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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
[email protected]Shown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by bulldog2 on June 20, 2010, at 9:01:35
From personal experience if you had to chose one mood stabilizer which one would you chose and why?
I am thinking of low dose Lithium.
Posted by Christ_empowered on June 20, 2010, at 18:17:33
In reply to Best Mood Stabilizer For Bi Polar 2, posted by bulldog2 on June 20, 2010, at 9:01:35
I'd say Lamictal, since BP II tend to be more depression heavy. I'd personally take Depakote or Trileptal over Lithium, just b/c of the potential long-term probs with Lithium (not that Depakote is a walk in the park, either).
Good luck.
Posted by bulldog2 on June 20, 2010, at 18:42:52
In reply to I know you don't like me, but.., posted by Christ_empowered on June 20, 2010, at 18:17:33
> I'd say Lamictal, since BP II tend to be more depression heavy. I'd personally take Depakote or Trileptal over Lithium, just b/c of the potential long-term probs with Lithium (not that Depakote is a walk in the park, either).
>
> Good luck.
>
>I don't like your philosophy but I don't dislike you. Will lamictal handle anger issues and anxiety issues? I tried trileptal for a few days and it made me depressed. Have a tendency to have anger outbursts and be impulsive and yes prone to depression. So play p-doc. How about low dose lithium? Also a lot of anxiety. Did well with neurontin for a while as it smoothed me out. But it pooped out.
Posted by Christ_empowered on June 20, 2010, at 20:45:42
In reply to Re: I know you don't like me, but.., posted by bulldog2 on June 20, 2010, at 18:42:52
OK...I'd recommend lamictal primarily b/c you have BP II, not type I, so why start out w/ Lithium? Also...I believe Lamictal would help with anger; anticonvulsants in general have a "taming effect" of varying degrees on people, so it can help with that. Unlike lithium, lamictal doesn't require blood work, won't wreck your kidneys, and is generally pretty clean w/ regards to cognition. You do have to increase your dose slowly and under supervision, though, b/c of the whole rash-of-death thing.
Trilepal I would think might have more of a taming effect (its like a cleaned up, slightly weaker Tegretol), but it can cause depression. And stupidity.
Neurontin sucks. I get that it might help an individual here and there, but in some trials with Bipolar, it actually does *WORSE* than placebo.
Lyrica is stronger, newer, and more expensive than Neurontin. It may help anxiety--I think it's approved in the EU for some forms of anxiety--but I'd personally go for a benzo first. They're very cheap, fast-acting, predictable, and effective.
Are benzos out of the question? PRN Ativan is awesome for anybody with anxiety, but especially if you have mood probs; Klonopin is good, but I find its better for daily, long-term use than PRN use b/c it takes so long to start working and then lasts forever.
Good luck.
Posted by Dan_MI on June 21, 2010, at 6:12:35
In reply to Best Mood Stabilizer For Bi Polar 2, posted by bulldog2 on June 20, 2010, at 9:01:35
Lithium is the bedrock of my treatment, and it is a life saver for me.
I've had zero problems (14 years on the drug). Millions of people have no long term problems, including PhD and author Kaye Redfield Jamieson (sp?). She talks about being on lithium for the rest of her life in her many books about her struggle with bipolar.
> From personal experience if you had to chose one mood stabilizer which one would you chose and why?
>
> I am thinking of low dose Lithium.
Posted by bulldog2 on June 21, 2010, at 7:08:06
In reply to Re: Best Mood Stabilizer For Bi Polar 2, posted by Dan_MI on June 21, 2010, at 6:12:35
> Lithium is the bedrock of my treatment, and it is a life saver for me.
>
> I've had zero problems (14 years on the drug). Millions of people have no long term problems, including PhD and author Kaye Redfield Jamieson (sp?). She talks about being on lithium for the rest of her life in her many books about her struggle with bipolar.
>
> > From personal experience if you had to chose one mood stabilizer which one would you chose and why?
> >
> > I am thinking of low dose Lithium.
>
>I appreciate both opinions but what has Lithium done for you. I have a strong feeling after 40 years I am bi polar 2 and really never have been treated with more than ads and tranquilizers.
In my case untreated bipolar has ruined my career and family with outbursts of anger. Yes provoked but the rages were inappropriate.
Posted by bulldog2 on June 21, 2010, at 7:32:01
In reply to Re: Best Mood Stabilizer For Bi Polar 2, posted by Dan_MI on June 21, 2010, at 6:12:35
> Lithium is the bedrock of my treatment, and it is a life saver for me.
>
> I've had zero problems (14 years on the drug). Millions of people have no long term problems, including PhD and author Kaye Redfield Jamieson (sp?). She talks about being on lithium for the rest of her life in her many books about her struggle with bipolar.
>
> > From personal experience if you had to chose one mood stabilizer which one would you chose and why?
> >
> > I am thinking of low dose Lithium.
