Treatment for bipolar II

[sunflower1776]

I have lived (or suffered with) depression for years, diagnosed and started treatment in 2001 but had it for years before that. I've been on a number of anti-depressants but after 6 months they always seemed to fail me. A few years ago I started seeing a new doc who told me I was bipolar II--I said yea, right--I wish I was then I'd have the manic episodes and actually get some stuff done during the day! She started me on a different antidepressant and lamictal. Over the last two years she has changed the anti-depressant several times and kept wanting to add different meds, but I think I was in denial. I have a lot of education in the mental health field, and I really didn't believe I was bipolar.

Anyway, currently I'm on effexor 150mg daily, lamictal 200mg daily, abilify 2mg daily. I'm also dual-diagnosis--bipolar and substance abuse. I recently (this month) went through detox for opiate abuse. For the last year at least I know that my symptoms and frequent depressive episodes were caused by my pill use, so I know that I wasn't appropriately being treated--it was my fault. This week I started seeing a different psychiatrist, and he said I should in no way be on an anti-depressant and he couldn't believe I had been on one in so long. Also, because of the wt gain with abilify, he wants to take me off that as well and start me on Geodon. Is anyone here on Geodon? Has anyone been on abilify and prefer one over the other? The research I've done shows that lamictal is a good drug, so I'm going to stay on that. Unfortunately we can't change my meds around right now because we have to get me stable from the pill use/withdrawal. Any advice or suggestions greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[nandm]

Welcome to our mental health forum!

I have also been diagnosed as BP II. I was diagnosed with depression for many years prior to that. In some ways I have to agree that I fit the diagnosis as in the insane spending sprees, the deep and hard to treat depressions, etc... Today though I sometimes wonder if it is actually the PTSD that is causing the symptoms as the more I learn of PTSD the more I see many similarities that can happen in the symptoms of the two. For now though I will continue to let them treat the BP II as it does seem to help, at least it keeps the depression at bay for the most part. I start working with a PTSD specialist this next week. I was not able to make it to my first appt with her today.

You might consider joining those of us in the BP town thread as it is a place where many of us get together socialize, vent, encourage, and just in general connect to each other.

[sunflower1776]

Nandm--I too have thought maybe I was more PTSD than bipolar, but just like most mental health illnesses, I think we get a stereotype in our head of what a 'typical' person with that illness is like, and I don't feel I'm "like them". However, I have had things in my life that could potentially result in PTSD. However, treatment is basically the same as far as medication goes, so I'm not sure how much the diagnosis matters except the stigma that comes from our unfriendly society when it comes to mental health. I hope you the best with the specialist--I'd be interested in hearing how it goes!

[shutterbug]

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

[historyteach]

Take a look at the sticky above from the NY Times.
And also this one:
Bipolar II, Mood Swings without Mania; Brain Tours; Stress and Depression; Hormones and Mood; and more...
There's lots of great information at both.

Best of luck! Let us know how it goes. We care!

Shalom!