Posted by GeoffW on April 15, 2002, at 12:41:26
In reply to cyclothemia (I messed up above posts) Geoff, posted by polarbear206 on April 15, 2002, at 10:01:38
> > Hi My name is Geoff, I'm early 40s and live in the UK. I have what I think is cyclothymia, and have had it since my teens. The only treatment I am given at the moment is 20mg of fluoxetine (generic name for our old friend Prozac). ... Hope this helps. Would be happy to hear more about your own experiences.
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> Geoff,
> Hi! I also suffer from a mild form of bipolar disorder. You need to explore mood stablizers to find some balance in your life. Antidepressants used alone or in high doses can EXACERBATE your mood cycle. A good book to read is "Why your depression isn't getting better" By Michael R. Bartos MD. It's about the epidemic of undiagnosed bipolar spectrum disorders. I have been like this since my son was born 13 years ago. I also had some mild depression as a teen. I tried Lithium and Depakote in the past and didn't work out. I'm on Lamictal now and it's working very well!! There are very well educated people on this board who can give you good advice. I'm positive that you will find the right cocktail of meds to find peace and balance with your life!! I'm also 41 and a psychiatric nurse of all things. I feel very passionate about proper diagnosis and treatment. Educate yourself about your illness as much as possible. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Laura.Thanks for all those helpful comments. I do try and educate myself although it's hard to keep it going without some support, and when you assume the doctors know better than you do...
I've never heard of Lamictal until now, that is presumably a brand name and it may be sold under a different one here in the UK so I'll have to find out. I'll also get hold of that book. Thanks again, GeoffW
poster:GeoffW
thread:9730
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020408/msgs/103138.html