Fidget Posted July 9, 2005 Share Posted July 9, 2005 I weigh 211 lbs according to the doctors scale. When I started meds i weighed 180. I THOUGHT i found a great combo - lexapro and seroquel with the occasional xanax for panic... then i noticed I was ballooning up. Now i'm freaking out a bit because Pdoc is ademate about abilify - which at 7.5 mg had me wanting to peel my skin off. So he has completely removed me from Seroquel and we have slashed my Lithium in half. He said i could still take my Klonpin if i need it then take a baby dose of 2.5 mg of abilify and for the next 15 days take atvan to get past the wanting to peel my skin off phase... is anyone else having this much trouble finding a meds combination that works for your brain and your body? My therapist suggested Topamax but PDOC said latest news is a NO GO for bipolar treatment. I was on the verge of sobbing b/c someone asked me if I was pregnant and my weight has NEVER been an issue before. I was just gaining weight on the lithium and seroquel despite doing 60 to 90 minutes of cardio 4 to 6 times a week and watching what i eat. the PDOC was staring me down saying that i was the one that wanted lithium and i replied of course because seroquel was making me balloon up, abilify make me want to peel my skin off and your only other suggestion Geodon is known to have heart problems as a side effect which is NOT ok with me. I then told him I was about at the point of totally ceasing meds which i knew would be a bad thing but hey I'd at least drop that thing that is following me and sitting on top of my ass.... basically i had a tough day... i hate my pdoc and my insurance sucks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brainplague Posted July 9, 2005 Share Posted July 9, 2005 I've been through 21 meds. Nope, no troubles here. *wry grin*. Just because it doesnt work for random bipolars doesnt mean it wont work for many, though if your tdoc was suggesting it because of the weight concern, well...s/he probably meant well but it isnt necessarily appropriate. I dont know. But...gah...there's a reason god invented MOOD STABILIZERS! Not just APs! Kassiane <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I'm gonna ask a brutal question - why does your pdoc sound so closed minded about your not wanting to take certain drugs? He's doesn't seem to be offering you alot of choices. After all, YOU are the one taking them, and YOU are the one that knows if they are working or not! Kassianne is right. What works for some folks doesn't always work for others. IMHO - a good team of cooperative docs is what helps find a good combo for you. Take a look at my cocktail. I've been on topamax for 5 years. Again NOT FOR EVERYONE! But its worked very well for me. Maybe time for a new Pdoc who is more understanding? You can flame me if you want, I've got skin like a rhino. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fidget Posted July 9, 2005 Author Share Posted July 9, 2005 unfortunatly I can not switch Pdocs i've already exceeded my 20 mental health visits per year and have the pdoc and therapist begging for them to allow me more..... I dont understand why he is beuing so close minded either.. i know he was happy when i seemed to be great on the Seroquel Lexapro combo and i think being that he is a bit over weight he doesnt see the big deal in gaining weight from meds... but 30+ pounds JUST from meds is unacceptable i started my baby dose of Abilify today and just took some atevan to take the edge off as I have a childrens birthday party i MUST attend (ugh). i am in a bad mood which im going to attribute to cutting the lithium in half and taking a med that in the past has made me go batshit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest amybeth Posted July 9, 2005 Share Posted July 9, 2005 Fidget, I'm with Brainplague and Kass on this one, wasup with your pdoc?? Go in there and knock him over the head. Tell him you are the patient taking the meds. I am Bipolar I UltraRapid Cycler and taking Topamax 200mg w/Effexor 75mg. Topamax has saved my life. I know from your posts that you suffer from Rage like i do!! The smashy Rage too! Well, since my like first dose of 25mg of Topa I felt like a new person. And, It has not put any weight on me. But, I had to really twist my pdoc's arm to get her to write a script for it. Now she is a true believer. And after presenting my case at a conference in Boston, another psychotherapist in the area actually one of the top guys from Mass General approached her and told her that he uses Topamax as a first line Mood Stabilizer for Bipolar I treatment. So I don't know what info your Pdoc has gotten about Topamax but he should double check his resources. And of course like anything else ymmv! Every patient is different. FIGHT for your meds!! Fight for the Topamax. It is incredible if it is the right Med for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wifezilla Posted July 9, 2005 Share Posted July 9, 2005 Have you tried Lamictal? Hubby is on Zyprexa, Lamictal, and only uses seroquel on occassion when he is bouncing off the walls when he should be sleeping. His Lamictal level is only 50mg so far working his way up to 100. His depression is still around, but it slips away a little at a time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seven Posted July 9, 2005 Share Posted July 9, 2005 Many of you might find this scary but I recently saw a 2-page spread in TIME magazine (big mainstream mag) advertising Topamax for migraines. Now, many many ordinary folks get headaches. So, if Topamax is safe enough for mass consumption, surely someone with a serious bp disorder should be allowed to give it go--or tell him you're getting migraines. