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  #31   ^
Old Fri, Jul-14-06, 16:48
danabear's Avatar
danabear danabear is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 497
 
Plan: whole foods (mostly)
Stats: 210/194/160 Female 5'8
BF:a little lower
Progress: 32%
Location: Texas
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Quote:
I am also hoping that I can go back on Strattera, which worked for my ADHD, Zoloft, Lamictal or Tegretol, and something to knock me on my butt at night.

That's my med mix if you add seroquel. I love it. It lets me sleep but I don't feel hungover in the a.m. I had bad experiences on ambien- got up in the night and did a lot of things I didn't remember doing- like e-mailing, etc... so watch out if they give you that one. I probably ate too but I don't remember
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  #32   ^
Old Fri, Jul-14-06, 19:55
mirielle mirielle is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 177
 
Plan: Bernstein, M&E
Stats: 179/163.3/118 Female 5'4'
BF:2darnmuch
Progress: 26%
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Wooo...took my blood pressure and the Lithium did a major number on it. Can you believe 160/110? This is the highest it has been in years. Am no longer on Lithium period as of this morning (forget tapering off this poison) and already feel much better.

The hypertension would be contributing to my irritability, along with inability to sleep. Years ago when my b/p went up, I was a complete bitch on wheels. I had to check it for a couple months and it was consistently high and I was a consistent bitch. Then the doc put me on Atenolol...I became much more relaxed as the b/p normalized. Since I started on Metformin, my b/p has been wonderful...until I met with Lithium.

Today the ER called for a care survey. I said the nursing and the ancillary staff were great...the doctors sucked. I mean they really dropped the ball. Just because I presented as a reasonable person who was not bouncing off the wall, just because I was nice and polite, did not mean that I wasn't suffering. And the fact that they offered me Lithium just broils me...I am on an ACE inhibitor and those cannot be used with Lithium. I could have had a stroke.
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  #33   ^
Old Fri, Jul-14-06, 19:59
LukeA's Avatar
LukeA LukeA is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 2,326
 
Plan: gluten free atkins maint.
Stats: 250/155/180 Male 6 foot 3 inches
BF:
Progress: 136%
Location: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mirielle
Wooo...took my blood pressure and the Lithium did a major number on it. Can you believe 160/110? This is the highest it has been in years. Am no longer on Lithium period as of this morning (forget tapering off this poison) and already feel much better.


Seriously be careful. Stopping lithium without tapering off; VERY OFTEN can cause full blow severe manic episodes. Take it from my experience!
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  #34   ^
Old Fri, Jul-14-06, 23:49
mirielle mirielle is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 177
 
Plan: Bernstein, M&E
Stats: 179/163.3/118 Female 5'4'
BF:2darnmuch
Progress: 26%
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I don't have a choice. I cannot go around with b/p like that.

I appear to have rapid cycling, ultradian bipolar 2 and I have never had a fullblown manic episode. From what I understand, lithium doesn't work for people with this type. But I will watch out for feeling "too" good.
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  #35   ^
Old Sat, Jul-15-06, 09:55
Samantha22's Avatar
Samantha22 Samantha22 is offline
7 yrs and counting!
Posts: 8,623
 
Plan: Vegan/Crossfit
Stats: 285/212/199 Female 5'7
BF:33.4%
Progress: 85%
Location: Seattle, WA
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wow...i started this thread weeks ago and haven't even been able to get online much to keep up with it. glad you guys are still here! my meds are stabilized now...i'm taking 100mg of topomax and 50mg of zoloft at night and since i started taking those doses i've only had one episode which was very very mild at that....and it's been nearly a month, compared to 4 episodes or more a day. i feel more like myself than ever before...and i was scared the meds would take away "me"...wow did i never realize that it wasn't even me before the meds. glad to see i'm not alone with this..it's not easy....but i'm seeing that it sure isn't the end of the world
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  #36   ^
Old Sat, Jul-15-06, 10:00
edie's Avatar
edie edie is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 4,626
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 173/127.2/123 Female 5'1&1/2"
BF:
Progress: 92%
Location: Ma.
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How wonderful!!! ;-)
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  #37   ^
Old Sat, Jul-15-06, 18:15
mirielle mirielle is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 177
 
Plan: Bernstein, M&E
Stats: 179/163.3/118 Female 5'4'
BF:2darnmuch
Progress: 26%
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Quote:
Originally Posted by danabear
That's my med mix if you add seroquel. I love it. It lets me sleep but I don't feel hungover in the a.m. I had bad experiences on ambien- got up in the night and did a lot of things I didn't remember doing- like e-mailing, etc... so watch out if they give you that one. I probably ate too but I don't remember


I have been doing lots of reading at crazymeds.com (love their sense of humor and I feel as I fit right in as another "uberspazz"...lol) and also here...http://www.psycheducation.org/

From what I can gather, I think your "cocktail," Dana, would be a good one. I took Zoloft before and it worked...it also did not make me manic.

