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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 17 of 17. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by alfbarks007 on January 28, 2014, at 10:57:51
So my experiment with Risperdal was doing good till I went from .25 to .37 trying to go up to .50 for better relief of anxiety. The higher I tried to go the more I started having some vision problems like jiggy lines sorta like migraine patternes that I get so stopped taking it about a week ago. I thankfully as of yet anyways had no withdrawls so am happy with that.
sadly though and expectedly I have had a return of my symptoms which are anger/mood things easily irritated, impatient, intolerant, blowups, etc..so now I need to find something else that may help.
I DO have a SEIZURE disorder so need something with the LEAST amount of seizure reactions. I don't want an antiseizure med at all! I have some seizurs from provoking factors of strobe light thingys like trees passing through the sun ceiling fans, etc..I've not had a seizure since 194 just from avoiding the triggers so that is why I don't want a seizure med.
Does anyone have any thoughts on something that might be new without this risk? Maybe there is something being overlooked from both my Dr. and me and the good ole internet.
Please if anyone has some thoughts on this please let me know even supplements that may help me! After having been so calm for about 3 weeks this is just an awful feeling to come back to and I don't want it anymore..
thank you if you have even read this far.
Posted by Phillipa on January 28, 2014, at 11:42:07
In reply to Risper or Invega, posted by alfbarks007 on January 28, 2014, at 10:57:51
Klonopin can also act as anti-seizure and also anxiety? Phillipa
Posted by alfbarks007 on January 28, 2014, at 13:28:48
In reply to Re: Risper or Invega » alfbarks007, posted by Phillipa on January 28, 2014, at 11:42:07
my problem is not so much anxiety as it is the moods. I have taken klonopin several years ago and never liked it but I truly appreciate your thoughts.
Posted by phidippus on January 28, 2014, at 16:03:17
In reply to Risper or Invega, posted by alfbarks007 on January 28, 2014, at 10:57:51
>I have had a return of my symptoms which are anger/mood things easily irritated, impatient, intolerant, blowups, etc..so now I need to find something else that may help.
What are you diagnosed with? Are you bipolar?
>I don't want an antiseizure med at all!
Why is that?
> Does anyone have any thoughts on something that might be new without this risk?
Risk of what?
I hate to say it, if you're bipolar, besides Lithium, your choice of a mood stabilizer is going to be limited to anti-convulsants. If you're trying to treat mood problems with an anti-psychotic you're going to run into problems.
Eric
Posted by alfbarks007 on January 28, 2014, at 16:50:18
In reply to Re: Risper or Invega » alfbarks007, posted by phidippus on January 28, 2014, at 16:03:17
I do not want anti seizure meds because I know the risk is high for withdrawl seizure if it does not work out.
I have not been officially diagnosed bipolar because current Dr. does not "want to label me" but 3 other dr.s over the years have said I am bipolar 2 so its really a guessing game.
I don't want to take them first line of antipsychotics because they increase seizure risk while the newere atypical ones are less likely too,
I was taking Risperdal .25 mgs for about 3 weeks and had WONDERFUL results and I didn't want to stop it AT ALL!
wHEN I tried to increase to .50 and then I started having side effects like flash bursts when outside. Now I'm considering going back on just at the .25 but was looking at other options which there doesn't seem to be.
Antipsychotics are prescribed a lot for bipolar, anxiety, moods and of course schizophrenic, autism and I forgot what else but definitely it is to help bipolar 2 but not sure of bipolar 1 so yah I am witness that it does help with bipolar mood/anger because I was a totally different person just after about 2 days on that med and my mind was quiet and all the opposites of what I posted above...
Posted by phidippus on January 28, 2014, at 20:08:20
In reply to Re: Risper or Invega » phidippus, posted by alfbarks007 on January 28, 2014, at 16:50:18
> I do not want anti seizure meds because I know the risk is high for withdrawl seizure if it does not work out.
You can always try Lithium, but at the risk of making your seizures worse. Lithium will help with the irritability and the other manic symptoms you suffer-those that the risperdal helped with.
The risk for a withdrawal seizure is not worse than the symptoms you seek to treat. If you have to stop the anti-convulsant, just taper off over a long period of time and you'll reduce the risk of a seizure.
You have plenty to try: Depakote, Trileptal, Carbamazapine, Lamictal, Neurontin, Lyrica...
> I have not been officially diagnosed bipolar
because current Dr. does not "want to label me"He's doing you a diservice. Its good to get a diagnosis so proper treatment can be outlined.
>but 3 other dr.s over the years have said I am bipolar 2 so its really a guessing game.
