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Rapid cycling mood swings, MEDS???

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Posted 3/25/2008 6:41 PM (GMT 0)
When it comes to my mood swings, i have about 3-5 days of depression, 3 days or so of manic behavior, and maybe a day of normalcy in between those episodes. My doc just put me on Lamictal but i don't think i'm going to be able to keep taking it b/c i'm extremely dizzy & nauseous pretty much 24-7. This is my first mood stabilizer to take. Up until this point i was only on anti-depressants. Any ideas on which meds to go for or steer clear of? Not sure what would be beneficial for the rapid cylcles. THANKS GUYS.....
Posted 3/25/2008 9:00 PM (GMT 0)
Hello mate,

I have never been on Lamictal before so i can't help you there. All meds have side effects and all meds seem to affect people in different ways. I do know about rapid cycling though but maybe not quite as rapid as yourself! I would hit a dark side for 7-10 days then have 1 normal day then go hypomanic for about 5 days. But my doc put me on venlaflaxine which really did pull me out of the dark stages, although not completly but it stopped me from hitting the complete bottom if you know what i mean. I dont know if you have tried chlorpromazine but when i am bouncing off the walls and cant sleep,sit still or stop talking rubbish it takes the edge of and calms me down.

I tried for two years on and off different meds and i think i am nearly there!! Its hard to say which ones to steer clear of because although we all have the same condtion we are all very very different when it comes to meds. I treid Depekote and HATED IT. It made me fat, tired , dizzy , restless and i had a manic episode whilst on it!!

Remember you are in charge and if you are'nt getting on with your meds tell your doc having bad meds just makes things worse and we don't want that do we.

Hope this helps
Simon
Posted 3/25/2008 9:19 PM (GMT 0)
THANKS so much! VERY helpful insight indeed. I was having a feeling of, "well this is just hopeless" when really i need to just keep moving forward. No i hadn't really tried anything except the lacmictal yet. Before my general medical doc just prescribed me antidepressants b/c my behavior seemed "normal" to him. HA. funny how it seemed normal to no one else, least of all me. Anitdepressants alone just made the manic episodes that much more intense.

Post Edited (Memorie) : 3/25/2008 3:23:58 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 3/26/2008 1:23 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Memorie:

I would just echo Simon. It's so hard to say what is or isn't a good drug because they all work different for everybody. At some point they will probably add either an antidepressant or an antipsychotic into your mix based on whether you go a little depressed or manic, and it's all trial and error. It's that way for everyone. Wish I had more to share. I'm glad you finally got the correct diagnosis. Feels good to finally find someone who understands, doesn't it?
Posted 3/26/2008 2:06 PM (GMT 0)
it feels GREAT to finally find people who understand & know exactly what i mean when i talk about an episode or something.
Posted 3/26/2008 3:33 PM (GMT 0)
Memorie..
The only bad reaction I have ever had on medication was on Depokote...
I went from !95 lbs. upto 285 lbs. in six months..
Plus, i had a episode, that i had to the hospital for awhile..
Four county Menntal health (the people that i recieve servies from, such as therpay and med checks) were called.. I was found walking around town during winter in my UNDERWARE !!!!!

And i second that it does feel GREAT to finally find people who understand!!!!
Posted 3/26/2008 4:07 PM (GMT 0)
I am glad other people have not got on with depokote....but joxster you seem to have had it much worse!! I hope you were'nt too cold mate!! During my depokote episode i stole my friends motorbike and crashed it into a shop front then jumped on a ferry to france with no money and was chased around the port by some annoyed french port workers. Luckily my dad bailed me out and i had to go onto the ward for a short time.
After that i threw darn stuff away and my good old doc put me on seroquel.
Posted 3/26/2008 5:35 PM (GMT 0)
Can I laugh Simon? I know it must have been awful, but the way you relate it is very amusing...I guess we have to have a sense of humor about the crazy stuff we get up to.

I'm lucky. I've never had anything so dramatic happen to me. I just sit around and feel like my head's going to explode.
Posted 3/26/2008 7:17 PM (GMT 0)
I have rapid cycling and mixed episodes and was put on Abilify for a mood stabilizer and Effexor.  This has worked well for me, but as you know, it depends on the person.  Good luck.

