Part 2: Find Bipolar Disorder Medications that Work for You

Strategies to find medications that work with your mind and body:

# 1   Microdosing.  Everybody processes medications differently.  Our bodies are very individual which is why some people can take a certain drug with no side effects while others, like myself can have every single side effect listed on the drug warnings. There is a way to get around this.  My co-author Dr. John Preston introduced me to microdosing  many years ago. If your body has trouble processing a medication at the recommended dose, you can start with very small doses of the medication (microdosing) so that your body can acclimate to the drug with less side effects.  This is what I did when I started Lamictal- an anti convulsant used to treat bipolar depression, rapid cycling and psychosis.  It took six months for me to get to the right dose, but for the first time in my life I was able to tolerate a drug.  If you’re someone who has a lot of trouble with side effects, make sure you talk to your doctor about microdosing. This is especially true if you are concerned about the rash associated with Lamictal. The rash is extremely rare-  there are less serious rashes that respond very well to microdosing.

#2 Understand the Medications You’re Taking. I remember being on six medications when I was first diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1995.  I had no idea what they were for. I just know that they all seemed to make me more ill than I was before I took the medications.  This was because my doctor kept trying new combinations– one on top of the other -instead of working with me to find what really worked.  I would never go through this now.  I know too much about medications and know what questions to ask.  It’s important that people with bipolar disorder as well as the people in their lives understand exactly why a certain medication is used. Ask questions:

• Why am I on this drug and what benefits should I see?
• How long does this take on average?
• When will the side effects get better?
• If this medication isn’t working, what are my options?

You control what you put in your body. Become an expert of what helps you stay stable.

#3  Keep Trying- even when you feel hopeless.  In 2011, I found a medication cocktail that ended my depression. My depression was so severe for over five years that I feared for my life. Then I found the right combination of medications through the help of my coauthor Dr. John Preston.

Part three of this blog follows………

The first year of side effects was hell. But I’m so thankful I kept going.

Julie