• TDS Moderators: AlphaMethylPhenyl | Eligiu | deficiT

Mental Health Bipolar Disorder Mega Thread

thoughts on lamictal ? Side affects esp physical ? I responded right poorly to lithium, depakote and seroquel =[.. Worried about trying anything at this point , more worried about not. Can't deal with these swings any fucking more gonna lose my head.

i take lamictal everyday and i don't get any side effects from it. It's probably the only med i take that doesent give me any side effects so atleast thats one :\ . It does not have a rep at all for causing weight gain or anything and you don't even have to get blood tests done like you do with valproate and lithium.

I'm jumping in here because I'm not Bipolar, but I have Borderline Personality Disorder and the treatments seem similar. I'm up to about 150mg a day of Lamictal and I don't seem to get any nasty side effects, it seems pretty good at mood stabilizing. It's just gonna be expensive as fuck when my insurance stops paying for it but, as of right now, I feel like it's done better than any of that SSRI/SNRI crap ever has.
 
I'm jumping in here because I'm not Bipolar, but I have Borderline Personality Disorder and the treatments seem similar. I'm up to about 150mg a day of Lamictal and I don't seem to get any nasty side effects, it seems pretty good at mood stabilizing. It's just gonna be expensive as fuck when my insurance stops paying for it but, as of right now, I feel like it's done better than any of that SSRI/SNRI crap ever has.

I think I'll give it a run , how long does it take to stabilize a does and to see results - 2 weeks ?
 
... theA nutHut.

a thread of Bi-Polar patients posting... oh man, this could take on a life of its own im thinking//

<3
=D
 
ehh i cant take this :(
im going from-
"hey dude omg lets hangout i miss you so much omg life is soo great!!!!"
to-
"what the fuck, i dont really have any purpose here, im just wasting space and peoples' money, hmm what if i jumped in front of that car, what would happen?"
(in less than an hour)

im gonna end up hanging myself if this shit doesnt get better, i dont want to, but ill end up getting into one of my 'valleys' and will actually go through with my thoughts :(

do you guys feel like this too? maybe ive just got a shitty life? (i didnt feel like this was thread-worthy btw so i just posted in this mega-thread)
 
Ok i just started taking wellbutrin again after going off it for awile due to well not wanting to take it. Currently my psych med regime consists of 175mg's of lamictal, 150mg's twice a day of the SR version of wellbutrin and 4-6mg's of clonazepam. I was taking risperidone but i no longer need it due to not being manic at all for a good while. Olanazpine (especially zyprexa zydis) works much better for me and gives me less side effects but my insurance doesn't cover it.

So im thinking of maybe taking seroquel for a little bit to help with the excess energy and the jumpiness. I don't think benzos will do it but if i work up to a anti-psychotic dose of seroquel that i need which is about 300-400mg's a day that might help alot. Ive been on those doses before but yeah it gives me dry mouth like something terrible :\ . Hence why i ended up going with risperidone even though i hate some of the side effects of that. I think id rather chlorpromazine (Thorazine, largactil) then risperdal or seroquel. At least 50mg's gives me less side effects.

But seroquel has a relatively low side effects profile and causes a fair amount of drowsiness so that's kinda what i need now.
 
I have schizoaffective disorder which is similar to bipolar disorder, but it includes some schizo qualities. I've tried every medication available, electroconvulsive therapy, psychotherapy, in patient care in multiple psych wards, ect and nothing helps. If anything I'm getting worse. Any suggestions?
 
Anyone here with bipolar and need for pain management at the same time? Have you noticed when you start talking about bipolar to for example your orthopediatrist or whomever treats your pain they tend to get very panicked about giving any meds? I had to go through numerous Drs before I found the one that actually said "Fuck that! We have some difficult pain to manage with you" and gave me some Tramadol after checking that they dont interfere with the cocktail I am taking for bipolar and switched to Oxycontin after the MRI showed the explanation for my pain.
 
I have schizoaffective disorder which is similar to bipolar disorder, but it includes some schizo qualities. I've tried every medication available, electroconvulsive therapy, psychotherapy, in patient care in multiple psych wards, ect and nothing helps. If anything I'm getting worse. Any suggestions?

i think i might have this. my therapist showed me my psychology quiz results and schizophrenia was at the top of the list.

im actually resulting to chromium picolinate now to try and help keep me heppy:|
 
I have BP I. Lamictal cures me for all intents and purposes. I am, however, allergic. That was the most devastating moment in my BP career when I go the dreaded rash. I had felt so normal for the first time in 15 years. ... ... ...

So, now I take a crappy regimen of Tegretol - yes, dumbing pills at the super-dumb level of 600mg a day. Plus the wonderful Paxil, numbing pill and some Ativan so that I can escape both of those for 8 hours.

Not bitter!!!! :D

Ok, a bit. I want to be healthy. On top of that, I'm surviving a suicide of a close BP person. I am sick as well from some kind of autoimmune ailment. I have a hard time moving and get about 2-5 good hours a day to sit up, maybe 1/2 to 1 standing. The rest of the time I'm laying down.

I'm alive, though, as my WONDERFUL shrink pointed out.

Peace <3
 
hey guys.

I havent been medicated in 3-4 years, and i have an appointment with a psychiatrist in 3 weeks. because im really starting to spin out of control.

Along with my BP, i have some depersonalization/derealisation and constant anxienty with attacks, and sleep interruptions like night terrors/panic attacks. Is it likely I would be able to get a clonazepam to help with the anxiety? i used to be prescribed xanax, but i was in a manic state and decided not to renew my script or get another one. I really need something to help with the high levels of anxiety i get, do you guys get anything that helps with this?
 