Were you hypomanic, rapid cycling? I don't think I have ever had a full blown manic episode, but looking back over my past, I certainly had some times that I did things that were really out of character (and they were fun, too) or against my better judgement. I have never been delusional, felt I had unusual powers, or felt that people were out to get me. I just have been UP....for days....and then irritable....and then down. And right now my moods seem to change every hour.

I cannot imagine what I would be like if I were not doing LC. LC seems to even me out.
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  #38   ^
Old Sun, Jul-16-06, 18:27
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Newbirth Newbirth is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 2,766
 
Plan: -
Stats: -/-/- Female -
BF:
Progress: 96%
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I took Zoloft for my depression for about 18 months and it worked pretty well. It eventually stopped working (at the max dose I was feeling some break through depression) so I tapered off. I'm currently on Celexa and I think this is even better than Zoloft.

I tried Wellbutrin but it wasn't a good med for me. Just didn't work well. I was really hoping it would work since it doesn't have the weight gain properties of the SSRIs (like Zoloft and Celexa).
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  #39   ^
Old Sun, Jul-16-06, 21:25
danibanani's Avatar
danibanani danibanani is offline
New Member
Posts: 16
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 273/260/155 Female 67"
BF:
Progress: 11%
Location: North Central, Ohio
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Hi there!

I'm glad I stumbled across this thread. I have Bipolar (type I) for which I've been hospitalized for in the past.

Now I take a cocktail of Lamictal, Seroquel and ativan. I am more balanced now than I ever have been. My energy level has decreased since finding the right cocktail that keeps me sane, but I'm in high hopes that LC'ing will help with that.

We're all behind you!
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  #40   ^
Old Tue, Jul-18-06, 10:30
Frogbreath Frogbreath is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 571
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 282/209/120 Female 5'2"
BF:
Progress: 45%
Location: Tallahassee, FL, US
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Nothing completely stabilizes my mood. Because of that my weight loss program is often thrown off the tracks. I've still managed to lose 60 lbs, thanks to every tool at my disposal. My latest detour was due to a sudden blitz of anxiety attacks. At this rate, assuming I lose 60 lbs next year, I still won't be at goal a year from now. Rats! OTOH, it will still feel darn good.
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  #41   ^
Old Thu, Jul-20-06, 20:07
danabear's Avatar
danabear danabear is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 497
 
Plan: whole foods (mostly)
Stats: 210/194/160 Female 5'8
BF:a little lower
Progress: 32%
Location: Texas
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Quote:

Were you hypomanic, rapid cycling? I don't think I have ever had a full blown manic episode, but looking back over my past, I certainly had some times that I did things that were really out of character (and they were fun, too) or against my better judgement. I have never been delusional, felt I had unusual powers, or felt that people were out to get me. I just have been UP....for days....and then irritable....and then down. And right now my moods seem to change every hour.

Mostly hypomanic for 2 weeks then depressed for 2 weeks. Like clockwork. Hypomania has turned into mania a couple of times in the past, but I was not on any meds at the time and I actually didn't know I was bipolar then. I wasn't really delusional but I did fight with a police officer, got in trouble I'd do "daredevil" stuff a lot too. Lately the hypomania would be just having too many projects going on that I felt driven to do and wouldn't sleep. And my house would be torn up with all of these "projects" all over the place. Usually some kind of home improvement thing that I never finished. Then I wouldn't want to move for 2 weeks & I'd just wait it out until the next "high", which was not good because I have 2 preschoolers here. I got on meds again so they could have a normal childhood Well at least I can get up and play with them.
I don't really know too much about rapid cycling, mine are so predictable. Let me know how you do and good luck!
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  #42   ^
Old Tue, Jul-25-06, 08:02
Latte's Avatar
Latte Latte is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 47
 
Plan: south beach
Stats: 145/145/110 Female 5'4
BF:
Progress: 0%
Location: Midwest
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I have Bipolar Disorder with Rapid Cycling and an eating disorder plus severe anxiety disorder. I take Topamax, Wellbutrin, Buspar, and Abilify. The Topamax can cause weight loss in some people, and make food taste funny, especially soda. I've taken the Topamax since 2002 and it has really helped the mania/cycling a lot.

