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medication for bipolar disorder

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Q: Why do my parents resist medication for bipolar disorder?
It seems like whenever I feel empty inside, I need medication. I have told my parents that maybe I should try meds for my disorder but they just tell me that they don’t trust pills like that. Why is this?

A: They may be afraid of some of the side-effects they’ve heard of, like increased suicide attempts, weight gain, etc. and don’t want to put you at risk.

They may also be afraid that you’ll decide your wellness depends on taking a pill and they may fear taking medication may set you up for a future drug problem (which bi-polar people are at risk for).

If you are currently seeing a therapist, then see if you can all sit down together with the therapist as a family to come up with a way to better manage your symptoms.

Since you cannot take meds, do know there are ways to alter your mood without drugs that work for a lot of people. Exercise is one of the best things you can do. Eating well can help as well. There are foods that help our moods – you can do a search on this via the internet. Also know that getting enough (but not too much) sleep is key for you as a bi-polar person. You might try charting your sleep and wake times and see if you find that your mood is better or worse based upon your sleep schedule.

I’ve parented two bi-polar children, and I know your life isn’t easy. Best of luck.

Q: Is there any medication for bipolar disorder?
I think i have moderate bipolar disorder. I am seeing a psychiatrist in June and was wondering if there is some kind of medication he can give me to keep my emotions under control. thanks

A: Eskalith… I tried the capsule kind, but I would swear by Eskalith 450 mg tabs It turned my life completely around. It’s like the tornado in your head finally lifts.

Abilify mentioned below was great for my son, but it made him shake so badly.

Q: Does the Army National Guard disqualify applicants who are on lifelong medication for bipolar disorder?
Thanks.
Well, if the applicant is treated with medication that gets rid of any major problems, what it the deal?

A: Bipolar disorder is an automatic disqualifier from serving in any branch of the armed forces. It sounds as if you have had good luck with your treatment..you have found meds that work and have accepted the fact that you need to stay on them to stay stable. However, not all bipolar individuals are so lucky. Additionally, the stress that often accompanies military service, along with the impossibility of maintaining your care with a single provider throughout your military career, increases the risk of problems arising. This can put both the person with bipolar and his fellow soldiers at risk. It is hard to understand when you are doing well, but it truly is meant to ensure that you continue to do well.

Q: is phentermine safe for someone on medication for bipolar disorder?
I am happy and healthy right now except for being moderately obese. I am 212 and 5 10. Size 16. I want to lose weight and have tried everything from starvation to being an exercise nut and NOTHING is helping. My sister took phentermine and is now a size 4. I want to take it too but because I am on abilify am scared to. I can not find any information on drug interactions for either medication that name each other as conflicting but just wondered if anyone has any additional information
Thanks in advance for serious polite answers.

A: DON’T MIX MEDS see Doctor before you do this could be dangerous

Q: Do doctors ever prescribe medications for bipolar disorder with a medication for depression/social anxiety?
I’m trying to figure out if I’m going for too much here. I’m already on medication for bipolar disorder and ADD, but I have a case of social anxiety that I know Zoloft will help me with. The only thing the bipolar disorder medication (supposedly) does is neutralize moods. I haven’t noticed a significant difference with this. Has anyone ever been on something like Depakote and been on an SSRI at the same time? Or would you think a doctor would recommend taking one or the other, but not both?

A: It is very common for a psychiatrist to prescribe multiple medications for bipolar disorder. An Anti depressant, a mood stabilizer and an anti psychotic. Talk to your doctor and let hi know that you are not seeing enough releif from your symptoms, maybe changing your current meds or adding a medication is what you need.

Q: Does anyone know of a medication for bipolar disorder that does not cause weight gain?
I’m either going to start an atypical anti psychotic or a mood stabilizer but I have a really hard time with weight gain already and struggle to lose weight so I need something will not make this worse, any suggestions??

A: If you are concerned about having weight gain due to medication, then you must explain your concerns to your health professional and request something that does not increase weight as a side effect. They are usually very sympathetic and there are always alternatives.
It is not a good idea to go to them and simply ask for xxx tablet.
Take care.

Q: Need info about bipolar disorder medication after Gastric bypass Surgery.?
What if a person with bipolar disorder has the gastric bypass surgery – does anyone know if there is an issue concerning medications and the ability to absorb them after the surgery? Has anyone had this problem? What medications work for people who have had the surgery – which mood stabilizers and what antidepressants work for people who don’t absorb much in their stomachs? Person I am worried about is unable to take the same meds as before and is having a terrible time so if anyone can help?
At the hospital they didn’t address this concern at all and the counseling they said they provided was nothing more than a poor question and answer waste of time. If you are considering the surgery please get counseling before hand so you are well prepared emotionally for the outcome – it’s alot harder to adjust than you realize and you need alot of support whether you have had psychological problems before or not.
THANKS
She already has had the surgery. And YES they will give the surgery to anyone who has the money and will get loans to those who don’t have the cash. Their mental eval took like 5 minutes and was worthless. Surgery was scheduled within 3 weeks of first phone call to the “hospital”.

A: They gave a person with a diagnosed mental illness a GB? I thought people had to have a full eval before-and mental illness was a bar to the surgery.

Q: bipolar disorder medication?
wat r sum good medications for bipolar disorder???

A: I take Effexor and Neurontin (mood stabilizer) and I have Trazodone at night for sleep.

I like my meds – no weight gain or neg sexual effects and that’s real important to me. Effexor is a SNRI not a SSRI. I’ve been stable for 8.6 years on them.

