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shutterbug · 10-04-2008, 03:57 PM

Welcome to the forum Sunflower!

Effexor and Lamictal seem to be the best combo for me. Once my insurance gets straightened back out...I'll be back to:

-- Lamictal 200 mg
-- Effexor 300 mg
-- Welbutrin 150 mg or 300 mg (depending)
-- Provigil 200 (as needed, which is most days, to help keep my fatigue/low energy at bay)
-- a 'one a day women's' multi-vitamin
-- and Deplin (a prescription that is suppose to act like 'food' for the anti-depressants to make them work better....i'm not sold on it, i just take it b/c it hasn't had any negative affects and my pdoc wants me on it so...i am)

Unfortunately, I've come to believe that Bipolar II is the hardest mental illness to treat. Bipolar I, is pretty easy to treat with mood stabalizers....but that's IF the person will take their meds and most don't want to or simply refuse. Same with schizophrenia...hard to keep them on their meds.

Us...well, we take our meds and constantly try different meds one after the other in search of something that will work. I don't believe there are currently any meds that truely work for bipolar II. By nature, we swing back up from our depressions eventually....so some docs with mistakenly think they found 'the magic combo' for the individual. But that's nonsense in my book.

For me....meds/therapy/everything else is only an attempt to TRY and minimize the affects of this illness on our lives, but the ONLY thing that has ever truely RELIEVED my illness completely was ECT (electroconvulsive therapy) -- but only relieves the illness temporarily and after my 10th shock treatment i started having memory issues. I'm still thankful for the 23 total I rec'd, i just wished the wonderful affects the shock treatments lasted longer.

So....i'm to the point where somehow...i'm trying to make myself come to terms with how miserable much of the rest of my life will be.

---
sorry i couldn't be more optimistic or anything for you in this post, but this is how things are from my self-education and life experiences to this point.

welcome and please feel free to share any and all stories and/or struggles that are on your mind. This is an awsome site of support.

hugs,
Jenna

10-04-2008, 03:57 PM	#4 (permalink)
shutterbug A picture's worth a 1000 words Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: With any luck, I'm lost in a view finder Posts: 2,957	Welcome to the forum Sunflower! Effexor and Lamictal seem to be the best combo for me. Once my insurance gets straightened back out...I'll be back to: -- Lamictal 200 mg -- Effexor 300 mg -- Welbutrin 150 mg or 300 mg (depending) -- Provigil 200 (as needed, which is most days, to help keep my fatigue/low energy at bay) -- a 'one a day women's' multi-vitamin -- and Deplin (a prescription that is suppose to act like 'food' for the anti-depressants to make them work better....i'm not sold on it, i just take it b/c it hasn't had any negative affects and my pdoc wants me on it so...i am) Unfortunately, I've come to believe that Bipolar II is the hardest mental illness to treat. Bipolar I, is pretty easy to treat with mood stabalizers....but that's IF the person will take their meds and most don't want to or simply refuse. Same with schizophrenia...hard to keep them on their meds. Us...well, we take our meds and constantly try different meds one after the other in search of something that will work. I don't believe there are currently any meds that truely work for bipolar II. By nature, we swing back up from our depressions eventually....so some docs with mistakenly think they found 'the magic combo' for the individual. But that's nonsense in my book. For me....meds/therapy/everything else is only an attempt to TRY and minimize the affects of this illness on our lives, but the ONLY thing that has ever truely RELIEVED my illness completely was ECT (electroconvulsive therapy) -- but only relieves the illness temporarily and after my 10th shock treatment i started having memory issues. I'm still thankful for the 23 total I rec'd, i just wished the wonderful affects the shock treatments lasted longer. So....i'm to the point where somehow...i'm trying to make myself come to terms with how miserable much of the rest of my life will be. --- sorry i couldn't be more optimistic or anything for you in this post, but this is how things are from my self-education and life experiences to this point. welcome and please feel free to share any and all stories and/or struggles that are on your mind. This is an awsome site of support. hugs, Jenna __________________ I'M FINE!! Fanatically Insecure Neuratic & Emotional Bipolar/Depression support: 1-800-950-NAMI(6264).