Its no guessing game if 3 doctors have already diagnosed you as Bipolar II-just because your current doctor isn't giving you a diagnosis doesn't mean it rules out Bipolar II.
>I was taking Risperdal .25 mgs for about 3 weeks and had WONDERFUL results and I didn't want to stop it AT ALL!The Risperdal was working to treat the manic symptoms of your disorder.
>was looking at other options which there doesn't seem to be.
There are plenty of options: mood stabilizers and other atypicals.
Eric
Posted by alfbarks007 on January 28, 2014, at 21:21:59
In reply to Re: Risper or Invega » alfbarks007, posted by phidippus on January 28, 2014, at 20:08:20
thank you Eric as you have laid things out very nicely. I guess I wonder about the bipolar 2 diagnoses because I do not get manic like you hear about people spending money wild sex fast talking euphoria and things of that manic type stuff, I've never been there at all. My main issues are my moods like irritableness, anger, distance, moody and things of that type of nature so I really don't know. Ive read these exact same things about hypoglycemia and I've been hungry during these episodes then ate and felt better but my blood sugar has never been low during these times but I have been hungry so I wonder if that is a connection. My main goal is trying to keep on top of eating real good just so I can rule out that possibility and so far it is a bit better but I am still edgy a lot. I miss the Risperdal and the way it made me feel but I'm just scared to go back on it now.
Posted by phidippus on January 29, 2014, at 15:03:57
In reply to Re: Risper or Invega » phidippus, posted by alfbarks007 on January 28, 2014, at 21:21:59
People with a Bipolar II diagnosis don't experience the extreme manias people with Bipolar I disorder experience. Bipolar II sufferers mainly experience hypomania, which is characterized by irritability, lapse in judgement, anger, impulsive behavior-basically low highs.
Why are you scared to go back on the Risperdal?
Eric
Posted by alfbarks007 on January 29, 2014, at 15:40:41
In reply to Re: Risper or Invega » alfbarks007, posted by phidippus on January 29, 2014, at 15:03:57
well that absolutely sounds just like me sad to say. I've done so much research on bipolar 2 though and while I've seen these symptoms as bipolar 2 I've also seen the other ones as part of it so maybe I just have half bipolar 2 like 2.5 or 1.5 or something werid like that.
The reason I am afraid to go back on Risperdal is because of the seizure risk. I've had seizures before but from strobe light thingys and so I know my threshold is already lowered from that and that Risperdal would lower it even more and that terrifies me! I don't want to risk having one and I would be so afraid to go out like I do now for fear of my threshold being lowered I would always be paranoid.
I've been off it for about 6/7 days now and I can feel a mean ole return of my symptoms and I hate it I absolutely hate it. I've been working on bills today and so frustrated with me where as I was just going through the motions of it all on Risperdal undaunted by problems that came up with them or anything for that matter. I still got flustered of course at things but was able to walk away but I don't know why off the meds I cannot walk away instead I fight it till I get it done and that is when the phones start flying lol seriously though...
Posted by phidippus on January 29, 2014, at 17:12:09
In reply to Re: Risper or Invega » phidippus, posted by alfbarks007 on January 29, 2014, at 15:40:41
> maybe I just have half bipolar 2 like 2.5 or 1.5 or something werid like that.
Haha. Unfortunately their only 2 types of Bipolar disorder listed in the DSM - I and II.
> The reason I am afraid to go back on Risperdal is because of the seizure risk.
I really think you should try out an anticonvulsant with mood stabilizing properties.
>I've had seizures before but from strobe light thingys
Do you have occipital lobe epilepsy?
>Risperdal would lower it even more and that terrifies me!
.25 of Risperdal is not going to lower your threshold very much.
>I can feel a mean ole return of my symptoms and I hate it I absolutely hate it.
Please try an anticonvulsant with mood stabilizing pproperties.
Eric
Posted by alfbarks007 on January 29, 2014, at 18:45:19
In reply to Re: Risper or Invega » alfbarks007, posted by phidippus on January 29, 2014, at 17:12:09
so I looked up again some bipolar symptoms and I just don't fit the criteria on most of it. I did find some "mood disorder" stuff that maybe I fit better.
The eeg"s I've had had all shown "normal" so I've been diagnosed as seizures with provoking factors because I've had 3 and they were all due to strobe light effects like the sun filtering through the trees. I always had the aura before each one and I also get aura before a migraine and that scares me too because I wonder what is really coming! I have been on dilation, phenobarbital and Depakote over the years and when they didn't work out I was terrified of withdrawal seizure so it was a no win win there. I guess I just need to think about the Risperdal a bit more.
