[nicole84]

Didn't know whether to put this in the medication section or bipolar but figured more bipolar people would see it here. I've been on Prozac at 20mg for about 6 months now, mostly by itself with diazepam when I need it. During this time I also started to slip pretty badly, got addicted to pain meds to 'numb' out all the feelings and my mind constantly racing.

Then I quit those meds 3 weeks ago and I'm back to feeling everything, not sleeping, agitated, depressed, basically fluctuating like crazy. I've been warned before that Prozac is bad for insomnia, and most nights I'm sleeping 3 hours if that.

I've been taking seroquel again, but the last time I was on it, it didn't seem to help much at all and made me a zombie. Now it only gives me a few hours sleep but helps my mood.

Kinda feels like I need to be off the Prozac, it's a pity depression is such a huge part of my cycling though sigh.

[hamster-bamster]

Prozac should be taken first thing in the morning to prevent the insomnia side effect. Is that how you have been taking it?

[BipolaRNurse]

Unfortunately, antidepressants without a mood stabilizer to buffer them tend to make us manic. You may need something like Lamictal to balance things out; some of us (as you can see in my signature) need several drugs to manage our illness. But the only way to know is to see a psychiatrist or psych nurse practitioner who knows what he or she is doing---don't expect your GP to manage something as complicated as bipolar disorder. Hope you get more responses here, and best of luck.

[cocoabeans]

Prozac was the first psychiatric medication I tried in combination with trazodone. That is if you don't count a single dose of Ativan given to me in the ER the night before seeing the psychiatrist.

It was awful and yet a lot of fun too. I was on 20 mg at first and felt very strange, unable to sleep at all, my thoughts raced a lot and I'd find myself crying and laughing hysterically at the same time a lot. Told the psychiatrist when he had his follow up with me after about a month and he doubled the dosage, switched me from trazodone to remeron, told me that I was whining too much for a girl from a upper middle class family and that I should be thankful I'm not starving in the streets in India.

Well, 40 mg was worse than 20 mg and things spiraled quickly. I was seeing things, hearing things, still not sleeping regularly. I lost weight. I started drinking a lot just to get myself to sit still. I was in university so I'd show up to class with a bottle of coke spiked with rum and sit in the back. I couldn't sit still otherwise and I didn't know what else to do given the doctor I had. I mean, I was seeing a specialist. I was diagnosed with bipolar. I was doing what he said and getting worse. I was convinced he was out to get me and wanted me dead or locked up in the hospital so he could abuse me further. He was rather fascinated with my sex life at the time and not in way that he was trying to see if I was hyper sexual, in the way that gives any woman the creeps.

Eventually I ended up trying to commit suicide and quit Prozac and didn't see another doctor for many years. I learne a good lesson about trusting your psychiatrist though.

[Victoria'smom]

Prozac made me manic even w. lamictal.

[nicole84]

Originally Posted by hamster-bamster

Prozac should be taken first thing in the morning to prevent the insomnia side effect. Is that how you have been taking it?

Yes, every morning for 6 months. Except yesterday cos I was curious what would happen. I actually slept last night...

Originally Posted by cocoabeans

Prozac was the first psychiatric medication I tried in combination with trazodone. That is if you don't count a single dose of Ativan given to me in the ER the night before seeing the psychiatrist.

It was awful and yet a lot of fun too. I was on 20 mg at first and felt very strange, unable to sleep at all, my thoughts raced a lot and I'd find myself crying and laughing hysterically at the same time a lot. Told the psychiatrist when he had his follow up with me after about a month and he doubled the dosage, switched me from trazodone to remeron, told me that I was whining too much for a girl from a upper middle class family and that I should be thankful I'm not starving in the streets in India.

Well, 40 mg was worse than 20 mg and things spiraled quickly. I was seeing things, hearing things, still not sleeping regularly. I lost weight. I started drinking a lot just to get myself to sit still. I was in university so I'd show up to class with a bottle of coke spiked with rum and sit in the back. I couldn't sit still otherwise and I didn't know what else to do given the doctor I had. I mean, I was seeing a specialist. I was diagnosed with bipolar. I was doing what he said and getting worse. I was convinced he was out to get me and wanted me dead or locked up in the hospital so he could abuse me further. He was rather fascinated with my sex life at the time and not in way that he was trying to see if I was hyper sexual, in the way that gives any woman the creeps.

Eventually I ended up trying to commit suicide and quit Prozac and didn't see another doctor for many years. I learne a good lesson about trusting your psychiatrist though.

