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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 12 of 12. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by D minor on September 23, 2004, at 11:12:19
Hey,
sorry, I'm trying this again. I've just been officially diagnosed as bipolar. My pdoc says Seroquel was just approved for mania. Has anyone had any experience with Seroquel as a mood stabilizer? Please let me know.Thanks,
Dm
Posted by Sad Panda on September 24, 2004, at 10:01:42
In reply to Seroquel as a Mood Stabilizer?, posted by D minor on September 23, 2004, at 11:12:19
> Hey,
> sorry, I'm trying this again. I've just been officially diagnosed as bipolar. My pdoc says Seroquel was just approved for mania. Has anyone had any experience with Seroquel as a mood stabilizer? Please let me know.
>
> Thanks,
> Dm
>Hi Dm,
I would try the antiepileptic drugs first before resorting to using an antipsychotic such as Seroquel. The most popular AED to try first is Lamictal. Seroquel is probably more usefull as a short term drug as it & some of the other AP's are very good at curbing severe manic episodes.
Cheers,
Paul.
Posted by SLS on September 24, 2004, at 10:56:07
In reply to Seroquel as a Mood Stabilizer?, posted by D minor on September 23, 2004, at 11:12:19
> Hey,
> sorry, I'm trying this again. I've just been officially diagnosed as bipolar. My pdoc says Seroquel was just approved for mania. Has anyone had any experience with Seroquel as a mood stabilizer? Please let me know.Can you describe a few details of your presentation? What are the features of your illness?
- Scott
Posted by Emme on September 24, 2004, at 11:42:37
In reply to Seroquel as a Mood Stabilizer?, posted by D minor on September 23, 2004, at 11:12:19
> Hey,
> sorry, I'm trying this again. I've just been officially diagnosed as bipolar. My pdoc says Seroquel was just approved for mania. Has anyone had any experience with Seroquel as a mood stabilizer? Please let me know.
>
> Thanks,
> Dm
I have a good friend who is bipolar I and who is finally pretty stable on just seroquel. It's nice to see something working well for her after lots of trial and error.
Posted by D minor on September 24, 2004, at 11:56:37
In reply to Re: Seroquel as a Mood Stabilizer? » D minor, posted by SLS on September 24, 2004, at 10:56:07
I was diagnosed with major depression with psychotic features last year. My new doctors (I moved) now think I'm bipolar I've never been truely manic, but I had been taking Topamax for migrains, so any manic symptoms may have been masked. I quit Topamax last month (at the same time as lowering my Seroquel) and ever since my moods have been fluctuating. I've already been taking Seroquel for the hallucinations. I'd been at 600mg, but my new pdoc dropped it to 200mg. Now that he thinks I need some mood stabilization he's rasing it back to 400mg.
I'm kind of sceptical that it will help since I have been on it even since we dropped the Topamax.
Posted by SLS on September 24, 2004, at 12:06:31
In reply to Re: Seroquel as a Mood Stabilizer?Clarification, posted by D minor on September 24, 2004, at 11:56:37
A good friend of mine also has bipolar disorder with mixed-state psychotic depression. Seroquel 700mg + Neurontin + Wellbutrin is working very well for her. She begins to relapse when the dosage of Seroquel is lowered to 600mg.
- Scott
Posted by Sad Panda on September 25, 2004, at 2:12:04
In reply to Re: Seroquel as a Mood Stabilizer?Clarification, posted by D minor on September 24, 2004, at 11:56:37
> I was diagnosed with major depression with psychotic features last year. My new doctors (I moved) now think I'm bipolar I've never been truely manic, but I had been taking Topamax for migrains, so any manic symptoms may have been masked. I quit Topamax last month (at the same time as lowering my Seroquel) and ever since my moods have been fluctuating. I've already been taking Seroquel for the hallucinations. I'd been at 600mg, but my new pdoc dropped it to 200mg. Now that he thinks I need some mood stabilization he's rasing it back to 400mg.
>
> I'm kind of sceptical that it will help since I have been on it even since we dropped the Topamax.
>
>Have you tried antidepressants? An AD alone tends to be bad for bipolar people & gives a good clue.
You will want to take some kind of AP for the psychotic symptoms & a combination of AED & AP would possibly be ideal for you.
What made you want to stop taking Topamax?
Cheers,
Paul.
Posted by D minor on September 25, 2004, at 3:45:31
In reply to Re: Seroquel as a Mood Stabilizer?Clarification » D minor, posted by Sad Panda on September 25, 2004, at 2:12:04
I'm currently taking Remeron 15mg, Wellbutrin 350mg, Abilify 5mg, Seroquel 400mg. I was taking much higher dosages before this new doc. I dropped the Topamax to see if I still had migrains without it. Really, I felt like it dampened my emotions. I still get headaches but they're manageable.
However, I feel like my moods are a little out of control. I get like I'm going on speed one minute. Then I get what I call "radio brain" where it feels like someone turned on a radio in my head to a channel of constant background noise. Then I'll get really, really mad. All within a matter of hours up to one day.
