mood stabilizers

thx for laughing at me. pls don't post to me anymore. i hardly deem that as being supportive.

please just look to see who i direct my replies to before you get upset angelgirl... the ROFL smiley wasnt in reply to you.

and it was only laughter...
because darkeyes and i dont agree about klonopin....
the back and forth thing was funny to me.

I do agree it is used with mood stabilizers and it can help, but technically it is not in the category of a true mood stabilizer.
It does help, I take mine as needed, that is how my pdoc wrote it up as, to reduce the stressful feeling, that unchecked can cause enough anxiety to trigger episodic behaviour. Geesh, what is so wrong with that?
Whatever,

DE

i also use klonopin as needed. my dr explained to me that it is a benzo that helps with anxiety/panic and is also proven to help nerve pain...just like valium is a good muscle relaxer and often times given as such. i take it when i feel intenseness that is not lifting...to prevent panic or meltdown.

klonopin is classified as a benzo according to my dr, and that's what i take it for. well, that and nerve pain. however, like many drugs, it has proven helpful in other areas. just like antihistimines can help nausea, panic, anxiety, insomnia, etc.

just my experience with klonopin

be safe,

kd

Brand name:
Klonopin

Pronounced: KLON-uh-pin
Generic name: Clonazepam
Why is this drug prescribed?

Klonopin is used alone or along with other medications to treat convulsive disorders such as epilepsy. It is also prescribed for panic disorder--unexpected attacks of overwhelming panic accompanied by fear of recurrence. Klonopin belongs to a class of drugs known as benzodiazepines.

mine was prescribed along with lamictal to help stabilize my moods and to cover the gaps that lamictal doesnt cover... i take it twice a day...

makes sense, ccl. i think, that even though it's classified as a benzo, it has ALOT of uses...like valium, antihistimines, antidepressants, anti-seizure meds, etc, etc, etc.

i know it helps my panic/anxiety. it really doesn't help with the nerve pain though...so use it strictly for the panic/anxiety.

be safe,

Sorry ccl, my bad.

Regarding clozaril and zyprexa..I have been on both and am currently on clozaril. The blood tests are required weekly for the first 6 months I believe and every 2 weeks after that for the duration. My daughter was also on clozaril for about 5 years..and it was a miracle drug for her. Usually clozaril is only considered after you have tried a number of anti-psychotics without much results. The drooling did present a problem for my daughter but only when she slept (we went to all white pillow cases . I take a clozaril 100mg. at night to help me sleep and help with the suicidal ideation that plagues me. It was approved for those circumstances within the past 2 years or so....anyway.....I hope you get good results with something soon.

Any med that requires frequent blood tests are not for me. I have a MAJOR phobia of blood tests. Just typing that out gives me the creeps.

My daughter was 14 when she started the med...she too was afraid of the bloodwork . The dr. gave her emla cream to rub on her arm a half hour before she would get the tests done......it worked great....it is a topical novicane. No pain!! After awhile it was not a problem at all........believe me you get used to it real quick ......and the medication was the first that really worked for my daughter....so she was sold on it...side effects, bloodwork and all!

It's not the pain that gets to me. I'd rather not explain what exactly does cuz it's even difficult for me to type it out.

No problem...as far as the zyprexa is concerned I was also on that..... I really loved it! It does have a tendency to cause weight gain but I really think sensible eating will help you avoid that. It was the first drug that seemed to clear my thinking and helped my mood too. But, unfortunatly I decided that I no longer needed it and began to wean myself off without Dr. approval (getting a quick appointment is almost impossible!)... Anyway...I did great and even recieved his approval later....but I ended up really needing that class of medication....so during a rather rough hospitalization I was put on the clozaril. It actually is a good med...and I am only on 100...down from 300 or so. Hopefully only taking 100 will have less of a hungover effect on me in the morning. Well good luck and I hope you find something that works for you soon.

Went to my pdoc today. Told her my rapid cycling is getting worse and my depression is getting downright scary. So, she added Risperdal. She won't increase my ADs. I just can't get through to her. I just know I'm going to end up hospitalized or worse if I can't convince her really soon. I think it may be time for a new pdoc. I'd rather rapid cycle than be extremely suicidal.

ok, some people are gonna be mad at me for this suggestion , but can you call the pharmacy and get a refill? can you up the AD dose on your own?
if this idea seems bad, id suggest you go to another doctor.

i dont want to give bad advice, but i contacted my pharmacy and my doc approved the prescription refill for my zoloft, cuz i left him a voice message that i was very depressed and feeling suicidal, and that i wanted to schedule an appt, but in the mean time i need an AD...

just some more horrible advice from a fellow rapid cycling and suicidal bipolar.

