[Elorahd]

I have suffered from Major Depression for the better part of 20 years now. I've gone through many doctors and meds and have figured out a good cocktail for now. For a few years I was taking Abilify and Latuda, alternately. They worked really well for my mood (but only for a year at a time, then I had to switch to the other one. ???). I think I did this for about 4 years. Ultimately the side effects of those meds became too much and they just became ineffective so I had to stop taking them.
In that time I had the same doctor for about 2 years. Given that I was having a helpful reaction to these meds, she changed my diagnosis to Bipolar II (I think). Now, I have NEVER had a manic episode. In fact, fatigue is and has always been my number one complaint. She mentioned something about my bouts with irritability maybe acting as "mania".
In this time, I have also suffered from insomnia. I have been taking Seroquel for that for a long time at very small doses. 25mg for a long time, then 50, and now 100. My newest doctor wanted me to come down off of it so I started titrating get down to 50mg. But something surprising happened. My sleep changed a little, but it was the change in my mood that was surprising. My mood became sunken, I was losing interest in things, and then just felt straight up depressed. I was truly baffled at why coming off the Seroquel would make me feel this way.
I was supposed to go see my doctor, but she got sick and had to cancel. I couldn't handle it anymore, so I went back up to 100mg. The next morning I felt 100% better. Back to normal.
So I'm starting to wonder if there wasn't something to my old docs bipolar diagnosis. Has anyone else had an experience like this where a diagnosis was presented based solely on your positive reaction to certain medications?

[glowsinthedark]

You say you've had major depression for 20 years. Were you ever put on an SSRI? All the meds you mention are used much more often to treat bipolar rather than unipolar depression. I'm just wondering why you were put on any of these to begin with, if not because you showed signs of bipolarity?

[scatterbrained04]

I am also wondering why the Latuda and Abilify and if you've ever been on a SSRI?

Bipolar II peeps get hypomania but not mania. Do you have periods in which you are more productive or goal oriented? Need less sleep? Racing thoughts? More energy? Us Bipolar II folks tend to hang out in depression a lot.

[Elorahd]

Yes, I've been on plenty of SSRI's. Currently I'm on Lexapro, Buspar, and Tegretol to treat my depression. I'm on Trazadone, Seroquel, and Rozerem for insomnia. I think I remember Abilify coming out and I just asked my doc if I could try it to see if it would help my mood some more and maybe help with energy. While it worked, it did both.
The doctors I see are at MHMR. They cycle frequently and I don't really trust them to stay up on new meds so I make sure to do my own research and am armed with that when I have my apps.

[Elorahd]

Originally Posted by scatterbrained04

I am also wondering why the Latuda and Abilify and if you've ever been on a SSRI?

Bipolar II peeps get hypomania but not mania. Do you have periods in which you are more productive or goal oriented? Need less sleep? Racing thoughts? More energy? Us Bipolar II folks tend to hang out in depression a lot.

See, that's the thing - Racing thoughts in the beginning, yes. But more productive? Less Sleep? More energy? NEVER.
On the cocktail I'm on I don't have racing thoughts and haven't for years. The SSRI seemed to take care of that. When I was first diagnosed, I was mostly experiencing symptoms of anxiety. I was surprised when I was diagnosed with depression.
My docs diagnosis was really Bipolar II Depression. So I don't know if that means that I won't have manic episodes or what. I don't really understand the difference between this and regular depression.

[Unrigged64072835]

I was like this. My pdoc had gone through every SSRI and SNRI, and started going through tricyclics when she put me on Lamitcal. That helped for a while. I'm now on Latuda and it helps quite a bit.

I think you should talk to your doctor to clarify what they think. We are not doctors and we don't know all the details your docs *should* know. Without manic or even mild hypomanic symptoms, I don't understand how a diagnosis of bipolar could be made but perhaps your doctors picked up on something you're not aware of. My doctors don't tell me all of their observations about me for various reasons. I have to ask for clarification on things a lot. Usually I don't think the diagnosis is important, it's effective treatment that matters and if the meds for bipolar work, why rock the boat. But your situation sounds a bit complicated and if I were you, I'd want to make sure the doctors had an idea of what they were doing and treating. I'm sorry the doctors have left you so confused. You will receive lots of wonderful support here no matter what your label is. I hope you receive the answers you seek. (((Hugs)))

[Wild Coyote]

Originally Posted by Elorahd

See, that's the thing - Racing thoughts in the beginning, yes. But more productive? Less Sleep? More energy? NEVER.
On the cocktail I'm on I don't have racing thoughts and haven't for years. The SSRI seemed to take care of that. When I was first diagnosed, I was mostly experiencing symptoms of anxiety. I was surprised when I was diagnosed with depression.
My docs diagnosis was really Bipolar II Depression. So I don't know if that means that I won't have manic episodes or what. I don't really understand the difference between this and regular depression.

With Bipolar 2, you'd have some hypomania, even if it's mostly irritability.
With Major Depression, you'd not have hypomania.

