Posted by Meddy43 on August 8, 2011, at 0:07:09
In reply to Re: Bipolar-Wellbutrin-Zyprexa-Lyrica-Oxazepam ?, posted by morgan miller on August 7, 2011, at 15:57:28
Hello !
Thank you for your input !
Let me explain things a bit.
I do excercise at least 3 times a week, and I have a personal trainer to keep me in line ;-)
I don't take fish oils since I am a vegetarian. I do take a vitamin supplement and extra vitamin B's. And I use eggs that have a high omega-content.
As for my medication. I have had a few severe bouts of psychotic depression, and a few not so fun mixed episodes; and a few manic episodes; but the manic episodes have been easy to treat.
The problem has been with the psychotic depressions I have had. A year ago I tried to kill myself with lithium, and got a nice level of 3,75 lithium concentration. But for some odd reason I called my psychiatrist, and I survived the episode with ICU therapy. I also have 2 other suicide attempts, one 25 years ago with ACE inhibitors, calcium antagonists and beta blockers, but I was found wandering in the hospital personnel area, and brought to the ICU. My heart stopped, but I was resuscitated. One other incident of suicide was two years ago, with several drugs, treated with ICU, too.
I havent been in the locked ward for more than 2 weeks after each episode, as I don't think they help me, and threatening to sue the doctors with malpractice have gotten me out of the hospital.
But I do have a wonderful, senior psychiatrist whom I have been seeing once a week for more than five years now. She really is quite amazing.
As for my drugs; for the psychotic problems, zyprexa really is the only one that really works. I have tried quetiapine, abilify and others but they just havent done it for me. Also my doctor won't prescribe lithium for me anymore, and hence we tried different mood stabilizers, and our experience brought us into the conclusion, that zyprexa was the best stabilizor for me. Occasionally it has been brought up to 40 mg/day, but at the moment 10 mg does the trick, and we are looking to reducing back to 5 mg, as this is the level that has helped me in the past in my well periods (I have been mostly symptom free for a year now).
As for the social phobia, GAD and a hint of OCD, benzodiazepines have been in my life for more than 30 years. I'm sure they haven't been great for my brain, but neither would have social isolation have been. I have used different benzos, and after my last suicide attempt I was at Ativan 10 mg a day (Sic!). Now I'm fine with oxazepam 15 mg x 4. I don't even wish to wean off this, I think it's the safe dose to keep my severe anxieties at bay.
The use for Lyrica has gone from trial to, well routine, and I am looking to wean myself off of it. I will discuss this with my psychiatrist on wednesday. I do fear uncontrollable anxiety, as they tend to be psychotic at times. Hence the safeguard for anxiety attacs.
Wellbutrin I started just two weeks ago, and it has changed me from a zombilike couch potato, which I feel I have been for a couple of years, into a normal, active (not manic) person enjoying life !!! I paint my toenails, I do the dishes and vacuum; all things that would have been impossible or very hard previously with the other antidepressants. And I think I have tried them all. MAO inhibitors aren't available here, but I have tried most everything else, and they haven't worked, hence the wish to die previously. Now I am free of suicidal ideation, which is such a relief. Now I can enjoy my kids when they come over from my ex husband's care. I cook, I clean, I converse with my kids and such, and it's magnificent.
I'm not looking for a miracle drug that would make life a 100 % fine, but staying alive would be nice.
I think I will now delete the Lyrica from my repertoire, decrease my Zyprexa to 5 mg/night, if my psychiatrist allows it, and continue with the oxazepam 60 mg/day. How do you feel about this combo ?
With kind regards, Meddy43
poster:Meddy43
thread:993047
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20110728/msgs/993140.html