Mixed state with depressed base

Man, this weekend has not been good. I feel like I'm in a mixed state going from excitement, irritability, anger, and depression. I want to stay in bed and sleep but my body is too agitated. I've been cleaning, walking for like 2 hours, etc. I'm also bored and not interested in anything that I normally am. My therapist is out this week, but I do have a pdoc appointment tomorrow. I know she is going to push the Latuda, but I'm so scared of weight gain and restless leg. I already feel physically wired, even though I'm tired. Weird, I know. What is the name of the medicine some take so that they don't gain weight. Melfortin or something like that???

metformin

I haven't gained weight on Latuda for what it's worth. Not really had much of the restless leg thing either. Has helped a good deal with depression. I only take 20mg though. But even 20mg has been helpful with depression.

Urgh! This sounds like me almost all of the time! Hang in there & let me know what helps!!!

Are you staying away from caffeine ?

I just have two cups of coffee in the morning, but nothing the rest of the day.

Thanks, I couldn't remember, and I'm going to ask her about that tomorrow if she suggest the Latuda again.

I hope you start feeling better soon, hashi! Hugs.

Is latuda really expensive for you? Everyone keeps on trying to get me to start latuda too. I keep on saying no because I can't afford to pay one hundred dollars for a prescription each month, when there are other meds we can try that aren't as expensive. Though, admittedly, I'm running out of options since I've been on every atypical that I can afford. The only one I have left is risperdal, and how about no. I'm not starting anything that could make me lactate! Been there, done that. Don't want to be doing that when I'm not pregnant or recently just gave birth!

Have you asked your doctor about geodon? I actually lost weight when I was taking that.

So far haldol isn't making me gain anything either. Not that I recommend that one!

The manufacturer of Latuda has a discount card that knocks off some of the cost for those high copays. I end up getting mine for $15. Without it, I'm not sure I could afford the copay. It's one of those Tier 3 ones. It'll be nice when there's a generic available!

Even with the savings card it's still one hundred dollars a month (for me).

Boooo that sucks I hate how costs dictate our treatments.

Raspberry-I got curious and checked. Did you know the risk of lactation is really teeny? Significantly less than 1% as far as could tell (they don't list the percentages under 1% but it was very low on the list of things that can happen when percentages weren't given).

I had a really good response to Risperdal on a low dose and with no side effects really at all and would hate for you to miss out on a med that might be great because of something rare. (I will then add that I had to go off it b/c it shot my blood pressure up to 200/100 and made my legs swell up so much I had a cat shaped indentation in one when I discovered the fluid. In all my sister's wedding pictures I look puffy and fatter than usual and it's because 6 days later I was in the ER with 30 lbs of fluid on me. But that almost never happens and in fact I tried Risperdal 2 or 3 more times because it was so unlikely that it was the cause of this but each time my blood pressure crept up and we stopped before it got to anything like 200/100 because that was scary and also was a horrible headache and a nightmare ER experience where they treated me nastily the entire time I was there because I was bipolar and therefore a 2nd class human being. I'm generally pretty mild and the visit ended with a nurse who had a fraction of the education I had in biology/anatomy/physiology saying "this med works on blagh blagh part of the kidneys, not that you would know what that is..." and I interrupted, told him I have a degree in biology and master's in healthcare and therefore had quite a strong understanding of how the kidney works and then grabbed his clipboard, signed the paper, took my copy and walked out. My mom did not recover from her dropped jaw for about 10 minutes and was horrified at the entire experience and how I was treated.

But like I said, not going to happen to you or anyone else; that was one side effect that was all mine apparently. Have you at least talked to your pdoc about this fear and how common it is exactly? Because I really think it is exceedingly rare to lactate and in fact it can happen on other (maybe all) atypicals, just not quite as often as risperdal. I was sure it was going to happen to me when I started Seroquel because my breasts were so swollen and painful but after a while that passed but I remember being pretty concerned that I would be the person who had to stop a med for boob pain. (I've stopped them for everything else it seems....)

Yeah. I asked my pdoc about the lactation worry and she said it's very rare, like getting the lamictal rash rare. If haldol doesn't work out maybe I'll try it, though I'd probably just go back on seroquel.

I haven't priced it but I have good insurance. Usually my max cost is about $60 a month (normally $10 or $20 for old meds).

I'm glad Haldol isn't making you gain weight. I really don't know anything about Geodon.

I wish I could have been a fly on the wall when you educated that nurse! Go girl!

I think pretty much you had to be in that side of the ER to hear it . I was not my usual quiet self. Oh, and I left out that I was wearing scrubs at the time.

I told my mom before we went to the ER that while I don't like to swear she should not be surprised if I was a ***** because it was likely I was going to be treated really crappily. And I was and my mom was rather amazed at what I went through. They did things like try to give me ibuproferon for my pounding headache. I said I couldn't take that with lithium and so they refused to give me anything because I was drug seeking. No, I needed TYLENOL. Something stronger would have been nice and would have brought my BP down, but whatever. Then they tried to give lasix before I had seen a dr. Lasix is also contra-indicated but can be given in certain situations. I just wanted to speak to a dr. They wrote down that I refused the med and wouldn't give it to me. I had to practically beg and then was given it on the way out the door. They got mad because I asked them to draw a lithium level (and because I called before I went in to be sure they could run them; a prior ER experience had me wait 4 hours while they ran blood to the city to test it). They seemed to have no idea that if someone on lithium has a problem and it is steaming hot summer you draw a lithium level.

Oh and I'd totally forgotten this part but a patient had beaten me up that week and I had fingerprint bruises around both my arms all the way up to my elbows that were right in that stage where bruises look really ugly. It could have been from someone trying to harm me (who was not declared incompetent) but it wasn't and I thought my answer made sense. They asked a bunch of domestic violence questions which is good but rolled their eyes and acted like I was lying when I explained I worked in a psychiatric facility and had been attacked. Because that's the excuse most battered women (wearing scrubs) use?

It was the most ridiculous experience ever. And then people wonder why I won't go to the local ER. I don't care if I only need stitches, I'm going elsewhere.

How insane and disrespectful! Glad you stood up for yourself!

So, saw my pdoc today and she convinced me to start Latuda tonight. I'm nervous but something needs to stabilize and Lamictal alone isn't cutting it. Hopefully this will help my sleep issues as well!

When I was taking a NAMI class and then in a group people kept coming in and saying they were on this new drug that worked amazingly well. One guy got to get off disability and go back to work. All were on Latuda. I tried it and had some problem with it and quit. But I've seen people do amazing on it. Not everyone of course but when it works it seems to really work.

Hope the Latuda works for you. I've found it helpful. My depression and sleep have been better. I will care to mention that when I started it, I felt hypo for a couple weeks and then had severe irritability for a couple weeks. Then it all balanced out. I still have problems (my recent posts prove that), don't get me wrong, but they are a lot more managable now. Good luck, I really hope it helps!

Good luck, hashi! I hope it works for you.