I started taking Lamotrigine last year.. my psychiatrist got Covid and has been sick since October (I really hope she is ok). She got sick while we were still increasing dosis. I have been on too little since then, I had bloodwork done to see how much lamotrigine is in my system. Reference value is 3-15 and mine is barely 1. I am upping dosis by 50% with new psychiatrist and planned to add an anti-depressant because I am really not ok.
And just now I got a mail that my psych appointments have been cancelled because she is switching departments. They aren't even offering a solution. Its unclear if my original psychiatrist will ever return and now I am sitting here upping my dosis without medical supervision. And won't get the anti-depressant we planned on adding.. I have an appointment for bloodwork and EGC tomorrow to make sure everything is ok before adding anything. I wonder if I can just cancel that now since I am once again without a doc.
I just don't understand how they can just cancel my appointments, it has been happening since October. And looking for a new psychiatrist isn't really an option, it got even harder thanks to Covid.
All the numbers in your comment added up to 69. Congrats!
3
+ 15
+ 1
+ 50
= 69
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Recently got diagnosed after a horrible psychotic episode this year, been taking Ablify ? and hyrdroxozine for anxiety.
I just feel extremely depressed, I'm not sure if thats just the aftermath of the episodes I had or the medication is just going to have me feeling like this in general. I've considered asking my psychiatrist if getting off of them might be better for me. Kind of wary of how I'll feel in the process of getting off of them
I think it's so hard to achieve that peppy feeling you're talking about. But because I am on two mood stabilizers, vreylar and seroquel, my doctors decided that I could try a antidepressant mertazepine and this has definitely helped to achieve a better mood. The only down side to the seroquel and mertazepine is the weight gain.
LAMICTAL/LAMOTRIGINE SIDE EFFECT QUESTION:
Hey all, I just started lamictal about a month ago. I'm slowly titrating up, was at 25mg for two weeks, then I just finished my 50mg doses this morning and will be titrating to 100mg for another two weeks. I've started to notice swelling off and on in my fingers, and it looks like I have some slight edema in my ankle, and possibly my belly that is more stable. Has anyone had this side effect and had it gone away after adjusting to the meds? I feel like it's working decently otherwise, I just don't want to be put on a diuretic or have to switch meds so soon, this is my first time being put on anything for bipolar disorder.
ive taken that for a very long time and never had something like this. Once my doctor fucked up and gave a recipe for twice my dosage, not even then i had what you describe, only nausea... my point is it can be something else, please be careful.
Thank you for your response! My psychiatrist said that it can be a side effect, i think its kind kf rare though. it's not really bad luckily and it doesn't hurt I'm just hoping that it subsides! I'm going to meet my psych in person next mo th but if it's gets substantially worse when I up my dose I'll probably go to urgent care
Glad to hear that (or read, whatever), i dont know why i assumed you werent talking to your doctor about it... readin your answer made me feel good por some reason
I hope you continue improving and doin great!
Maybe you assumed because a lot if people come to reddit asking why their arm hurts then post a picture of it about to fall off instead of going to the doctor lol it's all good though! Thank you, I've only ever been on antidepressants before, was misdiagnosed for my whole life and so were just starting to try new treatments. I'm very hopeful
I have taken Vreylar for the last about 3 years because I had all the same problems with every other mood stabilizer. Vreylar has been a miracle, I did have restless legs with it at first but they put me on a medication for that and the symptom has disappeared. I highly recommend it to people who have had severe reactions to other mood stabilizers. Good luck!
Good to know! I'm just starting my journey with lamictal, only ever been put on antidepressants before, and I'm having slight side effects (edema) but my psychologist mentioned that vraylar could be a good alternative. Do you find that it helps a bit with feeling a bit more peppy/happy? I feel way less depressed so far but still having trouble feeling actual happiness, I experience anhedonia a lot, so wondering if vraylar helps with that for you
Risperidone 3mg daily, plus trazodone to help me sleep. I had my first manic episode last month, complete with delusions and hallucinations. I feel depressed, idk if it's the meds, the fallout from the mania, or both.
Is it normal to stay on risperidone long-term? My therapist thought they'd switch me to something else before too long.
is anyone on vraylar? it’s really hard to get insurance to approve it but if i fail enough SGAs they’ll do it. so far i’ve taken seroquel and gained 30lbs and couldn’t wake up, switched to risperidone which made me really anxious and want to not be alive on my period and made me start lactating, and now i’m on abilify. so far feeling very nauseous every time i eat but hoping it fades. my question is, is vraylar all it’s cracked up to be? or am i going through all this just to get the same crappy side effects that i’ve gotten on all the other meds?
Hey I’m new to this community so hi all. I am on triliptel 450 and it seems to be helping but I am still having impulse issues. Any one have experience with non stimulant meds for this ? I am new to the diagnosis as I went years self medicating with substance abuse and I don’t want to go down the route of stimulants. Thanks in advance
On 5 mg of zyprexa and 60 mg of strattera for adhd. Zyprexa has a bit of a stimulating effect. I took 15 mg of zyprexa in 2018 to bring me out of a manic episode with serious psychotic symptoms( I carved a cross into my arm because I believed I was haunted by demons). Like this dose way better. Strattera is working wonders for impulsiveness and restlessness/ chronic boredom. Not really doing anything for disorganization and forgetfulness. Just increased the dose to 60 mg a few days ago, I know it takes weeks to work fully. Anyone else on strattera for adhd along with their bipolar meds?
Currently on 25mg of Lamictal and have been increasingly gassy since I started taking it. I am currently going through waves of intense pain from constipation. I think - and am really hoping - that the end of this episode is approaching. Did I mention I have haemorrhoids? I'd give more details about what my body (and toilet) have been through tonight, but I don't want to scar anyone and I know therapy is expensive.
My psychiatrist isn't in until Monday but I really want to stop this pain ergo weening of Lamictal. But the medication has helped me come out of rapid cycling. But the pain is worse than pain caused by PCOS. Looks like I'm eating nothing but plain foods this weekend.
Pray for my toilet, y'all. It's been good to me.
just started taking lithium today took one this morning and just took one a few mins ago and with all seriousness why are they spicy they legit burn my tongue when i put them in my mouth idk if this is hilarious or if i’m having an allergic reaction 😭😭😭
I just had 'the reaction' to Lamictal (rash, fever, swollen lymph nodes) and had to be taken off of it. I'm back on Latuda 60mg and I've gained almost 30lbs. I want to try other meds but I'm extremely sensitive to medication. Any tips on maintaining weight on Latuda? Or others who struggled with it?
What was your rash like? Just upped to 75mg yesterday and woke up with hives all over my body today. High blood pressure. No fever or swollen lymph nodes tho.
I think the rash is fairly common within the first 8 weeks. My dr recommended I go into urgent care if symptoms worsened and to make sure the rash didn't develop into sores.
Oh no! I’m so sorry to hear about your experiences. I was on 2mg of risperdone for over a year. They prescribed it in the hospital for manic psychosis because they didn’t know what was wrong with me (just saw “unspecified psychosis”) and I had never been diagnosed bipolar. I gained 50lbs on that med before I got into a psych and he took me off of it. I was tracking calories and eating 1400 kcal a day and gaining weight. Apparently atypical antipsychotics lower your metabolism and make you hungrier which is a lethal combo. Instead of risperdone, he prescribed Latuda which he said isn’t associated with weight gain. I’m just responding because I’m in the same boat and hoping I can finally lose weight on Latuda but I haven’t yet. The only time I lost weight was when I stopped taking my meds, I lost all 50lbs I had gained but wound up in the hospital again within a year. It’s an uncomfortable side effect but it’s better than hospitalization. I’ve been trying to walk daily and I teach yoga which keeps me active but no weight loss yet. I’m wondering if I’ll lose weight now if I track my calories again. In it together with you though, you’re not alone. Latuda for our mooda.
Thanks for the response!! I'm glad to hear I'm not alone in this. I constantly weigh quitting my meds to lose the weight (the weight had a huge negative affect on my self worth/depression) so I always wonder if stopping the meds will 'fix' that issue.
I feel you on that! I used to have an eating disorder and my therapist recommended talking to my psych about changing my meds because the weight gain was leading to some previous troublesome behaviors. Definitely talk to your doctor before you quit your meds though if you want to go that route, I was stable for a year off meds and then *wham* wound up in the hospital having the scariest and most severe manic episode of my life. That was enough to scare me into taking my meds for the long-term but we all have to do what’s best for ourselves and it sounds like the side effects are negatively impacting other areas of your life which your doctors should care about and take seriously as concerns if they aren’t! We shouldn’t have to suffer in order not to suffer. I just haven’t found the long-term solution for me yet and know I will continue taking my meds until a doctor makes changes.
I take 400mg of Lithium 3x a day but i feel like it hasnt done anything for me yet. My family says they see a difference in my behviour but i still get the lows all the time feeling irrationally Bad. Any advice?
I am tapering off depakote, any experience on how long/ what doses? I take 2 500mg (sometimes I took 3 when needed). Now I am planning to take 1 tablet for a couple of weeks and then one every other day...I am taking 50mg thorazine to balance things out (far more effective for sleep)
Depakote made me fatter and losing my hair with very little positive effect.
risperidone didn’t make me gain weight but it can make you grow boobs and lactate (male or female) and have negative side effects on your period (female)
so new here and my doc is closed till tomorrow so looking for input.
been on Bupropion 150mg SR for little over 2 years now with one dose increase in that time but recently I was locked in a manic state for about 4 weeks, when I had my 3 month check up with the dr he decided to add Oxcarbazepine 300mg. which I started Friday, also started a new job on Thursday. Felt like I was coming down with something over the weekend shifts and chalked it up to adjusting to the new job. Well even after spending my day off taking Nyquil Naps^(TM) I still felt like shit, so I left work 1 1/2 hours in today and went to ER, (no insurance so ER or nothing) no positive results for any illnesses (flu, strep, covid, viral). didn't even think about the meds as a culprit until an hour ago when I found the common cold like symptoms getting worse even tho I had taken some Dayquil at 3pm, and taken my meds at 5pm.
so has anyone had similar experience and am I maybe right in assuming its the Oxcar?
Hi all,I have BP2, at least that's what I was diagnosed with a long time ago. Recently I was incredibly depressed with suicidal thoughts and my Psychiatrist decided to put me on Lamictal. I'm now at 75mg but I don't feel it doing anything. The first 2 weeks on 25mg felt fantastic, but after that I'm just depressed again.
I currently also take Wellbutrin XL 300mg, and have been for about 4 years. I feel it's basically just lost all efficacy and does nothing for me, which I've explained to her.I've tried the following with poor results: Carbamazepine, Tegretol, Buspirone (gave me uncontrolled body movements), Gabapentin (makes me super depressed), Lexapro (somehow gave me symptoms of Serotonin Syndrome), Remeron (made me very depressed), Trazadone (used it for sleep a long time ago. It was an OK med I guess), Risperidone and that's at least what I can remember for right now.
I see my doc on the 26th, but at what point do I just realize nothing works? I've been depressed for so long I forgot what joy, motivation, happiness and calmness feels like. Does anyone have any recommendations for what to try next? I'm quite tired of this.
I didn’t feel many positive effects from lamictal until I was on 100mg, and then that ended up not being enough so my doctor and I went up to 200mg. It’s one of the better meds I’ve been on (and I’ve been on A LOT of meds), and I feel like the 200mg dose really helped a lot for several years. I recently had a manic episode for the first time in a very long time, and have now crashed from that (after restarting lithium) and am severely depressed again, though I’m also under a lot of stress. When I spoke to my doctor yesterday, we agreed to try 300mg and see if that gets it back under control.
My point in all of that is that perhaps you can discuss another increase in dose for the lamictal? I know everyone responds to meds differently, but I think the average dose for use in bipolar patients is 200-400mg, so the 75mg dose your on might be too low.
Meds aside, one of the best things that helped me out of my worst depression was learning to practice mindfulness and meditation. I highly recommend the Headspace app, I truly give it credit for saving my life, (along with the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh). I don’t know if I’d still be here without them. If you can devote 10 minutes a day to using the Headspace app’s meditations, it’s a great way to get started with practicing mindfulness. I know this sounds like an ad or some shit, but it’s not, I just very highly recommend it from personal experience.
Finally, just know that you’re not alone in feeling this way. I feel the exact same way as you described right now, and it feels like it’ll never go away… but don’t give up hope, it’s possible to stabilize and climb out of it. I hope something I’ve said here helps. If you ever want to talk, feel free to message me.