Nope, that would never work. She doesn't even like doing phone renewals to begin with. The new pdoc suggestion is one I'm already thinking about. Gonna talk to my T and GP and my next appts. I don't know why she'd rather risk my life compared to rapid cycling. Just doesn't make any sense to me.

well maybe she's just stuck on the theory that "if you stop the cycling, you stop the depression and in turn prevent suicide"
unfortunately we both know this theory isnt very real to life.

Well no matter what meds you're on, you're still gonna rapid cycle. She's never mentioned your theory and you would've thought she would if that's where her head was at. As far as I'm concerned, she's playing Russian roulette with my life.

(Get your laughs and research psych meds too! )

ANGEL GIRL: Now don't get mad at me. I'm sending you to a web site that is full of a lotta STRONG language and quirky information about psych drugs.

Could be the author needs some lye soap for his mouth. However, he also knows what he's talking about in the psych drug department. And he's a very interesting person, being bipolar, epileptic, and autistic. Makes for a lot of "experience" no doubt. (read that as ).

(Ha-ha! Got here before Sky did...)
KIMMIEDAWN: You are banned from going to that web site! You are too sweet to read such stuff.
NOTHEMAMA: And that goes for all the littles also...wherever they be.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Everyone else, please type: http://www.crazymeds.org/intro.htm
Angel, maybe you will find some ideas here to present to your pdoc for consideration? If not, you will have some fun anyway.



Adieu

Now this is a site that I must check out. Thanks for the link.

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
Went to my pdoc today. Told her my rapid cycling is getting worse and my depression is getting downright scary. So, she added Risperdal. She won't increase my ADs. I just can't get through to her. I just know I'm going to end up hospitalized or worse if I can't convince her really soon. I think it may be time for a new pdoc. I'd rather rapid cycle than be extremely suicidal.

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Well, the Risperdal has done jack!!! It doesn't seem to matter what med they put me on, here I sit extremely suicidal again. I have an appt with my GP tomorrow afternoon. I intend to inform him of my extreme frustration of all these psych meds that don't do jack. Maybe he can suggest something for me or find me another pdoc. ANYTHING!!! I'm getting scared of being in the abyss so much, clinging to life by a bare thread, while my pdoc doesn't listen to me and continues to play Russian Roulette with my life. I'm usually pretty good at hiding my depression with my family and can put on a fairly good 'act' but not when I'm this low, there's no way to hide this, so now I'm shutting myself off from everybody, while I fight to try and stay alive. I'm seriously thinking of coming off the whole bloody works of meds at this point.

Went to my GP, again, doesn't hear my cries of help to survive, doesn't even react when I tell him I want to die. I'm being ignored by the medical field, only one more chance for hope. Tomorrow I see my T and my last plead for life. I feel like I'm talking to myself here.

Please stop talking about this "last plead for life", OK?

In your previous post, you mentioned coming off the meds. That's a thought you may want to hold on to. If that's what you end up deciding, I hope you're aware that you have to do it slowly and with extreme caution.

angel girl.... we hear your cries for help...
you need to just check yourself into the hospital.
you need to hear your own cry for help, because if you feel like youre talking to yourself .... then its a very accurate statement, ... you are trying to subconsiously or consiously tell YOURSELF to do whatever it takes to survive this.
this cannot be your last plead for life, because we all want you here, and YOU even want to be here.

please find the strength inside to go to a hospital and stay there for a while until they get your meds examined.
if you cant do that for whatever reason, just go somewhere you will be safe... like a police station, etc....
stick around, you have lots left to do here.

IG, it is what it is.

What I meant was that nobody was replying me. No hospital for me. Never going to go that route. I won't be locked up. It's not the way ppl here described it would be. The last time I went to the ER, about a week ago, I asked the pdoc and psychologist who evaluated my state of mind at that time. They said I want to stay out as much as possible, that it's a very horrible place to be, I wouldn't want to be there. Well, that was enough to confirm my initial feelings. I won't go, I won't.