Health Expert Ask the Expert Patient shares health management news and commentary at HealthCentral.com. HealthCentral.com is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/4039/index http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/4039/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/4039/index http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/4039/24718/diagnosed Wed, 09 Apr 2008 17:46:00 -0400 Ask the Expert Patient Shannon writes:“I feel so frustrated today. No one seems to want to answer my question; is this bipolar, or is the family history of bipolar giving me this diagnosis. It is prevalent in my family, but it's been very hard for me to accept that I have it.“I've been bipolar (no, diagnosed with bipolar) for three weeks today. I've already had my medications changed around three times by three different doctors. The healthcare system, no... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/4039/24718/diagnosed http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/4039/24455/kid-part-ii Mon, 07 Apr 2008 21:46:00 -0400 Ask the Expert Patient In my previous post, I recounted Angela's travails concerning her seven-year-old son. The boy attempted suicide twice and engages in self-harm. The provisional diagnosis is bipolar disorder.Angela had two posts, spaced a month apart. Her first post drew 48 replies, many of them suggesting other possible alternatives to the bipolar diagnosis. This raised the issue of the complexity of finding a correct diagnosis in kids. Accordingly, Part I of my... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/4039/24455/kid-part-ii http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/4039/24335/boy-bipolar Sat, 05 Apr 2008 12:59:00 -0400 Ask the Expert Patient Angela writes:“December '07 my son tried to commit suicide twice. Hard to believe, huh? Well, it happened.” The poor boy is seven.Angela posted this in early March. She reports that she had to hospitalize her son. There, the doctors diagnosed him with depression and anxiety, but one of the meds they put him on raised a red flag with her. The med was low-dose Risperdal (they also had him on the ADD med Adderall). After what must... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/4039/24335/boy-bipolar http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/4039/21100/research-mesearch Tue, 04 Mar 2008 12:16:00 -0500 Ask the Expert Patient One of the joys of doing posts under my own name and as the “Ask the Expert Patient” here at BipolarConnect is the connections I make with people. It usually starts out in the nature of a message in a bottle. Next thing the bottles are whizzing along in both directions.Recently, Country Girl responded to an Ask the Expert Patient post of mine. I responded in turn with an Ask the Expert Patient article, which in turn generated a... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/4039/21100/research-mesearch http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/4039/20992/events-spin-life Sat, 01 Mar 2008 22:00:00 -0500 Ask the Expert Patient Rose writes:“I'm a little worried, because I'm exhibiting symptoms of lack of sleep and extremely talkative. Things are starting to be more positive, but you know how that rollercoaster rides. It will dip at an extreme level. All I can do is watch and try to steer it in the right direction. These are all encompassing feelings, and it's hard to know if anything will work.”Thank you, Rose, for the timely reminder.... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/4039/20992/events-spin-life http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/4039/20533/mood-triggers Mon, 18 Feb 2008 17:03:00 -0500 Ask the Expert Patient Stardust writes:“I'm really enjoying your series on mindfulness. I'm having trouble discovering my triggers.  Can you describe what it is like to discover something that is a trigger for depression or hypomania??  I just don't quite get it.”Okay, some quick background information. Over the past month, BipolarConnect has been publishing my five-part installment on mindfulness, part of a wider weekly series... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/4039/20533/mood-triggers http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/4039/19995/bipolar-works Mon, 04 Feb 2008 01:28:00 -0500 Ask the Expert Patient Stewart writes:“I have been struggling with my bipolar II disorder for about 17 years. I am considered to have a refractory, treatment-resistant condition. I have been through about 25 medications singularly and in various ‘cocktail’ combinations, four rounds of ECT, long-term therapy, various alternative treatment, and the results have ranged from poor to terrible.”Stewart is at the end of his tether. “I am worn... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/4039/19995/bipolar-works http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/4039/18959/wife-made-hell Thu, 10 Jan 2008 03:17:00 -0500 Ask the Expert Patient Kathleen writes:“I'm curious to know if there is a way for both people in the relationship are bipolar can make it? If so, what has helped them? I heard once that if a couple with mental illness make it to 5 years in a relationship/marriage the success rate is better. How true is that?“I have been married twice, both had mental health problems as I do and those relationships both ended in divorce. But I was much younger then... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/4039/18959/wife-made-hell http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/4039/18057/school-performance Wed, 19 Dec 2007 02:42:00 -0500 Ask the Expert Patient Beth, who is the mother of the 13-year-old, not doing well in school, writes:“How does an IEP/504 plan work for a child with BP? She is very bright and does not have a learning disability or ADHD.  Her problems tend to be more emotional and social.  However her grades right now are basically failing because she sleeps in class or doesn't turn homework in. Medications have been adjusted to help the sleepiness.  Also, does... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/4039/18057/school-performance http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/4039/18052/meds-side-pdoc Wed, 19 Dec 2007 00:33:00 -0500 Ask the Expert Patient Andimom writes: I was recently put on Tegretol. Now my hair is falling out at an alarming rate.CJK writes: I am concerned since my son has become very quiet since on these Depakote and Abilify. He finds social conversation to be very difficult. Is this a side effect??? Do you see a common theme emerging? My recent mailbag is fairly overflowing with questions about meds side effects. Smokefan wants to know if passing out on a med is normal. CG... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/4039/18052/meds-side-pdoc