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Mental Health (Expert Forum)
Bi-Polar?
Answered by
Roger Gould, M.D. - Mental Health, Wellness
Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD), bipolar disorder, dementia, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic, personality disorders, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, stress, transitions, and work problems.
Bi-Polar?
by tercel, Jan 26, 2003 12:00AM
One of my relatives was recently diagnosed as being bi-polar. She is 75 years old and has never shown any signs of being bi-polar. She was told that she is probably bi-polar because when she took the anti-depressant celexa she was unable to sleep and the next day she was very hyper and could not stop talking. She is now taking depakote for bi-polar. I'm still not convinced that she is bi-polar and I'm wondering how this diagnosis can be made based on her reaction to anti-depressants alone? Is someone always considered to be bi-polar if they have this reaction to anti-depressants? Thanks for your input. tercel
Doctor's Answer
by Roger Gould, M.D., Jan 27, 2003 12:00AM
, Jan 27, 2003 12:00AM
I don't want to second guess your doctor, but I do agree with you that the grounds for that diagnosis are quite shaky. In a person that age it is much more likely that it was a idiosyncratic response to the medication. I would suggest you talk this over with the doctor, because the depakote itself can cause mental confusion in some one that age. The fewer cns medications, the better. It can become quite confusing if there are too many.
