Posted by EmilyAnn on July 3, 2002, at 21:55:45
In reply to Re: Did anyone get my post?, posted by cybercafe on July 3, 2002, at 16:41:18
>
> Hi, I read your message, but I don't consider myself qualified to prescribe medication.
**Thank you for responding. I understand that you (and others) are not able to prescribe medication. However, my experience (and that of others I have spoken to) has shown me that too often Doctors do not take into account the patient's situation. For example, sometimes they deal with every BPII case the same as if out of a textbook rather than looking at the individual. So, I am hoping that I can get advice here...like what has worked for others. That kind of thing.I'm not sure what augmentation therapy is. So, I probably didn't try it! I've been in therapy since I was 14. I found a therapist (finally) that helped me, but I cannot pay for the sessions and my insurance benefits have run out for the year.
As for symptoms. Depression is my main problem. My lows are incredible bad. Effexor XR, I must admit, did help a little. I was able to function a bit better on it; however, it stopped working all together. My mania (hypomania) manifests as severe anxiety and irritability, inability to fall asleep, waking up early in the morning and not being able to fall back to sleep, irresponsible behavior, etc... I am able to control my behaviors a bit more. I think the recovery program I am in for alcoholism helps a great deal with that. But, the depression is the most debilitating aspect of my illness. It's hard to even get out of bed anymore. Even more difficult to leave the house. Often I do not go out as to avoid having a low or an anxiety problem in public, because it is embarrasing to have something wrong with you all the time.
High dose of Effexor and adding Buspar (for anxiety...I was also taking Depakote at the time) drove me into the worst anxiety attach of my life. It was the worst mania too. I'm not sure what casued it...the increased Effexor or the Buspar or both because my old psych. said to make both changes at the same time.
So now, I'm taking Welbutrin SR again. I took it before and it did not help at all (0%). So I just want to know what has worked with others so in case this does not work (again), I can discuss it with my new psych.
Hope that answers your questions. Thank you so much for taking the time to write me.
-Bernadette
> It's also really important to have a good idea of someone's full symptomology first.
>
> What I can tell you is that there are many, many treatments you have not yet explored.. totally different classes of drugs with totally different mechanisms of action.
>
> .. for example.. when you say that drugs did not work... do you mean that you had a 0% response, or closer to 80%?
> Obviously if it's a 0% response, augmentation therapy is not as good an idea as if you had a 80% response...
>
> I didn't respond well to SSRIs (agitation) or 100% to Effexor XR (but it still did quite a bit of good...) ...
>
> Now I'm on Parnate with some Gabapentin thrown in to control the anxiety + agitation + insomnia + possible hypomania
>
> But I'm BP II, primarily depressive ....
>
> What was your biggest complaint? Depression?
> Did the SSRIs send you into (hypo)mania, or just not work at all?
poster:EmilyAnn
thread:111312
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020628/msgs/111338.html