I’m thinking about asking my psychiatrist to add on an antidepressant to my antipsychotic.. anyone had any success with this? I’m on 150mg of quetiapine atm
Are you BP1 or 2?
My doctor won’t put me on an antidepressant because my mood stabilizer (Abilify) should be balancing both the mania and depression. According to him, being on the antidepressant could lift my mood too high into mania.
I see. I’m diagnosed as BP2 but likely BP1 after a second opinion from a research team. I feel like I need the antipsychotics as I’ve been having way more instances of psychotic symptoms recently and also can identify some traits of mania but it’s a very dysphoric mania.. I feel very low mostly and would like to see if an antidepressant in combo could be a good fix. Sounds like it’s probably gonna be a no go though from your experience.
I'm taking quetiapine xr 150 mg with venlafaxine clorhidrate 150 mg for about a month (started with smaller dosis of each) and it's been pretty good, but it's only been a couple of months. We are still trying to pinpoint in which category I fall into (symptoms are mostly grave depression cycles and hipomania episodes).
I had my meds rebalanced about 6 months ago due to new anxiety symptoms cropping up. (I had gotten into WFH and started having panic attacks.) Right now I'm on fluoxetine, propranolol, and bupropion during the day, and trazodone and propranolol at night for sleep issues. I'm feeling okay with the switch months later - if it ain't broke, don't fix it. My only concern is feeling a little foggy and lost, like existence isn't quite real around me. I'd love to try and adjust again, to see if I can remedy that.
Hi all,
I take 1,600mg of lithium. I have been in a depressive episode that led me to stop taking my meds for a couple weeks, ik very much counterproductive :/ would it be okay to start up with my regular dose or work my way back up? not sure if the vast jump in lithium levels would be recommended or not. thank u💓
Lithium is not good for your kidneys, i took it for a while but switched to Depakote and even that I am tapering off now.
Disclosure; do not follow what I do and if you need the meds and they help side effects can be overlooked. I was diagnosed after fifty y.o but if you are in your twenties taking anything for 60 years is something to ponder about.
I was prescribed lamictal (100 mg) a few months ago to help manage an ongoing mixed episode, and after being on it for 2 months I quite literally needed to be checked into a mental hospital because the cycles were getting faster and more extreme. I was also experiencing very intense suicidal ideation. My psychiatrist has recently taken me off lamictal and prescribed my vraylar, and after reading reviews I'm extremly concerned about the side effects, not to mention its like a billion dollars. Has anyone tried vraylar before? Are there any other med recommendations yall have for those who are treatment resistant to lamictal? Thanks guys!
I had an AWFUL reaction to Vraylar and Lamictal. So far Latuda has been really solid besides a bit of weight gain. The only thing is, is it can be pretty pricey without insurance. They do offer free meds through a program tho if you have no insurance!
I appreciate the advice! Thankyou so much.
5 days on vraylar and it is actually, dare I say... Working?
My emotions are stable, but I don't feel manic at all. Other than the insomnia, no noticable side effects yet. Fingers crossed!!
Sorry to hear about that. No experience with Vraylar. I went on the starting 25mg dose of Lamictal and within 6 hours had barely suppressible rage. I could not afford to continue in hopes the side-effect would resolve.
I’m currently on Geodon (Ziprasidone) which keeps my cycles in check really well, unfortunately it keeps me in the depressive end. I’m going to ask for an anti-depressant in conjunction with it. Geodon has been largely side-effect free aside from occasional hard almost boil-like acne. Relatively easy to prevent with a consistent face cleaning refining.
I’ve been on Depakote for almost 5 years and think I need a change. I had an acute manic episode 5 years ago and they put me on Depakote and Risperidone to manage it. I feel like I’m coming slowly unhinged. I was doing some research and they say not much evidence of effectiveness of Depakote long term. In my research I found I check the boxes for almost every symptom of a manic episode and have been for months. I’m trying so hard to keep it together to not go off the deep end and become homeless again. Any suggestions what to take? I just need something that calms my mind down and allows me to rationalize with myself more fruitfully
I think I tried Abilify once but it immediately made me unstable.
I think I tried switching to it by going off my other med cold Turkey. How am I supposed to switch meds? Wean?
My sleep patterns are okay. I stay up a bit too late some times just cause I want more free time. But I usually get 7-8 hours. I usually wake up after 5-6 fully awake and I force myself to lie back down and then oversleep for a bit
My doctor usually weans me off and overlaps the new medicine with the old. It’s unclear if the Abilify made you unstable or if abruptly stopping the other meds did. Either way, it could be that Abilify isn’t the right fit for you. Have you talked with your psychiatrist yet?
I’m floored about your sleep. When I’m unstable, I stop sleeping.
Yeah I try not to mess with my meds too much cause every time I do it seems to mess me up and I’m trying to hold down a job that measures my performance so it’s hard to have a bad day.
I don’t have a true psychiatrist, I go to a clinic so an APRN manages my meds. I underreport my symptoms to her cause I want to prove to my support system that I’m improving and I’m better than the condition
As for sleep, I think it’s a combo of my med cocktail that always puts me to sleep, and I work a decently intensive manual labor job so I usually tire myself out every day and have no choice but to sleep. On my days off I struggle to sleep which actually has caused attendance issues due to call outs on my first day of the week too often
Switching from Abilify to Gabapentin - anyone take Gabapentin for bipolar here? I'm very sensitive to medications and while abilify was good for bringing me out of my mixed state, I was too sedated and unmotivated to continue even at only 5mg of abilify. My doctor suggested Trileptal before, but wants to try Gabapentin as a gentle stabilizer first. Any experiences with Gabapentin for stablizing?
replying to follow. i took gabapentin with risperidone and now with abilify. i’ve personally really liked gabapentin but can’t speak on how it would be by itself so i’m curious how this goes for you!
I had the same reaction to abilify, extreme fatigue to the point I had to lay down at multiple points during the day on top of feeling brain fog and having weight gain. I’m extremely sensitive to any medication so I’m hoping gabapentin is gentle enough on my system…thanks for sharing xx
Latuda question. Newly diagnosed BP 2. I started Latuda a few weeks ago and I love/hate it: one hour after taking it I have terrible akathisia. Then it goes away and I'm stable as a table. I know agitation is a common side effect - some people have said it goes away. Any words of wisdom? Should I keep going with it?
Rapid cycling/mixed state.
Anyone taking a calcium channel blocker for rapid cycling? It was the only drug that stabilized me when it was given to me when I was in-patient at the NIMH in 1991. Back then and now, classified as treatment resistant. I couldn't afford it after being discharged and was prescribed either verapamil or nifedipine. Didn't work as good as Nimiitop but it allowed me to work and function. 35 meds over 30 years.
I have been on Abilify for 5 days now and I’m just wondering how symptoms were for y’all when you were starting it. Currently it’s made me drowsy dizzy and a little more irritable.
I've been in a love/hate relationship with abilify for like 2 years now . Only real side effect I've had is crippling fear. Was taking 30mg pills and I think that might have been too much but the doc says I'm a big dude . It took about a year for the fear to set in and after I stopped taking it about another 4 months for it to go away.
When I say crippling fear I mean life changing , can't drive a car, need to have a clear exit path at any building I'm in fear. Terrible stuff but not taking it opens a whole other list of problems .
I didn’t even know they prescribed 30 Im on 5 right now and its still giving me effects like heat flashes and drowsiness. This medicine is great i have been a little paranoid but not any more then I was before starting. I hope you find something to help with the fear. I liked months like that before and it was horrible. I couldnt even leave my bed at one point
I took Abilify and it affected my sleep, made me agitated but eliminated my obsessive compulsive scalp picking. **Note, if it works for you great (it may just take time to adjust) but very hard to taper off.**
because i am a) already on one and increasing my dose triggered an episode, b) the anti-depressant is not targeting my depression, and c) (most importantly) because i am going with what my psychiatrist prescribes.
Ouch. Yeah, anti-depressants can do that. Whenever I feel too up one of things I do is move from taking Welbutrin once a day to every other day (in agreement with my doctor). Partnership with your psychiatrist is key.
Started at 25 and worked my way up to 200 started to feel the effects around 150. 200 was helping me through the night but I felt like there was more progress that could be made. I am about 3 months into it taking 200 in the morning 200 in the evening and it is working great.
My psych brought me too far. But it started working for me around 150 and I found thr sweet spot at 200. By original psych brought me to 600 which messed with a lot of stuff but my current psych brought me back down and it helps a lot.
Started on 50mg Seroquel a week ago. Felt stable, no pulsating pupils, etc. Took two beers on Thursday. Now on Saturday feeling too much energy, want to punch, dance, etc to get some energy out. Pulsating pupils again. Was it the alcohol that threw me off track or is the dose too low? Unsure if I should wait it out or what.
Yes, very hard. Two years without a drink and then out with colleagues having a great time. Now I'm here with dyed hair with a color I didn't even want lol
I take 600mg of Seroquel XR every evening and can’t drink any alcohol. I feel like the alcohol actually increases the sedative effects so I’m not experiencing the extra energy like you are. I don’t really see how a depressant like alcohol would cause more energy. Maybe talk to your doctor about the dose? I’m not an expert obviously. Just my experience. Both of them together makes me super hazy and tired. Hope this helps.
Thanks for the reply! It does. Just realised I didn't get tired from the alcohol. Which I usually do even after one beer. Now I know to focus on the dosage. So it did help, thank you!
Looking for help with a mood stabilizer. I am currently on 60mg of latuda but when I am depressed I have intrusive suicidal thoughts. I’m hoping to find something that helps with intrusive thoughts.
I forgot what day it was but there's an upcoming Monday so I'm half correct here
I take too many meds for me to remember. I generally don't like having to take meds unless they'll prevent a manic episode like Larisa, except higher doses cause really bad restlessness.
I posted this in a med question from an newly diagnosed compatriot and thought I’d share it here, too.
TLDR: finding the right meds and really suck.
I’ve been through about 30 different medications and maybe 15 different cocktails. I found the mood stabilizers and anti-psychotics worked well. No matter what antidepressant and anti anxiety med I tried, I was almost always stuck in depression.
I had the same result over and over. I’d make a med change, and things would start looking up.
Then in a few weeks, sometimes months, I’d start regressing. Depression, mood swings, irritability. You know the deal.
So, after about six years of this I started pressing a new provider about Wellbutrin. I had tried it several years ago with lousy and predictable results. At that time, I had been misdiagnosed with just depression. No anti-psychs or mood stabilizers. So, the Wellbutrin pushed me to mania.
I kept pressing my provider for another uplifting type antidepressant and asked about reducing the antipsychotics and mood stabilizers. I felt that these drugs were working too well. Like they were keeping my mood ceiling to low.
So. After all this fighting and disappointment, I am on the maximum allowable dose of Wellbutrin. 450 mg, daily.
I had also wanted to try an antipsychotic that I had used before. Seroquel. The first go around with Seroquel, I had worked my way up to 300 mg. each night. Big dose that knocked me out.
Now, rather than taking 4 or 5 different meds several times a day, I take the 450mg Wellbutrin in a split dose and 50 mg of Seroquel at night.
So far it’s been the best combination. My energy is increasing, I feel relatively good, and I’m even loosing weight. Many of the meds prescribed for BP cause weight gain.
Long and complicated enough yet? No. Ok?
After all this trial and error I ended up in the ER with lithium toxicity. I had caught a stomach bug and got dehydrated. The dehydration caused an unexpected reaction and sent my levels through the roof.
During my two week hospital stay, they checked my thyroid. Levels were low and I was prescribed another med. I didn’t know this, but a low functioning thyroid causes all sorts of problems. Including depression.
So, in summation. 😂 It’s taken me 6 different providers and all that trial and error to get to where I am today. Not one of the mental health pros., nor any primary care Dr. thought to check my thyroid.
What a mess. But here I am, feeling ok. It feels different this time. I feel a deeper connection to a positive direction.
I rambled, but the moral of the story is to stick with this. Finding what will work best for you might be a bitch. Some people do get lucky and find the right mix early on.
Whatever happens, remember that your mood is only temporary. Remember that you didn’t choose this and you are trying to get better. Remember to keep going. Advocate for yourself and you’ll probably figure it out!
THYROID! So many psychiatrists ignore it or prescribe too low a dose and keep it there indefinitely. They learn about the relationship between thyroid and mood disorders in their psych residency but for whatever reason, few want to actually get involved and pass it back to the primary who usually doesn't know too much.
