Treatment Options for Bipolars

needtoknow...As you know, seroquel is one of the second generation (atypical) antipsychotics - so are abilify, risperdal, zyprexa and geodon. There are probably others that I am not aware of.

For us, it's often a case of trial and error with any of our meds.  I have taken zyprexa, risperdal, and currently am on abilify.  It came to the scene 4-5 years ago.  It works well for me.  Better than the other two.  I have never taken seroquel, so cannot really address it. 

If seroquel does not work well for you, you might consider talking to your doctor about an alternative atipical.  Hope you find the right combination.

Judy

I was on seroquel. I worked for me and I was on only on 25mg at night to help me sleep. Than all of a sudden  my sugar went crazy. My mom and sister could not wake me up. They called EMS they could not wake me up. They tested my sugar it was 40. I have had problems ever since I was on that med. I can not take any of that class of med now.  I am now on depakote and riluzole. riluzole they use off lable for bipolar depression. It is used for leugarigs disease NOt sure of spelling 

Rozerem is a non addictive sleeping pill that generally requires a 7 day dosing @ 8mg/night before working well.  It is supposed to give you at least 5 hours of sleep a night.  Bonus: many docs (even family docs) either have sample or scripts for a 7 day free sample to let you try before you buy.  As far as I know every other sleeping pill (Lunesta, Ambien, +) are addictive like benzies (Xanax, Ativan, Librium, Valium, and I am sure are others).  I have tried both.  Each sleeping pill works a little different for everyone.  From personal experience, Ambien did nothing for me; however, my Dad loved it.  Lunesta works for 8 hours... take no more than 15-20 min before you are dresses, in bed, with the covers pulled because it made me dead to the world - to the point that I could not move anypart of my body or even open my eyes for 8 hrs, as advertized, but I let the dogs out at night or may need to go to the bathroom - and heaven help someone calls as an emergency!  Again, it works differently for everyone.  I do not remember there being a risidual effect after the "dead" 8 hrs.  So maybe have a couple on hand for those times when you have not been able to sleep for several days! LOL  Before they came out with the "new flavors" of sleeping pills, which would not work for me, I was guided to take Xanax at first (but I am not allowed to take it anymore) and later Ativan.  I have tried mixing in Seroquel for anxiety or when trying to ween off of the Ativan - I have been told that it can be as addictive as cocaine and as hard to get off also leaving residual effects for up to a year or more.  I was first given Ativan to help me sleep (started at 1mg, now up to 6mg/day)  It used to knock me out at night like Lunesta, but did put me into that intensely heavy sleep.  Then I needed 2 and I was given 1mg tablets prn for anxiety.  Now 4 at night and 2 prn.  Now I am at the point where it only takes the edge off.  I have now been taking Ativan for 15+ years, and am being forced off.  A bipolar's worst enemy is lack of sleep.  It will make you kick you into a manic state and may make your cycling faster. 

Sleep is very important!

Seroquel has not been approved by the FDA for sleep or anxiety prn, but I believe that studies may be going on now.  The 25mg thing only seems to work for some people (as do all of the meds)  I am still looking for my majic cocktail after 25 yrs of "mixing it up". 

One more secret that I discovered, no I am generous two tonight... LOL

1 - There is a med that behaves similarly to Adderall (ADD or not - it is an amphetamine and will help keep you awake during the day, but it will also crub the reasons you are gaining weight) only problem is that it is know to trigger manic episodes... sobs, I know - works great for me to eliminate the sleepies side effect); hover - now for the good news... ther is a newer drug that works like Adderal, but different enough to not typically trigger mania - Provigal (avail in generic).  A bonus, not only will it help keep you awake, but is will also actually cause weight loss if you are ADD.  HEY - finally a reason to want the lable, huh???  LOL

Secret #2, if you are not already experiencing it, your memory (short-term) will start to be progressively spotty.  Although it has not been approved for Bipolar memory issues (I believe there is a study for that one too), I had a pdoc at his wits end searching and searching for anything to help with my memory loss.  Finally, one day, he told me... I have one last thing that I really think will do it... guess which one???  I'll give you a clue, I believe it is the only proven, FDA and repeated clinical trials, that will help with cognitive memory - it did not restore lost memories, but as time went on, the short-term memory loss became minimal which built my confidence...  You have probably guessed it... Aricept!  The wonder drug!!!  Catch, not all docs will prescribe it b/c the FDA has not approved it for use in memory loss of people with bipolar.

Anyway, I hope that I shared at least two of my tricks and that you will find them useful now or in the future.

I had extreme weight gain from Xyprexa and Depakote.

One last thing.  In some people one of the pleasant side effects that caused weight loss in a psychotropic drug was Lamictal.  If you do a google search, you will find that many people has also experience that same thing.

... and there is always lipo and tummy tucks!!!  LOL

I was on very high doses at one time with an assortment of other drugs to make a lovely cocktail.  My pdoc took me off it 25mg at a time with 2 week per8iods of adjustment until I was completly off.  Seroquel is nasty (as are many of those types of meds) to go off slowly.  But as you wind down from that manybe relace the Seroquel and Geodon for Lamictal and Lithium and the Rozerem for sleep.  The seroquel - since it helps you sleep, could probably be used as prn for anxiety at a 25mg dose.

The honest truth is that the pdocs don't really understand why (mainly epileptic drugs) work for bipolar people, so is really is a riddle.

FYI - Abilify, Geodon, Topomax (also used for migrains), neurotin (also used for nerve pain), the weight gain from the xyplexa and Depakote made me so severly depressed that adding anti-depressants had to added, which now FDA says that Bipolar I should never take anti-deperssants because it couple cause triggers to a manic episode and then they add something for that which may make you depressed and and...  So Bipolar I -> no anti-depressants!!!

I think that I have had all antipsychotics, benzies, sleeping pills, anti-depressants, anti-anxiety - never had ECT, and there is a newer variety, supposed to be better, but works better for BP II.  Can remember the name, but sure you can find it on the internet.

Because it is unknown how and why most of there drugs work, they usually work differently for each person, so there is trial and error for everyone, and then what works for now will always need to be tweeked, because your body makes chemical adjustments based on the drugs you are taking...

I was recently told that Johns Hopkins Mood Disorders group is working towards a genetic tkeeping to make it less intense... I have even heard the word "cure" - because it IS genetic and...  why not, afterall, we deserve it???