Ok . I have had atypical responses to bipolar drugs but here is the information for anyone reading this.
For unknown reasons many people who are bipolar respond to anticonvulsents. I tried some of these and found one that made me angry, angry with mean attached to it. I realized that it would make me prone to fight with people so I stopped immeadiatly. On the other hand I hand a great experience with the drug lamictal. Atypical but great. Calm as could be not drugged but calm with a photographic memory. Then I discovered I was allergic to the drug. All attempts at adjustment failed. This was the kind of reaction that could lead to,in the worst case death so I regrettably had to stop taking that. This was disheartening for I had felt a bit cheated since it not only helped the illness it improved brain function.
What did work were off label approaches. I try to stay up to date on paers dealig with treatment and discovered that the drug Provigil was being found effective (phase 2 testing on it's sister drug nuvigil) for bipolar depression. It proved usefull. I now get it from Canada (my insurance company will not pay for it and in the USA it is about 10.50 a pill I pay 1/10th of that for a Canadian version) and take about 1/4 of the usual dose.
Try a drug called Deplin (get samples via your Dr.) This is interesting. Deplin (Google to it's webpage). Yet another drug my insurance company will not pay for) Is l methyfolate which is what is produced inthe final step of our body processing folate. Supposedly 20-50% of people have varying degrees of difficulty proccesing folate. low folate leads to problems with neurochemicals in the brain. I was the first person, now my Dr. has several patients using it. I halved my doses of certain drugs after taking this.
On th OTC side I take l tyrosine 3x a day ON AN EMPTY STOMACH. This raises dopamine in the brain. IF you take it with food it is ineffective.
NAC or n acetyl cysteine has also been found to be effective I take 600mg a day do not take over 1200mg.
You can get this from the big online vitamin companies like Puritan or Swansons.The other benefits of the last two items is that they lower homo cysteine where high levels are associated with cardio problems and perhaps alzheimers.
I also take a low dose of wellbutrin xl 150mg once a day.
All the ssri antidepressants did not work for me.
I am hopeful that one day better diagnosis and a cure will be found until then I have to do what works for me.
As far as people who think it is not real Bi polar illness and schizophrenia have been found to be geneticly related.
I might also suggest looking into psycho therapy such as cognitive therapy because with this illness you probably are going to pick up some "baggage" on the way.
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Ok . I have had atypical responses to bipolar drugs but here is the information for anyone reading this.
For unknown reasons many people who are bipolar respond to anticonvulsents. I tried some of these and found one that made me angry, angry with mean attached to it. I realized that it would make me prone to fight with people so I stopped immeadiatly. On the other hand I hand a great experience with the drug lamictal. Atypical but great. Calm as could be not drugged but calm with a photographic memory. Then I discovered I was allergic to the drug. All attempts at adjustment failed. This was the kind of reaction that could lead to,in the worst case death so I regrettably had to stop taking that. This was disheartening for I had felt a bit cheated since it not only helped the illness it improved brain function.
What did work were off label approaches. I try to stay up to date on paers dealig with treatment and discovered that the drug Provigil was being found effective (phase 2 testing on it's sister drug nuvigil) for bipolar depression. It proved usefull. I now get it from Canada (my insurance company will not pay for it and in the USA it is about 10.50 a pill I pay 1/10th of that for a Canadian version) and take about 1/4 of the usual dose.
Try a drug called Deplin (get samples via your Dr.) This is interesting. Deplin (Google to it's webpage). Yet another drug my insurance company will not pay for) Is l methyfolate which is what is produced inthe final step of our body processing folate. Supposedly 20-50% of people have varying degrees of difficulty proccesing folate. low folate leads to problems with neurochemicals in the brain. I was the first person, now my Dr. has several patients using it. I halved my doses of certain drugs after taking this.
On th OTC side I take l tyrosine 3x a day ON AN EMPTY STOMACH. This raises dopamine in the brain. IF you take it with food it is ineffective.
NAC or n acetyl cysteine has also been found to be effective I take 600mg a day do not take over 1200mg.
You can get this from the big online vitamin companies like Puritan or Swansons.The other benefits of the last two items is that they lower homo cysteine where high levels are associated with cardio problems and perhaps alzheimers.
I also take a low dose of wellbutrin xl 150mg once a day.
All the ssri antidepressants did not work for me.
I am hopeful that one day better diagnosis and a cure will be found until then I have to do what works for me.
As far as people who think it is not real Bi polar illness and schizophrenia have been found to be geneticly related.
I might also suggest looking into psycho therapy such as cognitive therapy because with this illness you probably are going to pick up some "baggage" on the way.
Best of luck to all.
November 27, 2009 - 7:21amThis Comment
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