Schizo Affected Bipolar

[pufnstuf77]

well when I have been having mental problems since I can remember. at ten years old I was diagnosed with ADD, acute psychosis and schizophrenia. I was taking haldol, trazodone and halcion. Ten. As a teen, a new doctor diagnosed me with bi-polar disorder, and I spent several years taking lithium. He also thought I was suffering from some type of epilepsy as I was having 'brain zaps', and shaking real bad, and would be 'out to lunch' for a minute or two, and had me taking phenobarbs. By 20, I have had several 'breakdowns', delusional episodes, suicidal thoughts/dreams and other issues. Two doctors diagnosed me schizoeffective. I was 21 and all screwed up..I was not greatly helped by medicines anymore. I am 27 now. Luckily there is a mental health system here in nv and now i am very lucky for the help, they give me my meds for free. well for some reason as I got a little older and could no longer take the meds because of insurance issues and stuff..and to be honest, I felt a lot better. Well this year I had a major episode (i didnt have one for so long...) and started out all over again..lexapro 20, depakote 1500, seroquel 800, risperdal 2mg..ativan 2mg, etc. After a while on all that - and since I am doing so much better, my doctor is now treating me for ADD and anxiety-I am taking adderall and ativan only (and quite a lot of omega3s) and some other drugs for other problems I have with my back and stuff but at least its not so much. I dont know if just because I am not having the symptoms of schizoeffective disorder now, that I still have it and that I can relapse at any time or what. I dont ask the doctor about it because I really would like to put that all behind me. I guess with having a episode the way I did means that it is true, but as I've grown up it has gone away - i've kinda 'grown out of it'.. I guess I am lucky. Let me know if you need anything..I have been there - and I can only offer my experience but maybe it would help a little..good luck!!

[sunshine1646]

I have schizo-affective disorder. I was on Lexapro 40mg. and trileptal 1800 mg. daily. I've not taken my meds for two and a half months and i'm doing alright. But sometimes when I get depressed or even when I cry for a little bit I get scared and I think uh oh I should take my meds but I talk myself out of it because I've gone from weighing 150 lbs to 192 lbs and the weight will not seem to come off. I know that I am playing with fire and I don't want to be hospitalized again and I should take it but my family watches me and they will let me know if Istart getting manic!!! Well good night and good luck!!!!

[vturner1]

Thanks everyone. Since the original post my doctor has changed the meds a little and the time of day I take them seems to help a little. I'm now on 450 Effexor (150 three times a day), 20 Mg of Lexapro at night, 30 mg of Abilify in the morning, and 4 mg of Ridperdol at night. The hallucinations have subsided some now. The depression is better and I'm not suicidal right now. I'm working very hard at losing some weight and having a little success. The meds still aren't doing everything the doctor and I want so we are seriously considering ECT if I don't continue to get substatially better soon. I'm grateful to feel better than I did a few weeks ago though (even if only for a while). Thanks again and I'll keep posting.