![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 13 of 13. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by The Undercracker on August 15, 2002, at 4:13:48
Hey All,
I'm trying to get info and suggestions on what might work for my situation, as I feel my psych. tries to treat me with a "cookie cutter" treatment for BP II.
First off, my symptoms (off meds):
No attention span, no energy to do the things I love, general depression, hot temper, mood swings, insomnia from hell, and the occasional sleep paralysis. (basically I'm a walking corpse with a short fuse)
Symptoms w/ meds:
Same as above, but more weak and tired, maybe less temper although I think anger management is to be credited for that.
Now for a little history:
While struggling through college, I stumbled upon a music magazine article on how a large percentage of creative types have ADD. After seeing how well I fit the description, I quickly made a trip to a psychologist and had tests done. He concluded that I did in fact have ADD and sent me to an MD who stuck me on Ritalin.
The crap hurt my stomach, but it seemed to help a little. The doc. kept upping the dosage until I was at around 40mg a dose x2 doses a day. By that time I was feeling a little jittery, but the positive effects wore off in time. My psychologist swore it must've been working because any normal person on 80mg of Ritalin a day would be bouncing off the walls. They later switched me to Adderall, which wasn't quite as bad on the stomach, but still the same basic situation.
Enter a new town and new doctors:
After being analyzed simultaneously by a psychologist and psychiatrist, they decided I was type 2 bipolar. They put me on Depakote for mood stability, Ambien for sleep, and Concerta for attention. The first two days on the stuff were great!! Within a week though, it was like I wasn't on anything.
We've toyed around with the basic mix a bit. My psychiatrist took out the Concerta and then threw in Trileptal to compliment the Depakote, but then took me off. He changed the Depakote over to extended release (1000-1500mg a night). I've been prescribed as high as 150mg of Doxepin per night. Still I felt like crap.
I explained the situation to my psychologist (who actually listens to me) and he mentioned some rare patients he had who required constantly varying dosages in order to notice any positive effects.
So when I visited my psych a month ago, he lowered my Depakote levels to 1000mg a night, and the Doxepin to 100mg a night. He also added 100mg of Wellbutrin SR in the morning. The first two nights I was out cold from the Doxepin...and couldn't get myself out of bed! The third and fourth days were tolerable. By the time a week had passed, it was like I wasn't taking anything, so I took my psychologist's suggestion and toyed with the levels of Doxepin (only lowering the levels, never raising). Every time I made a change, I was out cold again all night and day.
I told my psychiatrist what was going on today, so he's changed yet again on me. Now I'm on 500mg of non-extended release Depakote at night and 250mg in the morning, 100mg Wellbutrin in the morning, and 15-30mg of Restoril at night. I'll give it a week or so to work, but considering I took the full 30mg dose at 8:00pm and I'm writing this at 3:00 in the morning, it's not looking too good. Plus I seem to be in more of a pissy mood the past few days. Maybe it's the Wellbutrin, but I'm not really sure.
Possible Solutions?:
After a year long hiatus from school to sort this all out, I'm getting ready to go back. Unfortunately I don't seem to be in much better shape than I was a year ago. About the only time I've felt decent was when I was on the Concerta, which oddly didn't kill my stomach like Ritalin and Adderall. I think we may have given up on it too quickly. Ya it quit being effective after a few days, but does any sleep medication. Now that I know the secret of slightly varying dosages, I feel it might be a good time to try some of the stimulants again.
Right now I'm mainly worried about drug interactions. I'm already taking three medications, one of which (Depakote) requires constant blood monitoring. Then again, I've taken them together before, but not with the Wellbutrin and Restoril in the mix. I also don't want to be taking stimulants just to get "high", although my current lows are so low that it seems nothing could get me any higher than normal.
Any ideas or suggestions on what might be going wrong? Is adding a stimulant like Concerta a good idea? Are the medications I'm on making things worse instead of better?
