Spouse newly diagnosed with Bipolar II

[goatgirl]

Hi,

My husband has just been diagnosed with Bipolar II Disorder and we are still trying to get a handle on what this means for him and our family.  This forum and the feedback from it has been very helpful to us.  We wanted to post some general questions here just to get feedback from anyone who may want to weigh in:

1) He started meds about 6 months ago (cymbalta, trazadone, lamical, ambien), but after a serious episode this week of a very extreme high - including memory loss - and then a serious crash (crumbled in a corner)...we are starting to think that his hypomania and depression episodes seem to me more often and more extreme.  Worse then before he even started his treatment.  Has anyone else had this experience?  Is it the meds? Could it be that we are just tracking more closely and notice the patterns?

2) Trying to figure out if maybe the Cymbalta isn't working, or if he needs to increase the Lamictal.  He is maxed out on dosage of Cymbalta, but still has a little room to increase the lamictal.  Had a really rough time in the beginning with the cymbalta and has resisted trying to go to something else.  Thoughts?  It seemed like the first month with Cymbalta helped with the depression (although awful side effects), but then started having a reverse effect.  Has this happened to anyone else?

3) Finally just a theoretical question.  People keep telling him that he can control his mind and that his mind doesn't control him.  Of course this is difficult for him to believe right now and he is doubtful this is true.  Anyone else felt like this and triumphed over their mind?

Thanks to everyone for their time and help!

[Leslee_Lane]

That many pills at once !?!?  I went through tons of different medications when they first diagnosed me at 14. Four long years of being made to take these medications. The cocktail I was put on had me taking 17 pills a day when I was 15 until 18. I had so many problems and know found out a prescription that I had been taking for six years causes heart disease and death. I found that out after I had an EKG done ehich they made me do because of my vitals on a regular visit.  Now I have to take medications firmly heart due to the damage caused by a medication. I
Highly recommend  to tell the doctors that you want to start with one  medication at a time. Something could be helping him or it could cause terrible side effects. I think it is the best way to see how your body reacts to the meds. Then add another prescription and wait to to see how your body and mind fill. If you put several
Medications tossed on your body at once you don't know what is making the patient feel better or worse.  I was it through the same situation for years until I decided this is not working for me. I have since explained to my doctors I wil try the medications but one at a time, adding one on I'd the first one is working out well. And so on and so on. You have to be your own best advocate. Doctors tend to prescribe all of these things at once not caring if two out of three are not going to work at all, just the one works but then the patient is not even sure what is helping but probably could eliminate excessive medication. I was on so many cocktails of medications because they told my parents I needed to. So I was probably taking 17 meds but probably only three of them helped me. Also do your research on the medication! I have heart damage at 29 and also found out that another pill I took when I was a teenager causes damage to joint tissue which I was diagnosed with Osteoarthritis at age 23. I also have a degenerative carriage disease which also is on the warning that using this medication may cause:etc, etc. I had no idea what taking those pills would do to me on the long run. New medications that have not had enough time to see what the long term effects are scare me!
The meds I were put on we're supposed to work so great. Now they can't sell it anymore because of the damages it caused long term. My mainessage is don't start three new prescriptions at once. Tell the doctor you
Want to see the side effects and how it helps before adding more on. Good luck!

[goatgirl]

Thank you for your response.  My husband is trying to schedule appointments with both his counselor and psychiatrist this week.  Part of the problem with his care early on was that we moved just as he was beginning treatments with a psychiatrist in one state and for a few months was being treated long distance over the phone.  It has taken him awhile to develop a good patient-doctor relationship with his new psychiatrist and I think all of this has added to his current medication problem.   We really feel now that the medication is a big part of his current problem and will keep working with the psychiatrist until we find the right combination of medications for him.  Thank you again for your response.

[creston1966]

Hi,

Sorry for your husbands troubles.  Obviously they are yours too.  I'm not a doctor so take my words as that of a novice, but who has dealt personally with some of this and been on this or that medicine.

First, I''m not sure what kind of doctor (hope you are seeing a psychiatrist for this) prescribes so many medications right off.  Something, I would think would be buildt up to if one or two did not work.  Secondly, not sure of the reason for the mix he is on.  Why trazodone and ambien for instance?  I've been on Ambien, Trazodone and Cymbalta at diff times, but never at same time.  I can tell you I had a lot of memory problems on Ambien.  And very moody on Cymbalta--and at a low dose at that.  It was hell (sorry, that's what it was) coming off of Cymbalta, but was better in the long run.  I had terrible side effects and in some ways made my depression worse. But some have success with it.  Just my experience.  Maybe try a different anti-depressant and/or mood stabilizer.  You need to tell (not ask) your doctor that a change is in order.  It's obvious to you these medications are not working, right?  

Lastly, in ref to your third question.  It's not really for anyone else to say.  Only your husband, and possibly you to some extent, know what he can "control" and what he is not in control of.  This is really an age old question to which there is no firm or right/wrong answer.  There is an element of self talk and mindfullness.  But there is also, for many, a very real chemical imbalance going on which, if they could, they would overcome.  It is utter ignorance for someone to say that to you or he.  That said, you have to make a decision about what type of help he needs and how much.  I've suffered from recurring depression, sometimes very terrible, sometimes just a low mood.  It's taken years to figure out what I can handle and work through and what I cannot.  I'm not there yet.  It's a daily, weekly, monthly and maybe? lifelong battle.  It's an odd thing, thinking about the mind overcoming itself.  Maybe its more like mind over brain.  For us to truly understand our own brains we'd have to smarter than ourselves (does that make sense?).   There is sometimes a real issue of labeling ourselve with these diagnosis and then a bit of self fulfilling prophecy.  But doesnt sound like this is the case for your situation.  Go to a psychiatrist who will work with you and be compassionate and open minded.  If your current dr isnt doing these things, find another if you can.


Creston