Bipolar check-in #47

No. Never have tried Rexulti and he has never mentioned it. Maybe I will ask about it. Thanks!

Very graterful for this, Sometimes. Thanks a lot.

bpcyclist, are you severely depressed right now? Or is psychosis your main issue? I am no doctor and I don't have the same brain as you, or the same illness course that you have had, or all of the same reactions to medications you have had (and vice versa). However, I can't help but think that continuing to add add add a mix of really powerful stuff (on both ends of the spectrum) to an already hefty cocktail, wouldn't make for a very confusing and chaotic situation.

When I saw you mention the stimulant, I had a very similar reaction as bluebicycle. It's hard not to. If you're psychotic, I can't in a million years see how a stimulant could help? I don't know. Me knowing my own situation, and knowing all of the medications you have in your cocktail, I would see that for me, reducing or eliminating something might be a good plan to consider, if depression is a major concern. As for psychosis, I am a fan of Trilafon. You've read my posts on that. I took double what you've been taking and did well. I can't say you will, but again, if some doctor said that instead of fixing my psychosis with an antipsychotic they'd give me a stimulant? I'd declare "YOU ARE CRAZY!!!!!" But that's just me.

Another point to consider that I think some, not all, will relate to: Antidepressants were the single most destabilizing medications I have ever been put on, regardless of whether or not I was also on a moodstabilizer and antipsychotic! When I say destabilizing, I don't just mean "making me manic". I mean "making me depressed", too. An antidepressant making a bipolar person depressed? Yes! They screwed me up, royally! Sometimes what seems like an angel is actually a devil in disguise. We think we're being granted a great deal by such a risky bugger, but in the end it is like a deal with the devil that eventually goes bad.

Some moodstabiizers are not the most depression friendly for everyone. Remember I called Depakote "Depressakote"? I was so depressed for such a long time I agreed to ECT. Then they put me back on the Depakote, and the depression came back. They had the brilliant idea of putting me on Wellbutrin SR, and I got worse yet. I only started to improve when that stuff was finally scrapped. Not saying Depakote is bad for everyone. It can be a lifesaver. Or that Wellbutrin is bad. But for me, my sanity came back long-term only after certain elements of my cocktail were removed.

I've been on behemouth bipolar bipolar cocktails before. At one time, I simultaneously took Lithium 900 mg, Lamictal 100 mg, Tegretol XR 1,400 mg, Geodon 160 mg, Navane 10 mg, Seroquel XR at perhaps 350 mg, and Klonopin 0.5 mg. At that time, I was not in need of any hospitalization, but I was not well-off. I think I was having musical hallucinations and/or some weird-butt symptoms they thought could be psychic and sensory simple partial seizures. And yet I wasn't manic or particularly depressed. At some point(s) I even had bad migraines. Unfortunately, I developed a dystonia that was clearly from Navane, I was taken off gradually and my Seroquel XR was upped. Unfortunately (BUT also fortunately) I developed kidney damage from Lithium. I was slowly weaned off Lithium and my quality of life only improved, including the ending of some of that "weird butt stuff". A lot of stuff improved by going off Lithium. And I had had (I counted) 10 different side effects from that medication over the years I took it, though not all simultaneously. Then I got an evil case of akathisia. I mean, really really bad! Geodon seemed to be the clear culprit. I was weaned off that very very slowly. Geodon withdrawal is a bugger, especially having been at the highest recommended dose for years. As I was weaned off the Geodon, my Seroquel XR did go up up up, because manic symptoms appeared. Things improved. Now, instead of taking 7 bipolar medications, I only take what you see below (4 bipolar medications). Now, I know exactly what each and every one of those 4 medications does. It's possible, maybe I could even get rid of the Lamictal. Maybe. I'd love to get to rid of the Klonopin, but you know what a B that can be. Did I know what each of that past 7 did when on all of them? Not really. I only figured that out when some were gradually removed from my mix.

I wrote a rather scathing email to the tourist board of the town across from my childhood hometown. Someone might recall two weeks ago that I was shocked by what I saw as an almost orgy situation there. I'm concerned about the locals on both sides of the river, including my siblings and father, who is scheduled to return home in just a week.

Huh. Well, I guess now I am quite confused about all this.

@BeyondtheRainbow

labs came back this morning, nurse faxed the results in, and the meds are ready now!

