Posted by SLS on October 30, 2005, at 19:44:28
In reply to Re: What nuerotransmitters active in Mania? » rjlockhart98, posted by blueberry on October 30, 2005, at 17:38:50
Hi Blueberry.
> Yeah, I just recently came down from a bad mania that was, as you say, stronger than amphetamines.
Are you bipolar I?
Any mania that becomes severe (greater than hypomania) automatically places you in bipolar I. This can be an important distinction when choosing treatments.
> But now I'm dealing with depression.
Bipolar disorder tends to be a disease of oscillation. It is common that depression follows mania, regardless whether it is the natural course of the illness or the result of an antimanic medication. Prevent the mania and you prevent the depression. Hopefully, your next stop will be normothymia. Once you recover from depression, be sure to enact some type of mania prophylaxis (mood stabilizer) so as to prevent the oscillation from occuring in the first place.
> Can't win.
Oh, yes you can!
:-)
I am amazed that Zyprexa didn't act as an antimanic on you.
If you are bipolar I, I would offer the possibility that using a combination of lithium + Lamictal would work. If lithium is not for you, you can combine Depakote + Lamictal. Lamictal has been shown to be a prophylactic against depression in bipolar I disorder. When combining Depakote + Lamictal, the dosage of Lamictal must be reduced to 50% because Depakote reduces its elimination. The PDR explains everything well enough and posts suggested titration schedules when using this combination.
Of course, there are other mood-stabilization strategies out there.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:573234
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20051024/msgs/573558.html