I'd really like to get this all sorted out before school starts next month. I need this "brain cloud" along with my constant exhaustion to go away so I can have a chance of achieving what I'm truly capable of.
Thanks,
-UC
Posted by The Undercracker on August 15, 2002, at 4:36:07
In reply to ADD/Bipolar II Meds (stimulants!), posted by The Undercracker on August 15, 2002, at 4:13:48
Ugh, the Restoril still hasn't done me any good. Let's chunk 15mg more down the hatch and see what happens. I may regret it in the morning, but oh well.
-UC
Posted by katekite on August 15, 2002, at 9:56:33
In reply to Re: ADD/Bipolar II Meds (stimulants!), posted by The Undercracker on August 15, 2002, at 4:36:07
You mentioned sleep paralysis and insomnia before you started taking meds. I'm not familiar with the term, but is there a chance you could have a sleep disorder such as mild narcolepsy? In that case something like Provigil would be worth a try. -- kate
Posted by Ritch on August 15, 2002, at 13:27:36
In reply to ADD/Bipolar II Meds (stimulants!), posted by The Undercracker on August 15, 2002, at 4:13:48
> Hey All,
>
> I'm trying to get info and suggestions on what might work for my situation, as I feel my psych. tries to treat me with a "cookie cutter" treatment for BP II.
>
> First off, my symptoms (off meds):
>
> No attention span, no energy to do the things I love, general depression, hot temper, mood swings, insomnia from hell, and the occasional sleep paralysis. (basically I'm a walking corpse with a short fuse)
>
> Symptoms w/ meds:
>
> Same as above, but more weak and tired, maybe less temper although I think anger management is to be credited for that.
>
> Now for a little history:
>
> While struggling through college, I stumbled upon a music magazine article on how a large percentage of creative types have ADD. After seeing how well I fit the description, I quickly made a trip to a psychologist and had tests done. He concluded that I did in fact have ADD and sent me to an MD who stuck me on Ritalin.
>
> The crap hurt my stomach, but it seemed to help a little. The doc. kept upping the dosage until I was at around 40mg a dose x2 doses a day. By that time I was feeling a little jittery, but the positive effects wore off in time. My psychologist swore it must've been working because any normal person on 80mg of Ritalin a day would be bouncing off the walls. They later switched me to Adderall, which wasn't quite as bad on the stomach, but still the same basic situation.
>
> Enter a new town and new doctors:
>
> After being analyzed simultaneously by a psychologist and psychiatrist, they decided I was type 2 bipolar. They put me on Depakote for mood stability, Ambien for sleep, and Concerta for attention. The first two days on the stuff were great!! Within a week though, it was like I wasn't on anything.
>
> We've toyed around with the basic mix a bit. My psychiatrist took out the Concerta and then threw in Trileptal to compliment the Depakote, but then took me off. He changed the Depakote over to extended release (1000-1500mg a night). I've been prescribed as high as 150mg of Doxepin per night. Still I felt like crap.
>
> I explained the situation to my psychologist (who actually listens to me) and he mentioned some rare patients he had who required constantly varying dosages in order to notice any positive effects.
>
> So when I visited my psych a month ago, he lowered my Depakote levels to 1000mg a night, and the Doxepin to 100mg a night. He also added 100mg of Wellbutrin SR in the morning. The first two nights I was out cold from the Doxepin...and couldn't get myself out of bed! The third and fourth days were tolerable. By the time a week had passed, it was like I wasn't taking anything, so I took my psychologist's suggestion and toyed with the levels of Doxepin (only lowering the levels, never raising). Every time I made a change, I was out cold again all night and day.
>
> I told my psychiatrist what was going on today, so he's changed yet again on me. Now I'm on 500mg of non-extended release Depakote at night and 250mg in the morning, 100mg Wellbutrin in the morning, and 15-30mg of Restoril at night. I'll give it a week or so to work, but considering I took the full 30mg dose at 8:00pm and I'm writing this at 3:00 in the morning, it's not looking too good. Plus I seem to be in more of a pissy mood the past few days. Maybe it's the Wellbutrin, but I'm not really sure.