I have another question though. I was surprised that someone could be diagnosed bipolar who had never been manic. Only had a possible mixed episode, possible hypomanic days and psychosis and a familly history of mental illness (including bipolar). Is the diagnosis still accurate in that situation? What type of bipolar would that be?
Thanks again,
Dm
Posted by D minor on September 25, 2004, at 3:49:02
In reply to Re: Seroquel as a Mood Stabilizer?Clarification, posted by D minor on September 25, 2004, at 3:45:31
Oh, sorry. I also thought maybe my mood swings were just due to actually feeling moods again after the Topamax. Maybe it will just take more time to adjust?
dm
Posted by Sad Panda on September 25, 2004, at 4:07:23
In reply to Re: Seroquel as a Mood Stabilizer?Clarification, posted by D minor on September 25, 2004, at 3:45:31
> I'm currently taking Remeron 15mg, Wellbutrin 350mg, Abilify 5mg, Seroquel 400mg. I was taking much higher dosages before this new doc. I dropped the Topamax to see if I still had migrains without it. Really, I felt like it dampened my emotions. I still get headaches but they're manageable.
>
> However, I feel like my moods are a little out of control. I get like I'm going on speed one minute. Then I get what I call "radio brain" where it feels like someone turned on a radio in my head to a channel of constant background noise. Then I'll get really, really mad. All within a matter of hours up to one day.
>
>That's are strange mix of drugs, did the one doctor give them all to you? I would restart Topamax if you liked it.
How well do you tolerate Abilify & does taking more of it stop hallucinations?
Remeron & Wellbutrin can both cause crankiness & irritability, I would be inclined to drop Remeron because at that doseage it is just a powerful antihistamine which Seroquel is too.
> I have another question though. I was surprised that someone could be diagnosed bipolar who had never been manic. Only had a possible mixed episode, possible hypomanic days and psychosis and a familly history of mental illness (including bipolar). Is the diagnosis still accurate in that situation? What type of bipolar would that be?
>
>If you have BP, it would be BP2. BP1 is the illness foremely known as manic-depression. BP2 has hypomania or mixed stated but no severe mania.
Cheers,
Paul.
Posted by D minor on September 25, 2004, at 4:34:23
In reply to Re: Seroquel as a Mood Stabilizer?Clarification » D minor, posted by Sad Panda on September 25, 2004, at 4:07:23
> That's are strange mix of drugs, did the one doctor give them all to you? I would restart Topamax if you liked it.
- I've been in the hospital 6 times. My drug cocktail is result of many, many doctors. My parents say they like me better off the Topamax. They say I was a little zombie-like on it. I felt that way too. I don't know what to do.
> How well do you tolerate Abilify & does taking more of it stop hallucinations?- I get akathisia and anxiety on any higher doses of Abilify. It does work well to stop the hallucinations. But at such a low dose, I'm not sure how thigs are going. I think I'm still haullunating.
> Remeron & Wellbutrin can both cause crankiness & irritability, I would be inclined to drop Remeron because at that doseage it is just a powerful antihistamine which Seroquel is too.- My doctor is counting on Remeron to get me to sleep at night. It was the first AD that acutally worked for me so every doctor has been afraid of dropping it. Remeron I've been on for over a year, and Wellbutrin and Seroquel I've been on for about a year. They wouldn't still be making me cranky, would they?
> If you have BP, it would be BP2. BP1 is the illness foremely known as manic-depression. BP2 has hypomania or mixed stated but no severe mania.
- Thanks, that makes sense. Another question though. Even with psychosis you can be BP2?
Thank again,
dm
Posted by Sad Panda on September 26, 2004, at 7:59:05
In reply to Re: Seroquel as a Mood Stabilizer?Clarification, posted by D minor on September 25, 2004, at 4:34:23
> - I've been in the hospital 6 times. My drug cocktail is result of many, many doctors. My parents say they like me better off the Topamax. They say I was a little zombie-like on it. I felt that way too. I don't know what to do.
>Lots of people on this board complain that Topamax makes them stupid. Lamictal is probably the most popular AED for BP.
> > How well do you tolerate Abilify & does taking more of it stop hallucinations?
>
> - I get akathisia and anxiety on any higher doses of Abilify. It does work well to stop the hallucinations. But at such a low dose, I'm not sure how thigs are going. I think I'm still haullunating.
>
>Probably why your doc wants to try Seroquel. Have you tried Geodon, Zyprexa & Risperdal?
> - My doctor is counting on Remeron to get me to sleep at night. It was the first AD that acutally worked for me so every doctor has been afraid of dropping it. Remeron I've been on for over a year, and Wellbutrin and Seroquel I've been on for about a year. They wouldn't still be making me cranky, would they?
>
>Wellbutrin can. Have you gone very high with the doseage of Seroquel?
> If you have BP, it would be BP2. BP1 is the illness foremely known as manic-depression. BP2 has hypomania or mixed stated but no severe mania.
>
> - Thanks, that makes sense. Another question though. Even with psychosis you can be BP2?
>
>Yes, but it really is the other way around as you first said it: Bipolar with psychotic features, or you could be Unipolar with psychotic features.
Cheers,
Paul.
This is the end of the thread.
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