no motivation

[jant22]

Hi, so im currently taking seroquel 100mg, 30mg remeron and beta blockers. I have been having severe motivational problems...i have no motivation to do anything. i have exams coming up and im worrying. most days i will sit around or stay in bed late knowing that i have so much to do, but i cant bring myself to do anything,,this causes me a great deal of anxiety and i get a bit panicked.
Im worried that im becoming depressed again, or maby its just my meds
anyone else have similar problems?
also i havnt actually been diagnosed with BP..

[triedeverymed]

I think it comes with the territory. I get that way too, somedays I have energy but can't bring myself to get anything done nor do i want to do anything for myself. I'm sick of feeling this way but my doc gave me Provigil for those days and it gives me that extra push I need to get things done. I still can't clean house or work. I hardly even bother to get dressed somedays. The doc said it;s not unusual. And it does come and go but no big projects for me, I still can't handle those

[jant22]

what is Provigil? is there anything i can take that would give be a good boost? (thats not illegal!)

[xanweaner]

From what I know about Remeron, it does the same thing to me at 30 mg. It takes a lot for me to get going in the morning...I used to have lots of pep and energy. The Seroquel, I believe, can have the same drowsiness problem. I haven't taken it personally, but know of others who have.
I hope you get some energy soon...and good luck on your exams!

[xanweaner]

Sorry, I meant for my post to be to you vs. tried. Hope you see it!
Best,
xan

[jant22]

thanks for your comments. im just loading up on red bull at the moment. im getting into a viscious cirlce. i dont take meds - i get anxious and cant sleep therefore im constantly tired. i do take meds they make me sleepy during the day an so on and so forth!
Im lost

[xanweaner]

If you're not suffering from a moderate to severe depression, you should consider some alternatives to hopefully get some relief of the anxiety and help you with sleep. There are many options now these days.

And, from personal experience, when I was in psychotherapy, it definitely helped me recover faster. Currently, I'm not, and it's taking much longer. I had a great Holistic Psychologist and need to locate another one.
Good luck...and the red bull can cause anxiety, too, so should limit your usage of that.

[Crystlas]

I would not recommend drinking Red Bull if you are bipolar, due to the Ginseng content which can throw a BP person into mania.  What is your exact diagnosis?  Why is a doctor prescribing you Seroquel if you are not.  What are the other meds for?

[jant22]

my exact diagnosis is depression with associated anxiety which i recieved over a year ago. im on the seroquel for insomnia and the anxiety. remeron for depression and beta blockers for restlessness (maby caused by the seroquel). but over the past year iv had so many up and downs including two trips to the ER from a bang to my head as i was drunk and severe anxiety attack and tachycardia as i took some extacy. which was VERY out of character for me.
Asked my doc did he think i may be bipolar II and he said i show no signs of it.
i need the red bull to counteract the meds. Gosh i sound like an addict LOL.

[Crystlas]

I would not say you sound like an addict at all.  You sound like the rest of us before we got a proper diagnosis.  Even then, it is hard to deal with.  It took them a year to figure out what works best for my bipolar.  Maybe you should get a second professional opinion.  Have you read up on bipolar disorder?

[xanweaner]

When your physician prescribed Seoquel to you, did he discuss the potential side effects, like tardive dyskonesia? Read up on the package insert for Seroquel for more information, and you can google tardive dyskonesia for a description of this adverse event.

I agree with Crystlas - maybe a second medical opinion is appropriate.
Wishing you the very best...

[jant22]

yea iv read up on bipolar loads. i know quite a bit about it. my uncle has it, he was diagnosed the same age i was diagnosed with depression/anxiety. also i think tardive dyskinesia is associated with long term use of antipsychotics..like a number of years.im just hoping i can get through my finals and then move on..like go see a new doc.
i need somthing to pick me up. although he increased my remeron last week.
i read about a drug called adderall (adderrall)...sounds like something i could do with

[DLA]

Exactly how much Red Bull do you think I'd have to drink to get manic?  Think I need to find out!  LOL

[xanweaner]

Re: tardive dyskonesia - you're partially right about long-term use contributing to the onset. However, in some of these newer psychotropic agents -like  Seroquel,  there is a potential.

Since I've seen tardive dyskinesia first hand, I think it's critical for anyone who is taking this class of drugs to be aware of the potential This info. is taken from the package insert, and I didn't know if you had read it.

_________________________________________________________________

Tardive Dyskinesia

A syndrome of potentially irreversible, involuntary, dyskinetic movements may develop in patients treated with antipsychotic drugs. Although the prevalence of the syndrome appears to be highest among the elderly, especially elderly women, it is impossible to rely upon prevalence estimates to predict, at the inception of antipsychotic treatment, which patients are likely to develop the syndrome. Whether antipsychotic drug products differ in their potential to cause tardive dyskinesia is unknown.

The risk of developing tardive dyskinesia and the likelihood that it will become irreversible are believed to increase as the duration of treatment and the total cumulative dose of antipsychotic drugs administered to the patient increase. However, the syndrome can develop, although much less commonly, after relatively brief treatment periods at low doses.

There is no known treatment for established cases of tardive dyskinesia, although the syndrome may remit, partially or completely, if antipsychotic treatment is withdrawn. Antipsychotic treatment, itself, however, may suppress (or partially suppress) the signs and symptoms of the syndrome and thereby may possibly mask the underlying process. The effect that symptomatic suppression has upon the long-term course of the syndrome is unknown.