>
> Possible Solutions?:
>
> After a year long hiatus from school to sort this all out, I'm getting ready to go back. Unfortunately I don't seem to be in much better shape than I was a year ago. About the only time I've felt decent was when I was on the Concerta, which oddly didn't kill my stomach like Ritalin and Adderall. I think we may have given up on it too quickly. Ya it quit being effective after a few days, but does any sleep medication. Now that I know the secret of slightly varying dosages, I feel it might be a good time to try some of the stimulants again.
>
> Right now I'm mainly worried about drug interactions. I'm already taking three medications, one of which (Depakote) requires constant blood monitoring. Then again, I've taken them together before, but not with the Wellbutrin and Restoril in the mix. I also don't want to be taking stimulants just to get "high", although my current lows are so low that it seems nothing could get me any higher than normal.
>
> Any ideas or suggestions on what might be going wrong? Is adding a stimulant like Concerta a good idea? Are the medications I'm on making things worse instead of better?
>
> I'd really like to get this all sorted out before school starts next month. I need this "brain cloud" along with my constant exhaustion to go away so I can have a chance of achieving what I'm truly capable of.
>
> Thanks,
> -UC
Whew! Sounds like my symptoms (without anxiety). Well, to answer your questions.. Wellbutrin has the propensity to cause more hostility for me than any stimulants that I have tried. You mentioned that Concerta seemed to work really well. I noticed that your docs keep lowering the Depaktoe dosage :) Depakote does make you slow down a lot and become more tired. I wouldn't be surprised if they lowered the Depaktoe even more (say down to 500mg at bedtime), and swapped out the Wellbutrin for the Concerta, you just might have the right meds. Maybe. You might find Neurontin+Concerta to work better for you, or less Depakote+ a little Neurontin+Concerta.just some possibilities,
Mitch
Posted by The Undercracker on August 17, 2002, at 1:33:31
In reply to Re: ADD/Bipolar II Meds (stimulants!) » The Undercracker, posted by Ritch on August 15, 2002, at 13:27:36
Thanks for the posts guys
I think I agree that the Depakote is partially to blame for my somnolence aka being dead to the world. The irony is that I feel Wellbutrin's making me more obnoxious than I am completely unmedicated.
Oh and to make matters worse, this bloody Restoril is like a whisper on a scream...it does nothing! The only things that seem to knock me out are the hardcore antidepressants like Doxepin/Elavil. At about 20mg, Ambien starts to work, but you're only supposed to max out at 10mg... and only then for a month at most.
Isn't there anything that can knock out an elephant, can be used for extended periods (eg indefinitely), and only works for 8 hours w/o making you feel dead all the next day? Rohypnol sure is looking good about now. Of course I guess I'd have to suddenly change prescriptions any time I went to the States.
Posted by Ritch on August 17, 2002, at 10:01:20
In reply to Update: ADD/Bipolar II Meds (stimulants!), posted by The Undercracker on August 17, 2002, at 1:33:31
> Thanks for the posts guys
>
> I think I agree that the Depakote is partially to blame for my somnolence aka being dead to the world. The irony is that I feel Wellbutrin's making me more obnoxious than I am completely unmedicated.
>
> Oh and to make matters worse, this bloody Restoril is like a whisper on a scream...it does nothing! The only things that seem to knock me out are the hardcore antidepressants like Doxepin/Elavil. At about 20mg, Ambien starts to work, but you're only supposed to max out at 10mg... and only then for a month at most.
>
> Isn't there anything that can knock out an elephant, can be used for extended periods (eg indefinitely), and only works for 8 hours w/o making you feel dead all the next day? Rohypnol sure is looking good about now. Of course I guess I'd have to suddenly change prescriptions any time I went to the States.
