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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Gisele on February 3, 2004, at 19:45:37
I posted already on a different thread. Sorry!
I was just diagnosed with bi polar 2. Several years ago I was diagnosed with moderate depression with an axiety component. They put me on Prozac and it seemed to help. But not all that much. I still am off the wall with emotion.
So now I'm re-diagnosed and wondering if this dx is wrong? Whatever.
Now I am faced with the huge decision of adding or changing meds.
Are there any alternative therapies "E power"??? some pig farmer found something..... I don't know much about it but it's supposed to be good for mood disorders.
Does prozac make the bipolar worse?
Do you get off prozac and switch to a mood stabilizer?Side effects scare the crap out of me.
Any advice?Sorry for being all over the place. I'm having a hard time collecting my thoughts.
Sincerely,
Gisele
Posted by ace on February 3, 2004, at 19:55:55
In reply to Please give advice, any advice would help!, posted by Gisele on February 3, 2004, at 19:45:37
> I posted already on a different thread. Sorry!
>
> I was just diagnosed with bi polar 2. Several years ago I was diagnosed with moderate depression with an axiety component. They put me on Prozac and it seemed to help. But not all that much. I still am off the wall with emotion.
>Forget diagnosis. Worry about the symptoms. At what dose did Prozac help? Explain your emotional state to me as best as possible...
> So now I'm re-diagnosed and wondering if this dx is wrong? Whatever.Again, diagnosis, really isn't important. Psychiatry has no evisence of ant psychiatric illness, so syptoms are so much more helpful...thinking diagnosis all the time will trap you and make your probs worse...
>
> Now I am faced with the huge decision of adding or changing meds.It doesn't have to be huge. If you cannot settle down consider a regime of Xanax or Valium, while you "get yourelve together"...
> Are there any alternative therapies "E power"??? some pig farmer found something..... I don't know much about it but it's supposed to be good for mood disorders.
>
Dont understand...> Does prozac make the bipolar worse?
Not always...depends on the person...
> Do you get off prozac and switch to a mood stabilizer?
A mood stabilizer seems like a good choice for you- probably with an AD
> Side effects scare the crap out of me.Start at a very low dose and gradually raise...
>
> Any advice?
>
> Sorry for being all over the place. I'm having a hard time collecting my thoughts.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> GiselePlease explain your symptoms more clearly....
Ace.
Posted by Gisele on February 3, 2004, at 20:55:56
In reply to Re: Please give advice, any advice would help! » Gisele, posted by ace on February 3, 2004, at 19:55:55
Thanks Ace for your post.
Symptoms:
depression, mood swings, anxiety,worry,
the year 2003-
felt great in the beginning, stopped working out, sold a house bought a house, broke a leg
started gaining weight, started sleeping more and more, started watching more and more tv, more and more irritable, depressed, unhappy, got the flu, started feeling miserable,
I have had symptoms like this since I was 12-
In between these depressions I have days or hours of off the wall happy, talk and laugh too much. I get obsessed with things. Sometimes I can think of nothing else and suffer insomnia on occasion.
This is probably the best I can do for symptoms?
What do you think?
Gisele
Posted by ace on February 4, 2004, at 3:16:34
In reply to Re: Please give advice, any advice would help!, posted by Gisele on February 3, 2004, at 20:55:56
> Thanks Ace for your post.
>
> Symptoms:
>
> depression, mood swings, anxiety,worry,Lets look at a good Ad for those symptoms. Of course I reccomend Nardil. But also Parnate, a TCA or Remeron...also, what about low dose Zyprexa?
>
> the year 2003-
>
> felt great in the beginning, stopped working out, sold a house bought a house, broke a leg
>
> started gaining weight, started sleeping more and more, started watching more and more tv, more and more irritable, depressed, unhappy, got the flu, started feeling miserable,
>
> I have had symptoms like this since I was 12-
>
> In between these depressions I have days or hours of off the wall happy, talk and laugh too much. I get obsessed with things. Sometimes I can think of nothing else and suffer insomnia on occasion.
>
> This is probably the best I can do for symptoms?
>
> What do you think?I think you sound as if you are suffering from transient clinical depression, which needs to be medicated...also in terms of your mood- it could do with evening out, which i reccomend a mood stabilizer.
First I would get a good AD started, try a few, but Nardil is the best! Then maybe add something on.
In terms of you life problems, write down all the probs and do ONE THING AT A TIME! Once the meds kick in all these probs will seem less bad!
God Bless
Ace.
>
> Gisele
Posted by Simus on February 4, 2004, at 3:33:04
In reply to Please give advice, any advice would help!, posted by Gisele on February 3, 2004, at 19:45:37
Check out Psycho-Babble Alternative. But use caution even with vitamins and natural remedies. Good luck.
