Why is bipolar hard to treat?

[Tektek Charity Mule]

KatsuneSage

Mania isnt always rainbows and kitten fields. There is the side of mania that gets ugly. Getting super aggitated and not realizing it until its too late has lost me so many friends.

THANK YOU! So many people seem to be under the impression that mania is the same for every person with bipolar, and that every manic episode is this amazing experience where everything is great. That's not necessarily the case. Sometimes, sure, I'll have a manic episode and I think that I am all that and a bag of chips, but I've had 4 episodes to date where I have gone into extreme psychosis where I have visual and auditory hallucinations. During one of those episodes I believed that there was an angel trying to speak through me, like a separate personality, and she would "come out" and try to manipulate the people around me. Not fun.

That being said, if I could live in a constant state of mild mania where I just get all of my housework done I'd do it.

[Garnet Supernova]

Simply Sapphic

KatsuneSage

What do they have you on as an anti-psychotic/antidepressant? Lamictal and Lithium together work wonders for me. I have serious problems with my mania, and i also have a panic disorder. The Lamictal keeps my mood pretty even for the most part without making me feel like a zombie.

Lamictal set me off on a really bad mixed episode and I wound up in hospital :c. Shame because I've heard a lot of good things about it. I was on Wellbutrin recently, but when we upped my dose to 300mg I started to get paranoid, as well as difficulty sleeping. I'm just on Lithium and Epival right now (have been on Lithium for 7 or 8 years, Epival for just over one years) and we are thinking about adding Abilify to the mix. I've heard a lot of good things about Abilify from a friend so hopefully it does the trick!

After over a decade of treatment attempts you start to feel a bit discouraged at times sweatdrop .

Im sorry to hear that Lamictal did that! I hate it when the side effects land you in a hospital. Trust me, Ive been there. I was given Welbutrin while they were trying to get my first cocktail of meds right back almost a decade ago. I did not do well on it. When i went off of Prexiva, I got violent and had to be hospitalized. It changed me forever... Dont EVER go cold turkey off your meds!!

I tried Abilify, but I was trying to replace Seroquel and I had become so dependent on it to sleep Abilify didnt work. I finally got off of Seroquel (it made me gain weight like crazy because i couldnt stop compulsively eating) and now Im here.

I really hope Abilify works for you. Its worked for people i know and its side effects for me were mild. smile Keep pushing through. Youll find the right mix.

[Tektek Charity Mule]

KatsuneSage

Im sorry to hear that Lamictal did that! I hate it when the side effects land you in a hospital. Trust me, Ive been there. I was given Welbutrin while they were trying to get my first cocktail of meds right back almost a decade ago. I did not do well on it. When i went off of Prexiva, I got violent and had to be hospitalized. It changed me forever... Dont EVER go cold turkey off your meds!!

I tried Abilify, but I was trying to replace Seroquel and I had become so dependent on it to sleep Abilify didnt work. I finally got off of Seroquel (it made me gain weight like crazy because i couldnt stop compulsively eating) and now Im here.

I really hope Abilify works for you. Its worked for people i know and its side effects for me were mild. smile Keep pushing through. Youll find the right mix.

Yeah, I've only ever seen two psychiatrists, and I've only ever gone off of medication while under the supervision of either one. Once when I was a teenager still and I wanted to make sure I had the right diagnosis, he was very understanding, and I quickly cycled into another episode so I went right back on medication. The second time was when I was pregnant, but we had a miscarriage so I went back on my medication. We're not quite ready to try again yet.

I've tried Seroquel twice. It does wonders for my moods but I can't stay awake or concentrate on it, so it's not worth it at all. I tried Wellbutrin because I was depressed for almost a full year and nothing seemed to be pulling me out, and I was less depressed on Wellbutrin but the side effects were just awful. Between not sleeping, paranoia, muscle spasms, weakness and frequent urination I was just getting way too frustrated.

It's a constant battle, but I'm doing a lot better now than I was even last year before I was put on the Epival, so for every day that I feel discouraged I have a day where I'm hopeful c:.

I just hope that I can get my mood stabilized long enough to try for a child before I hit 30 (4 more years).

[Garnet Supernova]

Simply Sapphic

KatsuneSage

Mania isnt always rainbows and kitten fields. There is the side of mania that gets ugly. Getting super aggitated and not realizing it until its too late has lost me so many friends.

THANK YOU! So many people seem to be under the impression that mania is the same for every person with bipolar, and that every manic episode is this amazing experience where everything is great. That's not necessarily the case. Sometimes, sure, I'll have a manic episode and I think that I am all that and a bag of chips, but I've had 4 episodes to date where I have gone into extreme psychosis where I have visual and auditory hallucinations. During one of those episodes I believed that there was an angel trying to speak through me, like a separate personality, and she would "come out" and try to manipulate the people around me. Not fun.

That being said, if I could live in a constant state of mild mania where I just get all of my housework done I'd do it.

