If I am Bipolar and I take medicine that doesnt work?

Question

Okay I was told by a shrink that i have bipolar disorder. They put me on wellbutrin, it gave em terrible migranes. Straight off of wellbutrin onto lexapro, that gave insomnia. They will not prescribe me anything else, is it really possible to control the issues in my head without medication?

Okay I was told by a shrink that i have bipolar disorder. They put me on wellbutrin, it gave em terrible migranes. Straight off of wellbutrin onto lexapro, that gave insomnia. They will not prescribe me anything else, is it really possible to control the issues in my head without medication?
For those of you who have already had anwers here are a couple things to remember... i have given each of these meds four months apeice, i do not have bipolar depression, i have bipolar disorder and borderline schytsophrenia(or however you spell it). My case is not a mild or servere case, it is what they call a moderate case. And i thank all of you for your advice i just figured i would elaborate a little bit more on the situation to make for a more clear picture in your heads.

Answer 1

first if you are bipolar why only an antidepressant, they should never give a bipolar person an antidepressant on its own as it has been know to cause mania, you should always be put on a mood stabilizer first and then an antidepressant or both at the same time. second 2 meds is nothing compared to the list of meds I have tried so why are they giving up so quick. you can have therapy and DBT (Dialectical behavioral therapy) is now being used a lot more for bipolar it was originally for the treatment of borderline personality disorder but has shown great promise for the use in treating bipolar disorder.

Answer 2

Unfortunately, medication is currently the effective treatment for bipolar disorder. Most antidepressants are a bad idea for Bipolar people, but there is a current trend to use small amounts of Wellbutrin to ease the depressive cycle.

The risk with any antidepressant is that it will trigger a manic episode. Bipolar depression is unique and is different from clinical depression in many ways.

My advice would be to get a different doctor. Find someone who specializes in Bipolar disorder. There is hope and there are effective treatments out there.

My best wishes to you.

Answer 3

I can't understand why you are being put onto antidepressants and not mood stabilizers. Usually, lithium, depakote and lithium, plus combinations of these drugs, are tried first. Most docs don't want to give antidepressants to people with bipolar even if they are already on a mood stabilizer, because it destabilizes bipolar even more, in most cases.

It's probably not insomnia, but rather mania, if your diagnosis is correct. If you're talking too much and being too pushy with others, or making a lot of jokes, or getting depressions where you think everyone hates you, those are mania/mixed moods type things.

I'd take a family member with you to these appointments or else see a different doc. either they are not listening to you, or you are getting anxious and not able to hear what they tell you. Having a family member with you can really help.

Good luck to you!

Answer 4

You do have someplace to head, pass on your nearest womans safe haven. It possibly horrid and now not the type of situation you wish to be however you're going to be alive and your kids wont develop up and beleive that's the best way to behave. If your husband loves you and needs to be with you he's going to search healing and counselling and you'll be able to begin to rebuild your existence. YOU NEED TO GET OUT. I suppose you already know on your middle that it's not going to get any bigger. If you depart and pass to a safe haven you're going to be reliable. If your husband is identified bipolar you would touch your household health care professional and ask for his or her recommendation. Also the bipolar society - simply be certain you preserve your self.

Answer 5

The Lexapro is causing the insomnia because you aren't taking a mood stabilizer and antipsychotic along with it. Antidepressants, like Lexapro, taken alone will cause mania. Get a second opinion; my doc always starts treatment with a mood stabilizer, THEN adds an antidepressant.

Answer 6

Depends. How severe is your bipolar?

I'm an unmedicated bipolar, and I keep my life in control. But I'm not all that severe.

I meditate, excersize, and keep a network of people who I can trust to tell me if I get out of control.

But if you have a more severe form of the disease than I do, sometimes you have to be medicated. But if these meds are making your life hell, don't take no for an answer. Keep pushing them. Because your happiness is important.

Answer 7

It sounds like you might need to give your meds a bit more time. Pretty much anything you take is going to give you unpleasant side effects until your body gets a chance to adapt to it. Give your drugs at least two weeks, starting on a very low dose and SLOWLY creeping up to your "target" dose. Don't quit unless the side effects are severe or completely interfering with your ability to function--even then, you might just need a lower dose.

If you want to get your illness under control, you'll need to put up with some discomfort and inconvenience for a while. It's better to lose sleep or cope with headaches for a week or two than to let your moods spiral out of control.

Answer 8

First of all, I don't think you can control those issues in your head. Second of all, you shouldn't even have to think about doing something like that. It sounds like your doc isn't taking you seriously. One of the main reasons for seeing a doc when you're on psychotropic meds is to monitor you for side effects (as well as effectiveness of the med on your moods, of course). You do not have to take any meds that cause you side effects that you don't want to deal with or bother you (like migraines and insomnia). Your doc should be more sensitive to your needs. If he/she isn't willing to listen to you and switch your meds as needed, then you should find another doctor you are comfortable with and who does work with you on finding the right med for your needs. Anti-depressants work differently for different people and can cause different side effects in different people. It's your health...do what you need to do to stay healthy. Hope this helps.

Answer 9

i am here i can help [e-mail]