Bipolar, I just want to sit and cry.?

Question

My son has bipolar, he was fine off of meds for the past two years. And is in the middle of a breakdown. I am going nuts here.
SA is the worst place for health care, I am aware of that today more than ever.
His dr moved away, and I never found another. I took him to see a gp and she gave him Risperdal 5mg, 1 3x a day. Those meds are finished and now he seems distant and in a trance, I go back to the dr and to only find that she has closed until next year.
So off his wife and I run around hoping to find some one to help us. No one can until the new year.
OMG, I don't know what to do.
Any GP just won't or can't help us.
Now I am stressing, with christmas around the corner how is my son going to cope. He is 24 please if anyone could give me some insight.
Thanks

Sorry, I am in South Africa. I went to the clinics what rude people. I called the hospitals they told me it is not an emerengency. Finally I called the chemists and got a dr number that is prepared to help me with my son... Again the appointment is only for 8:45am tomorrow, that is so far away.

Yes the meds worked, and I have no idea why it was for such a short period. One would think that Bipolar is such an illness that ppl here shy away from it.

Answer 1

try this website

http://www.safmh.org.za

its the Federation of Mental Health in SA. There is a support section with clinic etc on there. Id say thats a good place to start. Dont give up until you find the right person to speak to.

this is another link with some support numbers

http://www.health24.com/mind/Support_groups/1284-1289,26928.asp

(these links I found just by searching mental health south africa in Yahoo - looks like there is alot around)

Good luck with everything. I wish you and your family well

Answer 2

Bi-polar disorder is a hard disease to treat. It also depends on the type of Bi-polar he has.

Bi-polar 1 is commonly treated with lithium, Tegretol and Depakote. Risperdol is an anti-psychotic. When I took it, I began to have psychotic symptoms. It is approved for people with mania.

Bi-polar 2 is much harder to treat than Bi-polar 1. The difference between the two is that Bi-polar 1 is considered a psychosis. Bi-polar 1's tend to have periods of mania for a number of days and then switch to depression Bi-polar 2's come in a number of varieties. They may switch every few days or they may switch hourly. However the symptoms are not as extreme, but it is very hard to live with. I am a Bi-polar 2, with cyclothymia, which means I never know how I am going to feel on any given day.

I have taken almost every drug there is and I am finally somewhat stabilized on a combination of Neurontin, Lexapro and Provigil. Typically, my body seems to get used to a particular med that is working and then it just stops working. I have to go back to my psych to get something else. The combo I have right now seems to have been working the longest.

I am not a doctor, but if you can get a hold of some lorazapam to get him through the mania, it might be helpful. The other thing you need to do is forget medical doctors and take him to a psychiatrist. His problem is beyond the skill of a family doctor.

Answer 3

is there a mental health clinic in your area? he needs a good pschiatrist who knows how to medicate. check the local hospital. they should have a physicians refferral service. or ask around. word of mouth is a good way to find a doc for these matters. different meds work differently on all people. my bro is on risperdal and it works for him but my son took abilify and it was amazing how much it helped. may i ask, if the risperdal worked, why hasn't it been refilled?

Answer 4

I am glad you managed to get an appointment for today.

If you ever find yourself in this predicament again, do not call the hospital. Instead, go straight to Emergency at the hospital. They cannot deny him help once he is there.

I wish your son the best. Hang in there. He'll feel better soon.

Answer 5

I suffer from it terribly, though have found lightbox therapy to help, and also exercise.