This might sound too simple, but I find that 25mg of diphenhydramine at bedtime works as good or better than clonazepam to get me to sleep. I feel a *little* zoned for a couple of hours when I get up, but it isn't bad. Doxepin and Elavil are powerful antihistamines as well, so maybe a sedative antihistamine (but a little shorter acting) might work. A long time ago I think I tried Atarax (hydroxyzine) at bedtime and it helped too.Mitch
Posted by MomO3 on August 18, 2002, at 0:53:34
In reply to ADD/Bipolar II Meds (stimulants!), posted by The Undercracker on August 15, 2002, at 4:13:48
For me the wellbutrin was ...welll... HELLBUTRIN! I was already taking stimulants - either concerta, ritalin, or dexadrine (largely depended on the day) and when I added wellbutrin I was the most evil, angry, foul-mouthed mother of 3 adorable little children you have ever seen. I also take neurotin & klonopin.
I dumped the wellbutrin in favor of effexor and for the 1st time in 6 months I didn't change ANYTHING at my Dr appt this month... I am hedging my bets with an evolving effexormania right now.. but pdoc and I have already decided that the next step will be from neurontin to lamictal.
Good luck!
Posted by The Undercracker on August 19, 2002, at 11:42:52
In reply to Re: ADD/Bipolar II Meds (stimulants!), posted by MomO3 on August 18, 2002, at 0:53:34
> For me the wellbutrin was ...welll... HELLBUTRIN! I was already taking stimulants - either concerta, ritalin, or dexadrine (largely depended on the day) and when I added wellbutrin I was the most evil, angry, foul-mouthed mother of 3 adorable little children you have ever seen. I also take neurotin & klonopin.
>It seems the edge of the Wellbutrin has worn off a bit. I haven't been quite as likely to kill anyone the last couple of days. I'll keep it up a bit longer before begging for a change.
You mentioned switching stimulants daily. Was this because you quickly built up tolerance, or just based on how you felt? I've had the tolerance building issue, so I'm wondering if that might be the key.
I've found that to some degree, I need to be manic! Slight mania in me causes me to get up and do things, which eases depression, as well as tires me, lessening the need for sleep meds. It's almost like, in small quantities, my symptoms ARE the cure!
> I dumped the wellbutrin in favor of effexor and for the 1st time in 6 months I didn't change ANYTHING at my Dr appt this month... I am hedging my bets with an evolving effexormania right now.. but pdoc and I have already decided that the next step will be from neurontin to lamictal.
>I'm finding that Depakote is right for me at night, but NOT for the daytime. I been skipping out on the 250mg in the morning, and I've felt so much better. I'm thinking that meds seem to stay in my body a long time, so that even though I'm only taking 500mg of non-time-release at night, there's still enough in me to keep me from vandalizing people's faces.
The Restoril is still too weak for me. It starts working at around 45mg, but the max recommended dose is 30mg. I really need something that's strong, but relatively short lasting. I'm going to ask about the possibility of Halcion, Ambien or Sonata.
I know Ambien works at 20mg for me, maybe 15 would do. Does anyone have a long-term prescription for 15-20mg of Ambien? Does it work? I know they say not to exceed 10mg, and yet many of the positive clinical studies were at 15mg.
Any suggestions, war stories?
-UC
Posted by awake at last on August 20, 2002, at 9:32:13
In reply to ADD/Bipolar II Meds (stimulants!), posted by The Undercracker on August 15, 2002, at 4:13:48
I'm probably sounding like a broken record because I've mentioned this to several here. But many have mentioned symptoms prior to taking meds that are classical of Narcolepsy. I was diagnoses incorrectly for 4 years with depression, tried many AD's to no avail - and some made things worse. ADD and Narcolepsy are both treated with stimulants ie. Ritalin, but they are addictive and cause major high's and low's.