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MellowYellow Posted July 9, 2005 Share Posted July 9, 2005 I have come to the conclusion that med changes go on forever. And ever. And I can't find an anti-depressant that won't poop out or agitate me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChemistryExperiment Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 I have come to the conclusion that med changes go on forever. And ever. And I can't find an anti-depressant that won't poop out or agitate me. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> i have yet to find one that i've been on more than a month ddue to agitation and mania.... meds just suck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sun_zoom_spark Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 Why are you cutting your lithium in half? And what is your serum level? My pdoc has given me the green light to 'tinker' with my lithium dosage since he raised my Seroquel dosage. Everytime I cut back 300 mg. something happens. Usually grumpy or depressed. 900 mgs. is my 'sweet' spot. A little flat but not screwed up in the head so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fidget Posted July 10, 2005 Author Share Posted July 10, 2005 Why are you cutting your lithium in half? And what is your serum level? My pdoc has given me the green light to 'tinker' with my lithium dosage since he raised my Seroquel dosage. Everytime I cut back 300 mg. something happens. Usually grumpy or depressed. 900 mgs. is my 'sweet' spot. A little flat but not screwed up in the head so much. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> He thinks the lithium is contributing to the weight gain. ANd of course that is all MY fault because i asked to try Lithium instead of letting him put me on Geodon. Here's the real shitter folks all he'll tell me is that he "thinks" I'm bi polar but no more info.. and really it had to drag that much out of him because officially he is treating me for a major depressive episode. Apparently getting labeled bi polar is a bad thing as far as insurance is concerned but hey as an artist it adds to my mystique I have been very ragy and angry today but i realized i neglected to take my Lexapro and 1/2 dose of Lithium in the morning as usual. there are so many fucking pill containers on my window ledge it's hard to keep all this shit straight. I noted a decrease in my appetite today - it was instead replaced with an all consuming vomity feeling. Hopefully that will decrease as I get used to the Abilify... gah I hate all of this. What's really sad is that to afford care without insurance I would have to divorce my husband and get on welfare before i could get treatment from the county on a sliding pay scale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fidget Posted July 10, 2005 Author Share Posted July 10, 2005 now i've had a good cry that has left me ragged and frayed, maybe i should sleep for 3 days and only be woken for my meds.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest amybeth Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 Topamax Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dobbie Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 Abilify, on top of my rapid cycling had me jumping out of my skin....I had stopped all the other antipsychotics due to SE so Abilify HAD to work, Topamax saved the day. My pdoc was like, "It is unproved, blah blah blah" I begged and finally got it. My God that stuff quieted my brain by day 3. I was no longer jumping out of my skin or wanting to kill people. My combo is: Abilify 10mgs, Topamax 100mgs and Lamictal 100mgs. I feel better than I have since being diagnosed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gballsout Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 Oh..gooooooood, I hate this too. I feel like my mind is ripping me apart. And even my pdoc can't keep up with my med changes. He gives me (written) directions....go up on this 5 days, then start this at (amt) and go up in one week, continue this unless side effects get too bad, stay on this unless you need to go up!! And continue dropping this by 50mgs ever four days. I've dosed seroquel often over the past few weeks b/c I get that jumping out of my skin feelings. Then I spend the rest of the day stoned or asleep. Now I'm so fucking depressed, it feels like someone close to me died. I'm in grief for NO REASON!!! I would very much like to get on with my life right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 Take a look at my cocktail. I've been on topamax for 5 years. Again NOT FOR EVERYONE! But its worked very well for me. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I gotta ask...is that your brain? Shiney...