I received such a great email from a reader named Daphne Stevens that I’m posting parts of it on the blog. I think it helps so much for us to see that we all go through the same challenges with this illness. Daphne and I discussed Lamictal and other meds. Here are her comments: Lamictal, by the way, is my “miracle drug,” too. After two years of trial and error (and a lot of nasty side effects) my doctor and I finally settled on a combination of Lamictal and Seroquel. which levels out both the hypomania and depression. And my depression, while less frequent than hypomania, can be deadly, as you know. Over a lifetime of struggling, I’ve finally learned not to be too afraid of it. I know it will pass, no matter how permanent it feels at the time. Riding it out, being kind to myself, doing what I can, [ Read More ]
This is my amazing nephew David. He’s six. I was pretty depressed yesterday. David came up to me and gave me a hug. I said, “Auntie Wee is sick today.” He said, “I know.”
Wow. That is pretty insightful. I said, “How did you know I was depressed?” He said, “Because you’re always depressed!” I had to laugh! I’m not depressed very often at all anymore, but when he was very young, I was depressed about 50% of the time.
I made a decision when he was born that I would be honest with him about bipolar disorder. When I had a tough day, I’d say, “Auntie Wee is crying because she has an illness called bipolar disorder. ” Then I would explain how the illness caused my depression, but that I was fine on the inside. There were days when I couldn’t play [ Read More ]
Wow, considering how sick Britney Spears was last year, she sure is doing well.
When my partner Ivan went through a severe manic/psychotic episode, it took him a year to recover. I can’t imagine what it would have been like for him had he been in the public eye.
I’ve followed the story pretty carefully. I was interviewed for US Magazine last year when it was still unclear if she had the illness. Their sources said it was confirmed and that she was on Abilify. There is no way to know anything for sure if the family is not talking.
Well, writing about her is odd for me. I don’t get star struck- but I do feel this is a situation where her misfortune was a good thing for those of us with bipolar disorder. Her manic episode was caught on film over and over again and the world finally had compassion.
This is a difficult question for many health care professionals as well as people with the illness. It’s known that the first bipolar disorder medications tried are not always successful and that a trial and error process is usually indicated. Some people try medications for a year or more until they find something that works for them. Considering medication side effects and the impact on the body when stopping or changing medications, it’s important that you work with your health care professional closely when you’re asked to try a new medication.
I suggest that people keep trying to find the right medications. I use the Health Cards every day as I always say and I used them without medications for many years. It took me about 50% of my time to manage the illness. I’ve always said that managing this illness was a part time job. It was so [ Read More ]
I love Lamictal. That could be a bumper sticker on my car. I hope you have a medication that you love.
Unfortunately, I have some pretty tough side effects. Right now I’m dealing with the super stiff neck that often comes with the drug. It disrupts my sleep, which isn’t good! It’s like nighttime whip lash. I’ve found that stretching my neck and then using an ice pack helps. I try to get a massage as often as possible. I find myself moving my head over and over again to try to find a comfortable place on my pillow. There usually isn’t one! My side effects come and go, so hopefully this will be gone soon.
I’ve probably written about this on the blog- but I had to write it again to remind people that we may have to live with some side effects if the medication works [ Read More ]
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Mom Brain Podcast
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This is my amazing nephew David. He’s six. I was pretty depressed yesterday. David came up to me and gave me a hug. I said, “Auntie Wee is sick today.” He said, “I know.”
