Wondering...

Is anyone here still wondering if they are truly bipolar? I haven't been formally diagnosed, but my pdoc is erring on the safe side because I had a horrible reaction to an increase in my Prozac dose to 60 mg. (meanwhile, I have been on Prozac 40 mg for 20 years without a problem). I had an intense physical reaction when it was increased a year ago, with horrible insomnia, tremulousness, heart racing, blood pressure up, etc. My whole body was shaking. I could not hold a cup of tea without spilling it. Doc took me off the Prozac and within a week or two I felt better. I am now back on it at 40 mg without any problems, but she has me on 3200 mg of gabapentin as well. She now wants to prescribe Depakote (I don't know why) but I have been terribly depressed for nearly a year now. My moods don't change, I just have not been me, I don't want to leave the house, can barely shower, and my husband is devastated (as am I) in losing me.

I question this diagnosis of bipolar, and my husband and family do not think I am, but I am trying to find out more about it and embrace it if need be. My fear is of going on strong, strong drugs if it is not necessary. I am 59 years old and have been on Prozac since 1987. It is difficult for me to believe that I am bipolar.

Has anyone questioned their diagnosis, like I am? Not that I am formally diagnosed, but pdoc wants to err on the side of caution and prescribe lots of meds with side effects.

Any help would be so appreciated....

Jill

I started to question it this year after a year long depression. However, then I reminded myself of the manic state I have been in before and the trouble it got me into, then I remember I'm on meds to stop that from happening.

Sounds like he is trying to boost your mood by using another mood stablizer since raising the Prozac didn't work. Wait and see what he says.

Thank you Gayle... My concern is that I really don't want to go on Depakote. In the last year she has had me on Zyprexa, Seroquel (which I cannot take, I fall down when I stand up), initially wanted me to go on Lamictal (I have OCD and I am scared to death about the Lamictal rash), and all because of this one episode.

I didn't feel that I had a manic episode when the Prozac was increased, but a toxic reaction. As soon as the Prozac was decreased, I felt fine, and have not had that feeling for over a year.

Am I in denial??? So hard for me to think I became bipolar at my age after taking Prozac for nearly 30 years for OCD.

I was 49 when was diagnosised and looking back I could see a couple of severe manic episodes, but nobody picked up on them until then. Hind site is 20/20. But if you haven't had any major manic states it would make me wonder.

I am 22, and have been diagnosed with everything from depression to borderline personality disorder. When I was told that Bipolar was the newest in a string of conditions that that I could be suffering from I shut down. My father was bipolar and I couldn't stand the thought of being like him... but...well, I think they were right.

That being said, misdiagnosis happens! I think that if you truly feel that something is not right, like you're being medicated for the wrong disorder then you need to be honest with yourself and with your Dr. This is your life, your body that your dealing with; if you think you were misdiagnosed all you can do is talk about it. So many symptoms of so many disorders encompass eachother that unless you are 100% honest and open with yourself and your Dr. it makes misdiagnosis all but inevitable. I think that if you're seeing a Dr. and they haven't formally diagnosed you there is obviously doubt and I'd be leery about taking meds when a diagnosis has not been made... But, I am not a professional and your Dr. is, so I am in no way saying that you shouldn't listen to them. Just be open and honest and ask questions.
Something that helped me was making a behavior and mood log in between sessions...how you felt,mood on scale of 1-10, things you did,thought that seemed significant to you... it's easy to get in session and forget things that you wondered about.
I hope that I was helpful

Hello, I think I formal diagnosis would help a lot. I have got bipolar disorder 2 and I haven't got it because my Dr said so but because I am bipolar! No one knows you better that yourself. Google bipolar disorder, find a trustworthy site with some 'DIY' test as these can give you guidelines. Like, if you answer yes to all the questions, there is something to it, you know?
I, after ignoring many caring friends and family, finally did just that and could relate so overwhelmingly that I decided to go see a pdoc. After formal testing, that was my diagnosis.
If it is true, or another diagnosis, it will hopefully be a joyous discovery because you will be able to get the right treatment, instead of a bad thing. Basically like you said, you'll embrace it. I think Prozac is as "strong, strong" as any other medications prescribed for depression or bipolar.
Good luck, let us know what happens x

Thank you all for your replies so far. I have an appointment with another pdoc the week of Thanksgiving, and I am bringing all my questions and all my history. Thanks so much! Jill

Well, sure I do wonder but, eventually I get to the point where I really don't care about the name.

Pathologising my experience is weird. I refuse to do that to myself. The way that people who accept the label describe their experiences is so clinical and removed. I don't understand the benefit.

Yea, okay I'm back on the drugs all of three days now but, am I bipolar? Do I have bipolar? Hell if I know. I just want to sleep regularly and be a bit less stressful to live with.

Well the falling when standing up ( Orthostatic hypotension ) a drop in blood pressure, when on an antipsychotic like seroquel and zeprexa is a side effect that is pretty common with those class of drugs. I had chronic low blood pressure when on them and I have fainted on them. Not a good feeling and can see why you would not take those.