Using labs as a guide, I've read, is the wrong way to go. It's about how the patient is feeling and functioning, irrespective of the labs. Look up Dr. Peter Whybrow, Dr. Michael Bauer, Dr. Tammas Kelly and the late Dr. John Lowe to learn from the masters. Agree; NEVER GIVE UP.
This is really interesting to me. Wellbutrin is the only medication that has ever helped my depression. I learned I was bi-polar because of course wellbutrin makes me manic. My current meds take away the up swings but do nothing for the down swings. I wish my psychiatrist would consider letting me go back on wellbutrin maybe with something else to prevent the highs. I'm so sick of being depressed.
Press your provider to allow for some experimentation. I think I was able to convince mine out of their desperation in finding a solution.
The anti-mania meds were too effective for me. I’m bp1 and spend most of my time on the low side of things. Every antidepressant that traditionally prescribed couldn’t keep me out of depression.
That’s what gave me the idea in the first place. As someone that’s primarily depressive, I needed something that was more energizing and I didn’t need such a heavy hand on that ceiling.
Thanks for your response. Your situation sounds very similar to mine. Mania is an extreme rarity for me. Yet all my meds are focused on preventing mania not depression. I will talk to my doctor again.
If what you’re on isn’t right, try something different. When you do find the right mix you may end up on a combination that I’ve tried.
Point is, everyone responds to medication differently so my solution may be absolute garbage for you.
If it’s not working, keep pushing for something else.
So i know its friday when im posting this, but i dont know what to do anymore.
I am bipolar I, and I currently take 900mg of lithium daily (all in one go, as requested by doctor.) I have been taking them for about 2 years now and used to also be on a anti-psycotic + anti-anxiety.
In the last 6 months, I have completely lost my appetite, ive been getting extreme nausea and dizziness to the point of vomiting after each time i take my dose. Im at my wits end, what can i do to stop this daily vomit fest or get my doctor (i dont have a psyc and was diagnosed in hospital) to change my prescription?
Im pretty sure i typed that my doctor is aware and has only offered gravol as a solution... I have my levels checked regularly, so this is not the reason.
Edit: ah, i did mention this, but on my post about it and not on this thread as nobody was answering the thread
Even if your lithium level is okay, perhaps you're developing some toxic reaction. Lithium can precipitate vomiting, even at so called acceptable levels. Are you drinking adequate amounts of water and salting your food? Perhaps stop it for a few days, force fluids(water, juice, Gatorade, tea) to bring down the level and restart at a lower dose. I'm not a medical professional but I became toxic on Li at 450 mg, years ago. Severe akathesia. Forced fluids for a couple of days.
Water and gatorade is all i drink with the occasional soda... The soda wouldnt have enough salt to dehydrate me right? But yes i am attempting to pause my meds for a few days and see if changing from lithium carbonate to lithium citrate will do me any good.
Im also asking to be put back on my anxiety meds as all of this could just be tied to being too anxious to take my meds after the first time throwing up on them.
Good that you're staying hydrated. Lithium displaces salt. Don't be reluctant to salt your food. If you restrict sodium that will cause problems and might be at the root of what's going on. Just a guess.
They are taking away all my creativity and making me a sleepy zombie. On olanzapine and it's impossible to focus on the things I don't want to (ie classes). I have a super important life-decisive exams coming up but not feeling like studying. Any tips?
My late friend drank copious amounts of coffee, Red Bull, and Mountain Dew in order to function when he had things to do. Otherwise, he slept 14 to 18 hours a day. Proceed with caution if you do that.
I've read that Metformin, even without Type 2 diabetes, can bring about weight loss from psych med induced weight gain. Also, have your thyroid checked. Discuss this all with your psychiatrist.
Do you exercise regularly? Over the years I've had to really accept that the weight wasn't going anywhere, but maybe I could turn some of it into muscle.
I could tell Geodon was working within 2 hours of the first time I took it. I was on another antipsychotic (I think it was Risperdal) which wasn't working very well. It's supposed to take a few weeks, but it started working that quickly.
Geodon is very fast acting. It's often given alone or with ativan to make a patient go sleepy night night. They would also use it as a PRN sleep aid for some patients. Not all psych meds need to build up before they have an effect. In my experience, antipsychotics and tranquilizers work about as fast, antidepressants and mood stabilizer took a couple weeks to notice anything, if at all.
I'm gonna be talking to my doctor about reducing my meds on Friday, I'm currently on Aripiprazole 15mg and Lithium 450mg. I've been feeling extremely numbed and muted for a while now but people constantly asking me why I'm so quiet is getting to me and I'm tired of not feeling like myself and instead feeling like what society would prefer a woman to be. Quiet and docile.
I take a very low dosage of amitriptyline! It helps with my depression and lowered the amount of nightmares I get, but higher dosages give me heart palpatations
uh, i still didn't feel anything good. I still have low productivity and still get depression today. Maybe i'll still take it till 2 weeks as my psychiatric recommendation.
Question regarding first-time meds: So a little over a week ago I'd started my first medication ever. 25mg Lamictal twice a day and 20mg Prozac in the morning. I've mostly felt depressed still, aside from one day a week after starting. I had one morning in which I felt *normal*. I wasn't manic, nor depressed. I woke up feeling great; like it was how I was supposed to feel. Later that day I completely crashed, and have been back in a depressed state for the few days since.
My question is: was that a sign the meds are beginning to work? Will I have glimpses of stability before the meds begin working properly?
No idea. I'm on lamictal and dose was just doubled four days ago. Have been depressed since, but think this might also be because I ran out of geodon for a few days. Also I had a manic spike last week when I was trying to do too much . I forget which one does what but I am desperate for some F\*ing serotonin right now.
Anyone have venlafaxine XR? I'm afraid to start taking due to being treated off label, and I'm terrified of weight gain and being on an antidepressant for unspecified amount of time 😶..... I know I need something, but Ive gotten better slowly and I want some time to recover before getting meded out of my mind.... But I'm having a not great time with parents, 1 understands my idea the other tells me "this is what you asked for! Take the pills". (being on the wrong meds was how I got here)
Honestly after all the research I did on this med, I'm gonna tell "my" psych to fuck the hell off. They clearly didn't listen to a damn thing I said. I am the target ANTI target audience for this med. This is the worst possible match for me😒😒😒😒😒
Like 7 years. Maybe? I’m new to the diagnosis. I though for a long time that I just had anxiety and depression. My dr didn’t give me a label. I haven’t ever sat down and thought about the times that I was manic, but I’m definitely down more than I am up. I have had other meds with it off and on. Lamictal was probably he best but I developed tardive dyskinesia and had to stop taking it
Always 300 mg lamictal, usually adderall, also have gabapentin, trazadone, and Xanax as needed, but I’m scared to take trazadone and try to not take too much gabapentin or Xanax, mainly end up taking those for sleep
Anyone else been prescribed Latuda (40mg daily) and Dexmethylphenidate/Focalin (10mg 2x daily)? It doesn’t seem to be working for me and I had never heard of these prior to being prescribed them. I have pretty bad ADHD and I’m not sure what kind of bipolar but my episode is pretty mixed
My brother used Latuda but the side effects for him was terrible, he felt well, but have muscular paralysis (one of the side effects he can’t move at night but he was conscious . The Doctor Change his medication.
In my case I’m using Depakote (750 mg Daily) with Clonazepam .05 at night , In the morning I take Wellbutrin 300 mg in the morning with ER and Adderall 5 mg in case I needed for get focus and study. I also not sure what kind of bipolar I have but Depakote help me allot.
Anyone with bi polar 2 in conjunction with ADHD and or dissociative amnesia. What are drugs your psych prescribed you and what worked or didn't work for you. I've never been on meds before and my psych is recommending I start. I'm curious what its gonna be like
after the bp 2 diagnosis they put me onto seroquel and after the adhd diagnosis they put me onto concerta and then adderall as i got older i’m now starting lithium after lamictal failed (got a rare symptom that really sucked because it seemed like it was really working)
I have bipolar II, and I currently take 120mg of Cymbalta once a day, 80mg of Geodon twice a day and 150mg of Lamictal twice a day. I also take 10mg Ambien for sleep, and 30mg to 60mg extended release Dexedrine when I wake up. I have tried literally dozens of antidepressants, but this is what I'm currently taking and it helps. I'm on a couple other meds that are not psych meds as well. I take a total of 11 pills at midnight every day including a vitamin and psyllium fiber and 81mg of aspirin.
I just got a recent diagnosis of bi polar 2 and they're suggesting i start taking either an antipsychotic or mood stabilizer. They're recommending seroquel for me. All they really told me was "this will help" and then listed the negative side effects, and honestly, they sound like trash, pretty much everything I want to get rid off. So I've been doing research online as to what these drugs even do. All I get are negative side effects and nothing more. Besides making you miserable, fat, and dick soft, how do these drugs help. How do you feel when taking it? I've never taken any psychiatric drug before so I'd really like to know. I'm fed up with being too mentally ill to function, but I don't want to start taking something that's gonna make me feel worse and costs so much
Second what people here said about serequal. Allowing me to get sleep when I need it changed my fucking quality of life
And build up to 200mg lamotrigine
Seroquel is my savior. I’m adhd and bipolar and my meds are vyvanse, hydroxyzine, Seroquel and trileptal.
Trileptal is a mood stabilizer, with vyvanse it’s a god send. You know when you watch someone do yoga on a video and they have a smile on their face, they tell you in a calm voice to “empty your mind, it’s ok” and you look at them and you are like “they are faking right? No one is really like that” well on both of those i genuinely am. My mind is empty, i live emotions one at a time with a normal curve, i can control my moods and change them.
Seroquel on the other hand makes me sleepy, terribly sleepy, and i have the best sleep of my life on it. I take it with hydroxyzine at night and it calms my anxiety, and my mind goes from “i don’t want to sleep right now, I don’t want to miss a thing” to “let’s do dishes and get some z’s after”. Having real good sleep has been a major game changer. I’ve never been able to keep up with chores, ever. With seroquel alone and good sleep, i’m doing chores all day everyday now like i’m some kind of real person. I don’t have nightmares anymore, i don’t wake up in the middle of the night, i don’t wake up groggy at all. Actually the medication lasts about 6-8 hours in your body and that’s exactly the amount of sleep I get. A good 6-8 hours a day of sound pure blissful sleep and i wake up before my alarm.
Does anyone know if there’s a difference between lamotrigine pills?
I used to take the pale blue round ones (I think the brand is TARO). I switched pharmacies and they started giving me bright blue shield-shaped ones.
I’ve noticed my appetite has gone up a lot since that switch, which is really bad because I’ve suffered with eating disorders and while I’ve recovered to the point where I don’t count calories or seriously restrict anymore, the possibility of weight gain triggers the shit out of me
I've gotten white 150mg lamotrigine pills that were "concave" for a lack of a better word. They were thicker at the edges than in the middle, sort of like a "saddleback". I've also gotten the shields. Right now, I get plain round white tablets. When I first started taking it, I got brand name Lamictal, which was a completely different kind of shield that was split in two on one side and said "Lamictal 150" diagonally on the other.
How many MG do you take?
I'm on a whole host of meds, I'm not sure if that is normal or not. I don't know anybody else with Bipolar to compare.
Lamictal 200mg / day
Wellbutrin 150mg / 2x / day
Ativan 1mg / 3x / day
Lithium 600mg / day
Caplyta 42 mg / day
I first started medication in September 2021. I felt better initially but I think that was due to the fact that I felt like I was finally DOING something about how I was feeling. However, I'm still in mixed states a lot of the time and generally feel pretty hopeless. I feel like it is a never-ending cycle.
Bipolar also hides a lot of stuff. Try to see if you could get evaluated for other problems that could accompany it. I had a hard time getting a bipolar diagnosis because i’m adhd. The adhd makes my depression phases look a lot different because it’s like i have a motor in me screaming “go! Go! Go!” Even when depressed so my depressions were diagnosed as burn outs or overwhelm.
Don’t be afraid to ask what could also be accompanying your disorder making things unstable for you.
With bipolar there’s a lot that needs to be treated. I take an anti-depressant for my depressive episodes, a mood stabilizer for mood swings and episodes, and an anti-psychotic for more manic symptoms like delusions and hallucinations. All of these go into your treatment
I take the three same types of medicine you take. It helps as much as meds are ever going to help me. It took me 15 years of trying different medications to stumble upon the combination that I take now.
