I do not mean to brag but I can't get over how well my meds have been doing for me. The lithium and tegritol have been doing so well in controlling my moods. I'm not depressed anymore. My mania or hypomania sort of mood seems to be diminishing as the days go by and I feel leveled now. Plus I haven't shown any psychotic symptoms for at least 6 weeks which is great. I just hope that this just keeps up. The only thing that I wish that I had under control now is the anxiety. Its great to that I'm getting around 6-8 hours of sleep a night now. I finally have some good news to share with my pdoc.
This is great Ben. I can't believe you haven't had any psychosis in 6 weeks. That's awesome!
Its hard to believe myself to. I don't know how to explain this but I feel changed in some way. Not just in my mood but I'm able to think clearer now and am able to concentrate better.
Its hard to believe myself to. I don't know how to explain this but I feel changed in some way. Not just in my mood but I'm able to think clearer now and am able to concentrate better.
I have no doubt about that. I know how you feel because ever since I was put on 6mg/day of Risperdal, my voices have disappeared. I haven't heard any voices now for a week.
__________________
Atypical Bipolar I Disorder with Rapid Cycling
Meds:
Depakote 1500mg
Prozac 40mg
Risperdal 1mg titrating to 6mg/day
Klonopin .5mg (2x/day)
Trazodone 100mg or 200mg PRN
I have no doubt about that. I know how you feel because ever since I was put on 6mg/day of Risperdal, my voices have disappeared. I haven't heard any voices now for a week.
Thats great news to hear dreams. I hope it keeps up for you. I'm glad that you can tolerate 6mg as well. When I was on it I could only tolerate 1mg. Once I reached 2.5mg I started to get muscle stiffness and head twitching. I even had to go to the hospital because it would never stop.
Thats great news to hear dreams. I hope it keeps up for you. I'm glad that you can tolerate 6mg as well. When I was on it I could only tolerate 1mg. Once I reached 2.5mg I started to get muscle stiffness and head twitching. I even had to go to the hospital because it would never stop.
I've never experienced any muscle stiffness or twitching while on Risperdal -- even when I took it over the past 2 years (6mg/day). The most bothersome side effects I had were dry mouth and sleepiness, but those gradually disappeared.
__________________
Atypical Bipolar I Disorder with Rapid Cycling
Meds:
Depakote 1500mg
Prozac 40mg
Risperdal 1mg titrating to 6mg/day
Klonopin .5mg (2x/day)
Trazodone 100mg or 200mg PRN
What's interesting to me is that Risperdal is now working when it didn't over the past 2 years. My pdoc says this is because when Risperdal is taken with another med like Clonazepam, it increases its' efficacy. When I took Risperdal over the past 2 years, the only other med I was taking was Depakote.
__________________
Atypical Bipolar I Disorder with Rapid Cycling
Meds:
Depakote 1500mg
Prozac 40mg
Risperdal 1mg titrating to 6mg/day
Klonopin .5mg (2x/day)
Trazodone 100mg or 200mg PRN
Yah when I was an IP for about two weeks in January they put me on something called Stelazine(one of the older antipsychotics) and they also put me on Zoloft. They said that Zoloft increased the efficacy of the stelazine. The stelazine actually worked for a bit but then my psychotic symptoms came back and I was taken off of it. I was on such a low dose of stelazine that the pdoc decided to just put me on something else. Which eneded up to be Seroquel. But that didn't work at all. Even at 600mg of it.
Yah when I was an IP for about two weeks in January they put me on something called Stelazine(one of the older antipsychotics) and they also put me on Zoloft. They said that Zoloft increased the efficacy of the stelazine. The stelazine actually worked for a bit but then my psychotic symptoms came back and I was taken off of it. I was on such a low dose of stelazine that the pdoc decided to just put me on something else. Which eneded up to be Seroquel. But that didn't work at all. Even at 600mg of it.
What's really intriguing about your case is that two antipsychotics used to treat psychosis didn't work. Now you're taking 2 mood stabilizers which normally aren't prescribed for psychosis and you haven't been psychotic for 6 weeks. That just goes to show how differently we all respond to meds.
