Im posting this so I can expect whats to come from my pdoc. Iv been diagnosed with depression for many years. Now the diagnoses has changed to bipolar.

When my doc decided that I was BPII I was put on a low dose of effexor 75mgs and a mood sablizer, seriqoul 100mgs in the morning and 300mgs at night. There are plenty of different meds out there and every body is put on different things, but they normally seem to be an AD and a mood stablizer. Other then that it seems to me that it is treated much the same as depression and they keep an eye on you to make sure the combo they put you on is working for you.

I found it wasn't as scarey as it sounds, and the meds are slowly working for me now, and I am starting to feel alot better.

Hi,

After many med combo's and changes and being over medicated, I have come down to the following, which is now working the best for me, is:

200 mg Lamictal (100 mg 2x a day) (mood stabiliser)
Wellbutrin XL 300 (in the morning) (anti depressant)
50 mg Topomax (at night) (mood stabiliser)

I also have Ivedal (Zolpidem) sleeping tablets, so that when I become agitated or stressed, I can take one and sleep uninterrupted for 12 hours to just calm down again. I lately do this at most once a week.


I hope this information helps you. I still have normal moods, emotions, etc, but it is not so extreme any longer!

To me, it was more the mood stabiliser than the anti depressant that was important. I have this thing that I can burst out with anger problems, or I go hypo manic something bad!

There are 3 types of Bipolar (at the moment), depending on the severity, each pdoc has their own method of treatment with medications. As an example, if you are mostly depressed, AD(s) with a mood stabilizer may be appropriate. If you have severe depression and hypermania, an AD, mood stabilizer and anti-psychotic might do. I'm BP I and take 2 ADs, 2 mood stabilizers and an anti-psychotic.

Be prepared for finding the right combo of meds as it's all trial and error.
Sheepwoman

yep, it's a LOT of trial and error.

don't be surprised if they put you on at least one mood stabilizer, one anti-depressant, and perhaps an anti-psychotic (usually these double as mood stabilizers or to calm you down, like in the case of seroquel, a lot of docs prescribe it to help you be calmer).

currently, i take 3 mood stabilizers (one being abilify, also an anti-psychotic) and 1 AD. this could change at any time, and just did. i used to have 2 mood stabilizers and 2 ADs, and due to this recent hypomania, that was changed to kick out the lexapro and include lithium (a drug that really works for me but in the past made me super stupid, LOL!!!!).

i've been through tons of meds. for example, once my pdoc put me on topamax as a mood stabilizer. it works for sheepwoman, however did NOT for me. we're all different. it put me into a mania almost right away. it isn't supposed to do that, but it did, and i had all sorts of issues stemming from the mania to correct once i was stabilized.

don't tolerate side effects that are too terrible. there are always other combinations or meds that will work better if what you're experiencing doesn't do it. for example, i was given risperdal. BAD IDEA!!! it stopped my periods, gave me breast milk, and made my hair fall out in clumps. not good. thankfully, my ob/gyn was familiar with this and did a prolactin test on me, and found that my hormone prolactin was like 18x what it should have been. i got taken off of that stuff right away!

zyprexa made me gain a lot of weight and eat everything in sight. seroquel made me sleep constantly and eat constantly. i've had negative reactions from all the antipsychotics i've tried, except for abilify. be prepared to try things and have them fail, try and fail, but you'll get the right ones sooner or later.

the important thing is patience, and knowing your own moods/when you're going into an episode. catching it early can help your pdoc take early action against it.

that's just what happened to me on those meds. individual experiences obviously vary. some people hate abilify, or love risperdal. i have a good friend in canada who loves risperdal (boo hiss!!! LOL).

i forgot to tell you what i take. it's in my signature, but i'll just run it by. i take lamictal (mood stabilizer), lithium (mood stabilizer), abilify (used as a mood stabilizer, but is also an anti-psychotic), wellbutrin (AD), and adderall (for ADHD).

This post has been edited by LoonATiK: Jun 9 2009, 01:46 PM

Hi (((( Everyone ))))

After much trial and error I have been stabilized on the following:


Tegretol 400 mg
Celexa 40 mg
WellbutrinXL 150 mg
Klonopin 1 mg 4 x per day
Desryl 50 mg

Peace, Shannon

We're still doing little adjustments here and there but currently -

150mg Lamictal
2mg Klonopin
75mg Seroquel
150mg Wellbutrin

All of these are taken an hour or so before bedtime, except the Wellbutrin, which is taken first thing in the morning. I do have some troublesome side effects, and am not yet stabilized.

You should be aware that no two cases are alike, and that the meds and doses will undoubtedly be different, and your reaction will differ as well. Some meds that others are able to tolerate, you may not be able to. It's a trial and error process. Your pdoc can't know what will and will not work for you without that trial and error.

Try to be patient, stay in touch with your pdoc if you are having difficulties with side effects, and you'll find a combination that works for you.