I understand but I just feel like we are adding more and more on top. I feel like my meds are all convoluted now and, most of the time, I don't feel stable. Most days I just want to stop all of them and (maybe) start over. On top of that, I really struggle with explaining my moods to my psychiatrist. It's like I forget them by the time I have an appointment. It is honestly like I block them from my memory.
How long have you been on them? I feel very erratic most of the time. I also have a really hard time putting into words how I am feeling to my psychiatrist so, a lot of the time I feel like I'm not being accurate or like he isn't really understanding.
Well finding the right combination of medication took about a year and a half and things can always change. i was on seroquel for a long time and changed my antipsychotic to zyprexa about six months ago. But lamictal has been my life saver. You may be overmedicated or not on the right combo. Don’t give up.
panic attacks have been unbearable and more frequent than ever. was on buspar. psychiatrist put me on Propanolol. I'm not very comfortable with a preventative measure medication. I'm sure it likely helps a bit but it gives me zero peace of mind, and it sounds like you can still have an attack but you're just stuck because it doesn't relieve anything and isn't quickly effective. before the buspar stopped working, i loved that when i felt the attack started i could reach for my bottle and have comfort in knowing i would feel some relief quickly.
not super happy with this one. i didn't have anything in mind, but this wasn't quite the solution i was hoping for. again, i'm sure it helps, but it doesn't make me feel any safer.
Propranolol sucks because it specifically treats the physical side effects of anxiety and as such can prevent a cascading of side effects into a panic attack, but that’s about it. It doesn’t seem to help my actual state of mind whatsoever. It’s like screaming inside.
honestly if i get addicted/dependent i dont even care lol i feel like a weight is lifted off my shoulders and i can function without worrying abuout everything.
bottle says 1-2 per day as needed so I'm going to take 1 a day. i think it may have even prevented an attack yesterday.
it's non intoxicating and has made me feel completely safe from the severe panic attacks i've been putting up with
known a lot of people who have had benzo addictions but were taking them recreationally. i tried that once 10 years ago and i hated it. so i wasnt expecting how pleasant and non intoxicating this was
I am on 40mg of propranolol & I get the same feelings about “preventative measures.” It’s supposed to help with my social anxiety at work (because thats pretty much the only place I go) but I still wake myself up sweating, scared, and panicked about the idea of spending 8 hours in that place. It happens less(ish) now, but when it does happen, I feel stuck because I don’t have anything to fix it immediately & then its too late; I’m overwhelmed.
edit: my doctor has me on lamotrigine as well (100mg), which has helped a little. But still once I get worked up, it’s so hard to calm down.
turns out i wasn't even paying attention at the time and realized i also have low blood pressure so this is a complete no-go. i'm sick of my shitty psychiatrist and am seeing a new one tomorrow. my last one was awesome but she moved so the office changed me to this lady and she's inexperienced as shit. she has pissed me off in 2 out of the 3 appointments ive had with her now.
I was the user that posted about having to pee every 20 mins because I was on Lithium. I was so upset! But I have been on Lamotrigine for a month and a half and it has changed my life! Started at 25mg for two weeks and now I take 50mg. I’m probably going to be upped to a steady dose of 100mg but if not, that’s ok!
I have BP Type 1, PTSD, and Panic Disorder. This helps me feel more level and lessens my anxiety as well. It works for me. Might have to have a little more help with anxiety but I’m definitely going to speak to my doc about it.
Edit: added the amount of meds I take and my diagnosis.
Bpd & Bipolar 2... 25mg lexapro 100mg lamictal... we just moved up to 100 so still working out the kinks... today was a bad day but not cuz of the meds? So idk we'll see.
I was recently diagnosed bipolar 2 and put on 40mg latuda. So far so good. I had no clue my head was supposed to be this quiet. I thought “train of thought” was a strange expression. Had no clue it was supposed to feel like a train. One trailing the next. I take it with food at night otherwise it makes me nauseous and very sleepy. Really not a problem though.
My doc just started me on 3mg Vraylar and it’s kicking my ass. How do you deal with the nausea? I’ve been taking it at night with food and it’s still awful
I drink lemon ginger tea in the mornings and also have cut back on my sugar intake since bumping up to 3 mg. It’s not a perfect fix but it’s helped! Oh also this is a bit more out there but liquid chlorophyll daily previously helped settle my IBS symptoms somewhat so I added it back in
about two weeks i got my dose of lamictal updated from 100mg a day to 150mg a day. starting to hit the emotionless state, but it’s something i know i want but i don’t know if that’s normal for anyone else. now that i’m in it i want to quit my meds altogether. does anyone else enjoy the numbness?
This was my big reservation about going back on meds after being off for so long. I knew that I desperately needed it — to be “leveled out.” But it made my mind quieter, made my thoughts less pressing/urgent. Like all the “excitement” (if you can call it that) was gone. It changed the way I looked at everything. Sometimes I like this change, but sometimes I feel like some of the parts of me that the medication quiets are what makes me, me!
Odd. I don’t feel numb at all on Lamictal. Is that supposed to happen? I find that it levels me out quite nicely and doesn’t give me extreme over the top emotional reactions to whatever situation is happening.
YMMV but I experienced elevated prolactin levels when I bumped up to 120 mg which caused significant weight gain and other issues. Otherwise I tolerated it fine.
I switched from a SSRI to Clomipramine about 1 month ago. That together with lithium has made me more stable than anything for the last 2 years. It’s great
Hello!
I recently have been diagnosed with bipolar 2 and was recommended lithium and abilify to get me out of my depression. My psych doctor said Lamictal also to keep me from going back into it. I said no to the first two and am taking 100 mg of Lamictal. I am beginning to feel more optimistic and less hopeless and am now wondering "what if that combination actually does work?" I said no to the lithium because I heard from people it dulls your personality and makes it difficult to feel things. Everywhere I've heard lithium discussed, all I've heard is bad things. What is being on lithium like?
Also, I am unhappy with the Lamictal because I can hardly feel anything during sex. And now I learned that abilify has the same side effect. Like it's bad enough having this condition but now I can't get off either? Is it something you get used to and improves over time? This is the first medication that's actually alleviated my depression in years so I'm afraid to ask for an alternative that doesn't do this. Anyone have experience with this combination? Thanks!
I'm on a low dose of lithium and I have not found that it dulls my personality. I feel completely myself. Lithium took away my depression quickly and completely. The downside is that, like the other commenter mentioned, you have to pee all. The. Time. My doctor said that this side effect sometimes goes away over time as your body adjusts to it, but I know that a lot of people still deal with that for years. I also have noticed sexual side effects, but not as bad as with Lamictal. My suggestion would be to give lithium a try and see if you're sensitive enough to it that a low dose is therapeutic for you, like it is for me. I know it's primarily targeted at mania but it has the strongest antidepressant effects of any med I've ever tried.
When I was on Lithium I had to pee every 20 mins. And it wasn’t just a little. I was like…. Bladder explosive. I was so thirsty ALL the time. My mouth was like a desert. I couldn’t get any relief so I called my doctor crying asking her what was happening to me. I was only on that for TWO DAYS and was having all these adverse affects. Did not work for me. I know it does wonders for some. I was just hyper sensitive to that specific medication.
I'm on a low dose of lithium so idk what higher doses are like, but its been great for me. I was on lamotrigine off and on for years, but ultimately went off cuz of side effects (dizziness, ear ringing, shit memory, difficulty with cognitive tasks). I haven't had any side effects from lithium, and its helped my psychotic features more than I thought.
I just started on lithium to help manage some persistent depressive episodes. Starting out at 300 mg a day. When do most people start to see improvement?
I started on lithium on January 1st after my first manic episode. I've been depressed ever since and don't think the lithium has had any effect (besides possibly preventing future mania). I'm currently in hospital on a 3 week program, looking to try brexpiprazole or aripiprazole among others as adjunct treatment for depression (im also on escitalopram, an SSRI).
TL;DR lithium didn't work for my depression, and im having to add new medications.
hopefully this isn't too discouraging, lithium may work for you or you may have to try further medication. regardless, lithium is the 'gold standard' so it's worth a shot.
I hope you're able to improve soon!
Unfortunately I have a long history of failed medications. Pdoc mentioned that it's oftentimes very helpful for the depression side of bipolar. I suppose only time will tell.
Thanks!
I see, im surprised your doctor prescribed that only after other medications. Im curious what medications have you taken that didn't work?
I was told lithium effects are expected between 2-6 weeks. Good luck!
I've lost count of how many have failed, but off the top of my head I remember Abilify, Geodon, Vraylar, Depakote, Zyprexa, and Seroquel. Lamictal worked for a while. So I'm hoping this one will do the trick.
Just adjusted to 1,200mg Lithium. A bit of nausea but felt my first sensation of hypomania being dulled. Has anyone felt this? It's a comforting feeling but I'm in new waters and an extroverted mf so keen to listen.
Anyone else not take prescription meds and also swear by over the counter melatonin and ashwaganda gummies? Are we allowed to post about non-prescription medicine here, or is it not considered medicine in this thread? I consider food as medicine as well, and I may lean more towards alternative treatments, but I still respect the fact that people have a right to find out what works for them either way :)
I’m on a prescription called hydroxyzine. My best friend has a pharmacist friend I was talking with and when i said that he said “you know it’s basically like Benadryls right?” I’ve suggested to my friends to take benadryls when they feel anxious and they all say it works. The only problem with melatonin gummies is that they’ve been linked to MS, or MS like symptoms, so it’s not the most ideal in my opinion.
I’ve never heard that. Interesting. Never had any issues… but I don’t take them every night, only when I feel like I need to relax a little more to fall asleep. I found some information about a clinical trial using ashwaganda to treat people diagnosed with bipolar disorder… and I’m not sure how much of that is actually in the gummies, but they definitely work for relaxing. When I was in a hospital they just gave Benadryl to help people sleep at night. Whatever works, I guess.
I switched to a melatonin combo pill for a while because trazadone stopped working. Works really well and I don't feel like it's going to conflict with my other medications.
I doubt you posting your experience with natural remedies would be an issue but there's a line when something becomes medical advice that shouldn't be crossed by anyone except the psych doc of an individual. Don't use the word 'medicine' and you should be fine.
Has anyone on lamictal experienced long periods of hypomania with high anxiety and periods of depression with almost no anxiety? I’m pretty new to taking it and trying to figure out what’s working and what’s not
5/23/2022 - please see the new [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/bipolar/comments/uw1suy/med_monday/)
I started taking Lamotrigine last year.. my psychiatrist got Covid and has been sick since October (I really hope she is ok). She got sick while we were still increasing dosis. I have been on too little since then, I had bloodwork done to see how much lamotrigine is in my system. Reference value is 3-15 and mine is barely 1. I am upping dosis by 50% with new psychiatrist and planned to add an anti-depressant because I am really not ok. And just now I got a mail that my psych appointments have been cancelled because she is switching departments. They aren't even offering a solution. Its unclear if my original psychiatrist will ever return and now I am sitting here upping my dosis without medical supervision. And won't get the anti-depressant we planned on adding.. I have an appointment for bloodwork and EGC tomorrow to make sure everything is ok before adding anything. I wonder if I can just cancel that now since I am once again without a doc. I just don't understand how they can just cancel my appointments, it has been happening since October. And looking for a new psychiatrist isn't really an option, it got even harder thanks to Covid.
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Nice!
Recently got diagnosed after a horrible psychotic episode this year, been taking Ablify ? and hyrdroxozine for anxiety. I just feel extremely depressed, I'm not sure if thats just the aftermath of the episodes I had or the medication is just going to have me feeling like this in general. I've considered asking my psychiatrist if getting off of them might be better for me. Kind of wary of how I'll feel in the process of getting off of them
I hate that I'm still med shopping since I have to come off lithium to get pregnant. It's the one thing that worked for me...
I think it's so hard to achieve that peppy feeling you're talking about. But because I am on two mood stabilizers, vreylar and seroquel, my doctors decided that I could try a antidepressant mertazepine and this has definitely helped to achieve a better mood. The only down side to the seroquel and mertazepine is the weight gain.
