Posted by oona on April 16, 2002, at 22:09:22
In reply to Re: Coming off zoloft-going onto WB, posted by maribeth on April 16, 2002, at 13:54:47
> > Hi Oona,
> > You asked about how long I've been on Lithium. Since the beginning of February and I wish I'd started years ago. After all these 25 or so years of thinking I was unipolar depressed and being treated as such, it's fairly evident now that I have all the symptoms of bipolar II. I stop responding to antidepressants after a while and increasing them makes me more depressed, I have mixed depression with anxiety, have had hypomanic phases where I spent money like I'd won the lottery (oh, if only I had a fraction of that money now!) and other tell-tale symptoms like starting grandiose schemes, not sleeping, zipping around and then - booom, crash! I also tried relying on God but the miracle cure has not yet been granted to me. I have a suspicion that God is either depressed him/herself or just sick of the whole lot of us. However, praying is still a great comfort to me. I just don't need a bunch of, ummm, fanatically inclined folk to tell me how to do it.
> >
> > You also said that you think it could be mainly biological and not just psycho. Couldn't agree with you more. Although many of us, myself included, have had more than our share of traumatic childhoods or other incidents, I've come to believe that there's a basic malfunctioning going in our bio/chemical/electrical system. The methods we have right now at our disposal, like drugs and ECT are pretty crude, but it's not that long ago that doctors were applying leaches.
> >
> > I'm curious, Oona, why has your doctor settled on Wellbutrin? You probably mentioned it a while back, but if you could refresh my memory? I tried it a while back and it wasn't the drug for me - made me feel too wired and didn't do much to relieve the depression. For me, and quite a few of us here on this board, adding mood stabilisers has really done the trick. I've heard some good reports about others as well, like Lamactil, but so far the Lithium has been good for me.
>
> Hi Oona and BarbaraCat--
> Oh my are you singing my song! The genetics part Although my mother never acted out quite in the way yours did she was a "pip" in her own right!! She never took anything medication-wise when she was at her worst, but she was hospitalized as a young adult and had "shock treatments". This was all before I was born. Funniest thing -- she got herself on "speed" (diet pills) when I was in highschool and she worked for a doc. Man was she ever easy to live with then (ADD??)! Me, I'm on Topamax, Seroquel, and lately off Effexor and onto Celexa. The Celexa is a little better than the Effexor was as far as letting me "Feel". I too am hoping to start Wellbutrin in a couple of weeks. Glad to hear you mention the regular, I think I would prefer that. I was put on the SR once a couple of years back and went psycotic. My pdock thinks I'll be ok on a low dose with the Seroquel to "cover" me. I am also ADD. Lets hear it for genetics --my family history goes back at least FOUR generations! Maribeth
Good luck Maribeth with the Wellbutrin, Also, I saw on some show on TV that Shock Treatments are coming back in style.. Maybe we have a chance!! ha..Anyway, I hope to be put on the 100's after Thursday. The SR makes my brain feel like it is fried, maybe it is.. They want me to wait another 2 weeks to see if I calm down a little. I mentioned on the phone today about the mood stabilizers or anit anxiety meds and I dont think they had a clue. She said she did not want me on any other meds until I have completed six weeks on WB. Also, said she would research it and let me know on Thursday. I was going to tell her to read these boards if she needed more info...
One good thing is that I ran out of Tylenol PM, dont have any sleeping pills of any kind and no money till Friday, sooo last night I made a really strong pot of chamomile/mint tea and I slept pretty good. I will try it again tonight as I dont have any other options. Mind over matter...
Peace
poster:oona
thread:5582
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020416/msgs/103291.html