[jtassar93]

I'd appreciate any input on any of my questions.

1. I've been on lithium for about 3 months now. My next app. is this Thursday. I read online that you have to have regular blood tests when taking lithium, but my doctor hasn't even mentioned this yet. If he doesn't mention it this Thursday, what should I do?

2. I've been on Olanzapine for about a month now. I wanted to know everyone's experiences with it, and if it worked for them.

3. I've been in a really bad place lately and worried about a bunch of stuff. When/can your psychiatrist recommend going into a hospital? It's one of my biggest fears... I don't have to if it's not voluntary, right? ....

4. How long does it usually take to get on the right combination of meds? I hate being put on something new and not knowing how it's going to affect me.

5. Once I do actually have the right combination of medications and seem to be in a good place. how often do I have to have doctor appointments?

6. Even if I'm on all the right meds, is there still a chance for a manic/depressive episode? What do I do if that happens?

7. Lastly!! All of this began in 2011, when I was still in high school. I'm 21 now and have never had a job or gone to college. I still don't have a license either. Anyone else have the same situation as me? I do still want to go to college when I'm able to.
Would it be weird being a 22 year old freshman in college? Am I still eligible for scholarships/grants if I'm so far past high school?

Thanks everyone. I'm glad I finally have somewhere to rant and ask all of my questions.

[kaliope]

Originally Posted by jtassar93

I'd appreciate any input on any of my questions.
Wow, i think i can answer all of these...lol
1. I've been on lithium for about 3 months now. My next app. is this Thursday. I read online that you have to have regular blood tests when taking lithium, but my doctor hasn't even mentioned this yet. If he doesn't mention it this Thursday, what should I do?

2. I've been on Olanzapine for about a month now. I wanted to know everyone's experiences with it, and if it worked for them.

3. I've been in a really bad place lately and worried about a bunch of stuff. When/can your psychiatrist recommend going into a hospital? It's one of my biggest fears... I don't have to if it's not voluntary, right? ....

4. How long does it usually take to get on the right combination of meds? I hate being put on something new and not knowing how it's going to affect me.

5. Once I do actually have the right combination of medications and seem to be in a good place. how often do I have to have doctor appointments?

6. Even if I'm on all the right meds, is there still a chance for a manic/depressive episode? What do I do if that happens?
7. Lastly!! All of this began in 2011, when I was still in high school. I'm 21 now and have never had a job or gone to college. I still don't have a license either. Anyone else have the same situation as me? I do still want to go to college when I'm able to.
Would it be weird being a 22 year old freshman in college? Am I still eligible for scholarships/grants if I'm so far past high school?

Thanks everyone. I'm glad I finally have somewhere to rant and ask all of my questions.

you do need regular blood tests but i am unsure how often. i know blood tests revealed lithium was messing with my thyroid so i stopped taking it. i couldnt have been on it more than six months. if your pdoc doesnt bring it up, you bring it up. it is important.

2. i am very sensitive to meds. zyprexa worked fabulous for the first couple weeks but then i started peeing pink, i could not get my thoughts to come out in words and my depth perception got skewed and i almost fell down a flight of stairs so i stopped it.

3.if you are doing poorly, your dr can recommend hospitalization but they cannot hospitalize you unless you are a danger to yourself or others. i was locked up because the pdoc didnt think i could take care of myself but the hospital didnt agree but since she had already done it they couldnt let me out. they freed me after the 72 hours was up. just dont talk about harming yourself.

4 it took me 2 1/2 years to find the right med combo. i tried everything. but i was shooting for perfect. i would not give a med a chance if i didnt like a side effect. i would not wait for it to wear off in time or increase doses of meds that werent working within a couple months. i was constantly changing. i went thru every med there was till i found the combo that eradicated my cycles completely. doctors like to stop at good enough. i wanted them gone.

5 most pdocs see patients every three months

6 unfortunately yes. i have been stable up to two years at a time but then things have happened. my pdoc gave me an antidepressant to control my anxiety and that triggered a two month mania. two years later i have had to get off a med due to side effects and was doing fine but my ptsd got royally triggered which triggered my mania. so now i am seeing my pdoc every two weeks and we are adding other meds to try and stabilize. acutally we went back to the old med with another med to counteract the side effects.

7 i am 51. i got an aa degree out of high school. i got my second aa degree at age 41 and my bachelors degree at 44. no, it would not be at all weird to be a freshman at 22. i went to school on the pell grant and scholarships. they dont care how old you are.

[BlackSheep79]

I will try my best.

1. I would just flat out ask because you need tests because from what I've heard and I hope I'm right the therapeutic level and the toxic level are close. I'm allergic so hopefully someone else can answer.

2. Allergic to Zyprexa, can't help with that one.

3. Not sure on this, I've only been once and I went voluntarily. I believe if you are a threat to yourself or others they can do a 72 hour hold on you. Not sure.

4. I've been doing the med-merry-go-round since I was diagnosed 8 years ago. Meds might work for awhile and then stop or I have to have them tweaked. However I was originally diagnosed as BP II and then it progressed into BP I. I have also experienced rapid cycling and a mixed episode. So finding the right meds can be very difficult. Just being real with you.

5. For me every two months, but my pdoc tells me if I need to come in call and make an appointment.

6. Yes. Get to your pdoc right away. If you are suicidal go to the ER.

7. No it's not weird. I have a B.S. and a M.S. and it took me a 14 year span so I was always way older than everyone else. I also saw little old lady taking a class once, so your never to old.The reasons it took me a long time is because I had to work full time so being a full time student for me personally was too much stress. Also, I had to take several semesters off because of my BP. My theory is take the time off instead of hurting your GPA. I graduated with a 4.0 with my masters degree because I took time off when I was sick. I know how much I can handle. To me, all that matters is that I finished school and accomplished my goals. It is possible.

