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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by elbee on May 18, 2015, at 22:31:30
Hi there,
I'd love some input from anyone on the board on a med question.
I take lamictal, zyprexa and citalopram for Bipolar. It's a pretty good combo for me. However, I'm not sure if it's the meds or if it's just me, but I'm always in a rush and never relaxed. For instance, I feel I need to take some steps to improve my social life, but I never can seem to make it a priority because I always feel rushed/driven and like I should be doing other things. It's hard to explain. I feel more relaxed if I add some lithium but the cognitive side effects are not good for me. It almost makes me too relaxed and not caring enough about things. There's got to be a happy medium. It could be possible that I'm on the edge of hypomania with the citalopram; however, stopping it isn't an option because it helps my low-grade being oversensitive (?social anxiety). If anyone has any suggestions, I would love some input. I have also tried ADD drugs but they make me hypomanic. I tried a benzo but it doesn't seem to make any difference.
Thanks for any help.
Laura
Posted by Christ_empowered on May 19, 2015, at 16:28:21
In reply to Meds to take the edge off my being in a hurry, posted by elbee on May 18, 2015, at 22:31:30
hmmmm....if you think its some kinda hypomania, I guess maybe try increasing the zyprexa?
Posted by Zyprexa on May 20, 2015, at 4:57:09
In reply to Meds to take the edge off my being in a hurry, posted by elbee on May 18, 2015, at 22:31:30
Ya, increase the zyprexa. will slow you down. Makes me more in tune with people and myself. And how I convey myself. I'm starting to have good luck with 20mg zyprexa right now. I'm better able to interact constructively.
You know what is odd. I had this result with 10mg many years ago. So I can't tell you what dose will work.
Posted by Christ_empowered on May 20, 2015, at 7:31:15
In reply to Re: Meds to take the edge off my being in a hurry, posted by Zyprexa on May 20, 2015, at 4:57:09
hey zyprexa...sometimes, over time, people need more tranquilizer.
Anyway, yeah. I read about this somewhere. Long term AAP/AP treated people often change doses, some upwards over time, some downwards. Especially in "schizophrenia," there's a lot of variation in terms of symptoms, functioning, need for meds, dosage, and long term outcome, so...yeah.
I went off my Abilify for a while, then on at 15, now I'm on 30 w/ Trileptal, Lamictal, and Wellbutrin. Supposedly, anticonvulsants+AP/AAP can help keep the dose of the AP/AAP lower, both initially and over time. This is what my current pdoc told me, anyway. I guess it makes sense...anticonvulsants can calm agitation and mood swings and even anxiety to some extent, leaving the AP/AAP to deal with actual psychosis, so maybe you'll need less (?) . Then again...anticonvulsants have their own problems, vitamin depletion being one of them (I now have to load up on B complex and folic acid). Ugh. Cognitive dulling is an issue, too, at least when you start treatment.
Posted by elbee on May 20, 2015, at 23:37:05
In reply to Re: Meds to take the edge off my being in a hurry, posted by Christ_empowered on May 19, 2015, at 16:28:21
> hmmmm....if you think its some kinda hypomania, I guess maybe try increasing the zyprexa?
Sorry I couldn't reply. Forgot my password. Yes, that sounds like an intriguing idea. I hadn't thought of that. Might give that a try. Thanks for the tip.
Posted by Zyprexa on May 23, 2015, at 11:20:09
In reply to Re: Meds to take the edge off my being in a hurry, posted by Christ_empowered on May 20, 2015, at 7:31:15
I never needed the higher dose of APs before my abilify trial. For some reason that made me worse. I went from suddenly needing 10mg zyprexa to needing 20mg, just over night. Its stayed the same too, for the last 8 years since I stoped the abilify. I also was very stable on 10mg zyprexa before the abilify for 9 years. I don't know how but some how the abilify made me psychotic.
Posted by elbee on May 23, 2015, at 18:52:27
In reply to Re: Meds to take the edge off my being in a hurry » Christ_empowered, posted by Zyprexa on May 23, 2015, at 11:20:09
That's too bad. APs sure do have strange effects. I got manic on Geodon.
This is the end of the thread.
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