Posted 3/26/2008 8:21 PM (GMT 0)
Yes Serafena you can laugh as much as you like!! Thats the only thing you can do i think! The thing is i would never describe any of my manic stages as awful...When i am manic i am happy...of course i know now how dangerous it is to be manic without realising what is going on. Even when i am i sometimes deny that i am hypo because it can be very enjoyable, although my family can tell straight away and i am made to do my calming down routine and take something before i do something stupid.

The worst thing about bp for me is the depression the dark side of bp that i hate.

I also feel my brain is going to explode as well!! Its a strange sensation that i think only people who have bp can understand dont you think?

A couple of weeks ago it happened to me whilst i was in Tesco and it made me start shouting a bit so i had to leave.

I do a lot of writing and sometimes when i am n the dark side i seem to be able to express myself more and write fluently and well. When i am manic i can't sit still let alone write anything down.
Posted 3/26/2008 11:42 PM (GMT 0)
Simon, i also do a lot more writing when i'm on the more depressive side. It does feel like i'm able to express more easily. My ramblings in my journal probably sound pretty pathetic to the average eye; maybe something Sylvia Plath might have written. I'm with you, definitely can't sit still during those manic periods. I've driven literally all night at times b/c i couldn't take sitting still at home.

I never actually crashed any motorbikes or vehicles into anything. I think i would rather have YOUR story. I get myself into more trouble with men than anything. I did however several years ago now, take a friend's truck with a large pontoon boat attached to it..kept picking up people along the way & having them climb in the boat, sort of a party barge i guess. As much as i almost love being manic also, i logically know it's not healthy & i know i make bad decisions during those periods of time.

Serafena, i always say we have 2 options in life, we can laugh, or we can cry. I try my best to laugh at even the craziest things that happen.
Posted 3/27/2008 11:17 AM (GMT 0)
Mem,

I really think we have to laugh i mean it is kinda funny the crap that happens during the manic times!!

I am quite glad that i am bp i see it as a good thing now rather than something to fear. As long as you are in some sort of control and have a good understanding of the condition and the meds you are on plus being honest with docs and others then it can be dealt with. Who wants to be ' normal ' anyway?? I never have been and never want to be eitheir.

What do you mean you get yourself into trouble with men? Do you mean realitionships? I still can't hold down a job or any sort of realationship with a girl. If i meet someone and i like them enough i just tell them about my bp, because i will never lie to anyone about it because i just dont care what peole think. Some dont know what it is but some think its cool. Until i get so depressed i dont return their calls for days on end or get so angry whilst manic i start throwing plates around and screaming!!!!

That makes it sound like i have had loads of women over the last few years ha ha ha ha that is NOT true.

I know about the driving thing as well. That really helps me too. If my brain feels like its going to blow out of my ears i jump in the car and drive around listening to the smiths or something. I sometimes drive down to the place by the sea where i used to go on holiday as a boy that seems to work.
Posted 3/27/2008 5:36 PM (GMT 0)
Simon,
I agree. Wouldn't ever want to be "normal". My whole life i've had this feeling, best described as i know something "they" don't, almost like a secret? Ha Ha, i know that sounds odd. It is to laugh.

Umm, trouble with men..let see...trouble getting one, no trouble running them off once i have them though. I often end up saying incredibly cruel things during manic periods where undoubtedly i AM the coolest person alive. When depressed, it's always too much for them to handle. Every guy i've known gets really still & slowly backs away & then bolts, lol. And the last manic episode I had, it was more of thinking i was some sort of porn star. Uggggh. HA! SO not me. I get those guys too, as you do girls, who think it's cool to be "left of center" as they often coin me, until they see just how out of control things can get & all of a sudden it's not cool for them anymore. More often than not though, i choose the other emotionally afflicted people as mates. NOW, this almost alllways ends very badly. But once again, it is to laugh.

I always drive out in the country somewhere. That sense of solitude, i just love it. I spent every summer & almost every weekend at my grandmother's farm so being out in the middle of nowhere feels quite comfortable.

