So hard to find a good med
I have bipolar type 2 and just need to have a bit of a rant. At the moment I am off meds, waiting to start a new lot and hoping that this will be the one that works. I have tried so many and they have all had side affects that make life even more difficult to cope with.
So I'm wondering what meds work for you? I am kind of interested to see how other people's bodies respond to things, because it can be so very different. I will list my experiences below, in turn how about you tell me how these drugs or other drugs you have tried, worked or didn't work for you.
So far I've tried:
Seroquel - absolutely amazing drug. This was my first treatment after being diagnosed. It kept me so stable and helped me sleep. The downside was it made me crave sugar and carbs like you wouldn't believe. I couldn't stop myself from eating. In the end i put on 30kg within something like 4 months. Went from being a ladies size 10 and now I am a 16. Horrible, horrible, horrible.
Lamictal - I didn't get the deadly rash, but i got really itchy all over, including my scalp. I was scratching myself everywhere until i bled. This drug also took ages to work into the system and treat any kind of symptoms as increasing in dose needed to be done slowly to avoid SJ syndrome. It gave me terrible insomnia too, where i was sleeping for maybe 3hrs a night, which of course brought on mania.
Geoden - I have a vision impairment, and this drug made my eyes super sensitive to light. I felt a fast shift in my mood, probably about 48hrs into it...but yeah, had to go into a dark room and hibernate.
Lithium - the gold standard for treating bipolar. This was okay until I got bad diarrhea. It was at a low dose too so i wasn't toxic or anything. So then my psych lowered the Lithium and added epilim into the mix, same thing diahrrhea. To the point where I was going to the toilet 4 or more times a day and having severe stomache pains. Not to mention with these drugs you need regular blood tests, can't take things like nurofen, cold/flu tablets, and really have to watch what you do because anything could trigger toxicity.
Ugh, so now i am waiting to see my psychiatrist tomorrow and I think he will try me on Tegretol. Has anyone tried this? I am worried I will walk around not being able to remember my own name :s. I have also read that some people take a drug called topomax to help with the weight issue when taking things like Seroquel. I'm thinking this could be a good option if my psychiatrist is into it.
I am really trying to lead a normal life here, but its just so hard to find a drug that can treat this disorder and not mess with your body. It's not even a case of putting up with some bad side affects and enjoying the benefits of a drug because the side affects are too severe to live with...although i did live with the runs from six months LOL. I just didnt go out too often, and if i did i always made sure I was near a loo.
My psychiatrist has indicated that we are running out of "good" options and that tegretol could be my last hope. He said that the other drugs that are left on the shelf are ten times worse than what i've already tried in terms of side affects.
Anyway, tell me your stories :)