Hi Everyone,
I need some help. My wonderful wife of 20 years was diaganosed as being borderline bi polar 12 years ago after my youngest daughter was born. First she was diagnosed as post partum depression, but after a few months of therapy and medication changing it was found to be a mild form of being bi polar. The doctor finally settled on Cymbalta as the best way to treat her and for 10 years it worked fine. about 6 weeks ago she decided to quit smoking and went to our family doctor who proceeded to prescribe Chantax. Unknown to me my wife stopped taking the Cymbalta about 4 weeks before starting the Chantax. This drug changed my loving caring wife into somone I don't know. The changes started off slow, almost like she was really happy like before she was diagnosed with depression. It continued to progress into a very bad manic stage. She started to not come home from work, started shopping 3-4 times a week. This woman always HATED to shop. progressed to staying out in bars after work and forgetting to pick up our daughter after a soccer game. The woman whos life centerd on her family and kids now only cares about what she wants. She's happiest doing what she wants, when she wants and how she wants. I finally spoke to our family doctor and he told me to take the Chantrax away from her and contact her Psychologist.
I prompty called him and told him what was going on and was told there wasn't mach I could do as long as she wasn't a danger to herself. I couldn't force her to keep her appts with him. After a week of begging her to take her meds, and watching her behavior get more and more erratic I was at my wits end. She refused to take her Cymbalta, or see her doctor. She was telling her 15 year old daughter she could not be counted on any more. She raised her kids and now it was "Mommy Time" . This is who she is and we better get used to it.Seeing my daughters heart broken and the utter lack of remorse from my wife I am beside myself. I tried to get some Cymbalta into her, a quarter dose, maybe 30 grains from one capsule, through her morning tea, hoping it would help her start to regain some type of common sense. As she finished her tea she saw some of the Cymbalta in the bottom of her cup and became livid with me. Accusing me of trying to drug her. I cried my heart out, explaining why she had to take her meds, and how it was ruining our family. She would not listen to a word I had to say. It has gotton soooo bad now she asked me to leave our home. All our friends nad family have tried to explain to her I did what I did out of Love, fear and desparation. She won't hear it. Does ANYONE have any suggestions? i don't want to lose the love of my life over this. How can I make what I did better? Please help.
HeartBroken in Pennsylvania