Posted by Elizabeth on August 17, 2001, at 14:42:39
In reply to Re: Recurrent unipolar vs bipolar, posted by akc on August 17, 2001, at 8:13:26
> I have no problem believing this -- I at one point was working towards a phd in mathematics, but couldn't hack it, so stopped at a master's and went on to become a dreaded lawyer!
The "take the Master's and run" strategy. < g > I've known a few people who were math majors and then went on to law school.
> This is a point I have been trying to get across to my treatment "team" (my therapist, pdoc and then two therapist that lead my group therapy) this week.
Wow, you have quite an entourage there.
> We have taken away all my bad tools -- but I have these episodes that are so painful and I just don't have the strength to get through them any more.
But as long as your behaviour is "good," you can be suffering a great deal and it doesn't matter to treaters? (No, of course I'm not bitter. :-) )
> And I am certain that I haven't seen the last of them. Now I am still at the tail-end of one, so my thinking is not the most rational, but the thought of just enduring another episode is just too much.
I know what you mean.
> > I think that's a travesty. They shouldn't discriminate like that.
> >
>
> Don't get me started. If I ever get my strength up, this is my mission in life, I believe.A good cause to take on.
> > What do you feel that each of these medications is doing for you?
> >
>
> Good question. In all honesty, I am not sure most days. I would say the effexor is helping my depression, but then I keep having these horrible depressive episodes. Same thing with the lithium, which is also suppose to be helping with my agitated states (what my pdoc would label my "manias" -- it has taken me a while to accept this bipolar diagnosis).I'm not convinced that agitated depression constitutes mania for treatment purposes. I'm definitely unipolar, but I've had periods of depression when I was quite agitated (and various mood stabilisers didn't help, BTW). If you are having some kind of mixed state, I think the anticonvulsants are actually preferred over lithium.
> I know the trazadone does help me with my sleep when I am having problems, though I fight what dose to take. I have to be careful of not taking too much and oversedating myself for the next day.
Heh. I found that trazodone was of no use for chronic insomnia: I got up to about 400 mg (due to tolerance) before I gave up on it.
> The seroquel has helped with some of the distorted thinking. I had great success with zyprexa with that -- but at a high cost -- I gained 70 pounds in a matter of a few months.
(Oof.) What sort of distorted thinking do you mean? I found that neuroleptics just made me feel more tired and anergic.
If Seroquel doesn't work out, you might try Geodon. That seems to be giving some people good success.
> To early to tell what the topamax is going to do.
It might help with the weight thing, at least!
> One other thing -- because I have had repeated crises since I have been with this doctor, we have never had me at a steady state for any length of time to really be able to tell what any med is really doing. I will get a few weeks where I am doing well, then crash and burn. So I have had repeated med adjustments, changes, etc. Sigh.
That sounds awful. I can see where a pdoc would get the idea that you're bipolar: it sounds like you're cycling.
> Thanks for your response. I smiled to see you are a math nerd (said with all lovingness). There are not many around!
Nerd pride!
-elizabeth
poster:Elizabeth
thread:74539
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010814/msgs/75412.html