[liveforsummer]

Just wondering, is there anyone out there who’s BP is under control with an antidepressant ONLY?
(I realize this would be atypical but just wondering)

[Nammu]

Nope, never ADs not even with other meds!

[pirilin]

I take Paxil 20mg, 250 lamotrigine and Klonopin .75mg to sleep.
Gone are the days of 6 or 7 meds. Feeling better too.

[Guiness187055]

Just a AD could be a recipe for disaster for someone who is BP

[99fairies]

There is no way I would ever go on an AD... not even with an AP. Tried it before and completely lost my $hit!

[WildcatVet]

Every AD I was ever on made me bat s**t manic...so why did they keep prescribing them knowing they can provoke mania in BP's???

[liveforsummer]

I read somewhere that sometimes a small percentage can do well with an AD only but it does run a risk of becoming ineffective at some point which of course leads to other risk factors.
I was just wondering. Thank you for responding.

[UpDownAround]

AD only sends me into hypomania and it is often the irritable type. I am taking wellbutrin, which is an AD but not an SSRI, and it had to be carefully titrated and is in combination with a mood stabilizer. It is a little bit of a high wire act to get an AD in the mix but my "center" was a low grade funk and I wanted to adjust the fine tuning to pick up a better station...

[liveforsummer]

Originally Posted by UpDownAround

AD only sends me into hypomania and it is often the irritable type. I am taking wellbutrin, which is an AD but not an SSRI, and it had to be carefully titrated and is in combination with a mood stabilizer. It is a little bit of a high wire act to get an AD in the mix but my "center" was a low grade funk and I wanted to adjust the fine tuning to pick up a better station...

That’s what I’m hoping pdoc will give me when I meet her tomorrow for first time. When I tried the mood stabilizer alone I felt this constant low blah feeling and I admitted to my fam doc I’d rather feel my bouncing than that. Anyway see what tomorrows meet brings.

[Sunflower123]

I wish you well with your appointment tomorrow. I’m on 3 AD and am tapering off my mood stabilizer so we’ll see how it goes. Sending big hugs.

[liveforsummer]

So pdoc wouldn’t put me on an AD right now. Concerned about inducing another hypomanic episode. Once I’m on the mood stabilizer for a few months then maybe, depending how I’m feeling. I’ll have to go with that for now.

[still_crazy]

hi. i did read that some people w/ a label of bipolar II do reasonably well on an AD, no tranquilizer or mood stabilizer in the mix.

if someone has a history of psychosis, agitation, straight up mania...an AD w/o additional drugs could cause problems.

Every time I took an antidepressant (even with moodstabilizer and/or antipsychotic) for more than two weeks or so I ended up in the hospital, but I have bipolar 1 and am particularly sensitive to ADs.

[BipolaRNurse]

I think I'm one of the rare Bipolar 1's who can tolerate ADs, at least as long as it's a baby dose. (I tried Wellbutrin a few years ago and lost my $#!+) I really don't know how much good it's doing me, but I've tried discontinuing it twice before and was a hot mess. I still have mild depression in the late fall/winter, but it doesn't get me totally down and I haven't thought about sui in a long time. I know better than to ask for an increase in my AD at those times because I know I won't get it.

[AspiringAuthor]

Originally Posted by Guiness187055

Just a AD could be a recipe for disaster for someone who is BP

Was for me. I was not trying to manage the BP though - it was when I was questioning the diagnosis and taking Elavil "just for sleep". Sure, the low dose of Elavil taken for sleep is much lower than its dose for depression, but hey it is still an AD.

[ComfortablyNumb5]

Only AD I can take is Wellbutrin but a stabilizer and AP are a must for me. That AD alone would cause trouble for me

[scatterbrained04]

I've never taken an AD, but I strongly suspect that taking one would just make me mixed.

[Tryingtobehappy5]

Tried 3 ADs on their own and went hypo/manic each time. Even with APs I can't seem to handle the ADs so I am off them completely for now at least. Which is scary because my primary concern is depression.

[emgreen]

I'm BP 1 & I'm on a mega-dose of Lamictal 400mg a day, an AP, & can tolerate low doses of ADs. Fall & winter kick my butt, so an AD & my light box are a necessity. I'd hibernate for months without them.

[Guiness187055]

Originally Posted by ComfortablyNumb5

Only AD I can take is Wellbutrin but a stabilizer and AP are a must for me. That AD alone would cause trouble for me

Me too!!!