[kasparcarr]

hello, 28 yr old male, living in eastern US.. currently in the worst mental shape i've ever been in and see no hope.. have been seeing "professionals" since 2004 but still have no answers. of the 7 different shrinks, i've been told i have bipolar disorder 2, add/adhd, unspecified mood disorder, depression, anxiety problems, etc and each doctor claims all other doctors are out of their minds. i've been on 24 different medications (no exaggeration) and still can't seem to feel better. every one of them either puts weight on me or kills my sexual functions (either libido or full on flacidity).

here are the medications i've tried:
seroquel IR, seroquel XR, adderall IR, adderall XR, vyvanse, prozac, lexipro, welbutrin, effextor, provigil, paxil, imitrex (for migraines, no help), klonopin/clonazepem, topamax, cymbalta, lamictal, lithium, adavan, stratera, lunesta, ambien, zoloft (i think), pain killers (these seem to fix everything), OTC diet pills (for stimulant effect), omega-3 fish oils, etc

the ones that had any effect were seroquel and vyvanse, the rest seems to just do nothing or make me feel substantially worse.

i'm looking for anyone who might have experience with another medication that doesnt give me sexual or weight gain side effects and that can treat bipolar 2.

any tips? i'm running out of steam =[

symptoms: mood swings, none-or-very-low mania, unending depression, no interest in anything i used to love, prefer isolation, impulsivity, lack of energy to go anywhere, absolute hatred for any job ive ever had (this usually kicks in 3-4 months after i start any job, industry doesn't matter), no interest in responsibility, nihilism, distaste for authority, distrust for people, i look for reasons NOT to go meet my friends, difficulty sleeping without seroquel, hardly ever content or pleased, everything seems like too much work to bother, hatred for people who didnt really do anything that horrible to me, low self-esteem, couldn't care less if i lived or didn't, extremely anxious when around groups..
most of these symptoms, aside from the hatred of any job, happen with or without medication, and really only began since i went crazy. when i was in college and before, i was the most outgoing person you'd ever meet. now i simply do not care. at all.

please don't just say "go see a shrink" because i've tried all that.

thanks.

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by kasparcarr

hello, 28 yr old male, living in eastern US.. currently in the worst mental shape i've ever been in and see no hope.. have been seeing "professionals" since 2004 but still have no answers. of the 7 different shrinks, i've been told i have bipolar disorder 2, add/adhd, unspecified mood disorder, depression, anxiety problems, etc and each doctor claims all other doctors are out of their minds. i've been on 24 different medications (no exaggeration) and still can't seem to feel better. every one of them either puts weight on me or kills my sexual functions (either libido or full on flacidity).

here are the medications i've tried:
seroquel IR, seroquel XR, adderall IR, adderall XR, vyvanse, prozac, lexipro, welbutrin, effextor, provigil, paxil, imitrex (for migraines, no help), klonopin/clonazepem, topamax, cymbalta, lamictal, lithium, adavan, stratera, lunesta, ambien, zoloft (i think), pain killers (these seem to fix everything), OTC diet pills (for stimulant effect), omega-3 fish oils, etc

the ones that had any effect were seroquel and vyvanse, the rest seems to just do nothing or make me feel substantially worse.

i'm looking for anyone who might have experience with another medication that doesnt give me sexual or weight gain side effects and that can treat bipolar 2.

any tips? i'm running out of steam =[

symptoms: mood swings, none-or-very-low mania, unending depression, no interest in anything i used to love, prefer isolation, impulsivity, lack of energy to go anywhere, absolute hatred for any job ive ever had (this usually kicks in 3-4 months after i start any job, industry doesn't matter), no interest in responsibility, nihilism, distaste for authority, distrust for people, i look for reasons NOT to go meet my friends, difficulty sleeping without seroquel, hardly ever content or pleased, everything seems like too much work to bother, hatred for people who didnt really do anything that horrible to me, low self-esteem, couldn't care less if i lived or didn't, extremely anxious when around groups..
most of these symptoms, aside from the hatred of any job, happen with or without medication, and really only began since i went crazy. when i was in college and before, i was the most outgoing person you'd ever meet. now i simply do not care. at all.

please don't just say "go see a shrink" because i've tried all that.

thanks.

everyone has their own reactions to medications..example right now Im on lexapro, one of my clients is on lexapro saame dosage as me, a classmate in college is on lexapro same dosage as me. I have no adverse side effects, the classmate gained 50 pounds, and the client has developed dry mouth, weight loss, vertigo (dizziness and feels like things are miles away from her) and occasional ringing in the ears.

Im sorry but the only way to find the correct medication "is" by going to your physician or a psychiatrist and keep trying medications until you happen on to the right one for you.

By the way thanks for listing all your meds and symptoms but we cant diagnose nor prescribe medications for you. All we can do here is tell you if we have tried the meds that you have and how they worked for us, we can also tell you whether we have the same symptoms as you and if so how we are getting through them.

It took many medications to find the right one for me, some of which are the same ones you have tried. I too got frustrated with the trial and error route and wished someone could just find that magic cure and give it to me. But thats not how real life works unfortunately.

give it time, new meds are always coming out, sooner or later the right one for you will be there.

