[cheesesquid]

so i was diagnosed dec 10th with bipolar but i was given the choice to go on medication or not, i have decided to give them a try since my life is close to falling apart now..

the thing is, i am a college student! i was suppose to graduate in dec but due to some issues with a project i didn't and i am going back to finish the last class i need to starting january 7th, i intended to wait till i had finish school before going on any sort of medication but now i do not have a choise. how long did it take for your medications to start to work? figure out the 'side effects' etc i do not know the medication(s) i will be on yet, but the names were given were lithium and epival.

also...
lack of sleep and medication, i go to an media arts school (3D modeling program) and all nighters are pretty much required near the end, will no sleep have effects on medication effects?
i know the no drinking thing, and not to much caffine?

[gravyyy]

Without meds I wouldn't have been able to get back to school for my Master's degree. Lithium has been the best med I was on.. minimal side effects but my thyroid is struggling at this point so I think I'm going to have to come off of it. It is a high maintenance drug.. blood work, plenty of water to drink, no to minimal caffeine, careful of other meds. But if your life is falling apart as you say it is, it's probably worth a try. Can't be worse than you are now I wouldn't think. Good luck and welcome to psychcentral!!

[lonegael]

I am also on lithium, good drug, works for me, but this is now, next year might change. I have been on a lot of stuff, mainly antidepressants, all need about six to eight weeks before they are woking properly. Good luck on that project, and let us know how it goes!

[teads613]

Can you talk to the medical services at school? Some colleges will allow extensions for projects due to psychiatric disabilities. My daughter is in high school and she is about to graduate this year, she would never have been able to do that without meds.
No sleep has an effect on bipolar in general.. routines are important, especially where circadian rhythms are involved.

Jan

[cheesesquid]

minimal caffeine worries me, but i can manage somehow still waiting to call the doctor about medication (they left on vacation), at least it has been a slow Christmas/new years.

there are disability/counseling services at my school but i am not sure how much they can help with the type of project it is, no read deadlines just 11 weeks to finish the needed projects, but if i get a doctors note in time i am going to get the bipolar on their records in case something happens at school.

thanks

[client]

I was so desperate there was no other option than to go on meds. For the most part, meds havae helped a lot. unfortunately ADHD did not get diagnosed until the middle of my medical residency. Depression was treated for years. I have been on prozac and now lexapro. I was so messed up that I gladly went on lamictal and it has been good for me. On lithium I got a very nasty case of acne so it had to go. It also fogged me out so much I had trouble working. not so with lamictal. was on abilify for about 3 years and got weaned off of it and haven't noticed any bad stuff happening. so now on lexapro, lamictaal. also ambien for sleep. seem to be stable and have a life but still feel some apathy. overall I should feel comforted knowing the fact that I am functioning in this world. Moat of the problems left are child hood issues. still have a lot of anger about it.feel like it will take years to get through it with my therapist but I am making progress. So I guess what I am saying is people can go from misery, desolation, high anxiety and mood swings with the right combination of meds, some therapy and supportive people around. adjusting to the meds may be a long process until you find the ones that make you feel better. my wish is to someday get off many of the psych meds. this may be a fantacy.
thanks, client

[Trying & Caring]

Just be careful about the side effects hitting you at inopportune times (like for me falling asleep while driving; getting so dizzy at work I had to lie down on the floor at work--not very professional); l had kidney malfunction on Lithium--which worked great for mood, but even had a sonogram to make sure I didn't have a tumor or something causing the kidney malfunction; but no, it was the Lithium & I was only on it a couple mos. & do have kidney damage from it...

Side effects are a major thing to consider; take the new meds in a "down time" for you so you don't have to be faced w/awful side effects coming out in public. Plus I even have to take meds to counteract side effects (mainly the incredible daytime sleepiness from the meds so take Provigil for that--VERY HELPFUL).

Yeah, meds are helpful, but getting the right combo & dosages was a yr. of hell for me..,

[cheesesquid]

i have been trying to get in contact with the doctor to get on medication with no luck, it was only suppose to be a one time appointment (the mental health system in Canada is not that great) but he said he would be the one continuing with my treatment if i chose to go on medications but i never got a phone number. called the main office and it is taking forever for them to conform/get back in contact with me to make another appointment!

now i am debuting if i should just wait or not before trying, maybe that's the part of me talking who is all really happy (hypermanic? new to terms.) but i do not know how much longer i can count on the mood continuing.

so i can either try the meds now, hope it dose not mess up with my college progress or wait and hope i do not get into a depression anytime soon.

[perpetuallysad]

cheesesquid, I would sincerely recommend you try to get in touch with the psychiatrist again. I am actually surprised they gave you the option of just not taking medicines (I mean, obviously they can't force them down your throat, but every bipolar person I've ever known has to take medicines to control their illness to some degree or another). From experience I can tell you that you will eventually crash from your hypomania/mania and it will be hard to finish projects while you are depressed. Anyhow, good luck. Keep us updated.

[lonegael]

Ditto PS. Sounds strange.

[Moreta]

being heavily medicated was the only way i could get through college. it didn't help that they just diagnosed me as just having "depression" at first, and just gave me anit-depressants.....which led to mania....when I finally got on some mood stabilizers it made all the difference in the world.

[pondbc]

I hope you will decide to try meds. Bipolar disorder is made worse by stress, and we all know that college has lots of that. If you have difficulty getting in with doctor, CAMH in Toronto is very helpful. (Not sure where you are in Canada). I agree with you: mental health services are sadly lacking. I wish you all the very best with getting help. Please let us know how you are doing.

[cheesesquid]

i am actually anti-medications/pills, like anything for headaches etc though i know sometimes you need medication, so i have decided to go on the medication for bipolar though i am still scared of the side effects. one reason i was not given the prescription for the medication when i was at the appointment was because i had to get the blood work done first.

luckily my teachers (while the ones that know) are supportive and just told me to tell them when i start the medication, in case odd side effects happen they would know why. going to call the office again on Monday and make sure they get me an appointment

@harrietgate:
i am in BC! last i heard they were canceling many programs/or sending them to other already full offices, also closing down psych wards in hospitals or the whole hospitals them selves.

[Trying & Caring]

My daughter had to take a leave from univ. 2nd semester of her sophomore yr. due to deep depressions. She went on medication & did therapy (guilty mom here in that I have bipolar & my mother had bipolar so passed on these "bad" genes). Luckily, the univ. just wrote "medical leave" on her transcript & not psychiatric needs (major stigma) & she was able to return & graduate summa cum laude & graduate from law school summa cum laude & valedictorian--but she still has difficulties w/mood but doesn't want to seek treatment due to stigma if it were found out in the law community where she works. Plus she saw me suffer from side effects that were so unpredictable. She was on Prozac for one yr., but was so exhausted from it she had to quit it so is trying to deal w/stuff on her own. As a mom, I do worry & keep close in touch w/her.

BUT, if necessary, a leave could be helpful.