Managing Bipolar 1

[greenpea]

@eth Hi eth I am gradually bringing down the dose of my medications. Just a bit to see if it helps with my weight gain. I will let you know how it goes. Love greenpea xx

[eth]

Hope you are doing it with your Dr's support @greenpea  Just sayin'.   I hope it works well for you.  I have a weight problem too, but my mental health stability is more important at this stage and my current med regime is working better than any to date.

[greenpea]

@eth Now eth you know I am not lol .... tis only a lil bit .... just a smidgen of 2 medications which I know are the culprits. I will/might mention it to her when I see her at my next appointment but I will definately mention my weight misery when I see her and see what she says. My psych was great in discussing my concerns re weight but that only lasted till I left her office and I went home and then bang! I was right back to where I was being preoccupied with it again. 

[MorningSilence]

Hey y’all! @greenpea@eth@Dadcaringalone@Georgie1

Thank you for all the wonderful support! I felt better and then my menstrual cycle started. I wake up ok, but by the end of the night, I’m hysterically crying and no end in sight until it just stops. I tell myself to stop and I still can’t calm myself down. This will go on for days. 😕 

I had an appointment today and told him about how I have been feeling and he said that the side effects should start to taper off now, but that he wants to confer with my pd, because apparently this med is working great except for the side effects. Which are killing me. 😭 I have to make myself take it everyday even though I know I will get sick. I keep saying to myself SICK=SANE. And that’s not fair. I’ve only been on this for 1 1/2 months and now he’s switching me to er tablets. 

Does anyone know how long the side effects usually last? I feel drugged all the time. 😶

[s-jay]

Hey @MorningSilence, so glad you are feeling supported by all the awesome members who have jumped in and replied.

So sorry that the side effects of your medication are taking such a toll on you - it's great to hear you are in conversation with your GP/p-doc about it.

Unfortunately length of side effects will be different for everyone, so everyone's experience will be different... I guess keep talking to your doctors, and maybe folks can keep helping where they can with ways to cope with side effects... Good on you for reaching out about this....

[eth]

Hi @MorningSilence  I love your name by the way.  Sorry for how you are feeling.  

Unfortunately I have to agree with @s-jay's words about side-effects being different for everyone and every different med.  However, there are a few some of us have in common.  Which people have posted a little about here already.  But for me if they haven't evened out within about 6 weeks I let my psychiatrist know and she usually adjusts them.  Which I am happy to see you plan to do.  I was medicated with something that triggered mania and rapid cycling for around 25 years, mainly because I only went to the Dr when depressed.  It's so important that your docs know what's really happening in your life.  I am post-menopausal so don't experience that kind of cycling anymore so there's only so much I can say to you. We're not allowed to advise each other about specific meds here on the forums.  If your mood changes radically, which yours seems to have done, I'd be seeing my GP immediately while I wait to see the psychiatrist.  Hoping you have a good rapport with all your health team and can be completely honest about what's happening.  

I also find I have to put mental wellbeing above physical at times, and after 9 years since diagnosis and appropriate meds for bipolar I am somewhat reconciled to that fact.  I know I must remain compliant with taking my psych meds.  But it is hard at times.  I keep daily charts (which you can get from your pdocs) that help me to see when things are changing and how rapidly.  And always reach out to my docs if things deviate much from centre.  That includes sleep, weight, elevation/depression, anxiety, irritability, and meds taken. Sleep is usually the first one to get out of whack, so I try to practice 'sleep hygeine' which you can google.  Also eating healthily and doing some exercise can be helpful.  Even just sitting outside for a little while if it's all you can manage. 

Here to support you, I'm mostly on the forums in the mornings.

[Mazarita]

Good morning, @Elin. I'm tagging you into this discussion thread started by my wonderful friend, @eth, who also has the diagnosis of bipolar 1. Feel free to join in at any time here. Hope to see you around again and read your thoughts and experiences. Kind wishes, Maz.

[eth]

Hi and thanks @Mazarita will catch up with you on A Long Rave thread shortly I hope.

Hi @Elin and welcome to this thread.  Feel free to share or ask questions.

[Elin]

Many thanks @Mazarita. Looking forward to visitng there in the future. Best wishes.
Elin.

[Dadcaringalone]

Hi @MorningSilence@eth@Mazarita @greenpea

How are you all traveling?

Sorry for my extended vacation from this forum but I really needed a big break, which I got a bit carried away with, but it was just what I needed and I feel totally revived and very strong and will be able to now cope with any challenges I face moving forward. Do hope you are all well? I’ve missed your virtual friendships. Look forward to slowly getting back into the swing of things...as a new person.