As long as Risperdal works for me, I'll continue taking it. I pray that it does because if not, I worry about having to switch to Geodon. I read on another message board that high doses of Geodon can cause psychosis and because of that, I'm very afraid of taking it.
Unfortunately, I need a high dose of an antipsychotic since it's the only way to keep my voices, delusions and paranoia under control.
__________________
Atypical Bipolar I Disorder with Rapid Cycling
Meds:
Depakote 1500mg
Prozac 40mg
Risperdal 1mg titrating to 6mg/day
Klonopin .5mg (2x/day)
Trazodone 100mg or 200mg PRN
Last edited by dreams in neon; 04-07-2009 at 07:08 PM.
What's really intriguing about your case is that two antipsychotics used to treat psychosis didn't work. Now you're taking 2 mood stabilizers which normally aren't prescribed for psychosis and you haven't been psychotic for 6 weeks. That just goes to show how differently we all respond to meds.
As long as Risperdal works for me, I'll continue taking it. I pray that it does because if not, I worry about having to switch to Geodon. I read on another message board that high doses of Geodon can cause psychosis and because of that, I'm very afraid of taking it.
Unfortunately, I need a high dose of an antipsychotic since it's the only way to keep my voices, delusions and paranoia under control.
I know that these types of meds aren't the greatest especially in terms of symptoms but if the needs ever arises have you ever thought of trying an older antipsychotic med to treat your psychosis.Also just wondering but what all have you been on so far in terms of mood stabilizers and antipsychotics?
I know that these types of meds aren't the greatest especially in terms of symptoms but if the needs ever arises have you ever thought of trying an older antipsychotic med to treat your psychosis.Also just wondering but what all have you been on so far in terms of mood stabilizers and antipsychotics?
I would take a typical antipsychotic as a last resort, but only as a last resort due to the high number of side effects.
The only mood stabilizer I've been on is Depakote. I've been taking it for the past 3 years since my diagnosis of bipolar. I really don't want to switch to a different med since Depakote has been proven to be the best mood stabilizer to treat rapid cycling.
Even though Depakote by itself didn't help control my rapid cycling, it's working well now that Clonazepam has been added to my regimen. I also don't want to switch mood stabilizers because I haven't had a manic/psychotic episode since 2006, so it's definitely helping to prevent severe mania.
I was on Lamictal and Zyprexa when I was IP in November to treat mania, but was switched back to Depakote and Risperdal when I was discharged.
The only other antipsychotic I've been on besides Zyprexa is Geodon. Geodon worked great for me when I was IP in 2006, so when Risperdal stopped working, I thought I'd give it another try. I was on a low dose (80mg) which is probably why it didn't work as well as it did 3 years ago.
I haven't had as many med changes as some people because I had an inattentive pdoc for 1.5 years who only adjusted (increased) my meds once during all that time.
No real substantive changes were made to my meds until I was IP in December and recently -- and until I started seeing my old pdoc.
Now that I'm on a good med regimen, I don't see any reason to change meds.
__________________
Atypical Bipolar I Disorder with Rapid Cycling
Meds:
Depakote 1500mg
Prozac 40mg
Risperdal 1mg titrating to 6mg/day
Klonopin .5mg (2x/day)
Trazodone 100mg or 200mg PRN
Last edited by dreams in neon; 04-07-2009 at 08:19 PM.
Its great to hear that your doing well now dreams.
Thanks!
Even though I was really upset about how my old pdoc left things, I'm glad I had the chance to work with him because if I didn't, I wouldn't be doing as well as I am. I will always be grateful to him for that.
__________________
Atypical Bipolar I Disorder with Rapid Cycling
Meds:
Depakote 1500mg
Prozac 40mg
Risperdal 1mg titrating to 6mg/day
Klonopin .5mg (2x/day)
Trazodone 100mg or 200mg PRN
Last edited by dreams in neon; 04-07-2009 at 09:13 PM.