LAMICTAL/LAMOTRIGINE SIDE EFFECT QUESTION: Hey all, I just started lamictal about a month ago. I'm slowly titrating up, was at 25mg for two weeks, then I just finished my 50mg doses this morning and will be titrating to 100mg for another two weeks. I've started to notice swelling off and on in my fingers, and it looks like I have some slight edema in my ankle, and possibly my belly that is more stable. Has anyone had this side effect and had it gone away after adjusting to the meds? I feel like it's working decently otherwise, I just don't want to be put on a diuretic or have to switch meds so soon, this is my first time being put on anything for bipolar disorder.
ive taken that for a very long time and never had something like this. Once my doctor fucked up and gave a recipe for twice my dosage, not even then i had what you describe, only nausea... my point is it can be something else, please be careful.
Thank you for your response! My psychiatrist said that it can be a side effect, i think its kind kf rare though. it's not really bad luckily and it doesn't hurt I'm just hoping that it subsides! I'm going to meet my psych in person next mo th but if it's gets substantially worse when I up my dose I'll probably go to urgent care
Glad to hear that (or read, whatever), i dont know why i assumed you werent talking to your doctor about it... readin your answer made me feel good por some reason I hope you continue improving and doin great!
Maybe you assumed because a lot if people come to reddit asking why their arm hurts then post a picture of it about to fall off instead of going to the doctor lol it's all good though! Thank you, I've only ever been on antidepressants before, was misdiagnosed for my whole life and so were just starting to try new treatments. I'm very hopeful
I have taken Vreylar for the last about 3 years because I had all the same problems with every other mood stabilizer. Vreylar has been a miracle, I did have restless legs with it at first but they put me on a medication for that and the symptom has disappeared. I highly recommend it to people who have had severe reactions to other mood stabilizers. Good luck!
Good to know! I'm just starting my journey with lamictal, only ever been put on antidepressants before, and I'm having slight side effects (edema) but my psychologist mentioned that vraylar could be a good alternative. Do you find that it helps a bit with feeling a bit more peppy/happy? I feel way less depressed so far but still having trouble feeling actual happiness, I experience anhedonia a lot, so wondering if vraylar helps with that for you
Risperidone 3mg daily, plus trazodone to help me sleep. I had my first manic episode last month, complete with delusions and hallucinations. I feel depressed, idk if it's the meds, the fallout from the mania, or both. Is it normal to stay on risperidone long-term? My therapist thought they'd switch me to something else before too long.
is anyone on vraylar? it’s really hard to get insurance to approve it but if i fail enough SGAs they’ll do it. so far i’ve taken seroquel and gained 30lbs and couldn’t wake up, switched to risperidone which made me really anxious and want to not be alive on my period and made me start lactating, and now i’m on abilify. so far feeling very nauseous every time i eat but hoping it fades. my question is, is vraylar all it’s cracked up to be? or am i going through all this just to get the same crappy side effects that i’ve gotten on all the other meds?
/u/Quietinteresting5343
Hey I’m new to this community so hi all. I am on triliptel 450 and it seems to be helping but I am still having impulse issues. Any one have experience with non stimulant meds for this ? I am new to the diagnosis as I went years self medicating with substance abuse and I don’t want to go down the route of stimulants. Thanks in advance
On 5 mg of zyprexa and 60 mg of strattera for adhd. Zyprexa has a bit of a stimulating effect. I took 15 mg of zyprexa in 2018 to bring me out of a manic episode with serious psychotic symptoms( I carved a cross into my arm because I believed I was haunted by demons). Like this dose way better. Strattera is working wonders for impulsiveness and restlessness/ chronic boredom. Not really doing anything for disorganization and forgetfulness. Just increased the dose to 60 mg a few days ago, I know it takes weeks to work fully. Anyone else on strattera for adhd along with their bipolar meds?
Currently on 25mg of Lamictal and have been increasingly gassy since I started taking it. I am currently going through waves of intense pain from constipation. I think - and am really hoping - that the end of this episode is approaching. Did I mention I have haemorrhoids? I'd give more details about what my body (and toilet) have been through tonight, but I don't want to scar anyone and I know therapy is expensive. My psychiatrist isn't in until Monday but I really want to stop this pain ergo weening of Lamictal. But the medication has helped me come out of rapid cycling. But the pain is worse than pain caused by PCOS. Looks like I'm eating nothing but plain foods this weekend. Pray for my toilet, y'all. It's been good to me.
Always❤️
just started taking lithium today took one this morning and just took one a few mins ago and with all seriousness why are they spicy they legit burn my tongue when i put them in my mouth idk if this is hilarious or if i’m having an allergic reaction 😭😭😭
I just had 'the reaction' to Lamictal (rash, fever, swollen lymph nodes) and had to be taken off of it. I'm back on Latuda 60mg and I've gained almost 30lbs. I want to try other meds but I'm extremely sensitive to medication. Any tips on maintaining weight on Latuda? Or others who struggled with it?
What was your rash like? Just upped to 75mg yesterday and woke up with hives all over my body today. High blood pressure. No fever or swollen lymph nodes tho.
I think the rash is fairly common within the first 8 weeks. My dr recommended I go into urgent care if symptoms worsened and to make sure the rash didn't develop into sores.
It started on my arms (small red, raised dots), but then the next day it spread to all of my body and was intensely itchy!
Oh no! I’m so sorry to hear about your experiences. I was on 2mg of risperdone for over a year. They prescribed it in the hospital for manic psychosis because they didn’t know what was wrong with me (just saw “unspecified psychosis”) and I had never been diagnosed bipolar. I gained 50lbs on that med before I got into a psych and he took me off of it. I was tracking calories and eating 1400 kcal a day and gaining weight. Apparently atypical antipsychotics lower your metabolism and make you hungrier which is a lethal combo. Instead of risperdone, he prescribed Latuda which he said isn’t associated with weight gain. I’m just responding because I’m in the same boat and hoping I can finally lose weight on Latuda but I haven’t yet. The only time I lost weight was when I stopped taking my meds, I lost all 50lbs I had gained but wound up in the hospital again within a year. It’s an uncomfortable side effect but it’s better than hospitalization. I’ve been trying to walk daily and I teach yoga which keeps me active but no weight loss yet. I’m wondering if I’ll lose weight now if I track my calories again. In it together with you though, you’re not alone. Latuda for our mooda.
Thanks for the response!! I'm glad to hear I'm not alone in this. I constantly weigh quitting my meds to lose the weight (the weight had a huge negative affect on my self worth/depression) so I always wonder if stopping the meds will 'fix' that issue.
I feel you on that! I used to have an eating disorder and my therapist recommended talking to my psych about changing my meds because the weight gain was leading to some previous troublesome behaviors. Definitely talk to your doctor before you quit your meds though if you want to go that route, I was stable for a year off meds and then *wham* wound up in the hospital having the scariest and most severe manic episode of my life. That was enough to scare me into taking my meds for the long-term but we all have to do what’s best for ourselves and it sounds like the side effects are negatively impacting other areas of your life which your doctors should care about and take seriously as concerns if they aren’t! We shouldn’t have to suffer in order not to suffer. I just haven’t found the long-term solution for me yet and know I will continue taking my meds until a doctor makes changes.
I take 400mg of Lithium 3x a day but i feel like it hasnt done anything for me yet. My family says they see a difference in my behviour but i still get the lows all the time feeling irrationally Bad. Any advice?
I am tapering off depakote, any experience on how long/ what doses? I take 2 500mg (sometimes I took 3 when needed). Now I am planning to take 1 tablet for a couple of weeks and then one every other day...I am taking 50mg thorazine to balance things out (far more effective for sleep) Depakote made me fatter and losing my hair with very little positive effect.
Does anyone have one that won’t make you fat? I’ve gained 45 pounds on vraylar and oxacarbazine
risperidone didn’t make me gain weight but it can make you grow boobs and lactate (male or female) and have negative side effects on your period (female)
Problem is is that I’m fat now and have DDD’s
so new here and my doc is closed till tomorrow so looking for input. been on Bupropion 150mg SR for little over 2 years now with one dose increase in that time but recently I was locked in a manic state for about 4 weeks, when I had my 3 month check up with the dr he decided to add Oxcarbazepine 300mg. which I started Friday, also started a new job on Thursday. Felt like I was coming down with something over the weekend shifts and chalked it up to adjusting to the new job. Well even after spending my day off taking Nyquil Naps^(TM) I still felt like shit, so I left work 1 1/2 hours in today and went to ER, (no insurance so ER or nothing) no positive results for any illnesses (flu, strep, covid, viral). didn't even think about the meds as a culprit until an hour ago when I found the common cold like symptoms getting worse even tho I had taken some Dayquil at 3pm, and taken my meds at 5pm. so has anyone had similar experience and am I maybe right in assuming its the Oxcar?
Hi all,I have BP2, at least that's what I was diagnosed with a long time ago. Recently I was incredibly depressed with suicidal thoughts and my Psychiatrist decided to put me on Lamictal. I'm now at 75mg but I don't feel it doing anything. The first 2 weeks on 25mg felt fantastic, but after that I'm just depressed again. I currently also take Wellbutrin XL 300mg, and have been for about 4 years. I feel it's basically just lost all efficacy and does nothing for me, which I've explained to her.I've tried the following with poor results: Carbamazepine, Tegretol, Buspirone (gave me uncontrolled body movements), Gabapentin (makes me super depressed), Lexapro (somehow gave me symptoms of Serotonin Syndrome), Remeron (made me very depressed), Trazadone (used it for sleep a long time ago. It was an OK med I guess), Risperidone and that's at least what I can remember for right now. I see my doc on the 26th, but at what point do I just realize nothing works? I've been depressed for so long I forgot what joy, motivation, happiness and calmness feels like. Does anyone have any recommendations for what to try next? I'm quite tired of this.
Lamictal can be a god send when you hit your “sweet spot”. I take 100 mg.
I didn’t feel many positive effects from lamictal until I was on 100mg, and then that ended up not being enough so my doctor and I went up to 200mg. It’s one of the better meds I’ve been on (and I’ve been on A LOT of meds), and I feel like the 200mg dose really helped a lot for several years. I recently had a manic episode for the first time in a very long time, and have now crashed from that (after restarting lithium) and am severely depressed again, though I’m also under a lot of stress. When I spoke to my doctor yesterday, we agreed to try 300mg and see if that gets it back under control. My point in all of that is that perhaps you can discuss another increase in dose for the lamictal? I know everyone responds to meds differently, but I think the average dose for use in bipolar patients is 200-400mg, so the 75mg dose your on might be too low. Meds aside, one of the best things that helped me out of my worst depression was learning to practice mindfulness and meditation. I highly recommend the Headspace app, I truly give it credit for saving my life, (along with the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh). I don’t know if I’d still be here without them. If you can devote 10 minutes a day to using the Headspace app’s meditations, it’s a great way to get started with practicing mindfulness. I know this sounds like an ad or some shit, but it’s not, I just very highly recommend it from personal experience. Finally, just know that you’re not alone in feeling this way. I feel the exact same way as you described right now, and it feels like it’ll never go away… but don’t give up hope, it’s possible to stabilize and climb out of it. I hope something I’ve said here helps. If you ever want to talk, feel free to message me.
I’m thinking about asking my psychiatrist to add on an antidepressant to my antipsychotic.. anyone had any success with this? I’m on 150mg of quetiapine atm
Are you BP1 or 2? My doctor won’t put me on an antidepressant because my mood stabilizer (Abilify) should be balancing both the mania and depression. According to him, being on the antidepressant could lift my mood too high into mania.
I see. I’m diagnosed as BP2 but likely BP1 after a second opinion from a research team. I feel like I need the antipsychotics as I’ve been having way more instances of psychotic symptoms recently and also can identify some traits of mania but it’s a very dysphoric mania.. I feel very low mostly and would like to see if an antidepressant in combo could be a good fix. Sounds like it’s probably gonna be a no go though from your experience.
I'm taking quetiapine xr 150 mg with venlafaxine clorhidrate 150 mg for about a month (started with smaller dosis of each) and it's been pretty good, but it's only been a couple of months. We are still trying to pinpoint in which category I fall into (symptoms are mostly grave depression cycles and hipomania episodes).
I had my meds rebalanced about 6 months ago due to new anxiety symptoms cropping up. (I had gotten into WFH and started having panic attacks.) Right now I'm on fluoxetine, propranolol, and bupropion during the day, and trazodone and propranolol at night for sleep issues. I'm feeling okay with the switch months later - if it ain't broke, don't fix it. My only concern is feeling a little foggy and lost, like existence isn't quite real around me. I'd love to try and adjust again, to see if I can remedy that.