Ok i just started taking wellbutrin again after going off it for awile due to well not wanting to take it. Currently my psych med regime consists of 175mg's of lamictal, 150mg's twice a day of the SR version of wellbutrin and 4-6mg's of clonazepam. I was taking risperidone but i no longer need it due to not being manic at all for a good while. Olanazpine (especially zyprexa zydis) works much better for me and gives me less side effects but my insurance doesn't cover it.

So im thinking of maybe taking seroquel for a little bit to help with the excess energy and the jumpiness. I don't think benzos will do it but if i work up to a anti-psychotic dose of seroquel that i need which is about 300-400mg's a day that might help alot. Ive been on those doses before but yeah it gives me dry mouth like something terrible :\ . Hence why i ended up going with risperidone even though i hate some of the side effects of that. I think id rather chlorpromazine (Thorazine, largactil) then risperdal or seroquel. At least 50mg's gives me less side effects.

But seroquel has a relatively low side effects profile and causes a fair amount of drowsiness so that's kinda what i need now.

does wellby help BPD more so in higher doses? i'm on 150mg once in the morning but was considering bumping it up. it has stopped me from smoking cigarettes which i'm amazed about

@eyes on the roll they'll probably put you on xanax if you tell them you're manic and have serious panic attacks because it's short acting and will calm you down fast. you'll also be put on an AD if you aren't already diagnosed BPD or the psychiatrist diagnoses you himself. i was never put on anything for my disorders other than panic/anxiety/depression. i started off on xanax but it made me mean, so i asked to be on klonopin. i started on .5 once a day by the end of the week i needed 2mg. eventually i developed a dependence and was on 5-8mg a day and if i wasn't i was in physical pain. so be careful it's very addictive cause of the tolerance you build. klonopin is more prescribed for people who are anxious throughout the day as its XR. just ask for it though if that's what you want. i can get xanax and klonopin if i felt i needed it

they have xanax XR here in NY though, never heard of it anywhere else. just be honest with your doc and say you've heard good things about it. it's the best benzo for anxiety imo
 
does wellby help BPD more so in higher doses? i'm on 150mg once in the morning but was considering bumping it up. it has stopped me from smoking cigarettes which i'm amazed about

@eyes on the roll they'll probably put you on xanax if you tell them you're manic and have serious panic attacks because it's short acting and will calm you down fast. you'll also be put on an AD if you aren't already diagnosed BPD or the psychiatrist diagnoses you himself. i was never put on anything for my disorders other than panic/anxiety/depression. i started off on xanax but it made me mean, so i asked to be on klonopin. i started on .5 once a day by the end of the week i needed 2mg. eventually i developed a dependence and was on 5-8mg a day and if i wasn't i was in physical pain. so be careful it's very addictive cause of the tolerance you build. klonopin is more prescribed for people who are anxious throughout the day as its XR. just ask for it though if that's what you want. i can get xanax and klonopin if i felt i needed it

they have xanax XR here in NY though, never heard of it anywhere else. just be honest with your doc and say you've heard good things about it. it's the best benzo for anxiety imo

thanks for the info. the thing is im pretty scared of getting back on anti-D's.My sister and I were both seeing a psychiatrist since we were young and were basically on almost the same schedule, and the anti-d's actually worked for her. for me, Ive tried about 5-6 anti depressants throughout the years to no effect, except for worsening depression and more morbid idea's. Ive given up on fixing the depression... its just not going to happen. if i could take the edge off all this anxiety it would be nice and id be satisfied, and id also to put a cap on the mania a bit.. but i havent had any in quite a while
 
no i was the same as you. no ADs worked for me i just gave up. the only one that ever did was zoloft, and it helps borderline, anxiety and depression. but it's studied that after a month or so it stops working/gives you more anxiety. and that happened to me so i got on wellbutrin cause it was the only thing that never gave me side effects, just didn't give it long enough to kick in.

it hasn't given me any more suicidal thoughts, i wake up happy and feel rested etc. i dont know if you've already tried this but it's all that's worked for me so far. i tried lexapro and pristiq and a few others i dunno it was last year and that's all a blur but i figured that what i needed was a dopamine reupper not a serotonin. too much serotonin can actually give you depression

i used to FLIP THE FUCK OUT!!! like crazy.. mania you've never seen before.. unless you've seen requiem for a dream and remember the girl WDing. i beat the shit out of someone numerous times, holes in the walls, guitar over backs... if somebody annoyed me in any way it ruined my whole day and i would cut myself or break things 12 hours straight, lock myself in the bathroom even. benzos are what fixed that while the ADs did nothing.. i still suffered from mania up until i was put on zoloft in january.. so consider a dopamine reupper, SSRI and SNRIs have all fucked me
 
does wellby help BPD more so in higher doses? i'm on 150mg once in the morning but was considering bumping it up. it has stopped me from smoking cigarettes which i'm amazed about

It depends on whether or not you get alot of depressive symptoms or are mostly manic. Although wellbutrin is the least likely anti-depressant to cause mania generally, it still can cause manic reactions so talk to your doctor about it.

It helps my depression, SAD and fatigue i get from the depression episodes. Too bad it does not help my smoking much :p
 
I wish that Wellbutrin would be approved as a antianxiety med here. Currently it is only approved for quitting smoking and it costs a lot when compared to other meds.
 
I wish that Wellbutrin would be approved as a antianxiety med here. Currently it is only approved for quitting smoking and it costs a lot when compared to other meds.

It's not a anti-anxiety med and one of it's side effects is actually anxiety. It's a dopamine norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor so it tends to be a stimulating anti-depressant and luckily for me lacks the side effects of serotonic anti-depressants such as triggering off my mania, sexual dysfunction, etc. In fact wellbutrin often boosts the sex drive :D
 
Top