My fiance normally has a talkative, outgoing, funny personality. He also has Bipolar I. For the first few months he was medicated, everything seemed okay, but then he started to gradually become more subdued. He says his mind is simply blank and that he can't think of anything to say, which isn't a way he's ever felt before in his life. He's also tired and completely lacking his normal energy level. Naturally we assumed this way the medication (Zyprexa monotherapy at 7.5mgs/day). The doctor switched him to Geodon at a low dose, but this greatly worsened both the problems rather than helping. He then decided to go off meds completely to see what happened. His moods were fine, but he was unable to sleep more than 1-2 hours a night. Being tired but unable to sleep was NOT a problem he had prior to medication. Understandably, after 5 nights without sleep he gave in and started taking a low dose of the Zyprexa again so he could sleep. This instantly solved the insomnia problem, but the changes to his personality and some of the fatigue remains even at 3.25mgs, and, disturbingly, these symptoms remained off meds as well.

I've toyed with the idea of depression, but he's had depressive episodes before and says this doesn't feel at all like them. He doesn't act depressed either, just blank and lacking in motivation and personality.

This may not sound like an Earth-shattering problem, but to me when medication is taking away the essential aspects of someone's personality it's a VERY big problem. I also find the complete inability to stop the meds without unbearable insomnia disturbing. He was already taking the lowest dose they make of Geodon and so tapering wasn't even an option.

Has anyone else dealt with this same problem and found a solution? The two things I thought of were switching to Abilify or Lamictal, but with Lamictal I worry that the insomnia would return since it doesn't act on the brain in the same way as an AAP. Is it even possible there's an explanation for this other than meds? I intend to make an appointment with the doctor, but in the mean time I'd like to have a better idea of what could be done.