Posted by Mr. Scott on January 27, 2002, at 20:17:09
In reply to Re: Last post of it's Kind.. » Mr. Scott, posted by JohnX2 on January 27, 2002, at 15:02:35
Thanks John for posting!
Damn..Damn..Damn.. I tried Lamictal and got a rash on my arm.
I think I have BPII and GAD, or ADD + Depression + GAD. Stimulants make me feel good temporarily but then they make me irritable, dysphoric, more anxious and even 'weird'.
Stabilizers scare me with all the side effects.
Scott
>
> About the sleep thing, I'm quite certain after
> alot of uncertainty, that I am bipolar and I
> never have had a lack of sleep. I have had difficulty
> falling asleep and hypersomnia.
>
> There is a tricky line between diagnosing
> someone with a mild bipolar 2 vs. ADD + depression.
> The hyperactivity may be ADD or hypomania and
> the diagnosis may be difficult. A lot of times
> you just need to go by the medicine responses.
> My medicine responses made it quite clear that
> I was more of a bipolar II than a ADD + depression.
>
> One thing you might try is a med that can
> treat either unipolar depression or bipolar
> which is Lamictal. This was the first thing
> that really worked for me, with no side effects
> after hitting a steady dose.
> Its tricky to dose when you start it,
> and you must be extremely patient. Default
> Disclaimer: Individual results may vary.
>
> regards,
> John
>
>
> > This sums up where I'm at and asks one final time for ideas on how to proceed. Henceforth I shall restrict my posting from being so desperate like and complaint oriented and accept that life is not ever going to exist on my terms. It seems the wisdom I seek is not to be found where I seek it. And so I will bandage up my wounds and proceed onward as I always have.
> >
> > Here goes..
> >
> > This happened a while ago, but I feel compelled to tell the story.
> >
> >
> > I saw 4 shrinks in 6 weeks...
> >
> > One was known to diagnose BP II a lot (or see it where others miss it as my referring shrink put it), and he said he was diagnosing me with BP II but seemed disturbed that I never ever ever had a time in my life where I needed less sleep than usual. He said to take Depakote or Lithium, because not enough research has been done on the others for first line use. And that I can't take AD's. I tried the Depakote up to 750mg and was constipated and tired all the time...To the point where I could barely communicate. It helped a little but not much considering the side effects. I took it up to 1500mg, where I heard for the first time in my life absolutely no noise in my mind at all, yet I was conscious. I also began eating like a bear.
> >
> > Another shrink said "Take Prozac if it worked for you before" So I did and all it did was make me tired this time. Slept non-stop. He Adderall which made me overall worse. He then got as frustrated at me and started to punish me I believe with Depakote repeatedly saying my mood was unstable.
> >
> > Another shrink Said I have a neurological condition requiring anticonvulsants and his first choice was Dilantin which he said would "wake me up". I din't notice anything significant at all from the Dilantin.
> >
> > Another shrink said I had ADD as a child and am now depressed and anxious because of it. He gave me Serzone and Provigil. Serzone made my face swell.
> >
> > They all ignored the fact that I had broken up with a girlfriend of 5 + years not long before that. Or even consider that I could be in Zoloft Withdrawal which I recently discontinued due to muscle pain.
> >
> > So in the absence of any clear consensus I decided to seek out a physician who would give me both what worked in the past or the alternative I wanted to try.
> > Klonopin-Effexor-Provigil/Adrafanil-Omega 3
> > But I worry a great deal one of them was right and I've missed the boat entirely, or that I've made a bad choice about the meds, and think about the withdrawal syndromes, and side effects.
> >
> > Any thoughts?
poster:Mr. Scott
thread:91632
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020124/msgs/91814.html