To my medicated peeps... Doesn't it bug you...

That after decades & decades of bipolar awareness, NOBODY has been able to manufacture a bipolar pill? Besides lithuim, which is a metal, not a salt, (check periodic table) nothing rxd for bp is manufactured for it; MS' are epilepsy meds, AP's are tranquilizers,& AD's are ad's...Yet pdocs have no problem rx'ing left right & centre & we're expected to comply & be accepting of horrible side effects caused by meds never intended for us...

This was a huge problem for me being medicated. Thoughts?

Yep I agree after decades they are still using lithium that's what I'm on now after trying multiple cocktails of meds so I told my pdoc this is it no more changing it is what it is

Yes, but there are tons of diseases like that. Autism seems to be one of them. I'm just happy that they have anything that helps.

Yes, I agree and that is part of the reason why I started my latest thread (how do you find the strength..) I would have a much more positive outlook if I knew there was a med made specifically for this disorder.

that's a whole other kettle of fish I dont really agree on.My niece is autistic, which as far as I know is a developmental problem in the brain which affects social and communication skills.How does anyone suppose a pill will fix that? My niece goes to a specialized school,which teaches her effective communication skills,and a host of other things. I dont think any kind of pill would 'fix' her

Would be good if they figure it out someday. I would prefer to be able to take my adderall and anti-depressant when I'm in depression, or as I feel I need it.

And then to take my clonopins or stronger for when I'm manic, agitated, can't sleep, as needed.

But nope they don't believe I can regulate that on my own, so bring in the lithium, and then all of the above things are to be taken daily, not just as needed.

I was saying that's one of the 'diseases' that use other medication that are "off label" uses. A lot of times kids symptoms are treated with a mixture of ap's, simulants, Ms' and/or Ad'. That was an example, sorry for using such a touchy subject, that was the first that sprung to my mind.

Autism's not a touchy subject. Dont apologise, please... Scientists are making strides in curing aids, but not a peep about strides in finding a med to even manage bipolar... The gospel of the dsm preaches that we are to be medicated, so why is there no medication? The whole thing stinks me thinks, or maybe its another olfactory hallucination...

I believe that what I take is a bicarbonate of Lithium, which IS a salt. That is the reason you are not supposed to eat a low sodium diet while on Lithium.

I think Lithium is squarely a bipolar med, even though it has some limited use outside of bp.

Ohkidoke, guess apart from Giabrinna, I'm the only one that's bugged by this...

Ohkidoke, guess apart from Giabrinna, I'm the only one that's bugged by this...

Nope, not true. I was also bothered by this Trippin. Still am. I think it says a lot more about what they dont know about bipolar than than what they do know.

But I also think that expanding our definition of medication beyond being pills might be where we will get the most help. Since we do not have hard proof for these meds yet, nor hard proof about what Bipolar actually is, how,why... All we got are theories.

For me .. Right now I'll go ahead and play "lab rat" At this point I really am not sure if the medications help or not. I understand that most of the stupid medications aren't specific for "bipolar" Since everyone with bipolar is unique and there isn't a "blanket" medication.. I think it pretty much sucks.. Today I'll take my off label meds, tomorrow may be another story.

Nothing wrong with that Christina, we need something....

I wish they could find something, I wish there were better meds available. I wish they could figure out and agree with proof what bipolar is exactly. So many people are unsatisfied with the med treatment for bipolar, maybe if people keep making noise the research will continue. Everytime we complain to our pdocs about the side effects, the fact's that we are still stuggling despite the meds... Hopefully it will keep trickling up to the people that working on this.

Mostly I wish we would change our current medical model, and expand our horizons. I think we are being cut short in a big way.

I agree 10000 % Anika. I think eventually someone will listen. At least I hope so.

If I analyze it then yes, I would have a problem with it. I won't let myself do that though. I do believe that the Lamictal has made a world of difference. The Abilify has taken away my paranoia and a lot of my strange thinking. The zoloft and lorazapam have allowed for me to deal with and handle my anxiety. Each one has really helped me.

I guess I choose to be ignorant about the details of what they are actually intended for and just recognize the difference they have made for me. It is my personality that it is not hard to accept side affects though.

I hope so too Anika! I guess I started this thread cos it feels like we're being cheated. It feels like nobody's making a medical effort to actually help, and so many of us need chemical intervention at one time or another. Like why are we just supposed to accept that using an anti-convulsant is ok? Who decided it was ok? Was it an accident? Is this as good as it gets? Why isnt there an injection i can get to kill mania when it hits? Like i said it just stinks, more for my friends than me tho

I like that idea Trippin. I like the idea of only havin to take the med when needed. Take away the all the time toxins and side affects, only use when acutely needed.

I would def go for that too. I would not feel terminally ill if that was the case. would do a lot for my self esteem too.

There is interesting research done between links between bipolar and epilepsy. Ketogenic diets etc... you know what is weird, I get what is most likely "alice and wonderland syndrome" , they don't know for sure what is going on there either. They don't know.. is it a migraine without the pain, is it an epileptic seizure without convulsion or loss of consciousness, they don't know that either.

I wouldn't be surprised find out that bipolar is a side effect of a physical problem, I might stand alone on this, but to me, it makes much sense. I am not saying it's epilepsy, and I am not saying it's a chemical imbalance either, sure chemicals might be effected, umm why tho?

It does stink, we are being cheated, worst of all we are being lied to. It's fine for them to not have all the facts, but it isn't ok for them to pretend to us that they do. It's a gross misuse of authority.

Ok .......done rant. Sorry, this is such a Point of being pissed off for me.

They having been doing studies on using ketamine to treat bipolar depression, works within 45 min to few hours. Just one injection. You think this will be made available?? I'm gonna say not likely.

I agree, they'd lose big bucks if we could be treated with 1 periodic injection...

Bingo!! And diets that might work, that has zero profit for pharma companies, not to mention pdoc visits. E.C.T. and long term med use are much more profitable. Ok im gonna shut up before I get in troubles.

Lol me too, I'ma zipit!

When I was in Europe, I had a p-doc briefly who wanted to switch me to a Danish drug called Clopixol, which is an AP that, he thought, would have substituted for my whole coctail, and would have been available as a monthly injection.

But since it is not available in the US, I did not make the switch. It would have been nice to do one injection in place of a daily coctail.

I believe that Risperdal is available as an injectable in the US. But I did not like Risperdal for a number of reasons...

None of the psych meds really "treat" the "illness". All they do is treat the symptoms of the illness in an attempt to keep them at bay so said individual can function in the societal context. Anti-Psychotics don't cure positive or negative symptoms of schizophrenia, but keep those symptoms at bay. Same with bipolar meds.

I remember when HamsterB said something about bipolar being a sleep disorder. At the time I didn't believe it was, however, I am starting to believe it does have to do with the regulation of sleep. I wondered how I could fit in this until I realized that I chronically oversleep. I think it has to do with the reaction to sleep and the body compensating for what rest it did/did not receive. I think this is one of the physically driven aspects of the disorder.

I think another part of bipolar disorder are learned behaviors.

I don't think of it as a chemical imbalance because the brain will always have some kind of imbalance in its neurotransmitters. I basically think that science has found some functions of neurotransmitters. They realized some of the neurotransmitters had positive effects. Then they tried to make synthetic versions of those neurotransmitters to attempt to increase those certain neurotransmitters in the brain to hopefully correct something they perceive as a inadequacy. The only way for them to know if it is, is if you stay on the medication.

(Then you have to wonder if it is medication itself working, or if its just numbing you out of your bipolar rollarcoaster)