Does this ever get any easier???

ariatboot · Sep 23, 2011 at 09:09 PM

I was wanting to hear from people who have lived with BP for awhile and how long it really took you to get it under control. I was diagnosed in the fall of 2008 so it's been about 3 years now and I am still all over the place with my moods. I know BP is a lifetime illness but does it get any easier over time?

manicminer · Sep 23, 2011 at 09:13 PM

Dx March 2009. I would like to know also

CruiseAustin · Sep 23, 2011 at 09:22 PM

Dx 2002. It has been really hard to deal with BP. I go up and down. Been on about all the meds there are out there and it still is a struggle. I have to focus on the good days and the good things in my life. The people I love and who love me. I pray for sanity. It is easier knowing that I have it. There things I watch out for, like sleeping too much or getting too pissed off at other drivers, that signal an up or a down cycle. Also, feeling physically ill can trigger an episode, so taking good care of myself is necessary.

--CruiseAustin
__________________________

"Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth,
Work like you don't need money,
Love like you've never been hurt,
And dance like no one is watching."

roads · Sep 23, 2011 at 09:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ariatboot

I was wanting to hear from people who have lived with BP for awhile and how long it really took you to get it under control. I was diagnosed in the fall of 2008 so it's been about 3 years now and I am still all over the place with my moods. I know BP is a lifetime illness but does it get any easier over time?

Nope. One day at a time. Once you accept that, then yes--life's easier, the disease isn't.

Yoda · Sep 23, 2011 at 11:16 PM

Diagnosed in 1999. Tried med after med after med until 2007 when I found selegiline and clozapine (and others for sleep and stuff). I have been stable for four years now.

manicminer · Sep 23, 2011 at 11:41 PM

****in lovely

SunAngel · Sep 24, 2011 at 10:05 AM

Unfortunately, BP Disorder worsens with age. However, if you keep on top of it, get your meds. tweaked as needed, and if you learn coping skills through therapy, you can always keep in under control.

It really sux that BP is a lifetime disorder.

venusss · Sep 24, 2011 at 10:28 AM

I guess one gets used to it. You learn to expand your comfort zone so not every dip or upswing freaks you out.

And it doesn't have not get worse with age, I think.

kj44 · Sep 24, 2011 at 10:43 AM

Right now I'm off meds, got a pdoc appointment 10-10. Been going through bad swings for 1 1/2 yrs. From these answers, I'm thinking, I should just stay off them. Whatever happens, happens!I personally don't want to fight with it for yrs. Good luck, and much love to you all battling with this cancer like disease!

venusss · Sep 24, 2011 at 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kj44

Right now I'm off meds, got a pdoc appointment 10-10. Been going through bad swings for 1 1/2 yrs. From these answers, I'm thinking, I should just stay off them. Whatever happens, happens!I personally don't want to fight with it for yrs. Good luck, and much love to you all battling with this cancer like disease!

personally I am doing the au naturale route. It sucks in the way that it is hard to find support when you are off meds, because 90% of people will try to convince you that you *need* to be on something.

I use Bach essences to relief from the most bothersome symptoms.

kj44 · Sep 24, 2011 at 11:18 AM

Thanks VenusHalley! I'm still unsure of course, Are we ever sure of anything??
Now I have to ponder that!

Anneinside · Sep 24, 2011 at 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yoda

Diagnosed in 1999. Tried med after med after med until 2007 when I found selegiline and clozapine (and others for sleep and stuff). I have been stable for four years now.

I also started on selegiline (Emsam patch), just started 12mg on Wednesday ... for the past 6 to 8 weeks. The only side effect I have at this time is difficulty urinating. I am hopeful that this will work for my depression but right now I am depressed and just waiting for Monday for my next ECT.

kj44 · Sep 24, 2011 at 12:23 PM

I really , really hope it helps you!!

Hang in there

popeye · Sep 24, 2011 at 12:37 PM

I have accepted that I am going to have some bad times but I have many good days or even weeks. It took 3 years for my first Pdoc to get me on the right meds and when I got my current Pdoc she fine tunes my meds on a monthly basis. Yes..most of us do get better and our condition is more tolerable. It really helps when you have friends and family that know your condition and support you. My friends will even tell me when they think I need to see my Pdoc for a med ajustment. I have asked them to let me know when they notice I am having problems. They usually can detect it before I do.

cin1 · Sep 24, 2011 at 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ariatboot

I was wanting to hear from people who have lived with BP for awhile and how long it really took you to get it under control. I was diagnosed in the fall of 2008 so it's been about 3 years now and I am still all over the place with my moods. I know BP is a lifetime illness but does it get any easier over time?

i was labeled as schizophrenia at 17 after a nervous breakdown. so i was treated with meds for that. at 49 i had stopped my meds, ended up in a ward. they said i was bp. they tried all types of meds, sent me home once, .. i knew i wasn't right (at least not then) so i went back and they gave me two shock treatments. for me i will always be like i am with whatever issues. the correct meds are a must. it helps to have a knowledgeable doctor also. ( A teacher got his doctorate stone drunk-- he speaks of it honestly.. i take one day at a time, one minute at a time if i need to. i won't ever be without problems, but i am better than i used to be, and hoping i will be better than i am now in the future.

