Mental Health Bipolar disorder and the medications I use to treat it.

[comptech92]

Thanks All. In response to the "why am I not on Lithium" question. I have not been prescribed it. I take adderall during the day because I am in I.T. and need it for the daily to function. I have a close family member that is on lithium for bipolar I and it does turn her into a zombie. If I came to work like that, I probably wouldn't have a job. (This is why I am trying to steer clear of it). I, in the past couple of days, have lowered my dosage of adderall and it has helped a little. I find myself relying more on caffeine though in order to stay focused and keep from going to sleep at work. I'm still trying to find my happy balance and feel that I will use medications as a last resort. I just wish I could use my brain chemistry to my advantage every once in a while. And I would like to add that I love my moods during the day, it's just at night that is killing me.

 

[closeau]

For me, Serequil turned me crazy!!! I do have hand shakes and stuff from lithium but according to my dr Latuda and lithium work well together and they have. I'm here right now waiting for her. I find myself very sad, not really depressed but just down. I have shit in my life right now that would get anybody down but I'm just checking in with her. If you can find a place you can go every week and get on a good med combo it will be like you don't even have bipolar. This is new for me cause I went untreated for years and I'm so happy to be balanced now. The mania was bad but the depression was crippling! Try for a good dr and start the process of finding the right meds. If you're bipolar Zoloft and unipolar meds won't be of much help. Good luck to you!

 

[Charliebar]

If I had to take a guess, I would say that taking Adderall IR 10mg "at least 4 times a day" had masked your symptoms with dopamine release and the like for a couple weeks or so but at the end of the day its only increased your mood cycles as your tolerance to it has risen and its effects have decreased. I'm not to sure on the contraindications of taking Zoloft With Adderall. As far as what to do to get back on track, MY opinion would be to taper off or down to a lower dose of the Adderall and see what that does for you. Also, I cant see that taking it at staggered doses throughout the day would help a mood cycle.

Oh bull butter! I take 30 mg of adderall 3x day and sleep at night like a baby...of course I'm also taking 1,800mg of neurontin and .5klonopin3x day so somebody's not telling the truth. I just feel normal

 

[Mmp85]

My doctor steered me away from lithium and suggested Depakote instead. He found lithium much too risky and felt there were newer drugs with less side effects.