Posted by les on June 15, 2003, at 18:18:53
Does anyone have any experience with zyprexa and ADHD or cyclothymic mood disorder? My dad has been suffering from mood swings for as long as I can remember. He was finally diagnosed with ADHD about five years ago. I have always suspected that there is more to it than that. His depression, to me, has seemed to be the bigger problem. Throughout my life, he has been in one of several states:
1) moody........mood can alter day by day or hour by hour. either "normal" and somewhat calm or easily irritated/angry, then back to normal.
2) happy and content......enjoying life, spending time with his kids, playing his music (he's a pianist), treating everyone great, laughing and joking a lot. This is the dad that I feel is the "real" him. realistic, thoughtful, shows normal range of feelings but is not out of control.
3) Depressed/anxious. Spends long amounts of time by himself, doesn't want to talk to anyone, is irritable, angry, hopeless, can't sleep, etc.
4) hypomanic. Stays up all night playing piano and talking to people. (this is supposedly his "add". talks literally nonstop. wants to do everything for everyone. is constantly on the go. Eventually after a few weeks, months, whatever he crashes into a angry/depressed state, which is what he is having right now.
He was on prozac for a while and it seemed to stabalize him somewhat, but he said that it totally quelched his creativity and made him lose all the Zest he needed to live his life the way he wanted to. However, he is now in the worst and longest state of depression that I have seen since I was 10 years old. (I am 22). He stays out all night (no, he's not having an affair), talks to everyone but his family (I think he associates us with a lot of his problems......there have been some problems with lawsuits in our family, etc., but nothing in the immediate family that should make him not want to be around us in a normal situation). He is depressed, losing weight, sad, and very angry. It is hard to talk to him without fearing an emotional outburst of yelling and screaming from him. Everything annoys him, and sometimes he gets so riled up that he just doesn't even make sense......forgets important facts, gets mixed up, etc.
He is seeking therapy and is seeing a psychiatrist. The Dr. put him on concerta for his ADHD, but that was about two weeks ago, and while he has gotten a little better with the yelling and the ranting and raving, he is now just extremely sad. He always wants to be alone but at least is not as angry. Our family (my mother, my sister, and I) all called his therapist and his psychiatrist to tell them how depressed he is because he tends to put on a good act for "outsiders". His therapist responded by saying that she had no idea that he was depressed !!!! (she specializes in treating ADHD in adults). Now, his psychiatrist has put him on Zyprexa. I am extrememly worried because it seems that where he wasn't compliant with the prozac, how the heck is he going to stay on a mood stabalizer that is sedating and causes weight gain. He has a very fast metabolism so hopefully the weight gain won't be too much of a problem. However, I am worried that the zyprexa is going to cause him to become more depressed because he seems to be having a "mixed episode". Maybe it will help........it could go either way. Does anyone have a similar situation where zyprexa worked with depressive symptoms as well as hypomania, irritability, and anxiety? I beleive that he is going to continue to take the concerta.Any input would be helpful. I love my dad and am very worried about him, not to mention worried that I am going to "inherit" this possible cyclothymic or "soft bipolar" disorder. I already suffer from more mild symptoms of depression/SAD/ADD, which currently is under pretty good control with just celexa.
Thanks so much.
poster:les
thread:234180
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030614/msgs/234180.html