Its been a while. Five or six weeks since I have been on. A lot has happened since then.
First off... I have had med increase after med increase. Lamictal. I am now on 100 Mg. Then I had problems with it shooting my elevation levels way up... and I discovered that I was also feeling paranoid and I was thinking rather delusional things, like I thought I knew what people were thinking or going to do. In retrospect, I only was only able to see this once I was feeling better on the lamictal. I had believed before that it was anxiety! Ugh. So now I am on ability. I had an issue going on it at first, but I was reassured that it was more than just an anti psychotic. It helps with mixed cycling so I really like that! Anyways, I am on day three of it, starting at the 2 Mg. And there is such a huge improvement! After tomorrow, I get to go completely off the clonidine for sleep and move up to the 5 Mg. Of abilify! I think that's end game then... the grueling trial and error finally over! I hope so anyways. So I have a question... does this mean after finding the right treatment plan that it will stay even, or should I say, I forget the right word, balanced? Or does the cycling come back?

[Trippin2.0]

From my experience and from what I read. Meds don't stop your cycles, nothing does. Meds can decrease the intensity of the cycles and increase the time between (so I've heard) or decrease your natural reaction to them (my experience). Sorry, I know that's not what you want to hear. And back LD!

[cocoabeans]

Originally Posted by Trippin2.0

From my experience and from what I read. Meds don't stop your cycles, nothing does. Meds can decrease the intensity of the cycles and increase the time between (so I've heard) or decrease your natural reaction to them (my experience). Sorry, I know that's not what you want to hear. And back LD!

Copied that.

Really? That's really not good news lol. I was hoping, and my psychiatrist makes it sound like, that once 'stabalized' it should stay that way. He even talks about getting used to stable once it happens! I see. He is not going to promote someone to look and wait for it. He seems rather protective, not telling me any more than necessary but being quick to address issues. I kind of like that in a way. Oh well, thanks for the honesty!

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[Victoria'smom]

T explained it this way there is a baseline range for society. People with BP are way outside the base line, meds help them get closer to baseline. Therapy is to help learn how to manage when things get outside baseline and deal with issues that could not be dealt with when 'unstable'. I'm still not even close to 'stable' but I do have hope.

[bluemountains]

Originally Posted by Miguel'smom

T explained it this way there is a baseline range for society. People with BP are way outside the base line, meds help them get closer to baseline. Therapy is to help learn how to manage when things get outside baseline and deal with issues that could not be dealt with when 'unstable'. I'm still not even close to 'stable' but I do have hope.

Your T gave an excellent explanation. Probably like others, I chart my moods and I now find that on either side of stable I don't have extreme highs and lows with my current meds, but I still cycle.
Bluemountains

Well, that sounds a little more promising lol. I hope I stay somewhat stable, I really have not had many times in my life that I have been, but now I'm right on the border of stability! Guess we'll see what happens. I don't want to lose this.

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Oops... I meant abilify... not ability lol

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[BlackPup]

I've not been hypomanic in a long time (years) but still suffer from mild depression sometimes. At the moment we are tweaking my meds to get rid of the depression. I hope to be normal on meds, that's my pdocs aim too. I think you can get stabity for reasonable amounts of time (years) rather than just a dampening of cycles.