I am thinking what you are thinking when it comes to the prozac. Perhaps it was just to high of a dose that affected you adversly. Since the prozac doesn't seem to be doing it's job any longer (depression), and it really is common for these drugs to bottom out, I think we see that often with AD's, maybe a different AD may help? Is the prozac still working for OCD? Sorry I realize you are taking it for that but are now dealing with depression as well. Also drug response to an AD is a poor way to dx bipolar. As you can see if you look at the known side effects, it can cause manic like responses in people who do not have bipolar. The diagnostic criteria also rules out mania brought on by drugs or medications.

Are you receiving therapy or any other type of help in combination with the medication for the depression or the ocd? If not that might something to look for.

I'd listen to your instincts on this one, misdisgnosis happens a lot in the mental heath community, if it doesnt seem to fit to you ( don't see mania or hypomania in your experiences) and you are being open to it, then it probably doesn't fit. You know yourself best. Mood stabilizers are used often to boost the effects of ad's, antipsychtics have been used for this as well, abilify is an example of that, so there is that to consider. I often found that throwing more meds at the problem is not the answer tho.

I take care of a patient with dementia and he has this problem quite a lot. I didn't realize antipsychotics could be the issue since he takes seroquel before bed. We help correct this behavior by having him sit up for a minute after laying down, standing in one place for one minute after sitting then he is able to walk around once his blood pressure is okay.

Hmm Medfox, if I were you I would do a google search, there is a lot of info on this and as far as I know it is a possible side effect (listed) of all AP's and maybe print a little off and take it to work and show it to whoever is in charge of his meds or just bring it up. In case there are other complications that can rise from this.. and there are. Just to be on safe side. AP's used for dementia is kind of risky too. I know they sometimes do it but maybe there is something better for this man. I am obvioulsy not a dr, but would think the risk of him falling and getting hurt should be addressed. Maybe a lower dose would correct that as well?

A lot of the dementia patients we take care of are on seroquel. Quite a few dementia patients have aggression and can be quite violent towards cnas along with anyone else so their pcps put them on seroquel to sedate them. The main reason for aggression from dementia patients is because they have memory issues and feel like they always have a task to do (catching a bus, picking up their children from school, etc) usually in the middle of the night. It distress them that they can not complete their tasks so they lash out. Seroquel allows them to sleep well at night and to prevent episodes. I'm not sure what the risks for dementia patients are on aps, but their pcps have determined the benefits are greater than the side affects.

They give meds that cause brain atrophy to dementia patients???

Jcon, from what you've posted I agree with you, sounds more like the prozac dosage was too high and you had a horrid reaction. I'm sure if you had actual hypo/manic symptoms besides insomnia, (any listed in the DSM, like manic spending, hypersexuality, seemingly endless bouncing off the wall type energy, grandiosity, enlightment or whatever) that you would've remembered them in detail and shared them with us... Like Anika said, meds poop out and stop working, and if a bp'er has an adverse reaction to an AD, it certainly happens much sooner than 20yrs.

Maybe take a look at the symptoms and see how many you check off just to be sure for yourself though. You can even take the list with to your appointment and discuss it with your dr, because you know the details of your experience better than anyone.

MedFox I have a link you might find interesting but I'll post it on your wall for you.

Yes they do. A lot of nursing homes actually abuse the use of APs to sedate patients that don't have mental illnesses. I work for a private practice so I don't participate in such abuse, I hate how lazy medical professionals can be.

Feeling faint/fainting when standing up too quickly after lying down isn't normal? Hmm, maybe something else is wrong with me. I'm almost always tired and sore too. I thought that was just life. You sure?

One thing we joke about is remembering I feel like tired crap off medication too so, I may as well stay on them.

[QUOTE=Anika.;3386759]Well the falling when standing up ( Orthostatic hypotension ) a drop in blood pressure, when on an antipsychotic like seroquel and zeprexa is a side effect that is pretty common with those class of drugs. I had chronic low blood pressure when on them and I have fainted on them. Not a good feeling and can see why you would not take those.

I am thinking what you are thinking when it comes to the prozac. Perhaps it was just to high of a dose that affected you adversly. Since the prozac doesn't seem to be doing it's job any longer (depression), and it really is common for these drugs to bottom out, I think we see that often with AD's, maybe a different AD may help? Is the prozac still working for OCD? Sorry I realize you are taking it for that but are now dealing with depression as well. Also drug response to an AD is a poor way to dx bipolar. As you can see if you look at the known side effects, it can cause manic like responses in people who do not have bipolar. The diagnostic criteria also rules out mania brought on by drugs or medications.

Are you receiving therapy or any other type of help in combination with the medication for the depression or the ocd? If not that might something to look for.

I'd listen to your instincts on this one, misdisgnosis happens a lot in the mental heath community, if it doesnt seem to fit to you ( don't see mania or hypomania in your experiences) and you are being open to it, then it probably doesn't fit. You know yourself best. Mood stabilizers are used often to boost the effects of ad's, antipsychtics have been used for this as well, abilify is an example of that, so there is that to consider. I often found that throwing more meds at the problem is not the answer tho.[/QUOT

Anika... Thank u so much for this reply. Can u tell me where u found the info about AD's causing these adverse effects even in non-bipolars? U have no idea how much u comforted me with this. I had never had a reaction like that after being on Prozac for 25 years, except when it was raised to 60 mg. I still take it at 40 mg without a problem.... Helps with OCD. But not for depression. Since I have had lots of therapy for the OCD, it may not even be the Prozac that is helping, but rather my own behavioral techniques.

Thank you!

Jill