Antidepressants for Bipolar

I had been taking cymbalta for my bipolar depression and was starting to feel pretty good. I moved away and saw a new psychiatrist and she took me off of it right away claiming it would cause mania. I am now dizzy confused disoriented and irritable. She now claims this is mania but I don't think it is. Does anyone else take antidepressants with bipolar?

I take lexapro, but only 10 mg.

Celexa made me manic and i refuse anti-depressants now, with my doctors whole-hearted agreement. Every body is different, tho and i'm sure you'll hear from others here who have different experiences.

Sertraline nearly had me sectioned when I was placed on it a while ago. Sent me into orbit.

I currently do take venlafaxine along with lithium, although after Sertraline I've never taken an AD without a stabiliser since.

I am and always have been on at least one anti depressant. I would not be willing to be treated by a dr that only treated the mania side of the issue.

It sounds like ur going thru med withdrawal.

Yep, that sounds like withdrawal or 'discontinuation syndrome' as it is officially known. How quickly did you come off? Did you taper?

My doctor won't give me anti-depressants as I tend to get hypomanic and mixed and the rapid-cycling gets worse. Lamotrigine is used for Bipolar depression so perhaps she will try you on that. I have found it helpful but not as stimulating as an anti-depressant.

I was on celexa for two years before I was diagnosed bipolar and it made me agitated and sleepless and feel awful all of the time.

Now I take a small dose of wellbutrin. I think it's helping a little but I'm still not back to my usual self. (I don't even know what I mean by usual self, but that's okay)

I've been on several ADs but only Celexa doesn't make me manic, at least not at the tiny dose I'm on. I've tried coming off it twice at my pdoc's request, but suffered so badly from withdrawal that he put me back on it right away and said this last time that he wouldn't ask me to try again. Best to risk a little hypomania than be a grouchy, moody, irritable, angry person.

Yes, I take escitalopram (antidepressant) along with an antipsychotic. If I go lower on the antidepressant I begin to be depressed. So for me I find it necessary.

Good luck and stick with it while you find a good med combo for you, it can be a really tough time while you go on and off meds trying to find a good combo for you.

While only on antidepressants, I found myself stuck in mania, I need the Seroquel to bring me back down.

Sounds like a few here are the same.

All the best

Many people who are bipolar are on an anti-depressant. Mostly low doses. I take Zoloft 100 mg. It can cause mania in some people, for others its fine. It also depends on your other meds. I am on 1500 mg of lithium, a higher dose, and I feel this makes it safe to have Zoloft.

Yes everyone is different but one thing we do share. AD's don't work as well on us. Or at least most of us. The only one I like is wellbutrin but it really does nothing for my depression I just like it because it does pick me up a little bit. Zoloft worked once but has not worked again. I find mood stabolizers work better for me with depression and even they are not perfect.

I can't wait for ablify to go generic!

I took Cymbalta with Depakote (a mood-stabilizing anticonvulsant) for at least a year, but I stopped because I had felt so depressed for such a long time that I didn't believe that the Cymbalta was helping me. Maybe your new psychiatrist had patients who went manic on Cymbalta or is adhering to very conservative prescription guidelines, for example my latest pdoc will only prescribe Seroquel, Latuda or a combination of Zyprexa and Prozac for bipolar depression, as if limited by an official formulary.

I am on 50 mg of zoloft and just began the process of going off it 3 days ago (I'm not on anything else). I'm experiencing some withdrawal symptoms, as I expected, and it sounds like you are too. I've been through this before and it always feels the same - super dizzy, disoriented, sick to my stomach, etc...just try to go down as slowly as you possibly can.

I took Paxil for 9 years before I knew I was bipolar. And even after I was diagnosed, I've always been on one. AD's have never caused mania in me. Now stimulants..well, that's a different story.

I take half a Zoloft in the morning and 300mg seraquil at night. It seems to work for me.

does zoloft make you hear things?

I have taken many different antidepressants to help with my bipolar depression and haven't had any trouble with them causing mania, but they do help with my depression, which with me is more a of problem than depression.

I am taking effexor. It's definitely not causing mania because I am still in this never-ending depressive episode.

I was taking celexa and it made me manic