[SMURPH003]

One psychiatrist said I have major depression and anxiety. He put me on xanax and cymbalta. I moved and the new psychiatrist says I have bipolar because I have trouble with insomnia. I have no other manic or hypomanic symptoms. The bipolar med he gave me is geodon. It gave me horrible side effects and did not help at all. He stopped the xanax and the cymbalta. I now have panic attacks, and am so depressed I only just live through the day. I have no energy for anything, no joy, and I cry endlessly over nothing. I want to die, but would never kill myself. It sure seems like I need my depression and anxiety meds back, but I am confused.

[ultramar]

I would get a second opinion. Insurance usually pays for this. Hypo/mania is of course characterized by more than just insomnia, though maybe he/she was noticing other things.

If you were stable on your previous meds and became depressed on the current ones, then at the least maybe you need a change in medication, but if this pdoc thinks you have bipolar disorder then I doubt he would prescribe an antidepressant, at least not along with a mood stabilizer.

I'm sorry you're struggling, best of luck.

[wildflowerchild25]

Insomnia is also a part of unipolar depression so I'm not sure why you would get the label of bipolar wih only insomnia as a symptom. I would get a second opinion as well.

[jd6266]

I was incorrectly diagnosed with depression for a few years before I was diagnosed with bp because I mostly was depressed. I rarely got hypomanic and I don't believe I've ever been fully manic. My doc only figured out my diagnosis because I became hypomanic from taking prozac for depression. Ironically, my current doc prescribes cymbalta with lithium, seroquel, and klonopin. I absolutely need the antidepressant otherwise I will become depressed. It is controversial among psychiatrists to give bp patients anti-depressants for fear that it will put them into mania. However, I think there is a place for them for some people. Responses to meds are so individualized.

That said, it is not uncommon for docs to perscribe an anti-psychotic with an anti-depressant for someone diagnosed with depression when the anti-depressant isn't fully working.

[wiretwister]

I was driven into mania by anti depressants from my first psych., since then on mood stabilizers and only exhibiting depression , hang in there, change docs if needed but stay with it. find meds that work and stick with them.. best of luck welcome to the journey

Originally Posted by jd6266

It is controversial among psychiatrists to give bp patients anti-depressants for fear that it will put them into mania. However, I think there is a place for them for some people. Responses to meds are so individualized.

That said, it is not uncommon for docs to perscribe an anti-psychotic with an anti-depressant for someone diagnosed with depression when the anti-depressant isn't fully working.

Anti-depressants have been shown to often induce and aggravate rapid cycling. I think mania should be the second most important worry when using anti-depressants for treating bipolar. SSRI's messed with my brain and it hasn't returned to normal a year later.

[primetimetush1]

Originally Posted by SMURPH003

One psychiatrist said I have major depression and anxiety. He put me on xanax and cymbalta. I moved and the new psychiatrist says I have bipolar because I have trouble with insomnia. I have no other manic or hypomanic symptoms. The bipolar med he gave me is geodon. It gave me horrible side effects and did not help at all. He stopped the xanax and the cymbalta. I now have panic attacks, and am so depressed I only just live through the day. I have no energy for anything, no joy, and I cry endlessly over nothing. I want to die, but would never kill myself. It sure seems like I need my depression and anxiety meds back, but I am confused.

That doesn't make any sense because people with unipolar depression have insomnia too. Also, decreased need for sleep (very high energy/doesn't want to sleep), a symptom of mania, isn't the same as insomnia (trouble sleeping). Ask doc for clarification.

[IndieVisible]

Wellbutrin (not a ssri) has shown to be the least likely to induce manic episodes. In tests it showed the lowest percentage of people with BP and for that reason is often prescribed for BP folks too. But some may get manic on it too. I can't remember the exact numbers off the top of my head but it was like 4% got manic. There is a link some where with all the tests done with every antidepressant and most common disorders. If I find it I will post it.