Given these considerations, SEROQUEL should be prescribed in a manner that is most likely to minimize the occurrence of tardive dyskinesia. Chronic antipsychotic treatment should generally be reserved for patients who appear to suffer from a chronic illness that (1) is known to respond to antipsychotic drugs, and (2) for whom alternative, equally effective, but potentially less harmful treatments are not available or appropriate. In patients who do require chronic treatment, the smallest dose and the shortest duration of treatment producing a satisfactory clinical response should be sought. The need for continued treatment should be reassessed periodically.
____________________________________________________________________

I just wanted to be sure that you had reviewed this info. with your pdoc.

I hope you feel better soon.
Best,
-xan-

[Crystlas]

Your nuts, induce mania? Yuck!  I did lots and lots of reading to understand what I can and can not take.  Ginseng came up as a trigger for mania.  High levels of caffeine is bad to.  So I figured both together is really bad for bipolars.  Wanna do an experiment?  Get a sixer and let me know how it goes!!!  LOL.

[DLA]

May have to just try that!  Does it come without sugar though.  A diet upper?  LOL  Messes with the diabetes too much and it just counter acts everything.  Honey, I couldn't get a buzz on if a bee flew up my nose.  Bzzzzzzzz   ;-)

I take caffeine pills and still just snooze away.  Ever take psudoephedrine?  Make ya hyper?  Not me.  Knocks me out for at least 12 hours!  Can you see me taking meth?  After the first time I'd be out so long they'd think I was dead.  =^}{

[Crystlas]

Hmmm.....I dunno...you do live in the county.  Don't county folk love to cook meth?  Just teasing.  I had to get a client out of a meth lab, smack dab in a runned down neighbrohood in my town.  It was nasty, smelt gross!  Anyhow, yes, they make a sugar free Red Bull.  I don't intake a lot of suger and I used to only drink the sugar free ones, not bad at all.  Last time I had one of those type drinks I was very manic, I just did not know it.  It made me mega hyper.  Then I was diagnosed BP a month later!  Imagine that?  I think you should do the experiment, just to see if it would make you hyper!!  LOL...probably knock you out for a week!  ((((grins))))

[DLA]

Yeah, I'll be out for days.  Zzzzzz

Have another drs appt tomorrow and I'm exhausted.  Might stop and get one in the morning, but then it would probably work and send my blood pressure through the roof.

[ILADVOCATE]

Red Bull Energy drink has taurine and caffeine. It has proven fatal in some cases and there are efforts by the government to ban it. I took Taurine by itself and it made me beyond manic to the point of psychosis. Tyrosine sped up my blood pressure where I almost ended up in the hospital. That was two years ago and I learned my lesson: the hard way. Taurine and Tyrosine are two natural remedies that should not be taken at all. Caffeine is an issue but that's part of coffee and many normal things. Ginseng is a potential problem. I'd avoid it. Taurine is a no go so Red Bull Energy Drink should not be used by anyone, especially someone with bipolar or the potential for mania or psychosis. If I've posted about any natural remedies on the site they were in government study and even in those cases I always said to speak to a psychiatrist first before taking anything. An unknown quantity is never a good thing.

[ILADVOCATE]

As for tardive dyskinesia I will post the facts which I obtained from my psychopharmocologist. For typcial antipsychotics the rate is 5% per person per year. For atypicals, the rate is 2.5% per person per year. Its something to watch out for and if a person shows signs of it it could easily be masked and definitely will worsen. A consult with a neurologist who is a movement disorders specialist is mandatory if there are suspicions of it. If a person has tardive dyskinesia and needs an anti-psychotic they will be transferred to Clozaril. It cannot create or worsen tardive dyskinesia but does have side effects of its own such as blood dyscreias and requires weekly blood work but is a viable option. As well there are newer classes of antipsychotics in study such as the glutamate antagonists that won't create tardive dyskinesia, diabetes, weight gain or akathesia (temporary motor restlessness) nor the cognitive blunting that current antipsychotics cause and promote a fuller recovery. I am on glycine, a glutamate antagonist in Phase II FDA study and my psychopharmocologist has identified my recovery as "as good as any FDA approved anti-psychotic or better" to the director of the hospital that first developed Clozaril and will be putting the study in publication. I have severe tardive dyskinesia including tardive myoclonus and respiratory convulsions as well as as tardive psychosis which I am under study for as a criteria but they are being treated with Zofran and the natural remedy rhodiola (in clinical study). I have put this information in applicable threads to keep people updated and aware which is always important for any mental health consumer.

[Tink70]

What a great post! Very informative.  I didn't do the energy drinks simply because of the sugar content (I'm diabetic) and they made me too hyped up but now I now WHY!  They were inducing mania!  Well, DUH!  Good to know!  My daughter just got a diagnosis of "baby bipolar - cyclothymia (apple don't fall too far from the bent tree! LOL) and she was always just spazzing after drinking those things and now I know why! Thanks a million!  
As for the TD:  I've been oh so lucky with the meds and that issue.  But on to the actual thread question: That sounds very much like a MIXED STATE.  You don't sound like you are on the right meds.  You need a second opinion of your medication and diagnosis.  You sound like you need more serotonin and dopamine and more calcium blocker.  Then you won't crave the caffeine as much. (personal experience speaking here)  Just an opinion and suggestion from one BPI to another person!
Take Care
Tink