Bi-polar with ADD?

Hi,
I've had ADD since I was young. I've never been officially diagnosed but I've done numerous tests and even took Abnormal Pysch and I fit the bill to a T. (I even had to stop a couple times typing this to pick at myself which is a part of the ADD). Anyway, I believe I also may have some un-diagnosed bi-polar or mood issues because when I try stimulants like wellbutrin, I can become manic. This has led me not to speak about this ADD to a doctor, which I know is a mistake.
I have been on antidepressants and Prozac worked great for my additional anxiety and paranoia- however doesn't help much with ADD. I also really benefitted from abilify for my mood issues but the blood sugar problem and weight gain is not something I can tolerate, as I gain weight easily and have tried really hard to lose 30 pounds in the last year.

My question is, is anyone in the forum currently ADD and Bi-polar or ADD with anxiety and if so which treatments have worked best for you. Medicines or otherwise. I need non-stimulating treatments that may be combined with SSRI and I can't handle benzos as they throw me into a deep depression. As does antihistamines.
I'm currently trying vitamins and such but I believe it takes a long time to notice results this way. I just want to be normal and not keep risking losing my job or my mind!

Thanks

Hello there.
I believe that I am the same as you. I have had the symptoms of ADD since early childhood but was never diagnosed. This played havoc with my education and continued into my working life until after some psychosis
and a severe crash into depression I was eventually diagnosed with bipolar 2 at age 47. I have been on 5mg Olanzapine for the last ten years and with that drug comes the down side (depression) I recently researched the current trend for prescribing symbyax a combination of Olanzapine and prozak for Bipolar 2. but my doctor is reluctant to put me on this because
of the chance it might trigger mania. So in my frustration I tried a stimulant called SAM-e. This supplement is mentioned in the refences on this site. but there are no posts referring to it. STRANGE !

I tried it for seven days 400mg on an empty stomach every morning and the results have been nothing short of amazing. Yes it made me slightly hypomanic but the benefits for me were brilliant.

symptoms that disappeared overnight were

Hyposomnia, depression, lethargy and in there place were
productivity, concentration, energy,normal sleep,motivation.

I feel like a new man.

you could give it a try. Please let me know if it works for you. I recommend that you start with the 200mg dose.
you need to take Folic acid 800mg and vitamin B12 with this to avoid toxic poisoning.
Do some research on the net
Good luck

Fingers1

i was diagnosed bipolar when i was really young... then diagnosed add/adhd (cant remember, too young)... diagnosed again with bipolar... several different docs, but now it seems like this is what it could be...

sorry for your troubles... im on the same boat, to some extent... :/

I am diagnosed with both ADD and Bipolar. They first put me on Adderall and that threw me into the biggest manic episode I've ever had. They changed me to Strattera and it's worked great for me. Plus, it's not a stimulant and should not cause any episodes. I've taken it even when I was on SSRIs and have had no trouble. Hope you find some relief. Good luck!!

I have both. The symptoms really come out when I am hypomanic/manic.

Just be careful with too much seretonin toxicity when taking that and other antidepressants. It can be deadly

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My psychiatrist told me that a symptom of manic is add and adhd. It's difficult to seperate. And antidepressants and stimulants put you in manic

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Thanks for all your replies .

Out of shear frustration and asking my doctor (not P/doc) to refer me to my psychiatrist because I am fed up with being depressed. She told me that she doesn't want to put me on a flouxitine combo because of the risks of mania.
After thinking about this she is probably right.Anti depressants have a pretty bad reputation and success rate even though I am on Olanzapine which from experience I think this med puts a ceiling on
hypomania stopping me from going any higher.
So I decided I would take matters into my own hands and try SAM-e
even though it is not recommended for those diagnosed with Bipolar.
I took 400mg for the first three days before reducing my dose.
I felt great ! probably too great as I felt hypomanic.
on the fifth day I reduced my dose to 200mg and on the 8th 9th and tenth
days I stopped taking any.
My depression,Concentration, Chronic fatigue, motivation and productivity returned overnight on the fourteenth day (today) I started taking it again but at half the dose and I feel relaxed and mentally fine.

what is going on ? Its like a switch has been turned on in my brain.

Im a new man !

fingers1

Hi,

I will put an introductory post up later, but for now, I have been diagnosed BP 2 and I'm pretty sure I have ADD also. I have been self-medicating with caffeine for a really long time to just barely get by.

For treatment of BP, I tried all sorts of different meds but they all became intolerable eventually. It turned out I was without a family doctor for a long time and decided to get off pills altogether. I found that now that I understood my symptoms better, I was better off with no meds and just handling it as I went.

Having said that, everyone is different, certainly, the severity of symptoms can vary wildly. Also, when it comes to meds, everyone reacts differently to each different one so your mileage may vary.

And no offense to fingers1 but the post sounds like an ad. Do your own research and consult with a physician before trying that, in my opinion.

Edit: either way, best of luck to both of you.

yes, i am bi-polar and have add. i tried strattera but it made me angry all the time. now i take guanfacine and it does wonders. it was developed as a blood pressure med but they discovered that it helps with add. there are two versions, one is timed release and the other isn't. the old guanfacine costs maybe 10 dollars per prescription. the newer version (timed release) costs considerably more (with no added benefit for me)

without the guanfacine i cannot read because i can't concentrate and my mind goes off on tangents. now i read a novel a week.

Do you take anything else for the Bi polar and anxiety with the Strattera?

HI Jim ! your post saying that you could not read is my story exactly.
I just had to read and reread over and over again. it is so frustrating
that I gave it up as a bad job. when I read the book " Im not lazy or stupid
I realized I had been ADD undiagnosed all my life.

Thanx for your reply/post

fingers1