ADs for Bipolar?

Hi, I'm new here, and need some help with a problem that's presented itself recently.

I am Bipolar and OCD, each existing separately. My OCD is bad enough to where taking an AD isn't really an option. I have to do it. I need serotonin agents to keep me from climbing the walls.

Here's where the problem lies. My longtime AD Lexapro has recently pooped out on me. I need to start a new one but I am scared to death of switching to mania. Although I was on Cymbalta and Lexapro for some time with no problems, I did have a massive manic episode on Luvox 7-8 years ago. I feel like I'm rolling the dice and it scares the hell out of me. Can't go back on Cymbalta because my insurance won't cover it :/

Does anyone have any positive experiences with Zoloft, Prozac, or Paxil (my likely choices)? Anything you can tell me will help. I'm obsessing over this and it's not fun.

Paxil throw me into a horrible manic period so prozac was not tried. Low doses of celexa have/had really helped ocd. The only ssri that I have found without side effects or mania is a low dose of viibryd. I require an ssri for comorbid issues too but because of the bp it's usually 1/2 the dose normally proscribed.

Yea, it seems every Bipolar person has at least one they respond negatively to. Mine was Luvox. Really hoping I can get on another with the same luck as Lexapro and Cymbalta.

If all else fails, I can find the money to pay for Cymbalta. Ugh.

Prozac sent me into an intense manic episode. When I tried Paxil, I felt it starting to ramp me up into hypo and I was able to just stop before I took a rocket to the moon. If you have to try another AD, and you said you already had a manic episode from one, at least you KNOW what that feels like so if you start feeling manic you can just back off or stop altogether and try a different one if your pdoc thinks that it is ok.

The reason that I was so scared of the prozac mania is because I hadn't been DX'ed BP and didn't know what mania was...I didn't know what was going on or how to stop it. If I were to be rx'ed prozac now, I feel that the fear-factor would be gone...I could start low, build veryyyyy gradually and at the first sign of hypo place a call to pdoc and stop, therefore preventing the risk of a bad mania. I think?

I'm starting Prozac whenever I fill the script. I'll let you know how it goes.

I think you would be correct. Also, now knowing that you're bipolar, you can counteract any potential mania with anti-manic drugs.

Right now, I'm protected by Lithium 1500mg, Zyprexa 10mg, and a low dose of Depakote (titrating up).