just don't give up, kay?
Any time you need to vent or talk, or yell....whatever I'm around.
MUDSKIP
05-08-2008, 02:10 PM
Never, Never, Never give up or consider stopping everything. I can relate to many things that you said, but one thing that I have learned never stop everything. Go to a different dr. or go back and tell about your unhappiness with their recommended treatment, but never just get off everything on your own. Hang in there. mudskip:)
santos63
05-12-2008, 03:23 PM
When you stop taking everything, you have to start all over again. I was started over with all new meds both times. The adjustment period of the meds is just horrible. I have to be cared for and am unable to medicate myself until stabilized again. Not because I am necessarily suicidal (at all times), but I can't manage the medications. I know it is best to talk over probs with psychiatrist, but I'm a bad pt and like to be in charge. It is best to talk over and make changes with Dr., but I know we get those itches and just have to do something now sometimes, too.