Archive for September, 2008
Thursday, September 25th, 2008
Hi,
Here is a great question from Dana regarding medications.
Hi Julie,
I’m on the Lamictal starter pack and still taking 25 mg a day. I’ve been increasingly manic, irritable and aggressive. I have no tolerance for other people and haven’t been able to attend school. Is this normal? Will it be better at 100mg?
Dana
**
Hi Dana,
First of all, it’s great that you’re aware of what’s going on. Sometimes side effects happen so subtly that people stay in a state of physical and mental agitation before they realize what’s happening.
Lamictal, like all drugs works in different doses for different people. For example, my mother gets a lot of help from 75mg and I’m on 500mg. If she goes above 75mg she gets the jaw clenching that comes with the drug. If I go under 500mg I get pretty bad withdrawal symptoms including bad twitching and super bad leg pain.
Your health care professional was really smart to start you on a small dose as going up slowly on Lamictal really helps minimize side effects.
It’s super important that you contact your doctor with your question. Any time a drug makes you feel manic, this is dangerous as it can lead to rapid cycling.
I have not heard of Lamictal causing mania and agitation, so that is new to me, but your health care professional will definitely know what do to. Here are questions you can ask yourself so that you can give your HCP the info needed:
Are you taking other meds that may be interacting with the Lamictal?
Did you stop a drug to go on this drug? IE, could you be having withdrawal from something else?
Have you had a trigger in your life that is messing with your sleep?
Speaking of sleep, the number one sign of mania is sleeping a lot less but not being tired. You may feel agitated and worn out, but not necessarily tired.
There are many things that could be happening, but it’s probably the drug. Only you and your HCP can work on dosage. Lamictal is notorious for withdrawal symptoms, so don’t do anything drastic. If you and your HCP decide to change the dose or the drug, do it slowly!
I hope this helps. Hang in there. It took me many, many years to find the right med at the right dose. It takes time, but you can find the same relief.
Julie
Tags: , anti epileptic drugs lamictal, bipoalr illness, Bipolar Disorder, bipolar disroder, bipolar illness, bipolarhappens.com, dangerous rash lamictal, dangerous side effects lamictal, drugs, help with lamictal, julie bipolar tips, julie fast, julie fast bipolar tips, juliefast.com, lamictal and twitching, lamictal dosage, lamictal excellent drug, lamictal is lamtrigine, lamictal problems, lamictal questions, lamictal side effects, lamictal teenagers, lamictal troubles, lamictal withdrawal, lamotrigine, manic depression, medication problems, medication side effects, medication trouble, mood stabilizer, neck lamictal, problems with lamictal, psych drugs, psychiatric drugs, rash lamictal, son on lamictal, what are the side effects of lamictal? should I try lam, what is lamictal? Lamictal kids, www.bipolarhappens.com, www.juliefast.com
Posted in Lamictal, Medications, Reader Questions | 4 Comments »
Thursday, September 25th, 2008
Well, nine hours of sleep is so amazing for me I actually woke up and wanted to do a little jig. I’m what I call an undersleeper. I was actually talking with my friend Kristin yesterday- she’s the author of Bipolar and Pregnant, and we spent a long time talking about bipolar disorder and sleep. Here are all the ways it affected our sleep:
#1. Issues due to meds. Kristin talked about Topamax. She has no idea if it affects sleep- but she’s pretty sure it affects memory. Kristin uses Lunesta to sleep.
#2. When I’m depressed, I have agitated sleep which means my brain doesn’t shut down at night. Bother! I use Ativan to sleep when it gets bad.
#3. Of course, mania is the biggest problem. I rapid cycle almost daily, so on the nights I can actually fall asleep normally and get 7-8 hours of rest is pretty great!
#4 . Excessive tiredness from medications- especially some anti depressants. Whew, I used to get so tired my lips got numb and I slept 14 hours a day. No kidding!
Many people in this industry say that regulating sleep is the #1 way to manage the illness. How is your sleep? I need to write a book on the topic!
The buzz word these days is ’sleep hygeine” I am not even sure how to spell the word! Ah, here it is: hygiene!
Julie
Tags: bipolar affective disorder, bipolar and pregnant, Bipolar Disorder, bipolar illness, bipolar mania, depression and sleep, depression sleep, Get It Done When You're Depressed, julie fast, kristin finn, loving someone with bipolar disorder, mania sleep, manic depression, sleep, sleep hygeine bipolar disorder., Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder, trouble sleeping bioplar
Posted in sleep | No Comments »
Wednesday, September 24th, 2008
I’ve been up and down lately and amazingly, more up than down! I could say HALLAJUILIULA (really, where does our spelling come from!) or I could do what I’m doing. I’m getting home early and watching Dancing with the Stars. I’m avoiding stimulating situations such as karaoke or dinner parties. I’m aware that I’m on the cusp of not sleeping. I’m using my Ativan instead of trying to force myself to sleep. There is a lot I can do now before it goes so far.