My diagnosis was "Atypical Depression" for many years. It's now BP2.
My depression is now called "Bipolar Depression."
BP2 people spend a lot of time in severe depression, often untreatable depression.
I had also previously gone through all of the meds, except the ones used for BP.


WC

[Sunflower123]

I've never had hypomania (wish I did) but was diagnosed with bipolar 2 and the bipolar meds have helped me so I've just accepted that I am bipolar 2 with emphasis on the depression.

I'm going to go back to the SSRI thing. (Pesky, pesky ) The meds and med combos you've mentioned (unless I am missing something), have been or included something for mood stabilization. Were you ever SOLELY on SSRIs? (ie., no Abilify, no Latuda, no Tegretol etc. in the mix)?

Though SSRIs can be problematic for some folks with BP, others can take them, but only in combination with a mood stabilizer. I'm wondering if early on they did just SSRIs (very common) and saw some reaction and then added the mood stabilizers(??) (It's hard for me to imagine your missing such a reaction though(!))

I do find it super curious that you've never had an elevation in mood/energy. While it's true that some people's hypomania is of an irritable sort, a diagnosis requires other symptoms as well. In fact, with the irritable kind, more symptoms are required to make the diagnosis. It's definitely something to ask them to clarify for you. Like Elsa says, there may well be pieces of information missing from your, and consequently our, understanding.

[Victoria'smom]

Do you ever have times that you'r not depressed. My husband was labeled depressed with anger issues. We tough he was just getting a break from his depression occasionally but it was really undetected hypo mania. It wasn't until he went into full mania that we recognized it before that we just thought he was just an *** sometimes. We had to take him to a psychiatrist because I refused to let him go to work manic. When we got there they refused to write a letter sending him back to work in fact they wrote a letter saying he can't work for a year. So if you get breaks from your depression it could be hypo mania your experiencing.

[Elorahd]

Yeah, I've never had hypomania. I kinda wish I had, too. I've literally been tired since I was 16.
My diagnosis doesn't really matter except for if I can get treated at this clinic or not. And they treat both depression and bipolar. So, whatever it is, I'm covered.
The SSRI does help me the most. I don't know that the Buspar really helps much but the Tegretol definitely helps with irritability.
The rest is just for insomnia, that's why I was so surprised when I tried to come off the Seroquel and it affected my mood.
I've looked through the symptoms for BPII and they just don't seem to fit me.

Originally Posted by Elorahd

Yeah, I've never had hypomania. I kinda wish I had, too. I've literally been tired since I was 16.
My diagnosis doesn't really matter except for if I can get treated at this clinic or not. And they treat both depression and bipolar. So, whatever it is, I'm covered.
The SSRI does help me the most. I don't know that the Buspar really helps much but the Tegretol definitely helps with irritability.
The rest is just for insomnia, that's why I was so surprised when I tried to come off the Seroquel and it affected my mood.
I've looked through the symptoms for BPII and they just don't seem to fit me.

I've heard of bipolar meds being used off label to treat treatment resistant depression so perhaps that's what's going on. Ask the next doc all this and see what they say. I doubt any of us can help you make more sense of it sadly. The main thing is, you do respond to some meds so in that part at least, you are fortunate. (((Hugs)))

I've been tired since I was a teenager too. When I look back, fatigue is what I see.....I forget about my upswings and don't notice them while in them other than perhaps thinking "eureka, I cured myself".

[bizi]

maybe you were experiencing some withdrawl symptoms with the decrease????
bizi

[reb569]

My daughter started out on Lexapro, then was hospitalized

Possible trigger:

due to a Suicide attempt

and was released on Lexapro, Wellbutrin and Abilify and a diagnosis of MDD and Anxiety. Over the next few months her outpatient Pdoc, who she still sees, took her off the Lexapro after increasing her Abilify.

She then was hospitalized again

Possible trigger:

with another suicide attempt

and was released with a diagnosis of Bipolar 2 and anxiety, and was on Tegratol, Nefazadone and Seroquel for insomnia. Her Pdoc pulled her off the Seroquel pretty quickly after her release, and then when it became obvious that she was still majorly depressed, he added Desipramine to the mix. This combo is starting to work and seems to be pulling her out of her depression.

Her PDoc isn't convinced she's Bipolar, but I think the reason he's leaving her on the Tegratol is because Anti-depressants trigger bipolar symptoms in her and the tegratol keeps her mood stabalized. There actually is a Bipolar 3 or 4 (can't remember which number now) that is for bipolar brought on by anti-depressants. The other is rapid cycling if I remember correctly. Her IP had told her she was Bipolar 2 with a mix of Bipolar 3 & 4 while she was IP, but released her with just a Bipolar 2 diagnosis.

[jacky8807]

sometimes a cigar is just a cigar
no need to look under every rock...if the BP label does not feel right then maybe it isn't. Just go with the meds that help you!