[Larfu]

Believe it or not, I have been stable on 2 antidepressants (Welbutrin and Cymbalta) and 1 mood stabilizer (Abilify) for some time now. I was wondering if this was true of anyone else out there? My doctor says it's uncommon, but the depression has always been the bad part for me. I have not been manic in over 4 years. Please let me know if there are more of you out there, and what you take.

I'm new here, and I hope to make friends in this community. Thank you for your time.

[abience]

I take wellbutrin and effexor as antidepressants and trileptal and topamax as mood stabilizers. I have to be very cautious with the antidepressants though because they can throw me into a very bad dysphoric mania which is very dangerous for me.

[Larfu]

I have found most doctors are not cool with we bipolar folk taking antidepressants, but really, why? If a treatment is working for you, why not stick with it? I hope more doctors will think this way.

[Moose72]

I was on celexa for at least a year after diagnosis. It put me in a manic phase but they added depakote and that helped. Now I'm on lithium only.

Originally Posted by Larfu

Believe it or not, I have been stable on 2 antidepressants (Welbutrin and Cymbalta) and 1 mood stabilizer (Abilify) for some time now...

Originally Posted by Larfu

I have found most doctors are not cool with we bipolar folk taking antidepressants, but really, why? If a treatment is working for you, why not stick with it? I hope more doctors will think this way.

Firstly, welcome to the forums, Larfu!
Ahhhh. The thing most doctors (and for good reason) are not cool with BP folks taking anti-depressants is not ADs per se. The problem is taking them without a mood stabilizer in conjunction. ADs alone for BP is invariably problematic. Mood stabilizers are key. Some people with BP are ok with just mood stabilizers. Some are ok with mood stabilizers with ADs in conjunction. Some people with BP cannot take ADs at all w/o problems. Some can tolerate ADs in the form of SNRIs but not SSRIs. Is your head spinning yet? Long and short of it? BP needs a mood stabilizer. Whatever else might or might not be in conjunction with that is individual chemistry (as is one's reaction to the various mood stabilizers).

I totally agree with doing what works. You are on a mood stabilizer in addition to the ADs, so that is probably why it is working for you.

(BP (misdiagnosed as MDD at the time) on ADs alone? Can personally attest to the disaster that was! )

[Vita]

My first med.; for sleep and depression, was a small dose of Remeron, which dried up my mouth, but otherwis had absolutely no effect.

[disguise123]

effexor doesnt make me too manic, anything else sends me through the roof! Epilim as a mood stabilizer helps, but not enough, so i ditched it. But thats just me!

[blueoctober]

Originally Posted by Larfu

I have found most doctors are not cool with we bipolar folk taking antidepressants, but really, why? If a treatment is working for you, why not stick with it? I hope more doctors will think this way.

Welcome Larfu. It really depends on the persons symptoms. A person with BPII suffers with depression more often and the hypomania is less severe and tends to not last as long as mania, so anti-d's to treat would be more common.

As far as being on 2 anti-d's I was on 2 when I was first diagnosed, but after being taken off the serequel I no longer needed 2 and have done fine on just wellbutrinXL.

Hi Larfu.
I take 1 antidepressant - Wellbutrin XL
3 Mood stabilizers - Lamictal, Topamax & Seroquel

Every doctor has their own way of thinking and all of us have specific needs when it comes to meds. Sometimes it takes a while to come up with the right mix - some people need antidepressants more than others too. I've definitely been on my share of meds and dosages - this is what seems to work for me.

[Larfu]

Originally Posted by jadedmoonbeam

Hi Larfu.
I take 1 antidepressant - Wellbutrin XL
3 Mood stabilizers - Lamictal, Topamax & Seroquel

Every doctor has their own way of thinking and all of us have specific needs when it comes to meds. Sometimes it takes a while to come up with the right mix - some people need antidepressants more than others too. I've definitely been on my share of meds and dosages - this is what seems to work for me.

I fully agree. Everyone is a different mix of chemicals, it just depends on what the right cocktail is for you. But I have been on both sides of the problem. I have been on 3 antidepressants (Paxil, Welbutrin and Serzone) and know where that goes. I have also been on none, and know how that feels. It's our responsibility as patients to report and advocate for ourselves.

[abience]

Originally Posted by Innerzone

(BP (misdiagnosed as MDD at the time) on ADs alone? Can personally attest to the disaster that was! )

Amen to that Innerzone, that's how I got my diagnosis too!

[Ryask]

i take an AD celexa and a ...well..i am supposed to be taking the mood stabilizer abilify...but..i kinda like the hypo-mania of just taking the AD.

[mgran]

Antidepressants always sent me bonkers... even St John's Wort gave me hypomania. But as others have said, we're all different, and doctors should take that into account. I'm glad your meds work for you.

[Larfu]

It's good to know that I am not alone in this situation. Many of us have different med mixes based on the symptoms we experience. This has less to do with diagnosis as it does symptom management. We experience these complex disorders differnetly, and therfore, our chemical needs are different.

Thanks for your replies, and I wonder if we could keep this discussion going with more people who take antidepressants and have bipolar disorder? If you are, explain why this works for you, if you want.

[sugahorse1]

i'm on Wellbutrin, with the mood stabiliser Lamictin. I could not cope without the AD.

[Fresia]

Because of the rapid cycling and the depression dips being persistent to quite low levels, AD's have always been a part of my symptom management and treatment plan. It is constantly having to be adjusted however but my cycles are less severe without it, even with the mood stabilizer that I am on. The AD keeps the cycle from going too low or staying there.

I take wellbutrin xl and lithium, so I have the AD with a mood stabilizer. Works well for me. I was also on pristiq in addition to these for quite awhile. I've just been doing really well, so my pdoc is backing me off some of my meds. So far, so good.

[Trippin2.0]

1 AD + 2 mood stabelizers. Been working for me for 7 months now :-D