Questions about meds

BAsically I feel like utter ****!  I was doing really well.  Yes, the irritability and the absolute jittery, jump out of my skin feeling is gone,,,,but now I am just tired and zoned out....Hell, I don't know what is meds and what is me just coming down or going up or whatever it is for the day.........

I am so tired that I literally had a hard time making myself move today--I am numb, I feel empty, and have NO REASON to......but,am I spiralling down or having adjustments with meds....I cannot eat....I eat either eggs or biscuits, or oatmeal,,,,the thought of a real meal makes me sick..my stomach is very upset as well........once again, many reasons for this--it could be nerves,,,,my family is going to crap and even though I am married and have a wonderful husband,,,,seeing my parents in the situation they are in bothers me and I cannot separate myself....my mother literally hates my dad and belittles him, talks bad about him, and is just a down right B*^&%.  I know I should be able to let it go and separate my life from this but I can't......I see the hurt in my dad's eyes--no he is not perfect, but the hateful, mean comments are really taking a toll on him........anyway, just another section of the stress and drama in this piece of a life... I just liteerally hurt--my heart hurts and I am confused b/c one minute my mom is nice to me and then the next she is just cruel and hateful...yes, my other sisters have been able to separate themselves--they have resentment, but they don't let it totally consume them--I don't know how NOT to let it totally consume me---I am just miserable and I know logically right now that things are out of proportion for me,,,,I can tell you that all darn day , but it doesn't change the way I am feeling--it is real to me--every ounce of it,,,and it is bad,,,,really bad and I am furious that my mom can't love my dad or at least respect her....and through all this, my dad's response is "honor your mom and God is going to honor you for it"---  You know, I wouldn't blame him if he beat the hell out of her--and OF COURSE--that has and will NEVER happen,,,but htat is what she is doing with her words......Ugh--i am just miserable and so terribly sad.....I hate this feelign.  I was so hoping it was going away for good...................fat chance huh??? 

I'm sorry, hon, it sounds like it could be going down.   Are you having trouble physically moving?  Made of lead feeling?   Or just sad?  or both?

Lamictal isn't causing this, and no it doesn't make you drowsy.  Some people have a terrible time getting off effexor.   Esp such a massive dose!!!!!!!!.   The Lamictal doesn't have to be moved up sooooooooo slowly!   Usually it's about 7-10 days at most for every 25mg up.  it's not really therapeutic until 200mg.   Ask you doc if maybe you can speed things up a little!   Sometimes, we just crash when a stabilizer is introducd, but Lamictal doesn;t usually have that effect; usually it's the depakote, lith, and others and/or the antipsychotics.  It is probably the reduction in Effexor and could just be the time of year, fall is the most common time to crash.

I have very troubled alcoholic parents that drink themselves into oblivion all day and night and that can consume me too if I am not careful, just try to think about how you can improve your own life more, learn all you can about your disorder so you can help get it better soooner, and maybe read, it doesn't take any physical energy, keeps your mind occupied.  Read anything, doesn't matter, whatever interests you.  If you aren't having the paralysis feeling, light exercise, a brisk walk outdoors in the cool air may help.  I hope I dont' sound lame, I have been where you are and worse, and sometimes, there just aint a darn thing to do but wait it out, it isn't forever, and it WILL get better.   Your bipolar remember????????   Keep in frequent touch with your pdoc if you are getting worse CALL HIM!  Tell him you are concerned with how long this process is going to take at this rate, the trick is be a part of your care, not just a patient.  Voice your concerns.  Don't just blindly follow because he/she is an MD, they dont know exactly what you need, because the whole thing is subjective on your part, you both just treat it as it comes. 

I hope this helps you some, talk to your husband too, involve him in this, he needs to be part of every bit of it, the last thing in the world you need is to be feeling alone at home with him.

Feel better soon, hon,

Shannon

No problem, Sassie that's what we are all here for, to support each other!

Yeah, the weight gain issue - only some drugs do it, namely Zyprexa, Risperdal, lithium and Depakote.   That's a reasonable assumption, someone who has never been overweight suddenly gains thirty pounds, but the others don't.  Seroquel has a very tiny possibility, but no one I know including myself has had a problem with it.  And you are sooooo right.  eating 2000 calories of healthy food won't put on weight like 2000 of junk and sweets.  It's a different metabolizing that goes on with those foods.  Short acting energy and faster to go to fat.  Also, EXERCISE!   No real weight loss without it, sorry, no getting around it.   Exellent for the moods, too.   If you can, if you have the leaden paralysis you just cant and I totally understand that.   I coudln't even get out of bed to take a wakl around the house, it was so hard I would literally be out of breath just walking from the bedroom to the kitchen.  Unbelieveable hell.   I am having a tiny bit of it lately, haven't been able to do but about 1/3 to 1/2 of my usual exercise, and have already lost muscle tone.  Usually I'm in bed by now, so I'm thankful that's all I have, thanks to Lamictal.  It will help pull you out when it gets higher dosage, although you may still have problems coming off the Effexor.  Still don't have any idea why your doc doubled the Lexapro, just trading one problem for the same. 

If it was me, personally I would find another doc!