[StillLeftBehind]

OK...better late than never. At the not so young age of 44 I have been stamped with a "Rapid cycling Bipolar" tattoo across my forehead. The guy who said "life is like a box of chocolates" couldn't have know how right he was. I have learned that my whole life has been not in my control. It feels a lot like a hockey puck. I get smacked in one directrion then another. After 3 months of break in on meds I am taking 40 mg citalopram and 300 mg Seroquel daily. My lows are not so low anymore but I still get all worked up and tense with my highs. I still have tons of energy and when I feel like I am getting out of control I find myself walking on the seams of the wood or carpet flooring at work. I walk right by customers but I can't help it still, it's the only way(even with the meds)that I can keep from out right acting (evidently) like an *** hat and causing a scene. Has anyone felt this way? How do you feel about your Pdoc? Have you requested different meds/additional meds and how was your request received? I know it's early in my treatment but I am looking for a plan b/c/d...etc.

[BipolaRNurse]

Welcome to PC! This is one of the most active forums on the site, and you'll find many supportive members here.

I don't know how to advise you, but I do think 40 mg is a whopping dose of citalopram for someone with bipolar disorder. My pdoc lets me have only 10 mg because higher doses tend to switch me into mania, which could be part of your current problem as well. Also, I notice that you're taking an atypical antipsychotic and no mood stabilizers, like Lamictal or lithium, so I wonder if you have a psychiatrist, or is your primary care provider prescribing for you?

In your place, I would definitely have a conversation about meds with whoever is prescribing them, plus you need to learn everything you can about your illness. Bipolar disorder is complicated and messy even if you understand the basics, and you cannot advocate well for yourself if you don't have a fairly extensive knowledge base. So check out the information here on PC, and try the NAMI and DBSA websites as well; these are reliable sources of information and they don't try to sell you drugs or vitamins.

Sorry you got your diagnosis so relatively late in life. I was 53 when I was diagnosed, and I wish I could get back some of those years I wasted chasing my tail and never knowing what the hell was wrong with me. Better late than never, I guess!

[Speed3]

Hi
I have rapid cycling bipolar disorder as well. Last year I went to John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore for two weeks for consultation and some new ideas. They told me I was the worse case of Rapid Cycling they had ever seen. One of the main things they stressed to me was to never never take an antidepressant med. They make the cycling much worse. They also stressed that the most important thing was to stabilize my mood. A rapid cycled needs a mood stabilizer like Lithium, Depakote or Tegretol. For the depressed side Lamictal is ok for rapid cycling bipolar.
Just sharing things I have learned in my long journey with the illness. I am 56 and had my first episode at 14. The first time I took an antidepressant,Prozac, was when I was 38. This is when things went downhill for me. The PDOC didn't recognize the bipolar, he thought I just had major depression. I was on the Prozac for over a year and it pushed me into rapid cycling. I got so bad that I had my first hospitalization.

[StillLeftBehind]

I am currently seeing my primary Dr. and a Psychiatrist. My primary put me on the citalopram and my Psychiatrist put me on the Seroquel. He said the Seroquel would help me with sleeping and to keep the mania and hallucinations under control. I will ask about mood stabilizers. I seem to be really bothered by the depression more than the mania. Having said that, I do get into trouble with not being able to slow down or acting like the class clown around the general public. I will also ask about the other meds that you all listed. Thanks for the input.