BP is not easy, but I believe it has made me a stronger person. Hope this helps a little.

[chasms]

I'll answer the ones I can!

1. That is really weird and dangerous. How much are you taking? When i was in the hospital they put me on lithium and i had my blood drawn 2 times while in the hospital so they could monitor it. I had to quit taking it soon after i got out though because of side effects. I would def mention it to your dr.

3. They will mention it when they think you're a danger to someone else or yourself. Both times i went it was voluntary but i know they can make you go involuntary. It is always better to go in voluntarily. If you tell them you're suicidal, they won't make you go. It's only when you have a plan or are really really really suicidal and being impulsive or something (that is why i had to go both times).

4. It depends! I only started getting treatment in like June (i'm only 18 though), was put on 1 med for 4 months and was still really bad and got worse as the days went on. then **** hit the fan in November and that is when my med experiments really began (you can see all my past rx). still haven't found the right combo.

6. There is still a chance to have some type of episode. depends how well the meds control it, obviously. i think if you only do meds and call it good, with no therapy, there is a higher chance you will have an episode.

[Nammu]

Originally Posted by jtassar93

I'd appreciate any input on any of my questions.

1. I've been on lithium for about 3 months now. My next app. is this Thursday. I read online that you have to have regular blood tests when taking lithium, but my doctor hasn't even mentioned this yet. If he doesn't mention it this Thursday, what should I do?

Ask directly about this, it is important. If your Pdoc doesn't think so check around for a different Pdoc.

2. I've been on Olanzapine for about a month now. I wanted to know everyone's experiences with it, and if it worked for them.


3. I've been in a really bad place lately and worried about a bunch of stuff. When/can your psychiatrist recommend going into a hospital? It's one of my biggest fears... I don't have to if it's not voluntary, right? ....

A Pdoc can recommend hospitalization but unless they think you are going to harm yourself or another and you refuse to go voluntarily they won't force you.

4. How long does it usually take to get on the right combination of meds? I hate being put on something new and not knowing how it's going to affect me.

It's frustrating, and it's different for everybody. There's no answer to how long it will take.

5. Once I do actually have the right combination of medications and seem to be in a good place. how often do I have to have doctor appointments?

It depends on where you live, your insurance coverage and your Pdoc.

6. Even if I'm on all the right meds, is there still a chance for a manic/depressive episode? What do I do if that happens?

Yes there's always a chance. You can reduce the likelyhood of episodes by getting a healthy lifestyle. Eating healthy foods, excercise and a regular sleeping pattern.

7. Lastly!! All of this began in 2011, when I was still in high school. I'm 21 now and have never had a job or gone to college. I still don't have a license either. Anyone else have the same situation as me? I do still want to go to college when I'm able to.
Would it be weird being a 22 year old freshman in college? Am I still eligible for scholarships/grants if I'm so far past high school?

Yes you are eligible for many types of scholarships, there are books of scholarships on college campuses and online. There may be some out there where you must have an MI to apply, or you must be out of school for so many years or you must be Irish or Native American others are more general. But there are thousands of possible scholarships to cover every imaginable possibly. Pell grants don't care about age only income. Never has there been a better time to have a normal life with a Mental illness. The ADA laws and advances in knowledge have paved the way to jobs and college degrees.

Thanks everyone. I'm glad I finally have somewhere to rant and ask all of my questions.

Best of luck to you.

[Crazy Hitch]

PERSONAL OPINION ONLY

1. I've been on lithium for about 3 months now. My next app. is this Thursday. I read online that you have to have regular blood tests when taking lithium, but my doctor hasn't even mentioned this yet. If he doesn't mention it this Thursday, what should I do?

I am sure this will be something your doctor will mention. If not. Ask.

2. I've been on Olanzapine for about a month now. I wanted to know everyone's experiences with it, and if it worked for them.

I have not personally been on this medication. But I hope that other members can come forward.

3. I've been in a really bad place lately and worried about a bunch of stuff. When/can your psychiatrist recommend going into a hospital? It's one of my biggest fears... I don't have to if it's not voluntary, right? ....

When I am a threat to myself.

4. How long does it usually take to get on the right combination of meds? I hate being put on something new and not knowing how it's going to affect me.

Impossible to say. It depends on the med. And it depends on the dose. And it depends where I am on the spectrum when I intially start the med.

5. Once I do actually have the right combination of medications and seem to be in a good place. how often do I have to have doctor appointments?

Impossible to predict your mood swings at this stage of the game. Your doctor will advise you on the frequency and duration of consultations. If you notice symptoms of being well inbetween scheduled appointments, by all means, contact your doctor.

6. Even if I'm on all the right meds, is there still a chance for a manic/depressive episode? What do I do if that happens?

Yes. Absolutely. You work with your doctor. You make an appointment and go in for a med review.

7. Lastly!! All of this began in 2011, when I was still in high school. I'm 21 now and have never had a job or gone to college. I still don't have a license either. Anyone else have the same situation as me? I do still want to go to college when I'm able to.
Would it be weird being a 22 year old freshman in college? Am I still eligible for scholarships/grants if I'm so far past high school?

Take it one day at a time. Make your application for college. I can't see anything written in your post that would prevent you from doing this.

Best wishes moving forward.