effectiveness of xanax and wellbutrin

[just_here]

I have a friend hospitalized in a behavioral health unit for a mood disorder. This person is experiencing paranoia, depression, some delusions and is very impulsive. I have known this individual 3 years and this person has been diagnosed as being bi-polar in the past but he has received various diagnosis from different doctors.

This individual does not like mood stabilizers because the person believes does not work effectively and they are unable to work effectively. This person has taken wellbutrin for a number of years and has been stable for 5 years.


Since being hospitalized with severe depression with paranoia, this individual has been taking xanax for anxiety and continues to take the wellbutrin. The psychologist providing care would like the patient to take a mood stabilizer. After a week on these medications, the patient does not appear to be improving. Is it reasonable to allow the patient to continue this therapy and expect results?

[monkeyc]

Why does the patient think Mood Stablisers do not work?  That my first question.

Wellbutrin is an atypical AD and without mood stabiliser from wha I have read it may not always be an effective treatement for BP (and in fact reality is no anti depressant alone can be an effective treatment for Bipolar.

Many BP's suffer from Atypical Depression which is completey different in symptoms from classical or clincal depression and might not be picked up at all.

therese83 is right - Xanax is not the answer, its short term and its no going to fix him - if he is BP he needs a mood stabiliser based on what you have said here - as I said i would be interested as to why he thinks they dont work - reading can show that some patients expect miracles from MS drugs without realising theyre actually stable for the first time in years.

Oh and on stable... After my first episode (3 years duration) and suicide attempt I was able to get better and go 15 years (albeit hypomanic a lot and not perfect) before finally losing control and ending up properly treated and medicated.  Being stable for periods of years is not unusual and it alse helps to define stable as well - what we consider stable is not always and 5 years on Welbutrin indicates stable is a relative term perhaps...

[sassy333]

what is a mood stabilizer

[therese83]

The xanax is not an answer, it is more of a temporary fix.  

A mood stabilizer could work really well especially with anxiety.  They work very well for a lot of people.  I could get no relief with antidepressants until the mood stablilizer was added.  Then I became stable very quickly (in days)