What are you confused about in specific? We all care about you and want to see you get better.

Thank you, blue. Yeah, guess I just an not sure what I should be doing with my meds now. I do think my lithium and depakote aggravate depression, I do. I am sure of it. But if we lower them or stop one, I could be manic again, or worse. And I never heard of Wellbutrin causing depression before. So, I am just confused now.

Well the prep didn't taste terrible. Even though I'm not a fan of Gatorade it was a tolerable drink. The instructions said to get white, yellow or blue, so I went with white. Not really knowing what to expect. Then on closer examination of the bottle it's called glacier cherry, but it's not over whelming. I was a good girl and finished it in the hour given. Now to await results!

Yay! So you start tomorrow? I'm hoping you get a nice fast result.

Welllbutrin can cause mania in some. Or, ultra radian cycling, which is a real blast, as well. Significant Treatment Effect of Bupropion in Patients With Bipolar Disorder but Similar Phase-Shifting Rate as Other Antidepressants

So, if Lithium and/or Depakote aggravates your depression, but you never try to lower the doses because of some fear of POSSIBLE mania, then you seem pretty well stuck, my friend. So, if you were to...say...have one of them lowered, and...say...Trilafon increased (12 mg is not a significantly high dose, as BethRags wrote in the Medications forum, certainly not a ceiling dose), maybe you wouldn't become manic?

You do what you feel is best for you, but I agree with bluebicycle that sometimes you gotta look at what your on, and not what you're not. This whole polypharmacy is a real science project, indeed. Making changes in life is scary and risky, but sometimes it pays off.

The 'ole man is alive and bothering the world.

Cheers.

Yeah I start with 12.5mg tomorrow morning, 12.5mg tomorrow night

I know this is my first response to the situation but I want to let you know that I am following, thinking and praying for you guys! Hoping for a quick recovery.

Wow! Thank you both so much! When I get paranoid like that, I feel like such a failure as a mom and your encouragement lifted me up. We did end up going to my parent’s house last night and then today I had my energy back up to get the house in shape. Needless to say I feel a little more normal. I hope this finds both of you better!

I hate when I mentally get stalled ? over taken by one thought or issue.. Its like OH EEEEK ! now how to shove this out!

Hope your able to work through it

Ugh sorry you have to do this.. I am set up for July for it. I am not looking forward to it. I am going to ask my Doctor for some Zofran to help with the nausea that hit me like a ton of bricks..

I hope the test is quick and nothing to worry about

I have 3 days left of this gawd awful Prednisone and the Augmentin 875mg twice a day.. I just get shaky feeling and Nausea , Yet my stomach needs something to chew on, Its just Stupid.

Hope everyone had a nice day

Thanks for that link, BD. But, so wait, so, you guys think I am on too may bipolar meds? I thought I was on about the same amount as most other people in my situation. Am I wrong?

So, you're sicker than most and therefore have to be on umpteen bipolar meds? Will you maybe be less sick on umpteen plus 1? Or would that make you into one even more seriously sick dude?

One can certainly say "Wow! That poor woman must be a total mental case! She takes 8 crazy meds! The one on only 4 is just 'mental case light, I guess.' The one on only 1 is perhaps just a wanna be that might benefit as much from a good visit to a chiropractor. "

My whole adult life I've had this thing about chiropractors, and had even dreamed of marrying one, but never did. That might be my problem.

Bpcyclist, are you joking with me now?

I worried about nausea but it didn't happen with this stuff. MiraLax and Gatorade with two tablets of bisacodyl . Last time I used golytely and it was awful. This is much better. It hasn't been bad, no nauseous feeling and no cramping. The whole is is ugh tho. Boy I would kill for a pizza right now. I've been a clear liquid s today and starving despite everything.

Joking? What? No! I am not joking at all. I am just incredibly, incredibly confused. I don't udnerstand. Are you saying I am on too many bipolar meds? Maybe you're right. I dunno. I just have always tried to do what they tell me to do, I don't know what else I am supposed to do. I just feel like a complete idiot right now.

It's just my own experience and opinon that the fewer meds a person can be on the better and easier it is to achieve stability. Too many unknown interactions going on. But we are also very unique in our bipolar needs that what works for one doesn't nessasarly work for another.

Maybe you can have pizza tomorrow night?

Ooo yeah, I'm gonna be dreaming of a cowboy pizza, extra cheese!