drug induced bipolar

[Eva430]

My boyfriend went through some tough times a couple of years back. He was using drugs and landed in the hospital twice due to paranoid episodes and manic behavior from the drugs. He ultimately ended up in rehab after his second incident. He was diagnosed with “Drug induced bipolar” Before his drug use began he never suffered from anything of this sort. My question is, is this permanent? Is he damaged for life? Does he only have “bipolar”  if he uses drugs? He has been clean for two years now and they are still making him take Depakote and resperidal, the side effects are horrible and I feel like the psychiatrist just want to keep pumping all these drugs in him. Is he damaged for life? Will he ever be able to be off medicine? Please help

Thank You
Eva

[stpg10458]

I have to agree with nomedsplz.
I  first went to a therapist who then referred me to a psychiatrist.  That psychiatrist placed me on Paxil.  I then broke up with my partner of 25 years and became more depressed. I was smoking a lot of pot at the time.
She prescribed Welbutrin. I took one. Yes only one pill. The first day I was very hyper like someone on speed and had some grandiose ideas. I decided not to take this med again. Within 3 days I became manic and had a psychotic episode.  I was put away for 11 days  until I signed myself out.
I ended my sessions with that doctor and was assigned a new one who changed the diagnosis to bi-polar and was prescribed Zyprexa.
I did not like the way I felt. I was always in a daze and looked like I was high.  I had stopped smoking pot in the year 2003.
This year I decided to wean myself of this med.  I did not tell my doctor until 2 months later. I still see him.  I have been doing well and feel much better.
He told me to call him if I need help.  
I will but I hope I never have to be put back on meds.
Note:  I weaned myself slowly over a period of 8 weeks. I did experience some nausea and dizziness during the last 2 weeks of my weaning off stage. But have had no trouble since.

[nomedsplz]

Any psychology 101 text will explain that it is possible for the brain to regenerate.  Maybe some conditions will be permanent and maybe some won't be.

A second opinion used to be an expected procedure with any medical diagnosis.  This should be true for a psychological one as well.  Get one, can't hurt.

[blackheartedmind]

Well this is what happened to me and its my opinion.   I saw a therapist for about a year before I saw a psychiatrist.  I was drinking like a fish.  I was also using other drugs.  Well my therapist finally wanted me to see my shrink.  Well she saw that I was drinking and doing drugs.  My shrink put me on stuff to make me quit drinking.  I don't think I told her I was doing other stuff.  But apparently that could cause a misdiagnoses.  So my doctor waited about 2 months before she came back with my diagnoses.  So i think its possible that it goes away.  And in my opinion it does go away.  So is you boyfriend clean now?  If so maybe you should see a different shrink.  That's my opinion. have a good day and take care