The article "Lithium Beats Valproate for Long-Term Bipolar Therapy" by Randy Dotinga was one article I have to respond to. I am living successfully with Mixed Bipolar 1 and this article was good but it could have been expanded more.
I for one would like everyone to know that the treatment of Bipolar is not just "here is a pill and you will be better". It took my Doctor and I almost 2 yrs of basically trial and error to get the correct meds. I was first put on Lithium and at first it was great! AT FIRST! I have to agree with my Doctor when she said My body is quite unusual in the way it worked with Lithium. Lithium would work and then my body would double the dosage (almost growing Lithium) and put me into a tox-out situation with the hullicinations, shakes, etc. This occured 3 times before we decided no more!
Lithium killed my thyroid.... well, I have 5% left and that also gave my Fibromyalgia. I have 3 lifetime illnesses now - B.P., thyroid disease and the Fribro. My meds I am on have grew. For the B.P. the right drugs for ME is what my Doctor and I put me on together. The Lexapro, Buspar, Lamictol and Serequel. I don't have any of the side effects. YEA.
So ask your Doctor to go over your options before the Lithium treatments and do your homework... know the drugs; so you can talk with your doctor. And don't assume that the first pills will work right away... be patient when working with your Doctor and with your treatment. Keep your journals so you know what your body is doing. Have you noticed that when talking about treatment, I would say - "my doctor AND I?" It's important to be a key role in your treatment, recovery and living with Bipolar.
jana
"I for one would like everyone to know that the treatment of Bipolar is not just "here is a pill and you will be better"."
No... just taking meds will not make the Bipolar better nor go away. Meds are there for the physical manifestation of the illness, to relieve, and not to necessarily make better or to go away.
Mentally, emotionally, and behaviorally - there are other aspects of the disorder and these quite often manifest into the physical symptoms the meds work on. If you do not treat also the mental, emotional, and behavioral.. you are only treating 1/4 to 1/2 of the illness and will undoubtedly continue to experience major issues with it in the long run.
That is where Bipolar treatment comes in a 2 fold process... meds and therapy but, therapy is what many many many folks tend to just not do. Therapy does not have to be about discussing what happened when you were little or your parents ills... it can also help folks cope with those things that trigger mental, emotional, and behavioral issues that renders daily living to be a constant struggle. It provides strategies, techniques, and coping skills if you find the right one and this along with the meds... does help tremendously.
oh.. and yeah, just cause a doc hands over a baggie of pills and tells you to take them does not mean you don't have a say in it. If the meds do to you what you are not willing to live with and/or tolerate... speak up.
There are many many different meds out there to try and combinations to combine. There are also many different pdocs out there as well and if yours is not willing to work with you.. there are others. Yet, the key to the relationship is... you also have to be willing to compromise and work with the pdoc.
Tabby,
I applaud you for expanding upon my expansion of what the writer of this article didn't. Thank you. Yes, I agree with you whole heartedly that you HAVE to do the therapy... if you don't, you won't have even the road to a great living with BP. Keep going to your therapy, get involved with a group(NAMI, Bipolar groups, etc.) get involved with decisions and follow through with your plan that you and your Doc have set up.
again, Thank you Tabby.
jana