[spiritual_emergency]

I'm interested in hearing about individual's experiences with medication to treat mania. That may be a direction that my child is going so it would be very helpful to have some feedback from people who have "been there". If you feel comfortable sharing what symptoms you were experiencing previously, other conditions that might play a role in determining medication (i.e. epilepsy) and how well your medication helped you with your symptoms, that would also be helpful.

Thank you.

[VickiesPath]

Originally Posted by spiritual_emergency

I'm interested in hearing about individual's experiences with medication to treat mania. That may be a direction that my child is going so it would be very helpful to have some feedback from people who have "been there". If you feel comfortable sharing what symptoms you were experiencing previously, other conditions that might play a role in determining medication (i.e. epilepsy) and how well your medication helped you with your symptoms, that would also be helpful.

Thank you.

It depends on what kind of mania your son is experiencing.

There is hypomania, mania without psychosis, and mania with psychosis.

Also, if the anti-psychotic creates a condition called Tradive Diskenesia, it requires another type of medication.

There are several mood stabilizers which work quite well on simple mania w/o psychosis and the side effects are fairly tolerable. As with most medications, it depends upon the patient.

I personally have only taken Depakote and Lamictal for mood stabilizers. They were not taken together. I tried Lamictal during one trial period but I did react with a specific red rash that eventually develops into a critical illness. So I had to discontinue the Lamictal and resume the Depakote. There are only a few individuals who experience this. The dosage I take of Depakote is 1000mg per day. That is a fairly low dose.

The one side effect that is common with mood stabilizers is weight gain. Not everyone experiences this.

I hope this information has helped you a little.

[vrba44070]

When I was in the hospital two months ago for mania with psychotic features Seroquel knocked it out of me. It is sedating. However I can't take it for very long because it causes menstral irregularities. I take Invega as an antipsychotic instead. It's supposed to have antimanic properties.
I take Lamictal as a mood stabilizer & it works quite well for me. But it had to be titrated up very slowly.
I'm sorry your child is having problems. I hope everything works out.
Therapy has helped too. It helps me be more aware of my moods.

[Dave255]

Whenever I feel myself getting too wound up, mind racing I gobble down a lot of seroquels and it does the trick. I feel completely out of it for the next day but it repeals the mania.

[lonegael]

I'm old fashioned, I'm pretty much just on lithium for the mania, even though I have blended episodes and some psychotic features. It does really well for me, especially with a small does of Effexor to keep the depression and anxiety under control. Anxiety is a big trigger for me. I have been on serazone (made me hallucinate), risperidol (made me lactate and messed up my periods) and seroquell when I was in the States (seroquell was really helpfull, very much! almost as good as what I have now). The only thisn is that Efexor has made me gain weight, which has me bummed.

[bizi]

Geodon is an antipsychotic used to treat and prevent mania and is weight neutral.
Lamictal is a mood stabilizer (anti-convulsant family) that is useful in bipolar 2 patients esp due to its anti depressant qualities and is weight neutral as well.
Zyprexa is a great med at treating mania but should only be used in emergency situations as there is the fact that you will put on weight and there is a risk for developing diabetes...so you really should not use it long term.
now having said all of this.
I know nothing about what works for children!
bizi

[amaviena]

I'm on Geodon and Lithium for mania with psychotic features. It's worked terribly well. I've been on all kinds of medication and fought with my insurance about the Geodon getting covered. I think I'm in the right place now.

[thinker22]

Risperdal is supposed to be anti-manic, so I see why I was put on it. However, it's also slowing down my mind and making it feel blank and numb, and downright sad. Also is messing with my hormones. So maybe I'll be put on Geodon. I don't like the way I feel right now.

[amaviena]

Matbe you need a lower dose? They lowered my Geodon and I can function now.