Being dx'd with Bipolar was upsetting and scary at first. It was also a relief because for 8 years of going to doctors and professionals and getting no where plus taking meds that would make me sick and sicker, finally I've found a med cocktail that works with doctors that care.

Be open and honest with your pdoc/tdoc. That is the key. If you don't, then you are only cheating yourself out of getting healthier. Exercise also is a good thing too because it helps release the endorphins, and is very good at helping prevent depression cycles from relapsing.

Take care of yourself.

Hugs

Latte
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  #43   ^
Old Tue, Jul-25-06, 18:00
Newbirth's Avatar
Newbirth Newbirth is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 2,766
 
Plan: -
Stats: -/-/- Female -
BF:
Progress: 96%
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Ew. I tried Buspar. At the smallest dose of 5mg twice a day it made me so tired that I had to really push myself just to do normal daily stuff (like go to work). I had to stop taking it because I couldn't deal with being tired 24/7.
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  #44   ^
Old Wed, Jul-26-06, 06:59
Frogbreath Frogbreath is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 571
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 282/209/120 Female 5'2"
BF:
Progress: 45%
Location: Tallahassee, FL, US
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Seroquel did that to me. I first got it in the hospital and could hardly sit up for 3 days. They gave me a hard time for "not participating." Good thinking
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  #45   ^
Old Wed, Jul-26-06, 20:16
mirielle mirielle is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 177
 
Plan: Bernstein, M&E
Stats: 179/163.3/118 Female 5'4'
BF:2darnmuch
Progress: 26%
Default

Thanks for all the information and sharing. This is just great.

My saga continues.

I went to see the psychiatrist on Saturday. He was an older man, very gentle, kind, and also spiritual. He feels that I am bipolar and am presently in a mixed state....or so rapidly cycling it looks like a mixed state. He put me on Depakote ER 500 mg at bedtime. I will take that for one week, then 1000 mg the next, then 1500 the next. He feels it is important to only start one drug at a time and go very slowly. I totally agree. He also greatly respected that I am in AA and have been sober for 19 years. He said that quitting smoking and staying cheat free on a weight loss program should have been impossible, but he realizes that 12 Step programs give people incredible abilities to do what they need to do, no matter what. He also accepted that I do have ADHD, too. (I have the attention span of a gnat.)

I still have not been sleeping very much...maybe 6 or 7 hours total in the last 5 nights, can you believe? It's just awful. It seems I am manic, rather than hypomanic, based on what the sleep looks like, but I have never had a psychotic break or feelings of grandiosity. He said the Depakote probably would not impact my sleep until we got to 1500 mg. However, even though I am not sleeping, I now feel tired and want to lie down at night, so the body is getting some rest at night. The mind racing has stopped quite a bit. And, my fibromyalgia is much better because I don't feel as tense and irritable. Woot woot!! That is something to celebrate.

I was not thrilled about starting with Depakote ER but he assured me that if I keep up my eating plan and my excercise, I should not gain weight. I do not feel hungry on the Depakote ER....or more hungry than usual. Like my energy level and my mood, that can vary from minute to minute.

It is so great to have all of you here. This is such a frightening condition to have, in a way. I really am beginning to wonder if intrinsic parts of my personality may not be intrinsic at all. Choices I have made in my life certainly have been driven by the mood and energy swings, not what I really wanted, but by what I could do or couldn't do at the time. In a way, I am feeling a bit of a grief process, but not for the "highs." I would not wish my highs on anyone. Months without sleep, with constant brain static and racing thoughts, is no way to have to live. I am grieving that I didn't realize I had this and get stabilized years ago. I told my dh that it is a bite to have an identity crisis at age 59.

Newlife, you may be interested in this website. SSRI poopout is a sign of bipolar disorder. I have a real history with that, back in the day when I was being treated for unipolar, endogenous depression. In fact this is a great site for all of us. Dr. Phelps is a compassionate and very informative man.

http://www.psycheducation.org/index.html

And I love these people. They have such fun talking about meds...and I have learned so much. http://www.crazymeds.org/
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