If my boyfriend has to take Geodon, Lamictal and Lexapro....what do you think he has?

Question

He's 21 yrs old. About 4-5 years ago, he got in an argument with a cop at our high school...The cop approached him and got in HIS face, which caused him to shove the cop a little. So, he immediately got expelled from school and was sent to a psychiatric hospital for 7 days. They did an evalutation of the incident, the "shove", and ended up prescribing him to geodon, lamictal and he was already taking lexapro.

Well, its been years and hes still taking it all. When he runs out of the meds, and esp. when he drinks a lot...he yells stuff out a lot and he pushes me around & pinches me like hes just playing around.

My dad says hes dangerous. I had to call my dad during a fight we got in when he was drinking, and he sent the cops over too. I've been w/ my bf for 2 years. Hes a sweet, charming guy but I feel like these meds have screwed him up so he can't get off them

Does anyone know anything about these meds, lamictal geodon + lexapro? He says he is bi-polar, but my dad thinks theres more

Answer 1

You should probably listen to your dad. He might be sweet and charming, but if he can get like he gets who knows when he'll swing over even further to being incredibly dangerous to himself and/or you?

I was given Geodon and Lamictal when I was first diagnosed with Bipolar II but had a bad reaction to them so now I'm not medicated. My reaction wasn't lots of anger, though. It was messed up BP, excessive sleepiness, and major anxiety.

As I recall, Geodon has only recently been approved for Bipolar treatment--so he might have been diagnosed with something more serious at the time of the incident you mentioned, like schizophrenia. The mood swings from Bipolar can take an angry turn, but at the same time he can't sit and just blame that. Nor can he just blame the meds. If the meds are a problem, he needs to talk with his doc. He also should NOT be drinking with these meds. Or certainly not very much as someone who has Bipolar. Further, he needs to be more responsible about his meds. I was only on Geodon for about 5 days but coming off of it gave me the worst week or two of my life. These meds need to be taken on a scheduled time consistently.

It's possible that he was misdiagnosed. It's also possible that he's fibbing a smidge because he doesn't want to scare you. But he's angry, and if he's Bipolar he's probably going to be simultaneously impulsive and risk-taking. What risks are worth taking for you? Take care of yourself, darlin'...

Answer 2

Sweetie, he very well may be bipolar, but the problem is, that disorder is something that exists WITHOUT the meds. What I mean is, if he is bipolar, it's not the meds that screwed him up, it's the naturally existing chemical imbalance in his brain. That happened before he ever got on the drugs. Life is not easy for folks with these imbalances, nor is it easy for those who love them. The meds haven't "screwed him up so he can't get off them" -- it sounds like he has the problems whenever he is off the meds, not on them. Granted, the wrong combination of drugs can make a person's symptoms worse instead of better. But that doesn't sound like what you're describing here.

Alcohol + any kind of medications = bad idea. If anything is 'screwing him up' while he's still on the meds, it's the alcohol in combination with these incredibly strong anti-psychotic meds that he's on. Not so much the Lexapro, but definitely the Geodon and the Lamictal. When he drinks, he's adding another drug to the mix. So, so, SO not good.

But the bigger problem is, the brain being the delicate and mysterious and highly complex organ that it is, chemical imbalances can be very difficult to treat. It can take years to find the right combination of drugs, and many people with these imbalances are never able to function normally without the proper medication.

Of all the different mental disorders, bipolar disorder is one of the most serious, and it MUST be medicated -- it cannot be treated without the right combination of drugs. If those drugs do not work or stop working for him or in some cases even make things worse, it is time for him to work with his doctor and psychiatrist to find a combination that does work. Unfortunately, due to the nature of bipolar disorder, it is one of the most difficult conditions to treat and people who have it are often some of the most difficult to live with. If you choose to stay with this person, be prepared for a great deal of 'drama' in the future. It will not be easy, and you may end up having to make the choice to leave him.