Here are my subtle signs of mania: I’d be interested to know yours.
#1. Cooking. I cook a lot more when I’m manic and I often make pretty complex dishes. Today I made chicken Marsala. I then tend to cook a lot of dishes to go with it, but I stopped myself today.
#2. I chop too quickly and tend to fling knives and cutting boards around when I’m washing them. I cut my finger today.
#3. Music sounds good- normally I find music depressing – as I once heard someone describe mania- everything becomes interesting when you’re manic!
#4. I don’t have a problem with the dark weather – though just a few days ago this weather depressed me.
The list goes on and on. If you don’t have bipolar disorder, you may say, “But I do this stuff all of the time and I’m not manic!”
That’s what makes bipolar disorder so hard to understand. People do experience what we experience, but to a different degree. Also, people tend to have patterns that make sense. My change from not being able to work just a few weeks ago, to being able to jam for hours all day and then not be able to sleep is a sign that I’m not stable.
I am going to use this hypomania to my advantage by getting my 200+ email taken care of.
What is your current mood swing? Are you stable? If you care about someone with the illness, can you tell when they’re manic?
Julie
Tags: , anti depressants, biplar medications, bipolar disorder medicatinos, bipolar mania, bipolar manic, Bipolar Medications, drugs, mania, manic episode, medications, medications for depressoin, medications to treat bioplar disorder, pressured speech, pressured speech mania, signs of mania, syptoms of mania
Posted in Mania | 5 Comments »
Monday, September 22nd, 2008
Freeze your fish oil pills! This makes them a lot easier to digest. I take mine right before bed.
Julie
Tags: , alt treatments, Bipolar, bipolar affective disorder, bipolar depression, Bipolar Help, bipolar illness, bipolar mania, bipolar questoins, Bipolar Treatment Tips, bipolar triggers, bipolarhappens.com, bp magazine, children bipolar disorder, DBSA, fish oil bipolar, general bipolar disorder, Get It Done When You're Depressed, julie fast, juliefast.com, loving someone with bipolar disorder, manic depression, manic episode, NAMI/DBSA, Omega 3 fatty acids, Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder, teenagers bipolar, www.bipolarhappens.com, www.juliefast.com
Posted in Bipolar Treatment Tips | 2 Comments »
Monday, September 22nd, 2008
I have a friend who has done everything possible to help his son find a diagnosis. The recent diagnosis was bipolar disorder. His son lived in a treatment facility for a year, went to a special camp in the country, learned more effective communication techniques and truly tried hard to fit in with his family. I have been amazed at how hard my friend and his partner have worked to find out what is happening to their child. The bipolar disorder diagnosis was a catch all- as it often is. It’s not that the diagnosis was wrong, it’s just that it was so vague.
Finally, some answers: My friend just wrote and said that his son has a new diagnosis that makes more sense. It’s called Pervasive Developmental Disorder. Here is what I just read in Wikipedia:
**
The diagnostic category pervasive developmental disorders (PDD), as opposed to specific developmental disorders (SDD), refers to a group of five disorders characterized by delays in the development of multiple basic functions including socialization and communication. The most commonly known PDD is (1) Autism, with the remaining identified as (2) Rett syndrome, (3) Childhood disintegrative disorder, (4) Asperger syndrome, and (5) Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (or PDD-NOS).
Parents may note symptoms of PDD as early as infancy and typically onset is prior to 3 years of age. PDD itself generally does not affect life expectancy.
There is a division among doctors on the use of the term PDD. Many use the term PDD as a short way of saying PDDNOS.Others use the general category label of PDD because they are hesitant to diagnose very young children with a specific type of PDD, such as autism. Both approaches contribute to confusion about the term, because the term PDD actually refers to a category of disorders and is not a diagnostic label.
**
Wow, that is not exactly the same as bipolar is it! My friend’s son had symptoms of explosive anger, inability to socialize, trouble following rules, inappropriate behavior, etc. Or course, that comes with bipolar as well. I think the main difference is the delay factor. I’m not sure that children with bipolar disorder are delayed in these areas as much as they have problems in these areas. The bipolar disorder diagnosis in children is so very nebulous, who knows what will happen in the future.
What matters is that my friend now has some answers. PDD will be treated very, very differently from bipolar disorder. A correct diagnosis, such as whether a child has bipolar or just severe ADHD is essential for correct treatment.
Let me know what you think on this one. I am SO happy for my friend.