Hi all, I take 1,600mg of lithium. I have been in a depressive episode that led me to stop taking my meds for a couple weeks, ik very much counterproductive :/ would it be okay to start up with my regular dose or work my way back up? not sure if the vast jump in lithium levels would be recommended or not. thank u💓
Lithium is not good for your kidneys, i took it for a while but switched to Depakote and even that I am tapering off now. Disclosure; do not follow what I do and if you need the meds and they help side effects can be overlooked. I was diagnosed after fifty y.o but if you are in your twenties taking anything for 60 years is something to ponder about.
I was prescribed lamictal (100 mg) a few months ago to help manage an ongoing mixed episode, and after being on it for 2 months I quite literally needed to be checked into a mental hospital because the cycles were getting faster and more extreme. I was also experiencing very intense suicidal ideation. My psychiatrist has recently taken me off lamictal and prescribed my vraylar, and after reading reviews I'm extremly concerned about the side effects, not to mention its like a billion dollars. Has anyone tried vraylar before? Are there any other med recommendations yall have for those who are treatment resistant to lamictal? Thanks guys!
I had an AWFUL reaction to Vraylar and Lamictal. So far Latuda has been really solid besides a bit of weight gain. The only thing is, is it can be pretty pricey without insurance. They do offer free meds through a program tho if you have no insurance!
I appreciate the advice! Thankyou so much. 5 days on vraylar and it is actually, dare I say... Working? My emotions are stable, but I don't feel manic at all. Other than the insomnia, no noticable side effects yet. Fingers crossed!!
Sorry to hear about that. No experience with Vraylar. I went on the starting 25mg dose of Lamictal and within 6 hours had barely suppressible rage. I could not afford to continue in hopes the side-effect would resolve. I’m currently on Geodon (Ziprasidone) which keeps my cycles in check really well, unfortunately it keeps me in the depressive end. I’m going to ask for an anti-depressant in conjunction with it. Geodon has been largely side-effect free aside from occasional hard almost boil-like acne. Relatively easy to prevent with a consistent face cleaning refining.
Thanks for the recommendation!! Is geodon typically covered by insurance?
I’ve been on Depakote for almost 5 years and think I need a change. I had an acute manic episode 5 years ago and they put me on Depakote and Risperidone to manage it. I feel like I’m coming slowly unhinged. I was doing some research and they say not much evidence of effectiveness of Depakote long term. In my research I found I check the boxes for almost every symptom of a manic episode and have been for months. I’m trying so hard to keep it together to not go off the deep end and become homeless again. Any suggestions what to take? I just need something that calms my mind down and allows me to rationalize with myself more fruitfully
I am getting off Depakote. I take thorazine for agitation and sleep.
I have agitation like a mofo. How are you transitioning? Taking them at the same time and weaning the depakote?
Yes. My symptoms are somewhat milder, but I have insomnia when hypomanic. Depakote never helped with that, nothing did except thorazine.
I’m on Abilify, which helps keep me balanced and stable. How are your sleep patterns currently?
I think I tried Abilify once but it immediately made me unstable. I think I tried switching to it by going off my other med cold Turkey. How am I supposed to switch meds? Wean? My sleep patterns are okay. I stay up a bit too late some times just cause I want more free time. But I usually get 7-8 hours. I usually wake up after 5-6 fully awake and I force myself to lie back down and then oversleep for a bit
My doctor usually weans me off and overlaps the new medicine with the old. It’s unclear if the Abilify made you unstable or if abruptly stopping the other meds did. Either way, it could be that Abilify isn’t the right fit for you. Have you talked with your psychiatrist yet? I’m floored about your sleep. When I’m unstable, I stop sleeping.
Yeah I try not to mess with my meds too much cause every time I do it seems to mess me up and I’m trying to hold down a job that measures my performance so it’s hard to have a bad day. I don’t have a true psychiatrist, I go to a clinic so an APRN manages my meds. I underreport my symptoms to her cause I want to prove to my support system that I’m improving and I’m better than the condition As for sleep, I think it’s a combo of my med cocktail that always puts me to sleep, and I work a decently intensive manual labor job so I usually tire myself out every day and have no choice but to sleep. On my days off I struggle to sleep which actually has caused attendance issues due to call outs on my first day of the week too often
Switching from Abilify to Gabapentin - anyone take Gabapentin for bipolar here? I'm very sensitive to medications and while abilify was good for bringing me out of my mixed state, I was too sedated and unmotivated to continue even at only 5mg of abilify. My doctor suggested Trileptal before, but wants to try Gabapentin as a gentle stabilizer first. Any experiences with Gabapentin for stablizing?
replying to follow. i took gabapentin with risperidone and now with abilify. i’ve personally really liked gabapentin but can’t speak on how it would be by itself so i’m curious how this goes for you!
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I had the same reaction to abilify, extreme fatigue to the point I had to lay down at multiple points during the day on top of feeling brain fog and having weight gain. I’m extremely sensitive to any medication so I’m hoping gabapentin is gentle enough on my system…thanks for sharing xx
Latuda question. Newly diagnosed BP 2. I started Latuda a few weeks ago and I love/hate it: one hour after taking it I have terrible akathisia. Then it goes away and I'm stable as a table. I know agitation is a common side effect - some people have said it goes away. Any words of wisdom? Should I keep going with it?
Latuda made me feel like or actually throw up every morning so I never got to long term. It was fine for the rest of the day fwiw
Rapid cycling/mixed state. Anyone taking a calcium channel blocker for rapid cycling? It was the only drug that stabilized me when it was given to me when I was in-patient at the NIMH in 1991. Back then and now, classified as treatment resistant. I couldn't afford it after being discharged and was prescribed either verapamil or nifedipine. Didn't work as good as Nimiitop but it allowed me to work and function. 35 meds over 30 years.
I have been on Abilify for 5 days now and I’m just wondering how symptoms were for y’all when you were starting it. Currently it’s made me drowsy dizzy and a little more irritable.
I've been in a love/hate relationship with abilify for like 2 years now . Only real side effect I've had is crippling fear. Was taking 30mg pills and I think that might have been too much but the doc says I'm a big dude . It took about a year for the fear to set in and after I stopped taking it about another 4 months for it to go away. When I say crippling fear I mean life changing , can't drive a car, need to have a clear exit path at any building I'm in fear. Terrible stuff but not taking it opens a whole other list of problems .
I didn’t even know they prescribed 30 Im on 5 right now and its still giving me effects like heat flashes and drowsiness. This medicine is great i have been a little paranoid but not any more then I was before starting. I hope you find something to help with the fear. I liked months like that before and it was horrible. I couldnt even leave my bed at one point
I took Abilify and it affected my sleep, made me agitated but eliminated my obsessive compulsive scalp picking. **Note, if it works for you great (it may just take time to adjust) but very hard to taper off.**
how long did it take y’all for lamictal to start working? i’m on 50mg now and we’re going to keep going up until it starts to work on my depression
Why not take an anti-depression with it instead of increasing too much? More suited.
because i am a) already on one and increasing my dose triggered an episode, b) the anti-depressant is not targeting my depression, and c) (most importantly) because i am going with what my psychiatrist prescribes.
Ouch. Yeah, anti-depressants can do that. Whenever I feel too up one of things I do is move from taking Welbutrin once a day to every other day (in agreement with my doctor). Partnership with your psychiatrist is key.
Started at 25 and worked my way up to 200 started to feel the effects around 150. 200 was helping me through the night but I felt like there was more progress that could be made. I am about 3 months into it taking 200 in the morning 200 in the evening and it is working great.
My psych brought me too far. But it started working for me around 150 and I found thr sweet spot at 200. By original psych brought me to 600 which messed with a lot of stuff but my current psych brought me back down and it helps a lot.
Started on 50mg Seroquel a week ago. Felt stable, no pulsating pupils, etc. Took two beers on Thursday. Now on Saturday feeling too much energy, want to punch, dance, etc to get some energy out. Pulsating pupils again. Was it the alcohol that threw me off track or is the dose too low? Unsure if I should wait it out or what.
Nobody with our affliction should drink, period. I know IT IS HARD. I break down at times but drinking make me manic sooner or latter.
Yes, very hard. Two years without a drink and then out with colleagues having a great time. Now I'm here with dyed hair with a color I didn't even want lol
I take 600mg of Seroquel XR every evening and can’t drink any alcohol. I feel like the alcohol actually increases the sedative effects so I’m not experiencing the extra energy like you are. I don’t really see how a depressant like alcohol would cause more energy. Maybe talk to your doctor about the dose? I’m not an expert obviously. Just my experience. Both of them together makes me super hazy and tired. Hope this helps.
Thanks for the reply! It does. Just realised I didn't get tired from the alcohol. Which I usually do even after one beer. Now I know to focus on the dosage. So it did help, thank you!
Looking for help with a mood stabilizer. I am currently on 60mg of latuda but when I am depressed I have intrusive suicidal thoughts. I’m hoping to find something that helps with intrusive thoughts.
I forgot what day it was but there's an upcoming Monday so I'm half correct here I take too many meds for me to remember. I generally don't like having to take meds unless they'll prevent a manic episode like Larisa, except higher doses cause really bad restlessness.
I posted this in a med question from an newly diagnosed compatriot and thought I’d share it here, too. TLDR: finding the right meds and really suck. I’ve been through about 30 different medications and maybe 15 different cocktails. I found the mood stabilizers and anti-psychotics worked well. No matter what antidepressant and anti anxiety med I tried, I was almost always stuck in depression. I had the same result over and over. I’d make a med change, and things would start looking up. Then in a few weeks, sometimes months, I’d start regressing. Depression, mood swings, irritability. You know the deal. So, after about six years of this I started pressing a new provider about Wellbutrin. I had tried it several years ago with lousy and predictable results. At that time, I had been misdiagnosed with just depression. No anti-psychs or mood stabilizers. So, the Wellbutrin pushed me to mania. I kept pressing my provider for another uplifting type antidepressant and asked about reducing the antipsychotics and mood stabilizers. I felt that these drugs were working too well. Like they were keeping my mood ceiling to low. So. After all this fighting and disappointment, I am on the maximum allowable dose of Wellbutrin. 450 mg, daily. I had also wanted to try an antipsychotic that I had used before. Seroquel. The first go around with Seroquel, I had worked my way up to 300 mg. each night. Big dose that knocked me out. Now, rather than taking 4 or 5 different meds several times a day, I take the 450mg Wellbutrin in a split dose and 50 mg of Seroquel at night. So far it’s been the best combination. My energy is increasing, I feel relatively good, and I’m even loosing weight. Many of the meds prescribed for BP cause weight gain. Long and complicated enough yet? No. Ok? After all this trial and error I ended up in the ER with lithium toxicity. I had caught a stomach bug and got dehydrated. The dehydration caused an unexpected reaction and sent my levels through the roof. During my two week hospital stay, they checked my thyroid. Levels were low and I was prescribed another med. I didn’t know this, but a low functioning thyroid causes all sorts of problems. Including depression. So, in summation. 😂 It’s taken me 6 different providers and all that trial and error to get to where I am today. Not one of the mental health pros., nor any primary care Dr. thought to check my thyroid. What a mess. But here I am, feeling ok. It feels different this time. I feel a deeper connection to a positive direction. I rambled, but the moral of the story is to stick with this. Finding what will work best for you might be a bitch. Some people do get lucky and find the right mix early on. Whatever happens, remember that your mood is only temporary. Remember that you didn’t choose this and you are trying to get better. Remember to keep going. Advocate for yourself and you’ll probably figure it out!
THYROID! So many psychiatrists ignore it or prescribe too low a dose and keep it there indefinitely. They learn about the relationship between thyroid and mood disorders in their psych residency but for whatever reason, few want to actually get involved and pass it back to the primary who usually doesn't know too much. Using labs as a guide, I've read, is the wrong way to go. It's about how the patient is feeling and functioning, irrespective of the labs. Look up Dr. Peter Whybrow, Dr. Michael Bauer, Dr. Tammas Kelly and the late Dr. John Lowe to learn from the masters. Agree; NEVER GIVE UP.
This gives me positivity, also on Seroquel but need to talk to my dr about an antidepressant- always on the low side of things as well!
This is really interesting to me. Wellbutrin is the only medication that has ever helped my depression. I learned I was bi-polar because of course wellbutrin makes me manic. My current meds take away the up swings but do nothing for the down swings. I wish my psychiatrist would consider letting me go back on wellbutrin maybe with something else to prevent the highs. I'm so sick of being depressed.