You sound similar to me!! In the sense of using other things to 'medicate' yourself to feel sane. I was using pain meds and also still use alcohol. About the only two things that seem to make me feel 'ok' The opiates made me numb so I didn't feel completely bat **** which was nice for awhile until it started making me hear things and feel out of reality. I do need to find a good psych, unfortunately haven't yet and there's a waiting list. But I'm seeing my regular doc tomorrow.

Originally Posted by Miguel'smom

Prozac made me manic even w. lamictal.

I have been hearing that A LOT!

Thanks for all your fast replies

I know I need to find a good pdoc, I haven't as yet and it's hard with waiting lists. The last one I saw that diagnosed me a year ago I hated, she was only interested in monotherapy and didn't treat other conditions that I have so I'm going to find a new one. I am seeing my gp tomorrow who has at least the knowledge of mental health and generally listens to what I think I should be doing. Right now I'm thinking it's the Prozac. Actually been thinking that awhile. As soon as I stopped abusing the pain meds my mind has just been back to a jumbled up and down mess.

[cocoabeans]

Self medicating isn't anything uncommon. It's quite the natural and rational thing to do. In most situations taking care of yourself is what's needed. The problems occur when what youre using makes things worse and you lack that insight or youre prone to addiction. Thankfully I'm not.

[Lillyleaf]

The depressing thing I find is if my mania symptoms didn't result in such bad affects I would have easily been stuck on antidepressents that put me in mania and mix episodes stages. I first started off with prozac and trazadone too they are common mixes, however I found my expereince that they were not helpful. Because I was bipolar they gave me side effects that caused me to give up on them. After that I was put on Celexa another antiperessent and that was even worce.

Prozac is one of the most effective drugs when treating DEPRESSION, but without a mood stablizer along with it, someone with bipolar can have issues.

Just my thoughts,

Lillyleaf

[BlueInanna]

Originally Posted by cocoabeans

Self medicating isn't anything uncommon. It's quite the natural and rational thing to do. In most situations taking care of yourself is what's needed. The problems occur when what youre using makes things worse and you lack that insight or youre prone to addiction. Thankfully I'm not.

Yikes. Self-medicating with drugs or alcohol is a dangerous way to cope with bp symptoms. They really can lead to bigger problems and most people will lie to themselves to rationalize their behavior. Most people won't realize they're addicted until they're addicted. Im not the addictive type either (wheres my smokes anyway?). Be safe, I hope you will have good results with the Prozac.

[squishygoboom]

I've always been taught in my Psychopathology and Psychopharmacology classes (I'm one of those--drawn to the Psychology field, fascinated by moods and disorders and then diagnosed with a disorder myself later) that antidepressants without a mood stabilizer can make BP patients manic. You should also slowly come off medications; you should never suddenly stop a medication (or drug when detoxing).

I don't know what the protocol is in Australia, but have you ever looked into going to a psychiatric hospital (if you feel that you are getting worse)? I went to the hospital a few months ago for "Postpartum Depression". They stabilized me (or so they thought, because they put me on Zoloft, which sent me flying) and when I was discharged, the social worker who was working my case was required to set me up with a psychiatrist appointment 2 weeks after my discharge to check in on my medication and to give me another prescription. This is how I got my proper diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder and we are now riding the medication merry-go-round to find the right ones for me.

[nicole84]

Originally Posted by cocoabeans

Self medicating isn't anything uncommon. It's quite the natural and rational thing to do. In most situations taking care of yourself is what's needed. The problems occur when what youre using makes things worse and you lack that insight or youre prone to addiction. Thankfully I'm not.

I've been pretty bad with the self medicating too. I know it's not idea, but for example last night it was either take a bunch of meds or try and off myself. To put it nicely :-/ Had a major breakdown so I self medicated. I've been addicted to pain meds so I don't want to go down that path again.

Just want some relief.

Tried to stop the Prozac and I was a depressed mess, so I guess I need to have something added to it.

[cocoabeans]

Yea, I have no idea why I never got addicted to anything except cigarettes. Maybe because I don't have easy access and don't want to actively seek out the drugs I really like like pain drugs or sedatives. Alcohol gives me a headache and makes me more depressed. Stimulants make me crazy after a few nights and pot makes me paranoid.

If intervention Canada has taught me anything, I'm never moving to the west coast. I'd be a heroin junkie in two seconds.

But I mean, it does make perfect sense to want to do something to make you feel better/temporarily more stable and to go to what you know. That's just short term thinking though.