Running out of options!

I'm currently on lamictal 200mg, wellbutrin 450mg, topamax 50mg and my mood is CONSTANTLY changing. It can change many times a day. I'm not normally manic, but the depression comes and goes like crazy.. along with anger. Here's some of the other meds I've tried...
Lithium-worst med ever... made me attempt suicide twice
Depakote-worked but gained too much weight
Latuda- went manic and tons of side effects
Geodon-made me sleep non stop
Invega- worked great but gained 50 lbs
Risperidone- also contirubed to the weight gain and decreased my sex drive completely
Gabapentin- had no effect
Abilify- gave me a twitch in my arm

I know meds work different for everyone, but was just wondering if anyone had any suggestions?
any help appreciated, thanks

Maybe Lamictal or Seroquel?

Thanks for the reply! Well I'm on lamictal right now... And I've tried seroquel before but I don't really remember what happened with it other then I'd sleep like 14 hours a day. Now my insomnia is so bad I doubt that would happen so maybe its something to look into .. the only drawback is it causes weight gain. I'm looking into ECT since almost nothing works . Anyway I'm done rambling haha

Sent from my ADR6410LRA using Tapatalk

Seroquel can be weight neutral just depends on the dose. The sedation fades as well after a while and its a decent mood stabilizer as well as an AP.

Well I just might bring it up to my pdoc at my next appointment.. thank you! And hope you are doing better then me.. depression is really a pain in the *****!!

If your doctor is willing to go outside the proverbial box, ask him/her to look into minocycline. There have been some papers about its ability to help various neurological and psychiatric conditions - there's some theoretical basis, and clinical trials have been undertaken. In particular, there is a 2004 paper exploring whether minocycline has antidepressant effect.

I'm currently having very good luck with it for treatment resistant depression (combined with a low dose of a abilify). The doctor who recommended has had success in at least one other patient, and someone else that I know is finding it helpful.

Well thank you! Im going to look it up and see what I can find.. I've learned to look it up before docs prescribe it to u.. because they don't always tell u everything that comes with it .. aka side effects and what not. But again thanks for the suggestion. Just got out of inpatient sadly and they didn't change any meds so pointless

Trileptal is another possibility. I take this with Lithium and Lamictal (and Adderall for ADHD).

It could also be that your cycling all over the place in a day that you could be plain over medicated and your system is a wreck due to all the different medications tried.

Maybe you need to just detox off all your meds under a Pdoc supervision of course .. I mean your going mad right now on meds , how could taking a break be worse ?

Just a thought.

You are on the maximum dosage for Wellbutrin! I'm at 350mg. BTW does the lamictal cause weight gain? I hate lithium too and refuse to take it.

Sounds like I was when I was over medicated. Try cutting back on the meds and upping the talk therapy. I was told ECT was the best option for me, I dropped the antidepressants, and guess what, no more rapid cycling!

So sorry to hear you're struggling...I've been there too many times as well! My mood would be Ultra, Ultra Rapid cycling with Welbutrin at 450mg and not taking a AAP. For me, I love Latuda at 120mg, Lamictal at 600mg and Lexapro at 20mg. I find taking a benzo prn helps greatly in a mixed state. Topamax or as they call it, dopamax since people feel stupid on it, didn't do anything for me but made me dumb, tired, things taste weird and some hair loss. A lot of people love Seroquel for a mood stabilizer or Zyprexa. For me it's all about finding the right dose and then finding the right med cocktail and then altering it every now and again. Best of luck and hang in there!!!

That's a very good suggestion although I'm always so afraid to go off meds because I'm not sure what's going to happen... Even though bad things seem to happen when I'm on them anyway. I was just put inpatient and went flippin crazy on everyone there.. so bad they had to drug me. Which is so out of character so I think you might be right about the meds

Yes I do take quite a high dose of wellbutrin. Not sure of how much help its doing. Eh. But lamictal is a weight neutral drug so no weight gain should be associated with it

Supernova- yes I do agree with you and christina might have to cut back on the meds. And I'm also in the process of trying to get a referral for ECT but im very afraid I must say

maybe they don't happen "eventhough" you being medicated but because you being medicated with these particular drugs.

