llama44 Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 My case manager said he is going to advocate for no med changes tomorrow at my pdoc appointment until after my wedding. But he says he would like to see me on a real mood stabilzer. And come to think of it that's not the first time someone has said that to me. A nurse at the state hospital told me that too. Now I thought lamictal was a mood stabilizer? And isn't abilify supposed to be good for mood as well? I am just confused as to what these people mean. My case manager asked if I'd tried lithium, and I said I didn't give it a chance due to fear of weight gain. The nurse at the state hospital mentioned tegretol or topomax. What exactly is a good, "real" mood stabilizer. My moods have been wreaking havoc on my life lately. I was recently manic for 1+ month(s) and then clearly depressed for 2+ weeks (complete with suicidal and psychotic thinking) following the mania. Now I know stress is playing a part in this but my MI is also playing its own part as well. My mood currently is alright. I wouldn't say I'm depressed anymore. I think?! I don't feel so down and I'm able to get out of bed, shower, eat more, leave the apartment again, etc. But today I almost feel like my mood is going up again. I hope this is just a false thing and just a one day thing that doesn't turn into a full blown episode again. Lately I've been running on the manic side of the spectrum. I also feel "high" when I don't eat all day. And I haven't eaten today. I had some coffee though. I've been having trouble sleeping again lately too. I went from sleeping 16+ hours a day and never leaving the bed to having trouble falling and staying asleep again now lately. And I'm starting to feel wild like I've got all these ideas in my head about finishing school getting a semi-dangerous job fighting the bad guys of the world. My body is just like pulsating. My mind is racing. I think I need to hand over my check card to my fiance again just in case. At least I'm learning my lesson that way. ugh. My moods have been really out of control these last few months and I'm starting to think that maybe I do need a "real" mood stabilizer. But I'll miss my highs so much. It makes me mad that I enjoy them. There are so many consequences. I don't even want to get into it. Now I'm just rambling so I'll stop. I don't know if I'm "rapid cycling" or what. My episodes still last at LEAST a month though so I don't think so. My fiance read in his book on bipolar about rapid cycling and said that's what I'm going through. But I disagree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowen Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 A mood stabilizer is a medication that prolongs the length between mood episodes. Here's a list Lamictal and Abilify are proven to be mood stabilizers. However, Lamictal isn't a strong antimanic and Abilify tends to be too activating for a lot of the Bipolar crowd. You are on real mood stabilizers. You probably just need different ones. Oh, and your Zoloft probably isn't helping matters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpladybug Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Don't be afraid to try a different mood stabilizer, later after the wedding. It is a very good idea. And especially do NOT be afraid of Lithium. For some people it is awesome, just fantastic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Don't be afraid to try a different mood stabilizer, later after the wedding. It is a very good idea. And especially do NOT be afraid of Lithium. For some people it is awesome, just fantastic. +1 to Lithium being amazing. I also think the fears of weight gain on it are seriously overstated (And the weight gain on most AAP's understated), Its one of the better meds out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nibblerd Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 I agree with the lithium fans. In people that respond to it, it really is wonderful at keeping the depression to a certain level and mania at zero with few side effects. Some people can't tolerate it though, or other meds interact. I recall reading that lithium has potential for neurotoxicity when taken with an AAP. There are also anti-epileptics like depakote (notorious for weight gain) and trileptal (associated with weight loss?). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneMarie Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 There are some "traditionalists" (I made that name, I think, but maybe not) who believe that true mood stabilizers are Lithium and the anticonvulsants Depakote, Trileptal, and Tegretol. Sometimes they include Lamictal but not so much as an antimanic. Some might include Topamax but a fair number of studies don't show it as a good stabilizer for many. These meds are thought to treat the underlying brain disorder, Lithium and Depakote in particular. Studies have shown that Lithium followed by Depakoteo promote new neuronal growth. There's nothing showing the same for antipsychotics (at least not as of a few years ago). These traditionalists tend to see antipsychotics as add on drugs that treat the symptom, not the underlying disorder. As far as I've been able to tell, more and more docs are seeing the antipsychotics as effective monotherapy or as a pillar in polypharm treatment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
llama44 Posted October 13, 2010 Author Share Posted October 13, 2010 Interesting. Thanks for all the info! My pdoc appt went ok I guess. He took me off of benedryl even though my allergies have been bad lately. He just doesn't listen to me. Oh well. I know I need it through the fall and will definitely keep taking it through the wedding. What does he want me to be miserable on my wedding sneezing at the altar? I don't know. He is illogical. He also said, and I quote, that this mi is chronic and meds don't seem to be taking care of my symptoms very well and I'll have to live with that. He also said I'm on a shitload of meds. Yes he said shitload. Ugh. He needs to learn when to shut his big mouth! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpladybug Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 After the wedding, is finding a different psychiatrist for a 2nd opinion, is that a consideration? He sounds like somewhat of a jerk. And taking you off Benedryl right before your wedding when allergies are a problem? huh That could wait a week or two. Glad you have a case manager. He sounds supportive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneMarie Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 I am not a doctor. I am not an expert. I am just some unknown person typing words into a machine. If it was me, I would take the benedryl because saying not to is stupid. I would also look for another pdoc after the wedding because telling you to just accept serious symptoms and instability when there still are meds and med combos left to try is the sign of a lazy, insensitive doc. What's more, the combo of Abilify and AD tends to make a lot of people unstable, and yet, that cocktail is the best the guy can come up with. Yeah, second opinion at minimum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saveyoursanity Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 What's more, the combo of Abilify and AD tends to make a lot of people unstable, and yet, that cocktail is the best the guy can come up with. Yeah, second opinion at minimum. Yeah, I'm actually on it because it's incredibly activating and yet this guy wants someone with SZA bipolar type to be on it without a mood stabilizer? In my uneducated opinion, he's a putz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazynotstupid Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 I'm kinda curious if he meant you'd have to live with the MI which is chronic (true) or live with meds that don't seem to be taking care of it (false). Really, taht is kind of a shitload of meds. Maybe you don't really need such a shit load, or a different shitload, but I bet maybe less of a shitload that is different. Y'know. Just thinking. My own personal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SashaSue Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 Look for a new pdoc. ASAP. Or after the wedding, whichever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greekstud Posted October 16, 2010 Share Posted October 16, 2010 Abilify @ 2 mg is way to activating for me . I took 1 mg today. Let's see how it goes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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