Depression meds vs. Bipolar meds...Any difference?

[CrzyBeautiful1]

I know this may sound like an extremely crazy question, but, what kind of meds do they prescribe for bipolar? Are they the same meds as any other anti-depressant for clinical depression, or different?

I was first diagnosed with sever clinical depression 11 yrs ago when I was 15. Since then, I have been on numerous different brands of anti-depressants. All different kinds, and all different brands. They helped a little bit with my mood swings, but that was about it, and that wasn't even completely better. The last thing I was on was Effexor at 225 mgs. When that wasn't helping they were going to up my dosage yet again, but didn't because he said the FDA doesn't recommend u go any higher than that. I'm now on Celexa.

Anyway, since I've been reading a lot about bipolar disorder lately, I've realized...OMG I'M BIPOLAR!!!!  When I was diagnosed with clinical depression, I always argued it. My reasoning was, "I'm not depressed...only sometimes. I'm also a happy person and when I'm happy, I'm not depressed at all."  Several phychologists and my therapist has asked me if I was bipolar or ever tested for it in the past. I said no, because I don't have manic episodes. I was also told before that bipolar ppl are never "in between", that they're either really up or really down. And back then I did have "in between" days. Nowadays I'm usually either up or down. But then someone mentioned Bipolar Type 2 to me. It was my son's behavior therapist to be exact. When I read about this type 2 I about freaked out...THIS IS ME!

So anyway, my next move is to bring this up to my psychiatrist. I have an appoinment with him in July for a check up on my new meds he has started me on. I was recently diagnosed with ADD and put on a stuimulant and my anti-depressant switched because he didn't want me taking a stimulant with Effexor for some reason. I also take Klonopin PRN for my panic attacks.

So, if I do in fact have Bipolar Type 2, what do u think I will be looking at as far as meds go? Do they just simply prescribe an anti-depressant for Bipolar? I heard Lithium was bad to take. Is this true? And is a stimulant ok to take if ur Bipolar?

If it turns out that I am in fact Bipolar, I'm not gonna know what to think. I'm going to be relieved, but almost embarrassed at the same time. Please don't take offense to this statement. Its just that with the way ppl are these days, I've grown up always hearing ppl accusing someone of being bipolar if the were acting "crazy", and doing it in such a way as to put that person down...laughing about it like its a joke. This is very sad, and I know not the case when to be taken seriously. I know many ppl are bipolar, but for some reason I can't help but feel like less of a person if this is truly what I am. Why should I be ashamed? It makes me feel like such a fool. Ok ok, I'm rambling on now...I'll shut up. Thats just my ADD coming out. LOL :p

[CrzyBeautiful1]

Oh, and just wanted to add, I'm so glad I read about the type 2 bipolar, because before then, I just always felt l must have something crazy wrong with me that noone else did. Its weird because all my life growing up I thought what I did was normal...that everyone was that way, but yet at other times I felt so alone, like noone understands me or knows what I'm going through. So, I'm really glad I found out there is a type 2. Why isn't it heard of more? If I hadn't have heard of it through a casual conversation with my son's therapist, I would've never known that this may really be what I have, afterall.

[corlenbelspar]

Actually people with Bipolar Disorder can in fact be inbetween with periods of normalcy or mixed states.I hear a mood stabalizer and/or an antidepressant and sometimes an antipsychotic for the manic phase are good for treating it.  Sometimes they can even go into a manic phase from an antidepressant treatment alone and require the mood stabalizer or antipsychotic.

[CrzyBeautiful1]

I believe my stimulant I take for my ADD makes me do that. Its a small dose, but its like it puts me way over the top when I take it...Helps the ADD though.

[sarah357]

In my case, they actually put me on a mood stabilizer called Lamictal; there are many others too, but most of them are anti-seizure medicines. They usually start out on low doses and slowly get to the desired amount. Most psychiatrists stay away from Lithium or the older drugs because they have more side effects. Also, with the anti-depressants, a lot of people with bipolar can actually have worse symptoms. Obviously every situation is different but mood stabilizers are most likely to work with bipolar because of the ups and downs in moods. Good luck :)

[CrzyBeautiful1]

do mood stabilizers tend to a side effect of making u drowsy? I always worry about this because I struggle with chronic fatigue anyway, so I hate taking meds that add to that. Especially when I have a 4 yr old and a 2 yr old to take care of all day. LOL

[sarah357]

Yeah I know what u mean because my daughter is almost 4 and I'm always tired so all the meds don't help. Actually when I took Prozac it made me way more tired, I was literally . The Lamictal didn't give me any more fatigue (sometimes its hard to tell?) but nothing extreme.

[sarah357]

sorry I didn't even finish that because I was running after my daughter; but I was falling asleep every morning with the Prozac; I don't remember the mood stabilizer ever doing that. So mood stabilizers made me feel a lot better :)

[CrzyBeautiful1]

Yeah I can't ever tell if a med makes me tired because I'm always tired anyway LOL. Unless it's seroquel or something. My appointment with my pdoc is at the end of this month and I'm going to talk with him about bipolar. I've got to get ahold of my life... I can't live like this anymore