Hi Sillydaddy, I'm sorry that you're having a difficult time. I can relate to trying to reconciling the feelings you have and trying to discern whether it is bp that is making her act that way or...
Mogli, Glad you've made it through the dark times. I think you've hit a good point where your entire lifestyle needs to be adjusted to achieve calm whenever you can...whether it's yoga, meditation,...
Serafena, I got kicked out of my book club because I only showed up for the wine without reading the book!!! Keep fighting off that depression. I know it's easier said than done. I hope the babe...
I don't have bp, but i love cookies and carbs in general...at weight watchers they tell you to write everything down that you put in your mouth. Maybe that would help? On a funny note, all my fiance...
NAMI may have support groups in your area......
sorry- i now see she is distant from her family....
Bpspouse- My fiance had a depressive episode this past summer. I was on the phone with his therapist and psychiatrist often. It's not your fault. Nothing you did made this depression rear it's ugly...
Your atty (or his atty, whoever calls you to the stand) can object to questions about your medical history based on relevancy...However, her atty could use your disease to prove or disprove your...
If it goes to court, you could be asked to testify as a character or fact witness for either side. If their divorce elevates to that level, you need to get a lawyer yourself to ensure that your...
Hi Ruth, Have you had a blood test recently? It sounds like a lot, but it could be the amount your body needs to be at an optimal level....
I'm glad you got a new pdoc! That's wonderful....
Hi Yankeepeaches, Talk therapy could really help. My fiance has bp and the therapy has helped him recognize his stress triggors and has taught him self-soothing skills, etc. You could also get a...
I swear by patient assistance programs! When my fiance was unemployed and we were paying for risperdal and lamictal out of pocket (he reached the prescription benefit cap on the insurance we paid for...
just to throw another log on the fire...my fiance takes 75 mg of Lamictal and it has drastically improved his health...I think he's experienced a bit of memory loss, but nothing too severe, and no...
Lithium and Lamictal together *can* do wonders...it's different for everyone, of course... Again, if her Lithium isn't "optimal" it isn't working. She should have a blood test....
Hello there- My fiance is bipolar and I am not. We had to postpone our wedding and honeymoon this summer due to a depressive cycle which lead to a hospitalization. Having said that...I should add...
thisistoocomplex- my fiance, who is bp, has been taking risperdal for about a year. He takes it at night and his experience is that it controls the paranoia that he experiences with mania. The one...
Twisted- I'm so sorry you're feeling unlike yourself. I think that is why most people go off their meds (and those who feel better and don't think they "need" their meds anymore). Please give your...
Perhaps I should have included some highlights...I realize the article is long. Major life activities: The ADAAA now includes a nonexclusive list of major life activities, including sleeping,...
Very interesting: http://www.law.com/jsp/ihc/PubArticleIHC.jsp?id=1202425609633 ...
I'm so sorry your experience was bad. Psychiatry is a service related industry and it's unfortunate that some pdocs treat it as though it's Jiffy Lube and you're merely coming in for a tune-up. My...
lukavets- Not that we can diagnose your wife...but we need more info. Has she seen a psych doc? Irritability, extreme happiness, avoidance tactics, etc. are all personality traits that people who do...
My fiance (he is bp) and I do couples therapy...it keeps communication open and the sex alive. I don't know if others have tried it, but it has worked for us....
I'm not a sufferer of either...BUT as I say all the time ( I should have a disclaimer on my posts) my fiance is BP and in this case, my mother has fibromyalgia! She takes Flexeril and she DOES need...
Although I don't have bp, my fiance does, together, we try to keep up with the routine...home after work, dinner, little tv, he takes his meds, bed (during the week)...sleep and a minimally stressful...
I saw Pollock recently and was horrified by it. I feel that movies/tv portraying bipolar tend to sensationalize the disease. I wish there was more balanced reporting of the illness and i think Nami...
Hi Kirsten, My fiance is bipolar and he went through a similar depressive cycle recently. He went back on meds in January (depakote, wellbutrin) and the wellbutrin stopped giving him the lift he...
I was that drag that you speak of while my fiance was in a depressive state...the weight only started to lift when I started sharing with my family and friends (and my fiance's family) what was...
Will do. It's such a minefield...esp when meds are working correctly, you don't want to do anything that will screw up the balance....
Almost all of the over the counter cold meds interact poorly w/ MAOIs. What have any of you had luck with while on your meds when you have a cold?? The last time my fiance had a cold, he took advil...
Hi Cantgoback- Lamictal has really helped my fiance who is BPII and suffers more from depression than mania. I wish I could say that his sex drive increased, though! Without getting into too many...
Congratulations, MissFlip!! Go easy on yourself and stay on top of it like Serafena says...it looks like you're doing exactly that. Your hormones are on a roller-coaster dancing w/ mood-altering...
Unquiet Mind Kaye Jamison...
Hi There, Mi fiance has severe depressive episodes and this last one landed him in the hospital. He's had excellent treatment for a while now, but our pdoc has told us time and again that bipolar...
At the risk of sounding trite...the good thing is, you know which meds DO NOT work for you! That is part of the battle. Hang in there.....
Back to the forum issues...the BPSO site has been fairly inactive for a few years. The article links still work, but the newsletter is inactive and I don't think there's a forum there. Is there...
If there are any universities in your area, check in with them...they may have a psychology program that has a clinic offering free services by grad students looking to get their "hours" in prior to...
Georgie Girl- My fiance takes Lithium (and now Lamictal and Lexapro) and was on Wellbutrin XL and celexa for a while (added Celexa when the Wellbutrin stopped working after a month and a half)..after...
Part of my fiance's mania (before Risperdal) DEFINITELY included seeing things (police lights when there were none, animals "talking to him")... our pdoc told us that it was certainly a byproduct of...
Hi Serafena- I make my fiance walk around the lake near our house at least once a week. He always feels better after exercising, and, as an added bonus, there's ducks, beavers, geese, turtles, etc....
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601124&sid=aBNNKDbiydC8&refer=home Lilly, J&J Antipsychotics No Better for Kids Than Older Generic By Rob Waters Sept. 15 (Bloomberg) -- Best-selling...
Also, i know that my fi often felt guilty for the effects his depression took on our life. This broke my heart and it is possible your fi has more support in him for you than you might think....
Mogli- First, congrats on your upcoming graduation! That's quite an accomplishment. My fiance has been on Risperdal for 10 months. It is very effective in controlling some of the more horrific...
Hopeless- I can only speak to the Synthroid...when I started Synthroid a year ago (thyroid removed), I felt an irritated-high-sweating-jumpy sensation everytime I took it for about 3 weeks...then my...
Have your children been supportive of you?...
Before my fiance was stable but during one of our first therapy visits, I explained that if something triggered my fiance's illness (whether it was work, his family, whatever) while I was at work and...
Wife- I agree w/ Sukay and Serafena. My fiance is 6 months on and 6 months off, like you described (although opposite of your H). Although he is stable (now), we wouldn't be as far as we are in our...
That's good news!...
I am slated to take part in Nami's Family to Family workshop, which is a 12 wk program (a couple hours on sundays) that aims to assist family members and loved ones (my fiance is bp) to better cope...
Olivia- I live in MD...I don't know if you're supposed to recommend pdocs on the board, but if you'd like the name of a good one (I don't know if you have one, so if you do, ignore me :), please let...