I have been taking Provigil now for 6 months and have totally recovered. Though it is only FDA approved for Narcolepsy currently, it is being tested for ADD as well. I highly suggest you speak to your doctor or a neurologist about the possibility of Narcolepsy - the symptoms you described definitley make it a possibility - especially the lack of attention - no energy and definitley the sleep paralysis. There are many good sites regarding Narcolepsy - check it out.**************************************************
> No attention span, no energy to do the things I love, general depression, hot temper, mood swings, insomnia from hell, and the occasional sleep paralysis. (basically I'm a walking corpse with a short fuse)
> Hey All,
>
> I'm trying to get info and suggestions on what might work for my situation, as I feel my psych. tries to treat me with a "cookie cutter" treatment for BP II.
>
> First off, my symptoms (off meds):
>
> No attention span, no energy to do the things I love, general depression, hot temper, mood swings, insomnia from hell, and the occasional sleep paralysis. (basically I'm a walking corpse with a short fuse)
>
> Symptoms w/ meds:
>
> Same as above, but more weak and tired, maybe less temper although I think anger management is to be credited for that.
>
> Now for a little history:
>
> While struggling through college, I stumbled upon a music magazine article on how a large percentage of creative types have ADD. After seeing how well I fit the description, I quickly made a trip to a psychologist and had tests done. He concluded that I did in fact have ADD and sent me to an MD who stuck me on Ritalin.
>
> The crap hurt my stomach, but it seemed to help a little. The doc. kept upping the dosage until I was at around 40mg a dose x2 doses a day. By that time I was feeling a little jittery, but the positive effects wore off in time. My psychologist swore it must've been working because any normal person on 80mg of Ritalin a day would be bouncing off the walls. They later switched me to Adderall, which wasn't quite as bad on the stomach, but still the same basic situation.
>
> Enter a new town and new doctors:
>
> After being analyzed simultaneously by a psychologist and psychiatrist, they decided I was type 2 bipolar. They put me on Depakote for mood stability, Ambien for sleep, and Concerta for attention. The first two days on the stuff were great!! Within a week though, it was like I wasn't on anything.
>
> We've toyed around with the basic mix a bit. My psychiatrist took out the Concerta and then threw in Trileptal to compliment the Depakote, but then took me off. He changed the Depakote over to extended release (1000-1500mg a night). I've been prescribed as high as 150mg of Doxepin per night. Still I felt like crap.
>
> I explained the situation to my psychologist (who actually listens to me) and he mentioned some rare patients he had who required constantly varying dosages in order to notice any positive effects.
>
> So when I visited my psych a month ago, he lowered my Depakote levels to 1000mg a night, and the Doxepin to 100mg a night. He also added 100mg of Wellbutrin SR in the morning. The first two nights I was out cold from the Doxepin...and couldn't get myself out of bed! The third and fourth days were tolerable. By the time a week had passed, it was like I wasn't taking anything, so I took my psychologist's suggestion and toyed with the levels of Doxepin (only lowering the levels, never raising). Every time I made a change, I was out cold again all night and day.
>
> I told my psychiatrist what was going on today, so he's changed yet again on me. Now I'm on 500mg of non-extended release Depakote at night and 250mg in the morning, 100mg Wellbutrin in the morning, and 15-30mg of Restoril at night. I'll give it a week or so to work, but considering I took the full 30mg dose at 8:00pm and I'm writing this at 3:00 in the morning, it's not looking too good. Plus I seem to be in more of a pissy mood the past few days. Maybe it's the Wellbutrin, but I'm not really sure.
>
> Possible Solutions?:
>
> After a year long hiatus from school to sort this all out, I'm getting ready to go back. Unfortunately I don't seem to be in much better shape than I was a year ago. About the only time I've felt decent was when I was on the Concerta, which oddly didn't kill my stomach like Ritalin and Adderall. I think we may have given up on it too quickly. Ya it quit being effective after a few days, but does any sleep medication. Now that I know the secret of slightly varying dosages, I feel it might be a good time to try some of the stimulants again.
