Seaturtle I need your advice... - Bipolar Disorder Message Board

katlin09 · 11-22-2008, 09:45 PM

I know that depression and pain work off of each other each can cause the other. But what do you do when you are a Chronic Pain patient and a BiPolar w/severe Suicidal Depression at the same time? For the BP I take Lamictal , Lyrica (fixing to stop), Topomax , Zoloft (soon to be weaning off) Vitamin D 1000 IUD, Fish Oil 3000 mg, Biotin 1000 mg. and Hopefully by this week Cymbalta as the new antidepressant to replace the Lyrica and Zoloft.

For the Chronic Pain, which is very severe in the winter time I take Oxycontin a day split into 3 intervals and Percocet for Breakthru pain up to 6 a day, along with Advil up to 16 a day.

So basically my CP and BP just seem to be feeding into and off of each other right? The narcotic/opiod meds cause depression but I can't be off of them, so I'm screwed there. I mean even on that dose of meds, it still doesn't control my pain all the way, I just don't want to increase the meds anymore.

So, I don't know what the point of this was , i guess I just needed to get it out to someone. Between my screwed up body, and screwed up head...I'm just basically screwed.

Kat

seaturtle · 11-23-2008, 03:49 PM

Hey, kat,

Ouch, ouch. It does indeed seem as if the meds are working against each other. The pain killers depress bigtime. Is there a substitute for the one you're taking? I know there are patches now, don't know if they're any better on the side effects.

The new antidepressant may help a lot. I have a friend who also has chronic pain, and she has had much relief from depression on that one. Give it a bit of time and see how it goes.

I know from experience what pain alone can do: depress us horribly. So you've got the pain and the meds contributing to depression, and both are draining mentally and physically.

The only thing I know of, besides trying different meds, is a pain clinic where they help you learn to deal with the pain. I don't know if you're familiar with Jon Kabatt-Zinn's work on this, but he has worked wonders for many people who had come to the end of their resources (and to the end of traditional medical resources, too).

He has a couple of books out. I recommend Living The Full Catastrophe highly.

Drat, there is so much we have to deal with. Your chronic (and obviously severe) pain is enough in itself...the bp is enough...the meds are enough. Not to mention your life, which I am sure has problems as do all of ours.

I will let you know if I think of anything else. I just did: is there a chronic pain support group of any sort, perhaps at your hospital? The hospital here has many support groups like that. And are you posting on a chronic pain board, too? Might help to talk to others who are perhaps in the same boat.

I have had periods of intense, unremitting pain in my life, and I could barely do anything but cope with that. So be gentle with yourself, do whatever little thing you can to give yourself a moment of pleasure if you can, and please keep on writing me. I am here to listen to you, believe me, and I will always answer you.

I'm glad you posted. It will help me cope with my own difficulties just a little more, knowing there's someone who understands.

Now sending you a huge hug,

Seaturtle

katlin09 · 11-24-2008, 04:34 PM

Hey Seaturtle,

Unfortunately, I was on the Fentanyl patches and got off of them to go down to the Oxy's when I was recouping from my knee surgery. So, there's no more going down or switching to anything else. Between the CP, the BP, the SH, the OCD, the PTSD, and the Anxiety sometimes it's just so much easier to give up. When my pdoc called me yesterday to have me come in today, I was like, whatever, I don't even care anymore. But I know for my son I have to try and keep it together. He did put me on the Cymbalta today, he's just really concerned about some of the side effects, so he's watching me like a hawk, I have to call him in 2 days, and go back every week for 3 weeks, so hopefully this will be the one, that will help...I am so tired of playing medicine roulette, I want this one to work so bad.

I hope you are doing well, how are you doing with the early darkness, it's killing me. I turn on every light in the house, but then am so depressed I just crave the darkness and turn them right back off.

Oh well, time to go fix my kiddo some dinner, if it weren't for him, and having to take care of him....I don't think I'd have made it this far.

Kat