Zoloft is a good SSRI if you worry about weight gain, that and Effexor shouldn’t be prescribed for anorexics though..

Q: What is the best medication for bipolar disorder?

A: I would refer you to Jerod Poore’s www.crazymeds.us

There is no ‘best’ medication for bipolar, there is only the medication that works, and it is a trial and error process to find it.

The standard treatment for Bipolar is a mood stabilizing drug (sometimes called anti-epileptic) like lithium, lamictal or depakote. Frequently an antidepressant is added on to improve mood quality. The actual cocktail people finally end up on can vary widely, from one mood stabilizer like lithium, to four or five drugs. It depends on your individual situation and needs.

For normal manic/BP1, Lithium is always the best starting place. It may not work, but it’s a good place to start.
For BP2 or a BP with a lot of depression problems, lamictal (generic: lamotrigine) is a very good starting place.

There’s a movement lately to toss bipolar patients on atypical antipsychotic drugs like Zyprexa, Seroquel, Risperdal, Geodon and Abilify. This tends to have -very- poor results (on the whole, they do work for many people). These drugs are under patent and subject to a lot of marketing pressure. In my opinion, these are not first line drugs, and should not be tried until at least a few mood stabilizers have failed to work.

Q: Is there a way to manage Bipolar Disorder without medication?
I take 600mg of Seroquel and 1500mg of lithium each day for Bipolar Disorder. I’m tired of feeling like a zombie and my memory is shot. I just don’t like the way I feel anymore. My doctor says that this is the best drug combination for me. Any ideas anyone?

A: Whatever you don’t stop taking your meds. If you feel your current doctor isn’t meeting your needs then find another doctor. There are other medications out there that won’t make you feel bad.

Q: How do I deal with Bipolar Disorder without medication?
I am not sure I want to be tied down with medication for the rest of my life. I hate feeling fine one week and downhill the next. Help me please. I hate it!

A: Im bipolar and un-medicated.. It pretty much sucks and you hate your life, lol.. Seriously though, if you get on meds you will eventually have to change every so often just because your body gets used to it and it no longer works.. I’m only 18 and I’ve been on about 4 or 5 different meds since I was 16… but the meds to help to an extent.

Q: Any good advice on coping with bipolar disorder without medication?
I am currently going through a manic phase which I am enjoying and kind of using to my advantage. However I am afraid I will be encountering depression soon and don’t want to deal with it. Does anyone have any advice on what I can do to level myself out? I know caffeine is bad for me right now but I crave it to keep me happy.

A: The only way to cope with bipolar disorder (either manic or depressed state) is to be on medication which is prescribed by a psychiatrist.

It is fruitless to believe that you will be able to control a manic symptom and then control a totally depressed state in which you might attempt suicide.

If you have known that you are bipolar you should get in touch with your psychiatrist so that they will be able to help you get down. Many times you feel as if you can accomplish anything that you attempt when you are in a manic state, but the truth is that even though you think you have done a great job in reality it has been completed in a scattered manner and not as good as you thought it was.

I have experienced manic attacks where I felt that I could accomplish anything that I attempted to perform. I later found out that the results were not even done properly and needed to be done all over again by the person who was closed enough or even jeopardize your job due to the way it was done.

Please do not waste any time in obtaining help.

Q: Decreased sex drive/libido on medication for bipolar disorder?
Please unless you know anything about these medications and bipolar disorder please don’t answer. Lately within the last 6 months I have started to feel virtually no sexual attraction towards my boyfriend of 3 years.I am bipolar. I am still young, 22 and even just a year ago I was extremely attracted to him. It is not because we went past that “romantic stage”, we had already done that after the first year. I’m not depressed or manic at the current moment I take 5 medications: Effexor XR(75mg), Zoloft(100mg), Lithobid(300mg), and Lamictal (100). I am on two antidepressants and two mood stabilizers. The intention is to wean off one anti depressant and one mood stabilizer. My doctor wanted me on backup meds just in caused an episode. Our relationship is great, nothing wrong there. Are any of these medications kind of notorious for suppressing libido? I am only on 300mg of lithobid which is a very small amount for a bipolar patient. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks

A: your feeling run down as these drugs will do. But these drugs are addressing the more immediate problems for your health, this is just a side affect. You will have to accept this or try to move on. Do you feel anything anyone else?. probably not. IT is a stage that might pass.

Q: i’m afraid of how medication for bipolar disorder will affect me… are there other options?
i was diagnosed as bipolar over five years ago. it’s been a rollercoaster but i spend much more time in my manic stage (which i mostly enjoy) than my depressed cycle. i stopped therepy a while ago when they started talking about medication. i am not a big fan of western medecine as it has killed off more people i know than anything else combined. are there any alternatives to lend more balance to myself?

A: Medication is the only therapy that has consistently shown improvement in bipolar patients. Theoretically there are natural remedies, but they’re more risky because they’re not regulated. Bipolar disorder is believed to be caused in part by a chemical imbalance in the brain, so chemicals (medication) are necessary to balance that back out. It is your choice to not take medication, but you can expect your mood episodes to become more frequent and more severe.

Q: What should my friend do since he has no health insurance and needs medication for his bipolar disorder?
My friend was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and adhd. His family is kinda poor so he doesn’t have any health insurance.Its starting to affect his schooling and also almost every other part of his life. Does anyone know were he can go or what the best advise is for him?

A: possess as much information as you could maybe is one of the options,however it is quite time consuming,here

www.HealthInsuranceIdeas.info

is the resource i have ever had good experience.

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