>
> Right now I'm mainly worried about drug interactions. I'm already taking three medications, one of which (Depakote) requires constant blood monitoring. Then again, I've taken them together before, but not with the Wellbutrin and Restoril in the mix. I also don't want to be taking stimulants just to get "high", although my current lows are so low that it seems nothing could get me any higher than normal.
>
> Any ideas or suggestions on what might be going wrong? Is adding a stimulant like Concerta a good idea? Are the medications I'm on making things worse instead of better?
>
> I'd really like to get this all sorted out before school starts next month. I need this "brain cloud" along with my constant exhaustion to go away so I can have a chance of achieving what I'm truly capable of.
>
> Thanks,
> -UC
Posted by The Undercracker on August 20, 2002, at 11:20:52
In reply to Re: Check out Provigil - good chance of Narcolepsy » The Undercracker, posted by awake at last on August 20, 2002, at 9:32:13
Thanks for the input. My grandfather has Narcolepsy... where you just randomly drop off into sleep right? I myself have never experienced that side of it. However, he is the grandfather on my mother's side, and I seem to have the same genetic makeup of my mother more than my father (we've laughed about immaculate conception a few times). Do people often have Narcolepsy and Bipolar, or is that a case where they can be confused?-UC
************************
> I'm probably sounding like a broken record because I've mentioned this to several here. But many have mentioned symptoms prior to taking meds that are classical of Narcolepsy. I was diagnoses incorrectly for 4 years with depression, tried many AD's to no avail - and some made things worse. ADD and Narcolepsy are both treated with stimulants ie. Ritalin, but they are addictive and cause major high's and low's.
> I have been taking Provigil now for 6 months and have totally recovered. Though it is only FDA approved for Narcolepsy currently, it is being tested for ADD as well. I highly suggest you speak to your doctor or a neurologist about the possibility of Narcolepsy - the symptoms you described definitley make it a possibility - especially the lack of attention - no energy and definitley the sleep paralysis. There are many good sites regarding Narcolepsy - check it out.
>
> **************************************************
Posted by IsoM on August 20, 2002, at 12:21:43
In reply to Re: Check out Provigil - good chance of Narcolepsy » awake at last, posted by The Undercracker on August 20, 2002, at 11:20:52
There's more to narcolepsy than what's depicted in popular lore. Check out http://www.sleepdisorderchannel.net/narcolepsy/ & make sure you go over the links on symptoms & diagnosis at the bottom of the page. Provigil made an enormous difference with my narcolepsy & ADHD.
Posted by MomO3 on August 20, 2002, at 22:44:53
In reply to Re: ADD/Bipolar II Meds (updates and questions), posted by The Undercracker on August 19, 2002, at 11:42:52
> You mentioned switching stimulants daily. Was this because you quickly built up tolerance, or just based on how you felt? I've had the tolerance building issue, so I'm wondering if that might be the key.
I don't think I have built up any tolerance. And my doctor claims that it does not build up in your system but I dont know about that. I had a prescription for concerta, but I wanted something cheaper, so he gave me dexadrine. For a while I was ok, but I started getting really angry with my kids and clenching my teeth. That's when I got the neurontin... but at first I couldn't stay awake without the dexadrine - then I decided that I liked the concerta better for my focus issues (original dx was ADD)... but it was affecting my sleep, so I got a script for ritalin. Anyway, I never take my full dosage every day and have spares of the old stuff.Most of the time I take the current prescription. But on certain days if I needed extra physical energy, I would choose dexadrine, if it would be a long day concerta, and if it is 3pm and I need a clear head.. short lasting ritalin is the best.