[Don't touch me]

So this is only since college that any of this has been happening?

[RomanSunburn]

You mentioned Omega 3 Fish oil as something you used to help ease your symptoms. I have to mention that my doctor put me on fish oil and told me a couple of things: First, the bottle says to only take one a day, he told me to take three. Second, the three fish oils a day is not for mental health but overall health and well being. Third, if he wanted to treat my depression with fish oil, I'd be taking at least five a day.

I just mention this because taking one a day isn't really going to do anything for any mental health symptoms, except maybe give you a placebo affect.

Which brings me to another point my doctor made... Placebo affect is extremely important with mental health medications. If you don't think they're going to work, they won't. They may help a little, but you won't see any great improvements.

You really should try to keep seeing a doctor; I understand how frustrating it is. It is simply a process that takes time, trial and error, and a good therapist and pdoc.

I'm also curious why you've had so many therapists in the past years. I went through a period where I had a lot too, and I know that definitely didn't help me get any better. I finally found both a therapist and pdoc that I loved, but unfortunately, I moved, and have not been able to find good replacements for either of them...

Sorry if I babbled too much. Good luck! Feel free to come back and vent whenever you need to!

[Amura]

WOW! You just wrote my bio!
Except I am a 30 female LOL. Let me share some of my feelings with you that I have had just in the past week or so:
...I have nothing else to give... I will never fell better... I wish the world would just leave me alone... What is the point of going forward when nothing changes... I hate average people that just go through their day with no problem, I hate people in general... My life is a sham and any good times there were I was only faking for the people around me...
All I can say is you are not alone, and thank you for sharing. I really felt that no one in the world could possibly understand all the crap I have been through in the search for feeling normal again.
I don't have the answer yet, I am continuing to move forward one moment at a time. I hold on to the belief that I will get there, one day, some how peace will come.

[Perna]

I would go see a psychotherapist instead of just a psychiatrist. Medication can't help with our living problems and relationships with others. Therapy can be intellectually stimulating too, as well as emotionally helpful, help one engage in one's life better and engaging always gives me additional option ideas and hope.

[venusss]

Originally Posted by Perna

I would go see a psychotherapist instead of just a psychiatrist. Medication can't help with our living problems and relationships with others. Therapy can be intellectually stimulating too, as well as emotionally helpful, help one engage in one's life better and engaging always gives me additional option ideas and hope.

This.

No offense, but I see a pharmacy listed down in the OP... but you did not mention what did you try what living concerns. If you have some aim in life, or are trying to find it. If you tried to work on your reactions and if you are trying to control your emotions (other than chemically).

Where are you looking for omens? Do you have some people in your life that you really really like?

[madisgram]

welcome to pc i agree a lot with what perna said altho my bipolar , anxiety disorder, and ptsd need help by taking meds too. please try to hang in there and also remain persistant til you find a good match with psych., psychologist or both. i see both and one of the keys to my overall success was that they worked in harmony to help me. i have always used a psychologist with a phd. seems to work better for me. plus i check out their credentials. old rule of thumb too-not all professionals are good. some are fair, some are far better. shopping around helps plus i've always "interviewed" them on first appt. if it isn't a good match, i move on til i find those that match my needs.
hope this helps.

[Jshect]

Hi, you have some of the same conditions I have; Bipolar II with extreme, long lasting depression, anxiety, ADD predominantly inattentive. I hate jobs. No matter how hard I try I have been depressed 95% of the time at every single job I've ever had and that makes me an inefficient employee.
My advise would be to try to find friends that you can relate to and confide in. If you hate people and the world find a friend who hates people and the world too, so you can talk about it together. My best friend and I are always *****ing about politics and hypocritical people. If I didn't have my best friend and my family I'ld have shot myself by now. Do you have a supportive family?
This site helps me a lot. I have been constantly reading and writing and it distracts me from all of my problems an is a creative outlet. I read a lot of different blogs on bipolar.
I also play guitar and basketball when I am bored. Do you have any hobbies? Are you exercising?
Therapy never worked for me. I've been to around 8 different therapists with minimal results. Next I am going to try group therapy.

[Jshect]

Celexa seemed to work for depression according to many people on this site

[Jshect]

Deplin is supposed to enhance the effects of antidepressants

[Martina]

You've already tried the one drug known to have weight loss side effects instead of weight gain. Topamax. I've been on it for a year and lost 50 of the 75 pounds I gained on Zyprexa. But if it didn't work as a mood stabilizer for you, or you weren't one of the lucky ones to experience weight loss, then it's not the right drug for you.

Unfortunately every medication has side effects. My biggest complaint lately is that mine make me extremely sleepy so I'm a zombie in the evening after taking them and I can't get out of bed in the morning. But it's a trade off. I'd rather be sleepy than back to my old self (highly suicidal)

Eh, and don't whine to me about sexual side effects. I've been stuck in a sexless marriage for 8 out of the 10 years we've been together (5 years married, 10 together). Not by my choice. I want it, he doesn't. I've given up. We had sex one time in 2010. The entire year. And it's got nothing to do with my medications. I wouldn't know if they have any side effects, he doesn't want me.