Something you must keep in mind is this: no matter what disorder a person has, it is not okay for them to treat you badly. If they "can't help it", then YOU have to help YOURSELF. It is not okay to be pushed around -- that is always the precursor to more serious violence. Do not stand for it. You must protect yourself first before you can help anybody else. If that means you leave him, then so be it. It doesn't mean you don't love him; it means you have your priorities straight. You have to love yourself before you can love anybody else. Sometimes, that means protecting yourself from someone else you love. You can only be responsible for yourself - no one else. Love yourself first and foremost. Good luck and best wishes.

Answer 3

He is bipolar. The anger is normal, especially given he's not taking care of himself in avoiding tirggers and keeping up with his meds. If he was responsible with his treatment the bipolar wouldn't be a problem in your relationship. However, being bipolar is not an excuse to become physically abusive. It's not the meds that cause that, it's the bipolar, the meds are what's controlling it. That's why he's worse when he runs out, and drinking is never a good idea when on any medication, particularly for a mental illness.

Answer 4

being bi polar could definately cause all of these symptoms.. the meds for bipolar disorder are very serious and they do have many negative side effects. These drugs are not some that you can jsut stop taking all of a sudden. The effects could be deadly. Lexapro is typically used for depression and the other two are give for bipolar disorder..this is a very serious disorder and the meds are required to balance his mood.. the anger he expresses when out of his meds are normal. my mom has this same disorder adn the same symptoms. just bear with him and when you know he is out of hi meds be careful because anything could happen. he is not himself when this occurs.. if you want to know more i would recommend looking up bipolar disorder and the meds you listed.. then you will know how serious this really is!

Answer 5

It looks like he's probably bi-polar, but alot of other mental illness can be linked together. I am bi-polar and I only take one medicine (which is none of these) and I am perfectly normal and not dangerous (but I do have to take my medicine). The problem is someone with bi-polar should never drink it doesn't matter if there taking there medicine or not it will mess them up and they'll never get better there condition will just get worse. I have never been a big drinker but I no longer will even take a sip because I know of the dangers.

Answer 6

Lamictal is an anti-seizure medicine that is also used for bipolarism. Geodon and Lexapro are both antipsychotics. He could very well represent a threat when he mixes these powerful meds with alcohol or doesn't take them as prescribed.
Maybe you could make an appointment for you and your dad to talk with his doctor and get some advice.

Answer 7

Lexapro is an antidepressant. Lamictal is an anti-convulsant used to treat epilepsy. It is also used to treat bipolar disorder. Geodon is an antipsychotic medication. These are all serious medications especially the last two.
Try this website: nami.org. (NAMI stands for the National Alliance on Mental Illness)
I know this may be unfair, but I would not encourage you to continue your relationship. I have a beloved brother, a beloved son and two dear cousins who all have bipolar disorder and I am low-end/borderline bipolar.

Answer 8

Lexapro is an antidepressant. Geodon is an anti-psychotic. Lamictal is a mood stabilizer and anti-epileptic. He should not be drinking. I think you need to listen to your Dad. This guy's got major anger issues and you could be his next victim especially when he is drinking. He probably is bi-polar but it is not controlled especially since he is drinking. That makes it WORSE.

Answer 9

lamotrigine (Lamictal) for the treatment of epilepsy in 1994, and bipolar

lexapro is for depression

GEODON – Bipolar Disorder: Mania and Mixed Episodes and Schizophrenia

Your father is right, stay away from him. This is no joke!

Answer 10

Sweet and charming...ever hear of Ted Bundy?

If you go to Geodon.com, you will see the phrase "GEODON Effective in Treating Schizophrenia Symptoms."

If you go to Lamictal.com, you will see the phrase "LAMICTAL is a maintenance medication for adults with bipolar I disorder treated for acute mood episodes with standard therapy.

Yada, yada, yada, "Lexapro is a convenient, once-daily pill for major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)."

It seems to me if someone is taking all these, and then is drinking in addition to these drugs, then that person is out of control. Ask yourself if you want to be in the company of someone who may go berserk at any second. How about getting into a car with someone who may just decide to kill himself, and not notice or care that you are there too?

It seems like you care more about him than he cares about himself. You can't help that person. Ask anyone in AA.