*loves the brain pics* I see you're on the ubertemporal lobe cocktail...I was on the Trileptal/Topamax mix for...um...a week. THen it fucked with my seizures hardcore (I'm BP NOS with the rest of the DSM and epilepsy. Or maybe Epilepsy WTF with a hefty dose of autism, a side salad of BP NOS, and the rest of the DSM for dessert?). Oops. Nice to see it works out for you. For a while we thought that the 2 would make people too stoooopid to string together words, yet another person (besides an uberspazz) proves our revised hypothesis correct. YAY. Kassiane sorry, way off the original topic, pleading "I already took my night meds, they include lots of anticonvulsants and no Strattera to counteract the ADDing effects" <{POST_SNAPBACK}> i am not tolerating the abilify well.. ive been angry and crying on and off all day.. i want to go to the er and check myself in DH thinks im exaggerating and he cant just suddenly take off work to care for the kids.. i feel so horrible and torn... oh god i hate this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 oh yeah thats me Fidget.. duh.. argh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fidget Posted July 10, 2005 Author Share Posted July 10, 2005 i just toook the adtavan and i still feel uber crappy... really i want to crawl in a DARK hole and smash things Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sun_zoom_spark Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 Fidget- Did you feel this way when your lithium dose was higher? I nudged my lithium dose back up and I'm feeling better. Depression and akathisia from Seroquel have both subsided. Maybe you need to increase your lithium levels? Just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 Fidget- Did you feel this way when your lithium dose was higher? I nudged my lithium dose back up and I'm feeling better. Depression and akathisia from Seroquel have both subsided. Maybe you need to increase your lithium levels? Just a thought. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> the problem is %100 the Abilify... it was even worse when he first tried me on a higher dose.... i went and worked out and calmed down some but i still feel pretty shitty. I cant nudge up the lithium b/c we are trying to eliminate it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunshineOutside Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 I'm on Lithium, Effexor XR, and Remeron. Try THAT for weight gain. (I've gained 60 pounds) But after screwing around too long with meds and feeling like shit I just decided I was going to take what would most likely work for me and screw the weight gain. You gotta be at a pretty low point for that though. Funny think is, all of that wasn't doing much for me until I started Trileptal and that brought my mood up way fast. Yea. So now I'm wondering if I can mess with the ones that cause the weight gain AGAIN.........maybe not for now. Just wanna feel good. Also take Ativan & a combination of vitatmin prescribed by a "bipolar specialist" (included the fish oils) Take care, Rhonda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest amybeth Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 Topamax saved the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sulu Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 TOPAMAX!! TOPAMAX!! I'm feeling so ignored Figd. My dearest sister in Rage!! I'm singing the Topamax chant. So are a lot of people on this thread. TOPAMAX DAMMIT. Tell your doc you demand to have your Topamax. Man, its worth a try. Sorry for butting in here but I wondered if topamax works as well on BPII. Sulu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest amybeth Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 TOPAMAX!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sulu Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 Thanks Amybeth, I will try to look it up online, Sulu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest amybeth Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 Yea, no problem. Look at the crazymeds page. under Topamax. There is a boatload of info since Jerod really did his research on this one. Plus he takes Topa. Lotsa info!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sulu Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 Thanks Amy, did that, Jerod rocks, his write ups are the most informative I've read. But it doesn't sound like it would be the one for me. No real rage issues, deja vu, jamais vu or smelling things that are not there. I guess I should be happy not to have those things, yes? Sulu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 yes Rage is a serious issue for me. I think i'll be printing out this thread and taking it to my next appointment. Im not suffering so badly today from the Abilify but my ears keep ringing and i keep getting hotflashes. Fidget Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest amybeth Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 yes Rage is a serious issue for me. I think i'll be printing out this thread and taking it to my next appointment. Im not suffering so badly today from the Abilify but my ears keep ringing and i keep getting hotflashes. Fidget <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Fidget, make sure you mention how Rage can be one of the symptoms of serious temporal lobe malfuntioning. That and Deja vu, smelling things that aren't there and a host of other things. But mostly the rage. That is how my neurologist was tipped off to my temporal lobe problems. FWIW love amybeth goodluck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fidget Posted July 11, 2005 Author Share Posted July 11, 2005 quick to anger today.. he wants me to give this crap at least 15 days... grrrr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fidget Posted July 15, 2005 Author Share Posted July 15, 2005 well the only good thing I can say is that ive lost 2 pounds..... other than that I am angry, uncomfortable, weepy and uninspired Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sun_zoom_spark Posted July 15, 2005 Share Posted July 15, 2005 Serious question here... Is losing weight worth your sanity? Peace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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