Seeing the therapist today. I always make a joke when i make "unhealthy lifestyle choices" b/c i just say well guess i'll be getting my money's worth when i talk to him. Need to call my pdoc b/c this is the first time in i can't remember when, when i haven't been taking ANYTHING. I did a small amount of research. Read that lithium has fewer side effects & shows to help rapid cycling when not taken with antidepressants. Hmmm, well see. Ok, rambling...sorry simon
Posted 3/28/2008 3:26 PM (GMT 0)
Mem,

Dont be sorry you were'nt rambling at all...but it is nice to have a good ramble don't you think.

So you are not taking anything at the moment thats pretty brave i of you. As for lithuim you may as well give it a shot if you are getting crazy about the rapid cycling i think its pretty good for that. I never took it so i don't really know.

I hear what your saying about boy/girl stuff. I once started seeing a girl who was ill with clinical depression HA HA HA HA What a ****ing joke that turned out to be. I hit a down patch same time as her ,My god it was awful. Backed out of that one very quickily not healthy at all. I like it on my own anyway. I live alone and don't have to answer to anyone which suits me fine as i am also incredibly selfish about how i spend my time.

I have never really spent anytime with anyone face to face who has bp. I suppose in a way i don't want to as i see it as my condtion and i dont want to share it with anyone....Oh dear.

I guess you live in the states?? Do you mind if i ask where? I live in a small town called sandy in england where it is currently raining very hard.
Posted 3/28/2008 5:19 PM (GMT 0)
Ohh, i often find myself rambling on about everything, nothing. haha.

Yeah, going to the doc this afternoon to get different meds. He mentioned trying depakote if the lamictal didn't work out for me, but i think i'll save that one as a last resort. I was going to wait until my next apointment in about 4 weeks but last night i started feeling, pretty weird, so i was like yeah, think i need to call tomorrow.

My last relationship was with a man who i believe was suffering from PTSD. He did a couple tours in Iraq. I can't be sure b/c i didn't really know him before he went to Iraq. It was definitely a bad combination with both of us. I finally just left one day & never returned. He knew i wasn't coming back though b/c i left the house that day with a suitcase full of my stuff. haha, doesn't take a genius to figure that one out. You know how i really knew that it would never work..he never once laughed at anything i said. He even told me that i wans't that funny one time. That had to be the cruelest thing anyone has ever said to me, haha. He never made me laugh either so he can kiss my posterior.

I definitely prefer to be on my own also. I live with my cat & that's about the extent of how willing i am to share my life with another being at this moment in time. In theory it sounds nice to have someone around but in reality it always ends up being stressful. I feel like people often take more than they give & it takes its toll on me. Besides, i like to be able to walk out the door, no questions asked. And not have to explain to someone how i want to be alone but it has nothing to do with them. Ha Ha, my therapist asked me to make a list of how i do & don't push people away, he keeps focusing on the lack of relationships in my life.

I can't say that i have spent any time with someone who has bp face to face either. I've never really pondered what that would be like. I do understand what you mean about it's your condition & not wanting to share that with anyone.

Yep, I've lived in Texas my whole life. It's practically a country, it's so big. I live in a rather small city in central Texas. I lived in a small town myself for quite a few years out in the country. I liked living amongst the cows & other creatures but the small town people weren't so nice. It's rainy out here today too. But i suppose it rains quite often where you are. Sandy sounds like a nice little place to live. I've always wanted to live in a place that had a friendly sounding name like Friendship or Swee***er (both in Texas). well, laters...(haha, it's nice not to have to spell that out like i mean it to sound, usually have to type late-uhs....yes my name is Mem & i have an addiction to British tv & such..i saw a man speak the other day who teaches at Dundee University but is originally from England..he said CRIKEY...i LOVED it)
Posted 3/29/2008 4:21 PM (GMT 0)
That is so spooky. I was in the A/E room of the hospital where my sister works a couple of weeks ago. There was a guy who was clearly in alot of pain. He was to polite to swear so he was bunched up and said ' Ohh Criikey ' i loved that too!!!! How British was that!
I know what you mean about having to type things out. I have a real issue with 'Text speak' the whole LOL things does my brain in.
Dont be fooled by Sandy as a nice name. I have lived here all my life and can see the changes at the moment with all the little ' Chavs ' that hang around the town being a menace. My mum, bless her, confronted some of these mouthy teenagers because they were menacing an old man in a wheelchair. She told one of them she was going to smash his teeth in?????? She is 5ft 3in and weighs 7stone. They called her an old fart once she had crossed the road the ******* cowards. I was going mental when she told me little ******** need a lesson. Sorry i was rambling there!

