Posted by spike4848 on December 15, 2001, at 7:58:47
In reply to Re: Unipolar vs. Bipolar » spike4848, posted by JohnX2 on December 15, 2001, at 7:22:18
Here are some answer to you questions .....
> Hi Spike,
>
> Usually bipolars require a mood stabilizer
> or low dose anti-psychotic to get a consistent
> response. With just an anti-depressant things
> can be erratic.
>
> What are your symptoms?no energy, no appetite, mental slowing, no interest in my old hobbies-just go to work and then home to bed, but I am on klonopin 1 mg/day. When I try to come off the klonopin, I get panicky, diarrhea, nausea.
On nardil, I have much more energy, am able to socialize and just jump back into life. I notice that I am able to approach women easily and participate at work. I don't know if this is normal or hypomania. At work, if I am over scheduled I get agitated ... but I think everyone else at work does too!
>Have you had panic attacks?
I had 3 attack 7 years ago and then started on klonopin. Before that I alway had irritable bowel and was extremely shy and nervous around people.
>What were your "minimal" responses to the other >SSRIs,etc like?
My energy level went from 0/10 to 2/10 .... I would go to work and may have energy to cook dinner, maybe watch a movie ... then straight to bed. Still felt extremely depressed though.
> One of the more "in" choices for tricky to
> treat bipolar depression is Lamictal, and it
> is one of the few mood stabilizers also being
> used to treat depression.I tried lamictal for 8 weeks up to 400 mg/day - had minimal response .... still moderately depressed and extremely anxious
> Low doses of the anti-psychotics like zyprexa
> can be augmented to SSRIs, etc to treat bipolar.
> This is a more recent approach as people generally
> have used anti-convulsants like Depakote,Tegetrol etc.
>
> Getting a good diagnosis of bipolar vs unipolar
> is very important. Otherwise if you are bipolar
> and not on a mood stabilizer or anti psychotic, then
> the anti-depressant will likely cause erratic results.
> Speaking directly from experience.
>
> -John
>
> > Need advice. I am 30 yo male with depression and panic disorder. I had minimal response to tca's and ssri's, but good response to nardil. My father is bipolar and mother unipolar with panic.
> >
> > Is my failure to tca/ssri, response to nardil, family history an indicator that I am really soft bipolar? Am I making my condition worse by continuing nardil?
> >
> > Spike
poster:spike4848
thread:86943
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20011213/msgs/86968.html