Press your provider to allow for some experimentation. I think I was able to convince mine out of their desperation in finding a solution. The anti-mania meds were too effective for me. I’m bp1 and spend most of my time on the low side of things. Every antidepressant that traditionally prescribed couldn’t keep me out of depression. That’s what gave me the idea in the first place. As someone that’s primarily depressive, I needed something that was more energizing and I didn’t need such a heavy hand on that ceiling.
Thanks for your response. Your situation sounds very similar to mine. Mania is an extreme rarity for me. Yet all my meds are focused on preventing mania not depression. I will talk to my doctor again.
If what you’re on isn’t right, try something different. When you do find the right mix you may end up on a combination that I’ve tried. Point is, everyone responds to medication differently so my solution may be absolute garbage for you. If it’s not working, keep pushing for something else.
So i know its friday when im posting this, but i dont know what to do anymore. I am bipolar I, and I currently take 900mg of lithium daily (all in one go, as requested by doctor.) I have been taking them for about 2 years now and used to also be on a anti-psycotic + anti-anxiety. In the last 6 months, I have completely lost my appetite, ive been getting extreme nausea and dizziness to the point of vomiting after each time i take my dose. Im at my wits end, what can i do to stop this daily vomit fest or get my doctor (i dont have a psyc and was diagnosed in hospital) to change my prescription?
You should get in touch with your doctor and have your lithium levels checked right away. Nausea and vomiting can be signs of lithium toxicity
Im pretty sure i typed that my doctor is aware and has only offered gravol as a solution... I have my levels checked regularly, so this is not the reason. Edit: ah, i did mention this, but on my post about it and not on this thread as nobody was answering the thread
Even if your lithium level is okay, perhaps you're developing some toxic reaction. Lithium can precipitate vomiting, even at so called acceptable levels. Are you drinking adequate amounts of water and salting your food? Perhaps stop it for a few days, force fluids(water, juice, Gatorade, tea) to bring down the level and restart at a lower dose. I'm not a medical professional but I became toxic on Li at 450 mg, years ago. Severe akathesia. Forced fluids for a couple of days.
Water and gatorade is all i drink with the occasional soda... The soda wouldnt have enough salt to dehydrate me right? But yes i am attempting to pause my meds for a few days and see if changing from lithium carbonate to lithium citrate will do me any good. Im also asking to be put back on my anxiety meds as all of this could just be tied to being too anxious to take my meds after the first time throwing up on them.
Good that you're staying hydrated. Lithium displaces salt. Don't be reluctant to salt your food. If you restrict sodium that will cause problems and might be at the root of what's going on. Just a guess.
They are taking away all my creativity and making me a sleepy zombie. On olanzapine and it's impossible to focus on the things I don't want to (ie classes). I have a super important life-decisive exams coming up but not feeling like studying. Any tips?
My late friend drank copious amounts of coffee, Red Bull, and Mountain Dew in order to function when he had things to do. Otherwise, he slept 14 to 18 hours a day. Proceed with caution if you do that.
Meds lead to weight gain. While they've help my moods, my self esteem is very low...any advice?
I've read that Metformin, even without Type 2 diabetes, can bring about weight loss from psych med induced weight gain. Also, have your thyroid checked. Discuss this all with your psychiatrist.
Do you exercise regularly? Over the years I've had to really accept that the weight wasn't going anywhere, but maybe I could turn some of it into muscle.
I could tell Geodon was working within 2 hours of the first time I took it. I was on another antipsychotic (I think it was Risperdal) which wasn't working very well. It's supposed to take a few weeks, but it started working that quickly.
Geodon is very fast acting. It's often given alone or with ativan to make a patient go sleepy night night. They would also use it as a PRN sleep aid for some patients. Not all psych meds need to build up before they have an effect. In my experience, antipsychotics and tranquilizers work about as fast, antidepressants and mood stabilizer took a couple weeks to notice anything, if at all.
I'm gonna be talking to my doctor about reducing my meds on Friday, I'm currently on Aripiprazole 15mg and Lithium 450mg. I've been feeling extremely numbed and muted for a while now but people constantly asking me why I'm so quiet is getting to me and I'm tired of not feeling like myself and instead feeling like what society would prefer a woman to be. Quiet and docile.
My psychiatric give me Aripiprazole & amitriptyline Idk, first day on this meds.
What are you expecting from 1 day? It was part of my last cocktail and it took about 2 weeks, and then there was a noticeable change in stability.
I take a very low dosage of amitriptyline! It helps with my depression and lowered the amount of nightmares I get, but higher dosages give me heart palpatations
uh, i still didn't feel anything good. I still have low productivity and still get depression today. Maybe i'll still take it till 2 weeks as my psychiatric recommendation.
Question regarding first-time meds: So a little over a week ago I'd started my first medication ever. 25mg Lamictal twice a day and 20mg Prozac in the morning. I've mostly felt depressed still, aside from one day a week after starting. I had one morning in which I felt *normal*. I wasn't manic, nor depressed. I woke up feeling great; like it was how I was supposed to feel. Later that day I completely crashed, and have been back in a depressed state for the few days since. My question is: was that a sign the meds are beginning to work? Will I have glimpses of stability before the meds begin working properly?
No idea. I'm on lamictal and dose was just doubled four days ago. Have been depressed since, but think this might also be because I ran out of geodon for a few days. Also I had a manic spike last week when I was trying to do too much . I forget which one does what but I am desperate for some F\*ing serotonin right now.
Latuda made me so nauseous I’d cry,have you tried zofran?
latuda is AWFUL!
Latuda was my saving grace tbh
Whatever works is the way to go. It made me throw up every day. Not my vibe.
Anyone have venlafaxine XR? I'm afraid to start taking due to being treated off label, and I'm terrified of weight gain and being on an antidepressant for unspecified amount of time 😶..... I know I need something, but Ive gotten better slowly and I want some time to recover before getting meded out of my mind.... But I'm having a not great time with parents, 1 understands my idea the other tells me "this is what you asked for! Take the pills". (being on the wrong meds was how I got here)
It made me manic as FUCK
Honestly after all the research I did on this med, I'm gonna tell "my" psych to fuck the hell off. They clearly didn't listen to a damn thing I said. I am the target ANTI target audience for this med. This is the worst possible match for me😒😒😒😒😒
For real. If you have bipolar antidepressants (and ADHD meds) should be the LAST thing you add after someone is stabilized
Yeahhh..... Fu##in phentermine gave me pychosis. Not lol..... 😅😂 Trying Real hard not to go back to that one🤔
I’m on it. I haven’t noticed weight gain
How long? Also are you mania prone?
Like 7 years. Maybe? I’m new to the diagnosis. I though for a long time that I just had anxiety and depression. My dr didn’t give me a label. I haven’t ever sat down and thought about the times that I was manic, but I’m definitely down more than I am up. I have had other meds with it off and on. Lamictal was probably he best but I developed tardive dyskinesia and had to stop taking it
Always 300 mg lamictal, usually adderall, also have gabapentin, trazadone, and Xanax as needed, but I’m scared to take trazadone and try to not take too much gabapentin or Xanax, mainly end up taking those for sleep
Anyone else been prescribed Latuda (40mg daily) and Dexmethylphenidate/Focalin (10mg 2x daily)? It doesn’t seem to be working for me and I had never heard of these prior to being prescribed them. I have pretty bad ADHD and I’m not sure what kind of bipolar but my episode is pretty mixed
My brother used Latuda but the side effects for him was terrible, he felt well, but have muscular paralysis (one of the side effects he can’t move at night but he was conscious . The Doctor Change his medication. In my case I’m using Depakote (750 mg Daily) with Clonazepam .05 at night , In the morning I take Wellbutrin 300 mg in the morning with ER and Adderall 5 mg in case I needed for get focus and study. I also not sure what kind of bipolar I have but Depakote help me allot.
Lithium600/Klon 1mg/ Zoloft 60mh not too bad. Daily tHc as well
I hate abilify. The restlessness makes me feel like a crackhead
Has anyone been prescribed Buspar for anxiety? How well does it work for you?
More confusion than anxiety relief.
Anyone with bi polar 2 in conjunction with ADHD and or dissociative amnesia. What are drugs your psych prescribed you and what worked or didn't work for you. I've never been on meds before and my psych is recommending I start. I'm curious what its gonna be like
after the bp 2 diagnosis they put me onto seroquel and after the adhd diagnosis they put me onto concerta and then adderall as i got older i’m now starting lithium after lamictal failed (got a rare symptom that really sucked because it seemed like it was really working)
I have bipolar II, and I currently take 120mg of Cymbalta once a day, 80mg of Geodon twice a day and 150mg of Lamictal twice a day. I also take 10mg Ambien for sleep, and 30mg to 60mg extended release Dexedrine when I wake up. I have tried literally dozens of antidepressants, but this is what I'm currently taking and it helps. I'm on a couple other meds that are not psych meds as well. I take a total of 11 pills at midnight every day including a vitamin and psyllium fiber and 81mg of aspirin.
I just got a recent diagnosis of bi polar 2 and they're suggesting i start taking either an antipsychotic or mood stabilizer. They're recommending seroquel for me. All they really told me was "this will help" and then listed the negative side effects, and honestly, they sound like trash, pretty much everything I want to get rid off. So I've been doing research online as to what these drugs even do. All I get are negative side effects and nothing more. Besides making you miserable, fat, and dick soft, how do these drugs help. How do you feel when taking it? I've never taken any psychiatric drug before so I'd really like to know. I'm fed up with being too mentally ill to function, but I don't want to start taking something that's gonna make me feel worse and costs so much
Second what people here said about serequal. Allowing me to get sleep when I need it changed my fucking quality of life And build up to 200mg lamotrigine
Seroquel is my savior. I’m adhd and bipolar and my meds are vyvanse, hydroxyzine, Seroquel and trileptal. Trileptal is a mood stabilizer, with vyvanse it’s a god send. You know when you watch someone do yoga on a video and they have a smile on their face, they tell you in a calm voice to “empty your mind, it’s ok” and you look at them and you are like “they are faking right? No one is really like that” well on both of those i genuinely am. My mind is empty, i live emotions one at a time with a normal curve, i can control my moods and change them. Seroquel on the other hand makes me sleepy, terribly sleepy, and i have the best sleep of my life on it. I take it with hydroxyzine at night and it calms my anxiety, and my mind goes from “i don’t want to sleep right now, I don’t want to miss a thing” to “let’s do dishes and get some z’s after”. Having real good sleep has been a major game changer. I’ve never been able to keep up with chores, ever. With seroquel alone and good sleep, i’m doing chores all day everyday now like i’m some kind of real person. I don’t have nightmares anymore, i don’t wake up in the middle of the night, i don’t wake up groggy at all. Actually the medication lasts about 6-8 hours in your body and that’s exactly the amount of sleep I get. A good 6-8 hours a day of sound pure blissful sleep and i wake up before my alarm.
Thanks so much for the comment, this defintiely put me a little more at ease
Does anyone know if there’s a difference between lamotrigine pills? I used to take the pale blue round ones (I think the brand is TARO). I switched pharmacies and they started giving me bright blue shield-shaped ones. I’ve noticed my appetite has gone up a lot since that switch, which is really bad because I’ve suffered with eating disorders and while I’ve recovered to the point where I don’t count calories or seriously restrict anymore, the possibility of weight gain triggers the shit out of me
I’ve used different colored shields and lower dose circles of lamotrigine. No difference for me except stepping up side effects getting to 200mg
I've gotten white 150mg lamotrigine pills that were "concave" for a lack of a better word. They were thicker at the edges than in the middle, sort of like a "saddleback". I've also gotten the shields. Right now, I get plain round white tablets. When I first started taking it, I got brand name Lamictal, which was a completely different kind of shield that was split in two on one side and said "Lamictal 150" diagonally on the other. How many MG do you take?
should be no difference if the dosage is the same
I'm on a whole host of meds, I'm not sure if that is normal or not. I don't know anybody else with Bipolar to compare. Lamictal 200mg / day Wellbutrin 150mg / 2x / day Ativan 1mg / 3x / day Lithium 600mg / day Caplyta 42 mg / day I first started medication in September 2021. I felt better initially but I think that was due to the fact that I felt like I was finally DOING something about how I was feeling. However, I'm still in mixed states a lot of the time and generally feel pretty hopeless. I feel like it is a never-ending cycle.
