[manicminer]

Been a good while since I posted or even logged on.

At the breaking point again, so I came back here to get support while I wait.............................. to get treatment.

Hope everyone is doing well out there and this is still the amazing place it was when I was a regular.

[~Christina]

OMG Hey you I have often thought of you and hoped you were just so damn busy enjoying life that you just didnt have time for PC !!

Ahhhh Im sorry your return is because your feeling so bad I am glad you knew to come back around.

Day by day , hour by hour, minute by minute. You can do this

Hey there! Welcome back! It's been a long time indeed! Good to see you (though like Christina said, sorry for the reason). Like… hmmmm, what? (Oh, I'm soooo bad with judging time it's probably a mistake to even try, but here goes!) A year and a half? Maybe almost 2??

There are lots of new folks, as I'm sure you see, but a fair number us oldies (heheh) still here as well. Share as you are ready and inclined to, it's still a very nice supportive place.

[Victoria'smom]

Hi again! Glad you back but sad you're unwell.

[manicminer]

So what's the latest and greatest in the BP meds world?

Pretty sure I'm gonna need back on, but don't want the garbage I got before.

Any recommendations?

[~Christina]

Depends on your current Bullshyt O Meter regarding Big Pharma.

[manicminer]

Hahahah. Just need something to keep me out of a straight jacket or handcuffs and let go of my internal anger without turning me into a zombie

[Trippin2.0]

Welcome back! Sorry about the circumstances, but good to have you all the same

[BipolaRNurse]

It is good to see you. Just wish you felt better. Big (((((HUGS))))) to you.

[Victoria'smom]

What meds have you tried? What are your symptoms? Are you in therapy?

[manicminer]

Originally Posted by Miguel'smom

What meds have you tried? What are your symptoms? Are you in therapy?

Previously a mix of Depakote and Risperdal. I guess I'd be in the BP I category, since I need anti-psychotics over anti-depressants.

Starting therapy Thursday. Getting back with my previous p-doc at his new practice. Tried to go back to WVU, but he had finished his residency and they put me on the new paitient wait list of up to 12 weeks!

Therapist is my chiropractor's wife. He told me we were low on treatments and it didnt seem to be helping. I told him I need to get my stress under control. He said well talk to my wife, who's wellness practice is upstairs.

I gave her a quick rundown, she was able to jog my memory as to the name of my previous p-doc, and she knew him and where he was practicing!

My symptoms include but are not limited too:

-Negative thoughts, sui thoughts, racing thoughts, impulsive thoughts
-Insomnia, restlessness, irratability, mood swings
-TENSION in the muscles, causing inflammation, causing spasm, causing cramping, casuing my spine to work out of alignment PAINFUL!
-Daily headaches: feels like one side of my brain is literally boiling, up to and including full blown migraines.
-Uncontrolled nerve firings: muscle twitches, sensations as if being tased or touching an electric current
-A renewed desire to drink alcohol until all of the above stop

[Victoria'smom]

I wouldn't listen about the low treatment options. We may need long term support but that doesn't mean we don't progress and have better lives just that we need extraordinary coping skills. As for meds it depends on your insurance. I had wonderful service at Prestera when I was in WV . I highly recommend them if things don't work out.

Okay, what insurance do you have? Seriquol helps me as a prn it's $4 w/o insurance. I was able to get it through urgent Care. You maybe able to get your former scripts through urgent care until you see your pdoc just to hold you over. I'm saying that because depakote is prescribed for migraines too. Does a hot shower / bath help at all? When do you see your pdoc?

[LastQuestion]

Your symptoms seem severe enough to consider they're not directly related to BP. It's possible that it's due to your meds as I recall Depakote can adversely affect the liver. When was your last physical with full bloodwork? I'd recommend getting that bloodwork done to check vitamins, minerals, heavy metals, kidneys, liver, etc. You'll need to specifically request the vitamin, min, heavy metals to the doctor seeing you. A pdoc would be most able know what's really going on and that bloodwork would no doubt help facilitate a diagnosis.

I've been having similar physical discomfort as yours due to benzo withdrawal and found some over the counter solutions to have noticeably helped.

One is from traditional Indian medicine (Ayurveda), a root known as Withania Somnifera (branded Sensoril), the other two are amino acids, L-Theanine (branded Suntheanine) and L-Taurine.

