adderall use for bipolar disorder

[Fusty]

is adderall being used for manic depressive/ bipolar disorder, especially when all other treatments have been ineffective even ect  the persons mind is racing, foot is shaking, but body cannot get in action., like add of the mind.

[Xila31]

Yes, today my husband was prescribed with it and we are on "mania watch" now just in case. He has a family history of both bipolar and ADD. The doctor was very clear on saying that Adderal can activate mania. So, I think it would not be chosen as a treatment for bipolar and you'd be on both that and something else if you had both bipolar and ADD.

[cowgirlnerd]

Lord no - it can cause manic episodes.  I took it before I was diagnosed.  

[HoneyNut]

I have never heard my Psychiatrist talking about it being used to treat Bipolar.  The only reason I take Adderall is to treat my ADHD.  I have also only taken Adderall and nothing else, for a period of time, and did not notice any changes in my Bipolar symptoms.  Everyone is different though, but a symptom one can have from taking Adderall, are racing thoughts, so I don't believe it would be prescribed to treat that.

Frusty is right in that Adderall is "activating", but I am not sure if it would generally be prescribed with an AD.  I was looking up drug interactions, for a medication I might be switched over to, and Wellbutrin and Adderall have serve interactions.  I believe this is because they can both be considered "uppers".  To be sure I wasn't just spouting off things, I just checked the drug interactions with Adderall and Paxil and Zoloft, and both were the same.

- HoneyNut

[Xila31]

This is a good question for your doctor.

My husband may be ADD, so we were reading up on adderal (we like to be informed before we take any meds.) Anyway, it says on there not to give to people who have bipolar because it can be activating. However, I do think some people with bipolar are prescribed it. It is probably given with other things, like an AD.

Anyway, that's what I read.