Borderline Personality Disorder and Medication

Hi guys,

1. I'm keen to know if and which medication(s) you are using to help manage your BPD.

2. How effective are your meds?

3. What side-effects do you experience?

4. Do you consider medication a short term or long term solution to BPD?

My answers:

1. Lamictin (lamictal/lamotrigine), risperdal (risperidone), seroquel (quetiapine) and xanax (alprozolam) when needed.

2. Very. I am far calmer compared to how I used to be. The rollercoaster of emotions is still a problem some days. I am less anxious and my racing/obsessive thoughts have slowed down to a manageable pace. I've built up a tolerance to Risperdal so I've been moved to seroquel. Still too early to give any useful feedback, although my mood has lifted substantially with just 2 days of use.

3. Sedation, but for me at least, in a good way. Dry mouth. Carb cravings and slight weight gain.

4. For me, what most would consider a zombie-like state is far more preferable than the constant emotional turmoil I was in before. I am far less likely to have rage outbursts, which was my number one concern. So for me, I would consider being on medication for good. That said, I will continue my DBT training as I feel it's necessary for stuff the medication doesn't help with.

1. I'm currently prescribed Wellbutrin, Risperdal, Klonopin, and Ambien. I'm only taking the last two because I can't afford the first two. I'm trying to change this soon.

2. I feel my meds are very effective. Since stopping my wellbutrin and risperdal, my depression has resurfaced and my paranoia has been gearing up. And I'm a rollercoaster of emotions.

3. Weight gain for sure. Drowsiness with some, so I take those at night. Terrible withdrawal symptoms for sure. I fear the day I have to stop taking klonopin and ambien.

4. This is an excellent question and I'm unsure really. Years ago, when I was first diagnosed, I was told by a doctor that I'd be on meds for the rest for my life. I practically laughed in his face. That was not going to be me. But they sure do help. And I've been on and off of meds for years now. They can definitely help me manage my symptoms, but they don't truly get to the root cause.

[QUOTE=Luctor;3031773]Hi guys,

1. I'm keen to know if and which medication(s) you are using to help manage your BPD.

2. How effective are your meds?

3. What side-effects do you experience?

4. Do you consider medication a short term or long term solution to BPD?

My answers:

1. I'm taking Lexapro (30 mg), Klonopin (0.5 mg) and Trazodone (50 mg).

2. This combo is pretty effective. My emotions stay on a bit more even keel, and I'm able to get the sleep I need which also very much helps my roller-coaster moods.

3. Biggest side effect for me is loss of libido.

4. I'm also in DBT with my therapist, I do group therapy one day a week, and take the meds. The meds may be long-term or permanent for me because in addition to BPD, I also have depression with anxiety.

I thought Risperdal was an anti-psycotic?

1. I am on Effexor 300mg, CLonazepam .25mg, Loxapine 30mg

2. Loxapine helps me to sleep so the last few nights were good but last night I woke up in terrible pain and couldn't get back to sleep. The effexor so far hasn't made a huge difference.

3. I experience intense staring at others, my left hand is always like in a claw like position my thumb turned inward, I shake so bad that when pouring a drink it almost looks like I am going to spill it. I have this opening and closing of the jaw then twice smacking of the lips thing going on.

4. Its a long term process but has short term results

1. I take pristiq 100 MG for depression and menopausal symptoms since the cancer last year (yes they gave that to me for menopause and it actually works ), Ambien 0.5 MG for insomnia and Klonopin 0.5 MG for anxiety. Both are once a day with the klonopin as needed if it becomes needed more than once a day (usually yes). I am not taking anything specifically for BPD as of yet but that may change.

2. Pristiq is actually helpful for both the depression and the menopause. Klonopin doesn't work worth a darn but my shrink refuses to give me anything else for it at the moment (working on changing my doc). Ambien does *****.

3. Sleepiness at first but after the first like 3 months nothing for side effects for the pristiq and klonopin. Ambien gives me headaches, which is just lovely as I suffer from headaches anyway.

4. I thought at first it would be short term, until the BPD was correctly identified and then all things started the downhill slide for me. I think this is becoming long term.

1. I'm just on Lamictal now. I was on antidepressants, Seroquel, Lithium, and Abilify at different times.

2. Not very much.

3. None right now. On seroquel I felt numb and dull...

4. Totally short term. BPD is all about the therapy...

1. I'm on Effexor for depression and Ambien because I can't otherwise shut my mind off to go to sleep. I recently asked my pdoc about meds for the BPD because I felt like I was cycling too much. He said he would prescribe me Lithium. That sounded like too much trouble.

2. Effexor, pretty effective; Ambien, very effective.

3. No side effects. Well, the ambien does cause some memory loss, but that only involves re-reading a few pages of the book I'm reading while waiting for the ambien to kick in.

4. I think anti-depressants are a forever thing for me. If I was taking any for BPD, I would consider it short-term.

My current dx is bipolar2 with adhd. But I've a lot of borderline syptoms (why I'm here...) I don't know for sure what I really have.

1. What I'm prescribed: Lamictal - (mood stabiliser - I don't take it. Was on lithium, too much weight gain.) Klonopin - (for anxiety, rage, irritability, sleep - i like this one calms me down.) Ambien - (for sleep, I use it pretty often.) Adderall - (for adhd and low mood no energy days - I don't take it though)
2. How effective? I only really feel relief from the Klonopin and Ambien.
3. Side effects? Klonopin is horribly physically addictive, so if I run out, I'm screwed and feel like having a heart attack. Lithium too much weight gain. Last time i tried lamictal it made me too tired, but pdoc says it helped my depression.
4. Long term or short term? - short term for me whether i have bp or bpd, I do not want to be on meds forever. I'm more inclined to natural alternatives and believe therapy is the best medicine.

Thanks for the responses guys. Hopefully this thread will help anyone googling for info on BPD and medication treatments. It's very interesting how different med cocktails have different and unique effects on people.

My friend, have you heard of Tardive Dyskinesia? It's worth researching as those seem like symptoms: Tardive dyskinesia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It is, as is Seroquel. They're both used at low doses to help with depression, general anxiety racing mind and OCD symptoms. It's only at higher doses that they become effective as true anti-psychotics, primarily for treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar mania.

I found Risperdal to help with general anxiety, obsessive thoughts and aggression. But, since making the move to Seroquel I've started having paradoxical effects; I'm now struggling with insomnia and my irratibility/agitation have returned. The problem is, my mood has lifted, so it's a toss up between feeling "good" and being more in control.

I've heard that Risperdal has some pretty bad withdrawal symptoms.

I looked it up...and it could be my anti-psychotics...

Well to mine - remove the klonopin and insert Lunesta for insomnia, once a night at 3 MG per dose.

More to come next week as I see my Pdoc then and then I go to the neurologist the week after for my headaches. Joyous doctor visits.

Well, I don't specifically have BPD, but I have personality disorder, NOS, with borderline and depepndant features. I also have MDD, anxiety, and social phobia.
1. I take prozac (80), trazadone, and prescription ibuprofen (for pain)
2. some relief--i've calmed down a lot; i sleep better
3. some weight gain, at first: dry mouth, feeling real spacey, overslept a lot in the beginning; some rashes at first; sometimes, i end up with mysterious bruises
4. i dont know