>
>At the age of 60 and 40 years of the wrong or a missed diagnosis has virtually left my life in ruins. It was always go after depression but the beast was never tamed.
So I guess sides aside what is the best biploar med that addresses the most issues.To Christ Empowered. I went after this monster with every weopon in the book or almost any. In 40 years I spent years off of drugs and tried meditation,diet,exercise,macrobiotics. Maybe that might explain my frustration with you. Psycho drugs have actually really never been tried until I was in my 40's. From the age of 18 on I tried all the alternative things that I was aware of.
Looking back on my father and his frightfull rages I believe this may be a genetic condition.The question is will low dose lithium attack the beast by that I mean sub therapeutic doses. I am not willing to go high as my creatine at my age is 1.35 which is beginning to creep up there.
Thanks for all input.
Posted by morganator on June 21, 2010, at 19:18:42
In reply to Re: Best Mood Stabilizer For Bi Polar 2 » Dan_MI, posted by bulldog2 on June 21, 2010, at 7:32:01
Hey bulldog2, have you ever thought that your anger stems largely from being exposed to your father's anger? Maybe this is not purely a genetic condition you were born with. I saw that you did not mention trying therapy. Are you opposed to the idea of seeing a good psychotherapist? I don't think therapy is the only solution, but I do believe it may help you get to the source of your anger, understand where it comes from and why it is there, and then learn to deal with it in a healthy manner so that it no longer has such a powerful grip over you.
Being bipolar and having inner anger lingering from childhood is a bad combination. Believe me, I have dealt with this exact combination, though I have not quite had the same issues with outbursts of rage that you have(I have had quite a few in my life though).
Morgan
Posted by Dan_MI on June 21, 2010, at 21:34:20
In reply to Re: Best Mood Stabilizer For Bi Polar 2, posted by bulldog2 on June 21, 2010, at 7:08:06
Lithium works in such a way that you don't notice any specific difference. I only realized it was working when there was a sudden lack of suicidal feelings.
> > Lithium is the bedrock of my treatment, and it is a life saver for me.
> >
> > I've had zero problems (14 years on the drug). Millions of people have no long term problems, including PhD and author Kaye Redfield Jamieson (sp?). She talks about being on lithium for the rest of her life in her many books about her struggle with bipolar.
> >
> > > From personal experience if you had to chose one mood stabilizer which one would you chose and why?
> > >
> > > I am thinking of low dose Lithium.
> >
> >
>
> I appreciate both opinions but what has Lithium done for you. I have a strong feeling after 40 years I am bi polar 2 and really never have been treated with more than ads and tranquilizers.
>
> In my case untreated bipolar has ruined my career and family with outbursts of anger. Yes provoked but the rages were inappropriate.
Posted by zonked on June 22, 2010, at 14:44:18
In reply to Re: I know you don't like me, but.., posted by bulldog2 on June 20, 2010, at 18:42:52
Greets,
Yeah, I think a MS may be in my future as well (unless, 6 weeks in to Marplan therapy, it is not unusual to feel bursts of a new AD working and then fading, then coming back)--I can't wait to see my pdoc...mood swings suck!
The trouble I had with Lamictal was that it was very difficult to tell if it was working or not. (And I never took it as monotherapy.)
I had great luck with gabapentin years ago, but it pooped out for me as well even at high doses... (part of the reason I'm interested in Lyrica!)...
Good luck..figuring out meds is such a friggin hassle...
-z
> > I'd say Lamictal, since BP II tend to be more depression heavy. I'd personally take Depakote or Trileptal over Lithium, just b/c of the potential long-term probs with Lithium (not that Depakote is a walk in the park, either).
> >
> > Good luck.
> >
> >
>
> I don't like your philosophy but I don't dislike you. Will lamictal handle anger issues and anxiety issues? I tried trileptal for a few days and it made me depressed. Have a tendency to have anger outbursts and be impulsive and yes prone to depression. So play p-doc. How about low dose lithium? Also a lot of anxiety. Did well with neurontin for a while as it smoothed me out. But it pooped out.
>
>
>
Posted by tom2228 on June 23, 2010, at 13:45:23
In reply to playing p-doc, lol, posted by Christ_empowered on June 20, 2010, at 20:45:42
Trileptal... Christ is right, it definitely has more of a taming effect as it acts on the temporal lobe. I'm currently on it and what I LOVE is that I have an ability to control my temper. Whatever I'm feeling at the moment doesn't take over and blow... I have this sort of "judgement" now where I can tell how important something is and how much of a reaction it warrants. My parents say I am much more pleasant to be around and I'm getting more attention from my family because I'm less likely to spaz. Also I've noticed that I don't take a lot of things the wrong way anymore.
So I would try it again.. yea I know about the start-up depression, I think that can be attributed to the fact that trileptal increases serotonin release in certain areas of the brain. You guys know SSRIs are likely to make you feel more depressed before they start to help (if they do)... it's just a matter of your receptors getting used to the serotonin increase.
I've been on it almost 4 months
This is the end of the thread.
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