Thanks guys, I am pretty early in my treatment for bipolar I think bipolar II. Right now all I'm on is epival. I have been on many AD's in the past. The Pdoc took me off them to start treating me for bipolar. She says first thing is we need to stabilize the moods then maybe reintroduce an AD depending where my mood levels out. Right now I'm in a steady depressed mood with a good amount of anxiety. I always like to here other peoples experiences with the different meds available. I have a appt. with my Pdoc in 2 days which I'm really looking forward too.

This post has been edited by numbskullll: Jun 9 2009, 06:46 PM

I'm really hoping it will be as simple as adding a AD to the Epival to make things better.

at the moment im on

lamictal 200mg - 100mg am and 100mg pm
quetiapine (seroquel) 525mg - 50mg am and 475mg pm
prozac 20mg

ive been on this amount for several months and sometimes it feels like it not working well buti know it is workign well just when i get very high stress levels then i get high anxiety - i can always take another 25mg seroquel during hte day

Hi

Right now:
300 Lamictal
100-150 seroquel night, and sometimes 25 or 50 mgs during the day. Have been on much more Seroquel in the past.
1.5 - 2mgs of Clonazapam, geniric klonopin. I tried most all popular anxiety meds, this one seems best and does help a little with stability for me.

My doc will NOT give me an AD. Welbutrin seems popular in BP, but it set me off!
Celexa did too. A lot of meds will make me totally bonkers, phsychotic. Percoset(sp?), any sinus med, even cough syrup like nyquil.
I once tried Chantix to quit smoking, worst experience ever!

I am ready to try and lower the lamictal, and save sero for high stress and when I can't sleep. Stress is probably one of my biggest triggers and I have changed a lot of things in my life to reduce stress as much as possible.
I am tired of being "dumbed down" and tired all the time. And most of all I want my old IQ back!

This post has been edited by Neo: Jun 10 2009, 12:47 PM

You're not alone in that feeling. I have a bad case of the "stupids" most of the time. Seems to be a common side effect, in my case, I think it's from the Seroquel and Klonopin.

Unfortunately, I have to take them or I can't sleep, and lack of sleep is almost guaranteed to spin me up into a manic state. I've tried other sleep aids, and all that I've tried either have even more unpleasant side effects, or are completely ineffective.

I know what you mean about being "dumbed" down. I especially have trouble when I type. I have to always go back because of so many mistakes or repititions...

And OMG the short term memory. I feel like such a dope sometimes. If I did not have my calender I do not know what I where I would be or doing lol.

It is so weird...

Peace, Cheryl

I forget what day it is ALL the time!

I hear ya lifegoes on. I can't sleep weather up or down. But I am certain my IQ has dropped off a lot since starting lamictal. I'm already on a fairly low dose of seroquel and can probably reduce that a little more. I can also get by most of the time at 1mg of clonazapam now that most of my stress is reduced. I am definitely more symptomatic when stress is high. I can always take more seroquel when the crap hits the fan. I will be stupid for a while, but not longterm like lamictal. I miss my periods of heightened zest for life. It feels like mild depression in a way..
Is it just the price we have pay to be safe from ourselves? Is the what it feels like to be "normal" ?

Sorry if your thread has taken a turn in the wrong direction, numbskull. But you did ask of experiences with meds.
I don't want to discourage you from finding your combo, because the reality is I probably will never be of meds either. Just still hard to except sometimes for me.

im on depakote

its taken my memory away! which is good and bad at the same time.

Lamictal.

Not sure about how I like it yet, but...

Will be getting more soon!

Yeahy :D

(Needs something for insomnia and relaxation-issues)

I thought i was the only one that this had happened to!
Since i stopped taking seroquel and tegretol about 5 weeks ago (withdrawal was hell !) My brain seems to have returned, well it's not completely left the building anymore.
I have been taking these with lamictal( and depakote until last year!) for 5 years and i never knew..

I have lost hair with sodium valporate and gone toxic( That was my old Pdocs fault. he didn't do blood tests) There has been alot more but you get the drift...

Some meds seem to effect my bipolar by making me more aggitated, i didn't think that was possible!
A couple have also made me have anger issues and by nature i am not an angry person at all, this i found very traumatic. I questioned every part of myself for a long time because i didn't know me anymore!

I have been on many meds so what have i learnt, always ask questions, make sure you have blood tests, let your doctors know of any side effects and keep,keep,keep, telling them until they understand. Stay with a med until you know it isn't working then discuss this with your docs.
At mo i'm on my way out of bad bipolar episode and change of meds.
I am currently on lamictal 500mg at night, topomax 100mg at night and lorazepam 2mg 3x aday(only 4 now)
Good luck to all!
allovertheplace

I take 1500mg of Sodium Valporate daily, increased from 1000mg
I also take 20mg of Zyprexa in the evening. i was switched to Zyprexa
because i was on Serequel XR and i was a zombie!
Zyorexa ssems to be working fine and the sodium valporate
i think i need to give more time.