>
> I've found that to some degree, I need to be manic! Slight mania in me causes me to get up and do things, which eases depression, as well as tires me, lessening the need for sleep meds. It's almost like, in small quantities, my symptoms ARE the cure!I agree with you there.
>
> > I dumped the wellbutrin in favor of effexor and for the 1st time in 6 months I didn't change ANYTHING at my Dr appt this month... I am hedging my bets with an evolving effexormania right now.. but pdoc and I have already decided that the next step will be from neurontin to lamictal.
> >
>
> I'm finding that Depakote is right for me at night, but NOT for the daytime. I been skipping out on the 250mg in the morning, and I've felt so much better. I'm thinking that meds seem to stay in my body a long time, so that even though I'm only taking 500mg of non-time-release at night, there's still enough in me to keep me from vandalizing people's faces.I keep thinking that depakote may be good for me, but I have 33lbs of baby weight in the last 6 months. I have no intention of going back there right now.
>
> The Restoril is still too weak for me. It starts working at around 45mg, but the max recommended dose is 30mg. I really need something that's strong, but relatively short lasting. I'm going to ask about the possibility of Halcion, Ambien or Sonata.
>
> I know Ambien works at 20mg for me, maybe 15 would do. Does anyone have a long-term prescription for 15-20mg of Ambien? Does it work? I know they say not to exceed 10mg, and yet many of the positive clinical studies were at 15mg.
>
> Any suggestions, war stories?
>
> -UC
Posted by awake at last on August 21, 2002, at 12:29:45
In reply to Re: Check out Provigil - good chance of Narcolepsy » awake at last, posted by The Undercracker on August 20, 2002, at 11:20:52
I think it's a matter of which came first, the chicken or the egg.....
Narcolepsy is hereditary, so if you grandfather has it, it is very likely that you could (cataplexy does not occur in all narcoleptics - so don't let that confuse you). There is a lot of research out there now comparing the relationship between Narcolepsy, ADD and Bipolar...they have all been linked to the genetics of chromosome 22.
Bipolar mania is caused from a disturbance in the sleep/wake cycle - this could be caused from the Narcolepsy - but there are many people that have been diagnosed with both Narcolepsy and bipolar and require treatment for both.
From everything I've read it does appear the Bipolars do better when treated for Narcolepsy.
Here are some sites you might find interesting regarding the two:http://www.modafinil.org/modafinil/modafinil-depression-2.htm
http://bipolar.about.com/library/weekly/aa000203a.htm?once=true&;
http://www.narcolepsy.org/narc.links.html
http://www.frii.com/~parrot/affect.html
http://bipolarweb.net/the%20bipolar%20spectrum.htm
Here's a thread from a Narcoleptic site from a man with both:
http://www.sleepnet.com/narco7/messages/786.html
**************************************************
> Thanks for the input. My grandfather has Narcolepsy... where you just randomly drop off into sleep right? I myself have never experienced that side of it. However, he is the grandfather on my mother's side, and I seem to have the same genetic makeup of my mother more than my father (we've laughed about immaculate conception a few times). Do people often have Narcolepsy and Bipolar, or is that a case where they can be confused?
>
> -UC
>
> ************************
> > I'm probably sounding like a broken record because I've mentioned this to several here. But many have mentioned symptoms prior to taking meds that are classical of Narcolepsy. I was diagnoses incorrectly for 4 years with depression, tried many AD's to no avail - and some made things worse. ADD and Narcolepsy are both treated with stimulants ie. Ritalin, but they are addictive and cause major high's and low's.
> > I have been taking Provigil now for 6 months and have totally recovered. Though it is only FDA approved for Narcolepsy currently, it is being tested for ADD as well. I highly suggest you speak to your doctor or a neurologist about the possibility of Narcolepsy - the symptoms you described definitley make it a possibility - especially the lack of attention - no energy and definitley the sleep paralysis. There are many good sites regarding Narcolepsy - check it out.
> >
> > **************************************************
>
This is the end of the thread.
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