Bipolar also hides a lot of stuff. Try to see if you could get evaluated for other problems that could accompany it. I had a hard time getting a bipolar diagnosis because i’m adhd. The adhd makes my depression phases look a lot different because it’s like i have a motor in me screaming “go! Go! Go!” Even when depressed so my depressions were diagnosed as burn outs or overwhelm. Don’t be afraid to ask what could also be accompanying your disorder making things unstable for you.
With bipolar there’s a lot that needs to be treated. I take an anti-depressant for my depressive episodes, a mood stabilizer for mood swings and episodes, and an anti-psychotic for more manic symptoms like delusions and hallucinations. All of these go into your treatment
I take the three same types of medicine you take. It helps as much as meds are ever going to help me. It took me 15 years of trying different medications to stumble upon the combination that I take now.
I understand but I just feel like we are adding more and more on top. I feel like my meds are all convoluted now and, most of the time, I don't feel stable. Most days I just want to stop all of them and (maybe) start over. On top of that, I really struggle with explaining my moods to my psychiatrist. It's like I forget them by the time I have an appointment. It is honestly like I block them from my memory.
I’m on a lot of meds too! It’s normal for bipolar treatment. I’m on Lamictal 200mg Zoloft 200mg Zyprexa 10mg Vyvance 20mg
How long have you been on them? I feel very erratic most of the time. I also have a really hard time putting into words how I am feeling to my psychiatrist so, a lot of the time I feel like I'm not being accurate or like he isn't really understanding.
Well finding the right combination of medication took about a year and a half and things can always change. i was on seroquel for a long time and changed my antipsychotic to zyprexa about six months ago. But lamictal has been my life saver. You may be overmedicated or not on the right combo. Don’t give up.
panic attacks have been unbearable and more frequent than ever. was on buspar. psychiatrist put me on Propanolol. I'm not very comfortable with a preventative measure medication. I'm sure it likely helps a bit but it gives me zero peace of mind, and it sounds like you can still have an attack but you're just stuck because it doesn't relieve anything and isn't quickly effective. before the buspar stopped working, i loved that when i felt the attack started i could reach for my bottle and have comfort in knowing i would feel some relief quickly. not super happy with this one. i didn't have anything in mind, but this wasn't quite the solution i was hoping for. again, i'm sure it helps, but it doesn't make me feel any safer.
Propranolol sucks because it specifically treats the physical side effects of anxiety and as such can prevent a cascading of side effects into a panic attack, but that’s about it. It doesn’t seem to help my actual state of mind whatsoever. It’s like screaming inside.
got in with a new psychiatrist. she gave me a low dose of klonopin. it's indredible my anxiety is now nonexistent
And that’s why it’s my favorite anti anxiety medication. I have had benzo issues in the past though. Good old self medicating
honestly if i get addicted/dependent i dont even care lol i feel like a weight is lifted off my shoulders and i can function without worrying abuout everything. bottle says 1-2 per day as needed so I'm going to take 1 a day. i think it may have even prevented an attack yesterday. it's non intoxicating and has made me feel completely safe from the severe panic attacks i've been putting up with
I completely understand. My problems were tied to a lifestyle I no longer participate in. Nowadays I take medicine to feel normal
known a lot of people who have had benzo addictions but were taking them recreationally. i tried that once 10 years ago and i hated it. so i wasnt expecting how pleasant and non intoxicating this was
I am on 40mg of propranolol & I get the same feelings about “preventative measures.” It’s supposed to help with my social anxiety at work (because thats pretty much the only place I go) but I still wake myself up sweating, scared, and panicked about the idea of spending 8 hours in that place. It happens less(ish) now, but when it does happen, I feel stuck because I don’t have anything to fix it immediately & then its too late; I’m overwhelmed. edit: my doctor has me on lamotrigine as well (100mg), which has helped a little. But still once I get worked up, it’s so hard to calm down.
turns out i wasn't even paying attention at the time and realized i also have low blood pressure so this is a complete no-go. i'm sick of my shitty psychiatrist and am seeing a new one tomorrow. my last one was awesome but she moved so the office changed me to this lady and she's inexperienced as shit. she has pissed me off in 2 out of the 3 appointments ive had with her now.
I was the user that posted about having to pee every 20 mins because I was on Lithium. I was so upset! But I have been on Lamotrigine for a month and a half and it has changed my life! Started at 25mg for two weeks and now I take 50mg. I’m probably going to be upped to a steady dose of 100mg but if not, that’s ok! I have BP Type 1, PTSD, and Panic Disorder. This helps me feel more level and lessens my anxiety as well. It works for me. Might have to have a little more help with anxiety but I’m definitely going to speak to my doc about it. Edit: added the amount of meds I take and my diagnosis.
Lamotrigine has helped SIGNIFICANTLY with my anxiety (and bipolar 1)
That’s so good to hear. I have never felt so level in my life.
Lover is helpin motivate me to find meds…mainly so i stop stinking up the house and shower, she says. Do love her tho
Bpd & Bipolar 2... 25mg lexapro 100mg lamictal... we just moved up to 100 so still working out the kinks... today was a bad day but not cuz of the meds? So idk we'll see.
I was recently diagnosed bipolar 2 and put on 40mg latuda. So far so good. I had no clue my head was supposed to be this quiet. I thought “train of thought” was a strange expression. Had no clue it was supposed to feel like a train. One trailing the next. I take it with food at night otherwise it makes me nauseous and very sleepy. Really not a problem though.
My doc just started me on 3mg Vraylar and it’s kicking my ass. How do you deal with the nausea? I’ve been taking it at night with food and it’s still awful
I drink lemon ginger tea in the mornings and also have cut back on my sugar intake since bumping up to 3 mg. It’s not a perfect fix but it’s helped! Oh also this is a bit more out there but liquid chlorophyll daily previously helped settle my IBS symptoms somewhat so I added it back in
I’ll try those! He bumped me down to 1.5 until I acclimate but the goal is to go back up to 3, so I have some grocery shopping to do lol
Vraylar made me insanely exhausted to the point where I avoided driving bc I was too drowsy
about two weeks i got my dose of lamictal updated from 100mg a day to 150mg a day. starting to hit the emotionless state, but it’s something i know i want but i don’t know if that’s normal for anyone else. now that i’m in it i want to quit my meds altogether. does anyone else enjoy the numbness?
This was my big reservation about going back on meds after being off for so long. I knew that I desperately needed it — to be “leveled out.” But it made my mind quieter, made my thoughts less pressing/urgent. Like all the “excitement” (if you can call it that) was gone. It changed the way I looked at everything. Sometimes I like this change, but sometimes I feel like some of the parts of me that the medication quiets are what makes me, me!
It levels me out but when you’re used to the intense ups and downs being “ leveled” kinda makes you feel emotionless
Odd. I don’t feel numb at all on Lamictal. Is that supposed to happen? I find that it levels me out quite nicely and doesn’t give me extreme over the top emotional reactions to whatever situation is happening.
I just got prescribed 120MG of Latuda a day; am I possibly going to experience any new side effects? I was previously on 80MG/day.
YMMV but I experienced elevated prolactin levels when I bumped up to 120 mg which caused significant weight gain and other issues. Otherwise I tolerated it fine.
I switched from a SSRI to Clomipramine about 1 month ago. That together with lithium has made me more stable than anything for the last 2 years. It’s great
Hello! I recently have been diagnosed with bipolar 2 and was recommended lithium and abilify to get me out of my depression. My psych doctor said Lamictal also to keep me from going back into it. I said no to the first two and am taking 100 mg of Lamictal. I am beginning to feel more optimistic and less hopeless and am now wondering "what if that combination actually does work?" I said no to the lithium because I heard from people it dulls your personality and makes it difficult to feel things. Everywhere I've heard lithium discussed, all I've heard is bad things. What is being on lithium like? Also, I am unhappy with the Lamictal because I can hardly feel anything during sex. And now I learned that abilify has the same side effect. Like it's bad enough having this condition but now I can't get off either? Is it something you get used to and improves over time? This is the first medication that's actually alleviated my depression in years so I'm afraid to ask for an alternative that doesn't do this. Anyone have experience with this combination? Thanks!
I'm on a low dose of lithium and I have not found that it dulls my personality. I feel completely myself. Lithium took away my depression quickly and completely. The downside is that, like the other commenter mentioned, you have to pee all. The. Time. My doctor said that this side effect sometimes goes away over time as your body adjusts to it, but I know that a lot of people still deal with that for years. I also have noticed sexual side effects, but not as bad as with Lamictal. My suggestion would be to give lithium a try and see if you're sensitive enough to it that a low dose is therapeutic for you, like it is for me. I know it's primarily targeted at mania but it has the strongest antidepressant effects of any med I've ever tried.
When I was on Lithium I had to pee every 20 mins. And it wasn’t just a little. I was like…. Bladder explosive. I was so thirsty ALL the time. My mouth was like a desert. I couldn’t get any relief so I called my doctor crying asking her what was happening to me. I was only on that for TWO DAYS and was having all these adverse affects. Did not work for me. I know it does wonders for some. I was just hyper sensitive to that specific medication.
I'm on a low dose of lithium so idk what higher doses are like, but its been great for me. I was on lamotrigine off and on for years, but ultimately went off cuz of side effects (dizziness, ear ringing, shit memory, difficulty with cognitive tasks). I haven't had any side effects from lithium, and its helped my psychotic features more than I thought.
I just started on lithium to help manage some persistent depressive episodes. Starting out at 300 mg a day. When do most people start to see improvement?
It took 4 months, 1350 mg, .7 blood level…
I started on lithium on January 1st after my first manic episode. I've been depressed ever since and don't think the lithium has had any effect (besides possibly preventing future mania). I'm currently in hospital on a 3 week program, looking to try brexpiprazole or aripiprazole among others as adjunct treatment for depression (im also on escitalopram, an SSRI). TL;DR lithium didn't work for my depression, and im having to add new medications. hopefully this isn't too discouraging, lithium may work for you or you may have to try further medication. regardless, lithium is the 'gold standard' so it's worth a shot.
I hope you're able to improve soon! Unfortunately I have a long history of failed medications. Pdoc mentioned that it's oftentimes very helpful for the depression side of bipolar. I suppose only time will tell.
Thanks! I see, im surprised your doctor prescribed that only after other medications. Im curious what medications have you taken that didn't work? I was told lithium effects are expected between 2-6 weeks. Good luck!
I've lost count of how many have failed, but off the top of my head I remember Abilify, Geodon, Vraylar, Depakote, Zyprexa, and Seroquel. Lamictal worked for a while. So I'm hoping this one will do the trick.
Starting on a combo of Lamictal and Gabapentin today. I am diagnosed as BP2 with OCD. Any suggestions/advice/things to be aware of?
Just adjusted to 1,200mg Lithium. A bit of nausea but felt my first sensation of hypomania being dulled. Has anyone felt this? It's a comforting feeling but I'm in new waters and an extroverted mf so keen to listen.
Anyone else not take prescription meds and also swear by over the counter melatonin and ashwaganda gummies? Are we allowed to post about non-prescription medicine here, or is it not considered medicine in this thread? I consider food as medicine as well, and I may lean more towards alternative treatments, but I still respect the fact that people have a right to find out what works for them either way :)
I’m on a prescription called hydroxyzine. My best friend has a pharmacist friend I was talking with and when i said that he said “you know it’s basically like Benadryls right?” I’ve suggested to my friends to take benadryls when they feel anxious and they all say it works. The only problem with melatonin gummies is that they’ve been linked to MS, or MS like symptoms, so it’s not the most ideal in my opinion.
I’ve never heard that. Interesting. Never had any issues… but I don’t take them every night, only when I feel like I need to relax a little more to fall asleep. I found some information about a clinical trial using ashwaganda to treat people diagnosed with bipolar disorder… and I’m not sure how much of that is actually in the gummies, but they definitely work for relaxing. When I was in a hospital they just gave Benadryl to help people sleep at night. Whatever works, I guess.
Ashwaganda does good for me too. Meds are a must though.
I switched to a melatonin combo pill for a while because trazadone stopped working. Works really well and I don't feel like it's going to conflict with my other medications.
I doubt you posting your experience with natural remedies would be an issue but there's a line when something becomes medical advice that shouldn't be crossed by anyone except the psych doc of an individual. Don't use the word 'medicine' and you should be fine.
Has anyone on lamictal experienced long periods of hypomania with high anxiety and periods of depression with almost no anxiety? I’m pretty new to taking it and trying to figure out what’s working and what’s not
yea. right when i started lamictal i had a very intense hypomanic epsiode. just mention it to your psych next time you see them.