Posted by Elaine on April 15, 1999, at 0:04:24
In reply to Re: bipolar NOS - Elaine, posted by Elizabeth on April 14, 1999, at 17:51:11
Hi, Elizabeth! Thanks for the info, I'll check out the site.
If I am not bipolar, unipolar depression seems like a possibility. You're right, though, a name is just a name, although one always hopes that a correct dx leads to correct tx. I would not call my anger "irritability". At its worst, I shake with intensity, feel like my face is burning up, and start feeling like I'm losing touch with myself. It happens rarely.
My pdoc and therapist both seem to accept non-response to ADs as something that helps to confirm a bipolar diagnosis. And my therapist is not a ready believer of a bipolar diagnosis. I think I have also read that at various sites. I am prescribed ADs when the depression becomes significant, but I believe mostly to augment the mood stabilizers rather than act on their own. Neurontin (gabapentin) is the latest, or one of the latest, in the series of anti-seizure meds being used for mood disorders. So, it should help both depression AND anxiety. I would say I have classic depressions, but the other end of the bipolar spectrum is the part that remains the mystery. If I haven't said it before, I am on Lithium, Neurontin and levoxyl. They seem to be working, so quite possibly the Lithium (Neurontin is too recent an addition to tell) has helped over time to even out my moods, including preventing those anger "flashes". My pdoc, by the way, told me Neurontin is supposed to help delay reactions and allow more appropriate responses, including those being worked on in therapy. In other words, it helps give you time to think about and hopefully practice behaviors being worked on with a therapist.
I'm pretty comfortable in saying I'm not bipolar III. It would be pretty difficult to accept becoming bipolar as the result of medications, rather than something like a chemical imbalance. It somehow would seem "not fair". Is there recovery from that type of bipolar? Are you now primarily depressed, or are you still subject to mania, full blown or not?
poster:Elaine
thread:4588
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19990501/msgs/4890.html