Good luck!

Thanks for the replies, I saw my pdoc she still hasn't changed anything yet. still only epival. I feel nothing other then numbness I don't enjoy anything or appreciate anything my memory is gone. I'm very sad.

This post has been edited by numbskullll: Jun 15 2009, 11:22 AM

(((((((Numbskull)))))))))))

I hope you see some positive changes soon xx

Reluctantly, the Doc finally gave the go ahead to reduce Lamictal. Now I'm afraid. My wife even more so.
Dumb is better thand dangerous I suppose. I'm going to give it a little more time. The last 4 months is the most stable I've ever been, so...

Here we go, I just got a script for Celexa to add to my Epival. I'm going to cross my fingers and hope everything goes well.

That's great numbskullll.....

So no Serequel XR then afterall??

I've just started taking my first meds for cyclothymia and im on 400mg Tegretol (Carbemazapam) per day and 1mg Lorazepam for my mixed and hypomanic episodes when required. Too early to say if the Carbamazapam is working yet but the Lorazapam did a perfect job in calming me down and allowing me to sleep, which i've never been able to do when im hypomanic.

This post has been edited by find_new_ways_of_living: Jun 22 2009, 03:40 PM

I see alot of people out there are taking a AD for there bipolar, im not on any AD just a mood stablizer epilim 2000mg and also Zyprexa. mu pdoc said the AD's can make it worse for some people.
i mean i tried m any AD and they did not have a good affect as it was ment to, i have tried paxil, lexapro, and effexor XR. before i was diagnoised with bipolar I i was suffering from panic Disorder and GAD! has anyone been in the same boat???

cheers

I am on seroquel and lithium, no AD. AD's are usually prescribed when someone is in a depressive phase until they are back on track. A few people need them all the time with there other meds to stay level. There is no hard and fast rule. Everyone is different and the bipolar spectrum is huge. I get ECT when in a depressive phase because AD's don't work. Though since seroquel I haven't been in a severe depressive state so haven't had ECT for over two years now. I too get very anxious in a depressive phase.

Hope this helps Jay_Man?

I'm usually on lithium 900mg and moclobemide 600mg with Seroquel (up to 75mg) for sleep. Currently only on moclobemide and seroquel as I'm expecting a baby (today!). I experience (treatment resistant) depression far more than anything else, so have to be on an anti-depressant. I'll be going back on a mood stabiliser after I have my son...my mood has been fluctuating in the last half of my pregnancy. I'll be trying sodium valproate so I can breastfeed, but if my mood bottoms out I'll be straight back on lithium, because that with moclobemide has been my gold standard in treating the depression.

That's great silkworm that moclobemide works for you.... guess you can't be too treatment resistant after all!! All the best for the birth. That's exciting!! Let us know what you have and how it goes. Take care

200mgs of Lamictal
1.5 of Klonopin
900mg of Neurotin
5 mgs of Celexam

Lamictal was life save for me; stabilized me and killed the depression

Klonopin has been good; good for my anxiety abd stabilization.

Neurontin- who knows... LOL. Been on between 500 and 900mgs even before my Bipolar issues developed. Works well for anxiety in big doses.

Celexa has been murder for me.... Was on it for 8 years, weaned off if it and then when I tried to get back on it, kicked me into cyclomania..I wanted to get off of it initially because it was throwing me up and down during the last few years I was taking it. My bipolar disorder was starting to manisfest itself.

With every increase in Lamicatal and decrease in Celexa, I've felt more and more stable.

I get worried about the Klonopin, but after a couple serious bouts of rapid cycling, I don't care anymore.

Lithium
Zyprexa
Lexepro
Valium (hoping to start tapering off that soon but my anxiety is still really high)

Lexapro started a month ago and just went up in dose - hoping I start feeling better

Lithium got me out of a mixed state

Zyprexa helps me sleep

Hey guys! I take Lamictal 200 mg at night. That is working pretty well for me at this point.

I used to take Lithium and Wellbutrin, which worked well too, but had too many side effects. (The Lithium would make me throw up, even years later.)

It does work for me but probably wouldn't without lithium, given that it's commonly used to treat mild to moderate depression. It's the lithium augmentation that really iced the cake I think. Given that I tried high doses of efexor (side-efexor..lol) and mirtazipine it's a real blessing that this combo worked.

I had a little boy, who is an absolute delight :)...his birth was fast and furious (hospital says 3 hrs ~ stage 1 and 2 ). He is 10 weeks old now and thriving...he lights my life every single day.

Abilify-10MG
Elavil-30MG(for sleep)
Atenolol-50MG
Zoloft-100MG
Benztropine-.05MG


Treatment-2 months........but only 3 weeks stable

I have been taking 1200 mg Lithium, 300 mg Seroquel at bedtime, 1 mg Xanax 3 times a day, and 50 mg Topamax to help with the Seroquel munchies. Doesn't seem to help too much, though.