MatE · Sep 24, 2011 at 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ariatboot

I was wanting to hear from people who have lived with BP for awhile and how long it really took you to get it under control. I was diagnosed in the fall of 2008 so it's been about 3 years now and I am still all over the place with my moods. I know BP is a lifetime illness but does it get any easier over time?

No. The pain gets worse and the number of people you hurt becomes greater.

cin1 · Sep 24, 2011 at 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by manicminer

Dx March 2009. I would like to know also

no, no no, it does not get easier, just when I think i am doing better, it kicks me in the ___ big time. .. i have tried and do try every day to deal with whatever.

cin1 · Sep 24, 2011 at 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by popeye

I have accepted that I am going to have some bad times but I have many good days or even weeks. It took 3 years for my first Pdoc to get me on the right meds and when I got my current Pdoc she fine tunes my meds on a monthly basis. Yes..most of us do get better and our condition is more tolerable. It really helps when you have friends and family that know your condition and support you. My friends will even tell me when they think I need to see my Pdoc for a med ajustment. I have asked them to let me know when they notice I am having problems. They usually can detect it before I do.

I can count on my husband to be honest if i am "off" but after 33 years with me, he doesn't want to have to watch me that close. plus. he has no tact when speaking. and i have a so- called friend, who loves to tell me i am off. (she also said my tissue from my purse smelt odd), she has caused me to doubt myself when i was doing well. i just make sure i don't think i am at the point of perfection. but there is always room for improvement. ( i was reading out loud in class , years ago, . the teacher said it was so good, she would give a 100 score, But since there is always room for improvement., i only got like a 95..) oh, well.

Oriana · Sep 24, 2011 at 02:17 PM

I'm off all meds too. One by one over the last seven years or so since my diagnosis, medication has either stopped working or had serious side effects. The last batch triggered seizures.

I won't lie and say it hasn't been difficult. It has. At least I don't spend most of my time sleeping. That is one positive outcome. I resolved to go out more, although going about in public is sometimes like walking on knives with bare feet. When I was medicated, I simply went nowhere. As I said, I slept most of the time or hide behind my computer.

I'm going to investigate TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) with a doctor's appointment coming up this week. It is a new therapy that uses high-powered magnets to reconfigure the brain. I don't know anyone personally who has had this, so I would love to hear from someone who's been through the treatment and can provide first-person evidence on its effectiveness and any side effects.

ohlala · Sep 24, 2011 at 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ariatboot

I was wanting to hear from people who have lived with BP for awhile and how long it really took you to get it under control. I was diagnosed in the fall of 2008 so it's been about 3 years now and I am still all over the place with my moods. I know BP is a lifetime illness but does it get any easier over time?

That's when I was diagnosed (and hospitalized for mania), but since learning and reading about BP and looking back over my life I've been BP since my teens. I tried many meds and combinations of meds for 2 years post-diagnosis, then made the mistake of going off meds for a year (thinking I was somehow "cured")! Now I am back on meds with a P-doc and T-doc after several months of intractable depression. It's good that you recognize it's for life because even though I really knew that I hadn't accepted it until recently. I'm not sure it gets any easier. Maybe with therapy and meds and support one becomes more experienced in successfully managing it...

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ariatboot Member Member Since Jul 2009 Posts: 96 14 3 hugs given	Sep 23, 2011 at 09:09 PM #1 I was wanting to hear from people who have lived with BP for awhile and how long it really took you to get it under control. I was diagnosed in the fall of 2008 so it's been about 3 years now and I am still all over the place with my moods. I know BP is a lifetime illness but does it get any easier over time?
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manicminer Poohbah Member Since Aug 2011 Location: WV Posts: 1,449 12 96 hugs given	Sep 23, 2011 at 09:13 PM #2 Dx March 2009. I would like to know also __________________ BIG changes on the horizon Hopin' it all goes well... Oxcarbazepine: 300mg 2x/day Fish Oil, Vitamin D3, Magnesium, Lipitor, BEta-Blocker
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manicminer Poohbah Member Since Aug 2011 Location: WV Posts: 1,449 12 96 hugs given	Sep 23, 2011 at 11:41 PM #6 ****in lovely __________________ BIG changes on the horizon Hopin' it all goes well... Oxcarbazepine: 300mg 2x/day Fish Oil, Vitamin D3, Magnesium, Lipitor, BEta-Blocker
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venusss Maidan Chick Member Since Mar 2010 Location: On the faultlines of the hybrid war Posts: 7,138 14 14 hugs given	Sep 24, 2011 at 10:28 AM #8 I guess one gets used to it. You learn to expand your comfort zone so not every dip or upswing freaks you out. And it doesn't have not get worse with age, I think. __________________ Glory to heroes! HATEFREE CULTURE
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kj44 Member Member Since Nov 2010 Location: Southeast, Michigan Posts: 366 13 7 hugs given	Sep 24, 2011 at 11:18 AM #11 Thanks VenusHalley! I'm still unsure of course, Are we ever sure of anything?? Now I have to ponder that! __________________ Even if you fall on your face, you're still moving forward!
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kj44 Member Member Since Nov 2010 Location: Southeast, Michigan Posts: 366 13 7 hugs given	Sep 24, 2011 at 12:23 PM #13 I really , really hope it helps you!! Hang in there __________________ Even if you fall on your face, you're still moving forward!
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