Posted by katia on May 22, 2004, at 14:51:14
In reply to Re: New to Board: Frustrated with Lamictal » katia, posted by BarbaraCat on May 21, 2004, at 19:51:01
A friend of mine is taking Zyprexa (or was). I saw him at a party two weeks ago and I thought "god he is acting very strange - soooo intense over the top not making sense looks aged, etc. He's always been a wild card, in and out of rehabs, arrested for drugs, always has something business like going on and is still successful regardless of his criminal/drug record. I asked his cousin, "what's wrong w/ ****? "Oh, didn't he tell you about his spiritual awakening of his heart chakra two weeks ago?" Uh oh. Oh boy.
Thirty minutes into the party, it hit me. "my God, **** is manic!". I need to ask him if he's ever considered that he might be bipolar. But self-disclosure is yet another characteristic of mania. And so during the party he announces, after having been asked if he talked to his father lately (just conversation stuff), he replies, "My Dad's just worried if I'm taking my meds! I apparently got this bipolar dx a couple weeks ago and I agreed to take this zylexa (zyprexa) stuff for ONE week and then stop to show them I'm not. I finally feel good after been depressed all my life and they're trying to medicate me! I've had a spiritual awakening and I don't need medication!" blah blah blah. It was classic. It was so classic that I questioned my own BP dx because this was a classic bipolar case. He wasn't sleeping without xanax and only little then even on zyprexa. he was drinking like a fish saying it helped calm him down.
Anyway, it was interesting to see such a classic case with regard to symptoms, behavior, denial etc.. I talked to him til the morning hours about my past year and dx. he's very adament about not taking meds, he quit Zyprexa and he said "see! I feel even better now w/o it! more energy, etc.". He's still swinging up and he's making not a lot of sense. I could see the faces of the people at the party when he was talking w/ them - strained, tense, wanting to get away, not understanding. It's awful to see and he doesn't realize and won't listen to me or anyone. The best thing I can do and have done is tell him "if it is bipolar, what goes up will come down and it's a scary transition and call me if you need to talk". But of course, he's just calling me to talk talk talk about everything and is exhausting me!anyway sorry to go on. But i was really curious why the dr. had him take zyprexa to start and not lithium?
Would you take zyprexa if you start to go into a mixed state? I still take Seroquel every night for sleep; not trying to give it up anytime soon.
It works! and i'm sleeping and can't go back to insomnia thank you very much!
Barb-go to that website and start there for info. That's all i have as well.
Keep in touch.
Katia
poster:katia
thread:238206
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040521/msgs/349676.html