Julie
Tags: , , ADHD, adolescent bipolar disorder, autism, Bipolar, Bipolar Disorder, bipolar disorder in children, bipolar disorder in kids, BP, child bipolar statistics, child bipolar studies, child onset bipolar disorder, child with bipoilar, child with bipolar, childhood bipolar diagnosis, childhood bipolar disorder symptoms, children bipolar disorder diagnosis, children bipolar illness, daughter bipolar, daughter boplar, depression, diagnosis, disroder, does my child have bipolar, family members, mania, medications and childhood bipolar disorder, mother bipolar, PDD, pervasive development disorder, son bipolar, the bipolar child, the explosive child, worried about my child bipolar
Posted in Children/teens | No Comments »
Sunday, September 21st, 2008
Insurance can really be difficult for many of us with bipolar disorder. Some states have parity laws- which means those of us with a mental illness have to have access to insurance. Other states have not passed this law. I’m lucky that Oregon has this program. I buy insurance from the Oregon Medical Insurance Pool. After I was turned down by EVERYONE because I have bipolar disorder, I was eligible for this program. And here is what’s funny. I RARELY go to the doctor for bipolar disorder. I treat myself and see my doctor for a meds checkup. But I do have to admit that I have more physical problems than most due to this illness.
My insurance is $375 a month. Very expensive. But it’s good insurance.
Does your state have parity? You can check with your NAMI or DSBA branches. Visit www.nami.org and http://www.dbsalliance.org
Oregon also has state insurance- but they aren’t taking new people. For those of you in countries with guaranteed health care, you’re lucky!
Julie
Tags: , , Bipolar, bipolar affective disorder, bipolar depression, Bipolar Help, bipolar illness, bipolar mania, bipolar questoins, Bipolar Treatment Tips, bipolar triggers, bipolarhappens.com, bp magazine, children bipolar disorder, DBSA, general bipolar disorder, Get It Done When You're Depressed, I need insurance bipolar, insurance bipiolar, insurance for bipolar disorder, julie fast, juliefast.com, loving someone with bipolar disorder, manic depression, manic episode, NAMI/DBSA, state rules insurance bipolar, Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder, teenagers bipolar, www.bipolarhappens.com, www.juliefast.com
Posted in insurance, money | 2 Comments »
Saturday, September 20th, 2008
Hi, Here is the latest newsletter from bipolarhappens.com. If you’re not on the mailing list, you can sign up at the link on the bottom of this post. I wrote this newsletter in response to the question I often get: What does it mean when I’m depressed but I’m so revved up, can’t sleep and just feel awful? The answer is it’s often a mixed episode!
Bipolar Disorder and Mixed Episodes
I’ve been going in and out of depression for a few months now. It’s annoying. I try to get perspective- I have chronic, rapid cycling bipolar disorder. So, if I go in and out of depression, that’s nothing new.
My goal is to lessen the depression as much as possible. I’ve been able to do that. Rapid cycling is defined as having three or more mood swings a year. Ha! How about two or three an hour!
About the blog: I just received the following reader comment from Jennifer:
I can’t find much information on your site for Bipolar 1 mixed. I rapid cycle daily too but I also can be depressed and manic at the same time. Did I miss it?
**
A mixed episode happens when a person is depressed and has agitated mania. This combination is called dysphoric mania and it’s not fun. That’s for sure.
There are two types of mania- dysphoric and euphoric. People with bipolar I often have the dysphoric type- more so than people with bipolar II. It’s characterized by unhappiness, extreme negative thinking, active suicidal thoughts and intense restlessness. It’s the most uncomfortable of all of the mood swings and has the highest suicide rate. I have a mixed episode Health Card in my treatment plan. I don’t experience this much, but when I do, it’s hard to function. Anti psychotics are often used to treat this and they can work miracles.
It’s possible to trigger dysphoric/mixed mania. Excessive stress- overstimulating events, huge life changing events such as the death of a loved one or moving to a new country. Then, there are mixed states that aren’t triggered at all and are simply mood swings brought on by the illness.
It helps to have a Health Card specifically for a mixed episode- especially in terms of how people can help you.
Thanks for your question!
Julie
to sign up for the newsletter… please visit: www.bipolarhappens.com
Tags: , agitation depression, b ipolar religion, biplar, Bipolar, bipolar depression, Bipolar Disorder, bipolar illness, bipolar spirituality, Bipolar Treatment Tips, bipolarhappens.com, depression aggitation, depression treatment, depressoin, depressoin treatment, dysphoric mania, Get It Done When You're Depressed, julie fast bipolar treatment, Julie Fast Radio Show, julie fast writer, juliefast.com, loving someone with bipolar disorder, manic depression, mixed bipolar, mixed episode bipolar disorder, mixed episodes, nervous mania, newsletter, spirituality and bipolar disorder., Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder, treatemnt, who is julie fast? bipolarhappens.com, www.bipolarhappens.com, www.juliefast.com
Posted in Bipolar Treatment Tips, Newsletters | 1 Comment »