Posted by phidippus on January 30, 2014, at 15:17:49
In reply to Re: Risper or Invega, posted by alfbarks007 on January 29, 2014, at 18:45:19
From the DSM-IV, diagnostic manual of mental disorders:
Hypomania is characterized by euphoria and/or an irritable mood. In order for an episode to qualify as hypomanic, the individual must also present THREE OR MORE of the following symptoms:
Grandiosity
Decreased need for sleep
Increased talkativeness
Racing thoughts
Distractibility
Overactivity, especially in goal-directed areas
Psychomotor agitation
Excessive participation in risky behaviors, such as hypersexuality
If you don't experience any off those, than you probably haven't had a hypomanic state.I'm just concerned about your irritability.
You've tried some old school anti-epileptics. Why not try some of the newer drugs like Trileptal or Keppra-more effective with less side effects.
Eric
Posted by alfbarks007 on January 30, 2014, at 16:41:58
In reply to Re: Risper or Invega » alfbarks007, posted by phidippus on January 30, 2014, at 15:17:49
You know while it seems my most prominent symptom is being snappy or irritable it is or can be followed by these mood/anger outbursts that I've gotten better control of since I've been eating a ketogenic diet, low carb high fat.
About 4/5 years ago my daughter was on meth and lost custody of her 3 kids ages, 2,5 and 8. We took the kids in and I was not prepared mentally or emotionally to raise 3 young kids for over a year. I believe it was during that time that I got this way out of frustration and anger of having this situation to deal with and have had to watch them almost daily sense while she went to school and now that they are in school they are here daily and sometimes at night when mom works early morning so I am always watching them and even on her days off they come here after school till she gets here or she comes by with the baby to use my computer so never really a break and it gets really stressful.
I didn't mean to spill my whole life story but just saying that that may be where it all stems from and not sure about before but I've had the anger/mood issues as long as I can remember.
I will talk to the psych nurse about these two meds but from what I've learned that Depakote is the main drug to take for my type of seizures.
Are you a Dr. or just someone quite well informed about all this. No one else has stepped in with any advice and I feel like I'm taking up a lot of your time but I'm so very greatful for your advice and your help...you have no idea how greatful I am!
Posted by phidippus on January 30, 2014, at 18:07:22
In reply to Re: Risper or Invega » phidippus, posted by alfbarks007 on January 30, 2014, at 16:41:58
>I've been eating a ketogenic diet, low carb high fat.
The jury is still out on whether specialized diets can make any impact on psychological health.
>I believe it was during that time that I got this way out of frustration and anger
Stress can do that to a person. Would you say you suffer a lot of anxiety?
>I've had the anger/mood issues as long as I can >remember.
Describe your mood issues? Do you become depressed?
>I've learned that Depakote is the main drug to take for my type of seizures.There are plenty of other anticonvulsants that can be used for your condition. Keppra is often prescribed for your epilepsy.
> Are you a Dr. or just someone quite well informed about all this.I am in medical school.
>No one else has stepped in with any advice and I feel like I'm taking up a lot of your time
You're not. Just glad to be of help.
Eric
Posted by alfbarks007 on January 30, 2014, at 19:00:18
In reply to Re: Risper or Invega » alfbarks007, posted by phidippus on January 30, 2014, at 18:07:22
I just wanted to add that I try to get rid of things that frustrate me so I wont have at least them for frustration, things like facebook games, diabetes message boards, too many things on my phone that I play around with like photo editing that never turns out right, etc...when I poured the water on my computer and threw my phones I was trying to eliminate the sources of my frustration, but here I am again, back on facebook, back on diabetes message board, signed up for epilepsy boards, and healthboards of various sorts just looking for answers to my problems when they probably just lie within me and I haven't found them yet.
Posted by phidippus on January 30, 2014, at 22:54:29
In reply to Re: Risper or Invega » phidippus, posted by alfbarks007 on January 30, 2014, at 19:00:18
Why do Facebook and boards frustrate you? Do you not get the answers you seek?
What are your problems, besides the epilepsy and the irritability?
Eric
Posted by Zyprexa on February 3, 2014, at 22:05:59
In reply to Re: Risper or Invega » phidippus, posted by alfbarks007 on January 28, 2014, at 21:21:59
I am going to suggest zyprexa! Low dose. It is a AP and a mood stabizer. Good for anxiety too. Generic too, at a very low price,$50/3m. I have been taking it for 16y, not many problems.
This is the end of the thread.
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