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    Hello again :)

    Hi there all!

    I thought i'd drop in with a wee update on the old health front.

    Well...I was put on Lithium Carbonate about 3 months ago and they kept putting the levels up and up but my blood levels kept below effective dosage - so got no action at all with that...my funny little body...nothing normal ever happens!

    Anyway, after that my Dr suggested Topamax as a mood stabiliser - whoa! Falling asleep at my desk at work...no cognitive function beyond "hello" and lucky if I got to that! So, ended up in hospital under Drs instructions and came off prozac, topamax and went on to another mood stabiliser called Lamictal and using seroquel at very low dosages for sleeping.

    Wow - life has changed completely. No manic moments, sex drive back after 9 years on those antidepressant buggers, weight coming down nearly back to normal, and feel calm and relaxed (well as calm and relaxed as I want to be when I want to be!).

    It was the antidepressants that were causing the most trouble according to P-doc - way too much of a manic chick for those little pills - diagnosis of Bipolar 1 confirmed - a couple of major depressive episodes throughout life and the rest is an "up there" kinda blur.

    Anyway, went to a quiz night and asked Dr what to do about drinking....she said have only a "couple" and I had 2! And I didn't want any more...the old "let's have another one quick and then keep going" feelin had gone. P-doc reckons I was trying to calm down with alcohol which of course didn't work as sent me higher than ever (small crash the next day but not clinical depression, just hangover!). On Saturday had "a" beer at a friends and when offered the second didn't feel like it, so didn't have it...what a change!

    So now am calm (with a few little ups which I control with meds during day if needed - but not often), not shopping crazily or working like 3 people!

    It's different, that's for sure. I still feel a little strange that the "highs" don't kick in when they used to - but I guess it takes a while to get used to "normal" (whatever that is!). I still feel like myself, not dumbed down or drugged out - just not manic

    Anyway, to all those struggling with co-morbidity issues, sooner or later it gets better...wish it had all been diagnosed a long time ago, but heh, I would't have half as much nice stuff, hehe!!!

    Love to all the old mates and the new people here.

    Cheers

    Cashy
    xxxx
    "Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans" - John Lennon

    #2
    Hello again

    Cashy! It's great to see you back!

    Really glad things have worked out, eventually, for you!!

    :l

    Comment


      #3
      Hello again

      Ah Cashy - you ought to become a National Treasure!!!!

      Thanks so much for dropping in. Ecstatic that you're travelling well. It sounds like life is good. That makes me happy.

      Comment


        #4
        Hello again

        Thanks BB and Tawny,

        I reckon i'll hang around for all those people here who are having mental health issues in spite of or because of alcohol - it's a wicked 2 headed beastie and someone has to talk about that side of things. It's something alot of doctors don't seem to get - apparently over 65% of people with bipolar have a substance abuse problem and that percentage goes up with women - so if there's anyone here struggling with this kinda crap don't hesitate to msg or e-mail me - now i am the great knower of all things (whoops, delusions of grandeur again!) - well maybe I can help a little bit some time - who knows.

        I remember there was a bit of blah around here a while back about us mental cases blabbing about our "other" issues - but these things go hand in hand and i'm damned if i'm gunna hide that.

        And I remain vigilant - don't want to go back there and I know for sure that meds can only take me so far down the track...rest is up to me!

        Like the old saying goes:

        "How many psychiatrists does it take to change a lightbulb?"

        "Only one, but the lightbulbs got to want to change!"

        Good to be back on the old boards again.

        And Tawny - the way I was shopping I coulda bought the national treasure!
        "Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans" - John Lennon

        Comment


          #5
          Hello again

          Great to see you around again Cashy!
          "Keep your eyes and heart focused on the end goal at all times, and never settle for less."

          Comment


            #6
            Hello again

            Great to see you again Cashy. I am so glad the meds are working for you. I am also relieved you can be an advocate for us BP sufferers. I was on the Lithium Carbonate and it didn't do much for me. They have me on Epival and Trazodone that helps me sleep now. This therapy is working very well for me, and my doc said there is a lot of room to move around with dosages on these.

            I was put off a bit a while back in regards to people dismissing the relation of mental health issues and alcoholism. For many of us they are very real and often go hand in hand.

            Anyway, I am glad you are back and are well.

            Comment


              #7
              Hello again

              I am sooooo happy for you Cashy!!!

              Comment


                #8
                Hello again

                Cashy..Thank you for being brave enough to share your struggles.
                We all have them....
                Love,
                Nancy
                "Be still and know that I am God"

                Psalm 46:10

                Comment


                  #9
                  Hello again

                  Hi Cashy glad you gave us an update, anything you need let us know.

                  Sammys

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Hello again

                    Great to hear from you Cashy, I was quite worried about you. Love the lightbulb joke
                    I work in a psyche unit and will tell that gem tomorrow.
                    As for mental cases I think we all are, or we wouldn't have addiction probs.!
                    Love Paula.
                    .

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Hello again

                      Cashy, that's wonderfull news! Look forward to your posts and chatting again.
                      nosce te ipsum
                      (Know Thyself)

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Hello again

                        Cashy, it is fantastic that everything is working out for you. bi polar is such a hard illness to determine with so many other mental illnesses leading down the same path. you are a true hero!

                        maxman
                        "From now on, walking is my beer and feeling good is my hangover" .....Homer Simpson

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Hello again

                          Cash, glad you are back and thanks for sharing that info. It was very interesting to me as a co-self-medicator. I was also diagnosed as bipolar by one doctor, then it was negated by another. Who knows? How does it get diagnosed anyway?

                          My many experiences with antidepressives (SSRIs) have all been horribly negative so I've been completely turned off on medications generally. Am still looking for a natural way to feel normal, whatever that is, but your experience gives me hope.
                          Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life... And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

                          Steve Jobs, Stanford Commencement Adress, 2005

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Hello again

                            Hi all - thanks for the warm welcome back!

                            yeah mental illness and substance abuse of any kind go hand in hand. I really think that for us "crazies" we have to be really honest with our docs so that we can get treatment that assists us with both struggles.

                            And as for antidepressants - yechh - will never ever thake again unless I fall into a gross depression. I am losing weight and my sex drive is back (sorry if too much information!). I don't think my husband can believe the change - it's all a bit overwhelming for him after 9 years of crap.

                            Misdiagnosis is a hassle (to say the least) and bipolar is hard to diagnose - but at least they are working on it - and now they Have bipolar 1,2,3,4,5 as i've read on various sites!

                            They are making headway - ans that means treatment is getting better all the time. Psychiatry is still more an art than a sceince - but they are trying!

                            Looking forward to chatting with you all soon.

                            Chins up everyone!

                            Cashy
                            xxxxx


                            Hey accountable - - is that sodium valproate you are on (Epival) - that works for alot of people. Good with the meds - let me know if I can be of any help
                            "Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans" - John Lennon

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Hello again

                              Welcome back, Cashy. Good for you and your Doc for finding a combination of meds that are working for you. I'm a total advocate for modern medicine, but I also agree that we have to have the right mindset. I hope to see you post again soon.

                              Julie

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