I take 250mg of the Sensoril morning/evening. I take the Theanine during the most stressful parts of the day in three hour intervals as that is the average half-life measured in blood plasma via serum testing in the studies I have read. The half-life of Taurine is similar to that of Theanine, but there has been less research done on its neuropharmacological effects. Taurine should be taken on an empty stomach. It could help with sleep at dosages as low as 500mg, but it may be necessary to go to 1000mg.

It may be worthwhile to ask your pdoc about the meds I've mentioned. However, I would expect few answers or direct recommendations regarding their therapeutic value as they have not been studied as thoroughly as pharmaceutical solutions.

Other things which I've found to help with sleep is reading two hours before and up until bedtime. I've recently ( last two weeks) began trying darkness therapy and it has improved my sleep as well - I no longer get 'wired' while reading and I've noticed I now yawn.

[Curious651]

No advice but welcome back.

[Curious651]

No med suggestion. It seems your doing the right thing though coming here

[~Christina]

Eh .... Everything sucks in my opinion but ... If it were me and I was in a hell of a storm of symptoms like that I would probably hop on a AP ( Risperdal) if it worked for you before to knock down some of the most powerful and dangerous stuff right off the bat. Im sure they are gonna want you to try a mood stabilizer. I have never been on depakote just never appealed to me or my pdoc . Maybe Lithium low dose for a while? Lamictal is always a possibilty .

Yeah stay away from the booze ! Deer season is coming up anyway you need good aim

Of course I am no Doctor.. and I pretty much despise Big Pharma so maybe I should shut up but seems most everyone needs to dip a toe or 2 in the pool for a while.

Do what you need to bring yourself down enough to remember all the useful helpful coping skills room kick back in gear.

Hows your job going ? Working underground more?

[Curious651]

Welcome back. Sorry to hear for the reasons though.

[manicminer]

I've been BP med free since December 2011, so any lingering affects of those meds are long gone.

Agreed the AP is the way to go. Just hoping I can find the right dose.

Screw Depakote, I'll never take that garbage again.

Still on Imitrex for the migraines.

Job is goin well, but is one of the main causes of the current situation. They moved me to day shift, which destroyed my mood for a time, but I got used to it.

Then they started giving me more to do when they saw my potential. The returning warehouse manager would have never known, but he timed his loading me up with new work perfectly with my manic cycle up from the winter lows.

At first I wanted to refuse, but the more he pushed the better I felt and took on more and more and more. Then the maintenacne coordinator announced his upcoming retirement and I started training with him on top of the rest.

When he retired they gave me his responsibilities plus everything I was doing before, without increase in pay.

Now I'm Coordinator of Maintenance Planning,with thepay increase thank God. basically the managers say they need something to happen and I make it happen. I report to about 9 people daily.

During this time I was house hunting, bought a house, moved in, moved the gf in, bought a new truck, a ring, a 4 wheeler, proposed and now planning a wedding.

[manicminer]

Taurine? hmm

I will look into those others as well.

Meet the therapist on Thursday. Gotta call the pdoc and set up an appointment. Could be a couple weeks. Still better than 12 weeks at WVU

[manicminer]

I have Blue Cross Blue Shield and it covers most everything. $5 scripts at CVS

[LastQuestion]

Originally Posted by manicminer

I have Blue Cross Blue Shield and it covers most everything. $5 scripts at CVS

The supplements I mentioned are all about 10-15$ per 60ct bottle on amazon, which would last about a month. Are you entirely med free right now? If so the Sensoril would be best to add first. I've found that l-theanine tempers my hypomanias even though it potentiates my amphetamine.

If you're under a lot of stress which is affecting mood then chronic administration of theanine (200mg 2-3 times a day for three or more weeks) may further protect against stress induced episodes. Just make sure that you're getting Sensoril and Suntheanine in the bottle. I'm not sure whether or not there's much of a difference in taurine based upon brand, but the stuff I've gotten from Thorne Research works well.

There's a lot of useful information on these substances on examine.com.

[manicminer]

Got in for October 9 with the proc, much better than 12 weeks. Lol

No success yet deer hunting

[~Christina]

Well we both need some luck then.. The freezer is pretty much empty... But the season has just begun

Im really glad you found a sooner appointment