Posted by Sooshi on February 4, 2004, at 10:52:23
In reply to Re: Please give advice, any advice would help!, posted by Gisele on February 3, 2004, at 20:55:56
Hi Gisele-I'm no doctor, but your symptoms sound like classical Bipolar I to me:
DEPRESSION = started gaining weight, started sleeping more and more, started watching more and more tv, more and more irritable, depressed, unhappy, got the flu, started feeling miserable.
MANIA = In between these depressions I have days or hours of off the wall happy, talk and laugh too much. I get obsessed with things. Sometimes I can think of nothing else and suffer insomnia on occasion.
My advice would be to see a psychiatrist and explain all your symptoms in detail, as you did above, and talk about getting on a mood stabilizer such as lithium/tegretol/zyprexa (there a many), as this is the best course of treatment for BPI, and possibly switching anti-depressants, as Prozac doesn't seem to be helping you much. Hope this helps a little!
Posted by Karen_kay on February 4, 2004, at 13:07:28
In reply to Re: Please give advice, any advice would help! » Gisele, posted by Sooshi on February 4, 2004, at 10:52:23
It sounds like Bipolar disorder, if you alternate with mood swings. BUT I'M NOT A PDOC!!! The suggested first line mood stabilizer is lithium carbonate. I tried it discontinued, then retried and it didn't work. So, I started topamax, an anticonvulsant and have had wonderful results. I suggest you see a Pdoc, explain your symptoms in detail with dates, if you have them, that your moods have been swinging. Also, do some research on different mood stabilizers. some to check out are
Lithium Carbonate
Tegretol
Depakote
Topamax
LamictalI'm not sure about any natural remedies. I wish I could help you there. But, keep in mind that all medications have side effects and that to have a stable mood you have to take the good with the bad. With topamax, the side effects, for the most part have gone away.
Good luck. And you've done a great job in seeking help. That's the first step! It isn't nearly as hard as it sounds. Promise :) I've come a LONG way since being dx! Keep a positive attitude! And keep posting! We're here to help you, and we'll do everything we can.
Posted by holymama on February 4, 2004, at 14:05:39
In reply to Please give advice, any advice would help!, posted by Gisele on February 3, 2004, at 19:45:37
Dear Giselle, it seems like I have recently experienced many of the same problems you are facing. Mostly depression ever since I was a teenager, which has gotten worse as I age and have had children. (I am 30 now). Recently, the depressions have been lasting months -- 6 months last time. IN between depressions I would get these breaks of happiness, obsession (I definately relate there), where I focused intensely on one thing and neglected my family quite a bit. Nothing else just seemed as important. I went on an antidepressant last June (lexapro), which I believe has made me start to rapid cycle -- even now that I have started a mood stabilizer, I am still going through one full cycle a month -- a short depression, normalcy, a short hypomania...all over again and again. I beleive the antidepressant is responsible for my overemotionality. At least before I could stay reliably depressed for months! Now I never know, but at least the moods are more mild. I also went quite manic on my antidepressant when the dose was too high.
I wavered in my decision to try a mood stabilizer and in the diagnosis of bipolar, and now that I am months ahead of that, I don't even care. It is a stage everyone goes through. I finally came to the realization that the AD wasn't working. I was a mess. I might as well try the mood stabilizer! If it didn't make me feel better, I could go off. But there was this little glimmer of hope that the mood stablizer might make me feel better......
So new even though I am cycling still, I feel much better than I have in 5 years, and I am making changes in my life that I have needed to for a long time. I feel strong and confident and days are something to really look forward to. We are still tweaking the medication, and I feel pretty sure that I will have to drop the AD at some point. And I am not concerned anymore that I might be 'bipolar', or that I am on two medications. They fix my brain chemistry, and I usually tell people that ask that I went a little manic on my AD so I am on a mood stabilizer too, rather than saying I'm bipolar. It seems more appropriate, and a label is just a word someone made up anyway which doesn't do justice to all of our differences.
By the way, I have had no side effects from my mood stabilizer. Just for the first month I was tired. It's not been as scary as I thought. Good luck. Autumn
Posted by Gisele on February 13, 2004, at 18:50:30
In reply to Re: Please give advice, any advice would help!, posted by holymama on February 4, 2004, at 14:05:39
Thank you so much guys. I've been reading so much my eye balls hurt. I am beginning to feel like I need to try something. Holy mama said it right when she said she felt better and was able to address some things she had been putting aside. My weight is a real problem and I really want to get it under control. Maybe if I can get my emotions in check, I can get the weight thing going in my favor. I find over the years I have just gone from one addiction to another. Thank heavens their getting a little more acceptable in society but the weight thing is scarry cause you can't stop. You have to eat!! This extra weight really gets me down, but food makes me so happy!! I eat when I'm happy and when I'm depressed. I love food. Why can't I have my cake and eat it too!! I know that if I am to ever become healthy that I will have to get the nutrition and exercise thing going. The meds that make you gain weight really scare me.
Anyway thanks guys for all your support. This is a great site.
Sincerely --Gis
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