I will be coming to texas as part of my travels next year i think we are in Dallas for a couple of days. We are aiming to get to see the Cowboys play as me and my mate are NFL fans we get loads of games over here on sky.

Well i got to go i have to vist the grandmother and if i am not bang on time she starts going crackers.Crikey.

Late-uhs

Simon.

Watch the swearing please. -- serafena

Post Edited By Moderator (serafena) : 3/30/2008 1:43:31 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 3/30/2008 7:49 PM (GMT 0)
I hate to put a dent in a great conversation, but chatting about non-bp stuff on the list is technically against the rules. You could e-mail each other or move it to the chat rooms. (I hate having to be the grouchy moderator. Sorry. I'm not deleting anything, though.)

17. No irrelevant or off-topic posts. Posts which are not relevant to the forum topic may be deleted at the moderator's discretion.
Posted 3/31/2008 12:10 AM (GMT 0)
hey Sarafena,

Sorry about that. I do appreciate you not deleting it. You're NOT grouchy, you could have called me names or something, hahaha.

-Mem
Posted 3/31/2008 12:36 PM (GMT 0)
Yep i'm sorry too and about the swearing i have got a potty mouth.
simon
Posted 3/31/2008 2:49 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks guys. You're sweet. :-)
Posted 3/31/2008 6:01 PM (GMT 0)
Memorie,
I was on Lamictal for quite a while the first week i felt kinda dizzy got a little sick but it started to work really well for me... then my doc had me take abilify with it and i was doing really well... it was working but then i got this weird rash that i was warned about for the lamictal and something went wrong im not sure but my heart rate began to slow done i had to go to the hosiptal... i dont take any meds anymore (which is bad i'm going to start soem new ones soon) but what i really want to say is medicines work differently for everyone i mean it worked well for me and i liked it but again i got sick... but hey for you it might work wonders.... i mean i have a friend that takes lamictal and shes been on it for a little over a year now... and she loves it... so i think you just need to give it some time... if it doesnt work for you then talk to your doctor... again medicines affect everyone differently....
Posted 3/31/2008 8:58 PM (GMT 0)
spittinpcebby,

I heard about the possibility of developing the rash. How scary though that your heart rate slowed & had to go to the hospital. Guess i'm a big weenie but i only did a week on the lamictal & decided that i had had enough of getting sick, being dizzy, and just feeling like crud. So i went back to the doc & he put me on trileptal. So far only very minor dizziness..i can live with this. No nausea or getting sick. I admit, i'm not exactly the most patient person in the world so if i feel like something's not working, i almost immediately want to scream NEXT. How long have you been with no meds?
Posted 4/1/2008 11:52 AM (GMT 0)
Memorie,
I've been off my meds for a long time I stopped taking the meds my self and i just never showed up to my last appointment, id say almost 10months now that i actually think about it and count...
Posted 4/1/2008 4:46 PM (GMT 0)
spittinpcebby I sure hope you are with a therapist or are going to your pdoc and maybe get back on some sort of med.  If you are bp I really do not think you can will yourself to feel good through life.  Things could be so much easier, and you can feel so much better if you give your body time to find the right med combination.  I saw in an earlier post you said your suicidal thoughts are becoming more frequent.  I would hate to see you just suffering through this, when so much help is available to you.

Posted 4/1/2008 5:29 PM (GMT 0)
yeah, i want to start new meds but i'm scared.. and i just i keep giving my self reasons not to like i have so many reasons why i should and so little why i shouldnt... i'm deffintly going to give the medicine another try
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