Haha I feel ya. Because of the medicine Im on, I havent gone full psychotic in years, but back when i was, I saw ghosts and evil spirits. To this day Im uncomfortable around my closet if the door is unlocked... Im 21... hahaha

[Garnet Supernova]

Simply Sapphic

KatsuneSage

Im sorry to hear that Lamictal did that! I hate it when the side effects land you in a hospital. Trust me, Ive been there. I was given Welbutrin while they were trying to get my first cocktail of meds right back almost a decade ago. I did not do well on it. When i went off of Prexiva, I got violent and had to be hospitalized. It changed me forever... Dont EVER go cold turkey off your meds!!

I tried Abilify, but I was trying to replace Seroquel and I had become so dependent on it to sleep Abilify didnt work. I finally got off of Seroquel (it made me gain weight like crazy because i couldnt stop compulsively eating) and now Im here.

I really hope Abilify works for you. Its worked for people i know and its side effects for me were mild. smile Keep pushing through. Youll find the right mix.

Yeah, I've only ever seen two psychiatrists, and I've only ever gone off of medication while under the supervision of either one. Once when I was a teenager still and I wanted to make sure I had the right diagnosis, he was very understanding, and I quickly cycled into another episode so I went right back on medication. The second time was when I was pregnant, but we had a miscarriage so I went back on my medication. We're not quite ready to try again yet.

I've tried Seroquel twice. It does wonders for my moods but I can't stay awake or concentrate on it, so it's not worth it at all. I tried Wellbutrin because I was depressed for almost a full year and nothing seemed to be pulling me out, and I was less depressed on Wellbutrin but the side effects were just awful. Between not sleeping, paranoia, muscle spasms, weakness and frequent urination I was just getting way too frustrated.

It's a constant battle, but I'm doing a lot better now than I was even last year before I was put on the Epival, so for every day that I feel discouraged I have a day where I'm hopeful c:.

I just hope that I can get my mood stabilized long enough to try for a child before I hit 30 (4 more years).

I understand. Im so sorry you had a miscarriage. That must have been very hard. sad But there is hope! My mom is also diagnosed bipolar and she said when she was pregnant with me, she was so happy she didnt need any medication. She was 32 when she had me, so dont count yourself out if you arent ready by 30. It just takes time and you want to be sure youre healthy before you have a kid. smile You seem like you have a good hold on your illness, though the medicine part can be difficult.

[K i n g X u m o t - XVI]

KatsuneSage

As I said, don't take Lithium.
I didn't say don't take it with a combination of another drug, just don't take pure Lithium.
Lamictal is one of the few drugs that has even been approved for another medication for Lithium.
Since Lithium poses too much risk for thyroid and kidney issues (even though the data suggests otherwise, aka drug companies) Lamictal and olanzapine somehow counteract the complications of these issues.

[La Veuve Zin]

K i n g X u m o t - XVI

As I said, don't take Lithium.
I didn't say don't take it with a combination of another drug, just don't take pure Lithium.
Lamictal is one of the few drugs that has even been approved for another medication for Lithium.
Since Lithium poses too much risk for thyroid and kidney issues (even though the data suggests otherwise, aka drug companies) Lamictal and olanzapine somehow counteract the complications of these issues.

Kind of curious how you came to these conclusions.

I don't think any drug companies are suggesting that lithium is totally safe, not only is it available generic but there's tons of data on all the ways it can screw with your body. Lithium can cause all kinds of problems, it needs to be monitored frequently, and if you take it you need to keep your water and sodium intake regular, because they affect your lithium level. For some people, though, it's the only drug that allows them to live normal lives.

[Garnet Supernova]

La Veuve Zin

K i n g X u m o t - XVI

As I said, don't take Lithium.
I didn't say don't take it with a combination of another drug, just don't take pure Lithium.
Lamictal is one of the few drugs that has even been approved for another medication for Lithium.
Since Lithium poses too much risk for thyroid and kidney issues (even though the data suggests otherwise, aka drug companies) Lamictal and olanzapine somehow counteract the complications of these issues.

Kind of curious how you came to these conclusions.

I don't think any drug companies are suggesting that lithium is totally safe, not only is it available generic but there's tons of data on all the ways it can screw with your body. Lithium can cause all kinds of problems, it needs to be monitored frequently, and if you take it you need to keep your water and sodium intake regular, because they affect your lithium level. For some people, though, it's the only drug that allows them to live normal lives.

There is also the fact that Limictal itself can cause liver and kidney issues. I dont see how taking them together would lessen those risks. There is a reason the perscribing doctor should be taking blood samples 4 times a year. Lithium has to stay below a certain level in your system and Lamictal needs to be monitored for possible damage to the kidneys and liver.

That being said, as long as you get periodic tests to make sure youre levels are correct, those side effects are rare. And these side effects are common for ALL of the medications taken for this mental illness.