It's sadly common for bipolars to think that every bad thing they experience is because of their bipolar and only because of it and meds are just preventing it from getting worse... when at times, these drugs can be the cause of some of the problems,

Maybe reducing the meds is scary... but you are not doing well anyways... this particular combo ain't working and may be causing harm. It may be worth trying before running electricity through your brain.

Venushalley- that end part had me chukelling (sp) a little haha but yes I think you may be right. Im one of those who thinks meds are the solution to everything and I really need to realize its not.. I have a apt coming up with my pdoc in 2 weeks ill bring it up then

Meds can certainly help you cope, but half the battle is the work you do on yourself, either through therapy or lifestyle choices or self healing etc.

ECT can have permanent side effects. Pdocs are not always right - do your own research on both treatments for bipolar and ECT and decide for yourself.

They can help if they work. If they don't, then they are no help, though.

Hey bipolarchickk-I wouldn't even consider ECT! I had 9 treatments back in 2006 and my short-term memory sucks and my cognitive and analytical skills are way worse! For me it's all about the DOSAGE! I'd ask my doc about discontinuing Topamax, lowering Welbutrin to 150mg, bumping up Lamictal to 400-600mg and try Latuda again, but at 120-160mg with at 400 calories, maybe adding Cymbalta 30mg and adding a benzo. Best of luck and sorry to hear!!!

I have tried almost all psych meds available in one combination or another, including starting out on the old trycyclics. I've tried it without any medication(definitely didn't work). I have rarely had more than a few stable years at best.

Right now I'm having trouble keeping my pdoc on tract about using older generics because I have no insurance and can't afford the price for the new drugs. He has me on Latuda now. He wll be taking me off of it as soon as I see him next because I priced it. It's out of my range. I don't qualify for any kind of assistance.

I do believe meds are the answer for me and yes I've had years of therapy, too. It's just finding the right combination that I can afford.

Also, wouldn't consider ECT after seeing what it did to a friend of mines memory and it didn't help her.

Ok, think about this, maybe you have another mental disorder like borderline personality desorder, have very erratic mood changes and not all meds work well, your doc have to gave you the right combinaton, I was on many meds, Abilify, like you, incontrolable twics on my face, hands and legs, Invega, breast milk, weight gain and amenorrea, Zyprexa, weight gain, ten pounds one week, sleepy, Seoquel, really weight gain, do not did nothing, Geodon, nothing, no worked, Syphis, total horror, limp tongue and throat, fast heart beatings, drop in pressure, Fanapt, don't work, Wellbutrin, nothing Paxil, nothing, Depakote, horror, weight gain and suicidal attemps, Lamictal, more or less, all sleep medicines, only three work for me, but I take 3 at the same time because I don't sleep, I'm bipolar 1 with psychosis, borderline personality desorder. I take Latuda 80mg, Restoril and Ambien, Trileptal and Prozac. Ah, I almost forget, I did take Klonopin, din't work, and Xanax, works really wonders for me, but the doc says that is highly addictive so, he take out. You have to go on trying like me, believe me, I'm in this like 28 years, is not easy, or change the doc, but, right now I'm really fine, but don't forget if you take antdeppesants alone and bipolar 1, makes you manic, and on, the meds right now don't make me sleepy because bipolar1, I was bipolar 2 first without psychosis because I was on/off medicines, tired of trying and that's the result.... get well and don't give up!

I just want to say thank you so much to everyone for the replies. This site has helped me more then i thought it would. Wildfiregirl- seems like were in the same situation (tried just about everything) it gets quite frustrating after awhile and Ive thought about giving up several times now. And I also think u may be right about BPD .. I have been doing some research and I feel like I fit into that category .. I see my pdoc in 2 weeks and Im going to see what she suggests ... Vans- I know for sure I dont want to try latuda again that med was a nightmare! But I do think I need a benzo Ive recently had alot of anxiety

Hello to you!

I am not bipolar (I am BPD & anxiety & depression).... my doctor gave me a test to see which drugs would "most likely" be effective. It is a metabolism thing (sorry - I do not recall the exact name).

Maybe this test could help you???