Posted by Viridis on December 26, 2003, at 2:41:07
In reply to Best Approach for Bipolars, posted by Mr. Scott on December 23, 2003, at 23:33:47
I don't have an "official" diagnosis of BP, but it's pretty obvious to me that I fall into the "BP II" part of the spectrum. My pdoc chooses not to diagnose me this way (instead I'm ADD with major depression and panic disorder), but he agrees that many others would treat me as bipolar II.
SSRIs are awful for me and promote rapid cycling and anxiety at any dose, Wellbutrin was a disaster, and Strattera just stopped working after a promising start. Provigil was somewhat helpful and I may try it again. I used Neurontin for quite a while and it simply stopped having any effect after the first few doses. I refuse to try Depakote or lithium. I do quite well with daily Klonopin and occasional Xanax, plus daily Adderall, so these are my current maintenance meds.
On my next visit, I'm going to ask for Lamictal (which I know he'll be willing to prescribe; we've already discussed it), and also cautiously test the waters with opiates. These work extremely well for mood stabilization for me, but I really doubt I can get a prescription for psychiatric purposes (even though dentists etc. have given me lots for pain management, and the mood stabilization benefits have been dramatic).
I'll keep you posted on how this all works out.
poster:Viridis
thread:293032
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20031225/msgs/293467.html