Do Meds really Work?

How do I know if my meds are really working? I am still up and down. Every day is something different. When I go off the meds my spouse notices...but I think he may be envious that I am able to get along without them and he can not. Or am I truly more unstable? Yes, I relapsed on alcohol when off meds. That is a sign. But...I had stopped going to A.A....had I continued with A.A. and stayed off meds I probably would not have binged on beer. Or was it all the stress....I mean heavy stress piling up like pancakes.

The marriage counsellor mentioned I seemed inconsistant and needed to see my Pdoc and get back on meds. That is why I started up again. I can not see myself correctly but if someone else notices, I listen because they can see it before me...even my spouse who I sometimes listen to can see it! Lol.

I do know with the meds I am on there are 0 side effects. No impairment of speech, memory, sluggishness. Not like the Lamictal haze. No weight gain. But perhaps I am under medicated? I would rather be under than over I can tell you that. And I will go take some vitamins.

I feel like me...nothing different. Perhaps I am med resistant? Or I don't even have bipolar? But that has caught me in a trap before...the denial...better to accept the bipolar and be pro-active. Otherwise, I get hypo and depressed and have to look at it again...maybe I really do have this thing. I mean, I have only been diagnosed by ten different drs. over the last 15 years and I keep getting the same dx! So...acceptance for now.

Klonipin works. And I use it as needed and sparingly. But it cuts the anxiety in half. I can feel it working.

Trileptal 600mgs, Celexa 10mgs., Klonipin every other day or so as needed

I guess it depends,too, on what you mean by "work". Do they relieve symptoms? Yes. Do they cure bipolar illness? No.

There are people who no longer take medications for bipolar illness, but they have travelled the long road of using psychotropic drugs and resenting the side effects that "kill" creativity, so much so that they have made their way through the maze of alternative medicine and have come out of it real winners in the choice of treatments for bipolar illness.

I don't know that there any "rights" or "wrongs" about either method. Untreated, the illness can be devastating and cause early death. Treated, bipolar folks can live comfortably with some side effects (and all medications cause that) or they can struggle to overcome the illness using methods such as alternative medicine.

In a way bipolar illness resembles an allergy (and that isn't a very bad analogy, because some physicians think that brain allergy may be one cause of one type of bipolar illness), and people may take allergy shots most of their lives to relieve allergy symptoms. They haven't cured the allergy but the symptoms are greatly lessened and the patient is comfortable.

One of the newest emerging methods of allergy treatment is the use of immunoglobulin for allergy treatments which, while it may be extraordinarily effective, is extremely expensive, much more so than some of the newer mood stabilizers such as Lamictal and Abilify.

Most bipolar patients can do themselves a wonderful favor by cutting out caffeine.  See www.doctoryourself.com.  Look for

caffeine allergy by Ruth Whalen.  Chocolate, which is loaded with

caffeine, ought to be removed, as well.  "Ouch, Ouch", you may say.  Yes; I like it, too.

Dr. Jamison says that scientists are not yet ready to identify the genes responsible for bipolar illness but she suggests that several areas on a few chromosomes look very promising. ("Touched With Fire", her book, is several years old, so researchers may be closing in on it. I hope so.)

It would be nice to have another Michaelangelo or DaVinci or VanGogh in our lives to continue the beauty of their genius. They were all bipolar.

Take care.

It's Genetic



It's Genetic

Post Edited (It's Genetic) : 5/21/2012 2:55:28 PM (GMT-6)

Thanks everyone. I will re read these all late. Sorry. I am crashing down now and I can't do anything.

I know meds work. Pretty simple to tell - stop taking them to remember how miserable you are without. Now don't actually do that. ;)

Red - your meds aren't working for you. Time to see your Dr. again!

Good morning everyone and I so appreciate the rainbow colors of views you have all presented. I have no problem with my creativity on the meds I am taking. I do have rapid cycling. I think. It sounds cool anyway. But is rapid cycling like what I experienced yesterday? Very anxious, irritable, moving about, getting things done for half the day....then crashing into bed by 3:00 pm. and sleeping all night? I have extreme energy level shifts.

But I wonder if it is just because I am dealing with the stress of a sick husband who is home all the time. Yesterday morning he talked incessantly about his pain and was on the phone trying to get drs. lined up. I cleaned and tidied, made lists of drs. and other things. I drove him to physical therapy and while he was there for one hour...speeded up to Kohls to get graduation outfit for my son's college grad coming up. Then back to pick him up. I was hungry and exhausted but he wanted coffee and muffins, then he wanted to go to best buy. I was shriveling by then. I grabbed a quick sandwich. When I got home I was sick to my stomach as I am vegetarian and ate tuna. I thought the protein would help me keep up. But instead I fell into bed exhausted and sick to my stomach...unable to even type back to you all.

Today I feel fine. Neither up or down.

I am very empathic and can not seperate myself from the energies of those close to me. I am used to having long days alone. I can work but only part-time or I become unstable. I marvel at those of you who can work full time. It seems I need a lot of time alone, meditating, praying, creating, cleaning, trying to stay on top of things.

When my house is messy as it is now, I feel overwhelmed. Maybe I will go clean the sink as Flylady instructed me to do. I also have a torn rotater cuff and have not received proper medical attention as it is all tied up in a workmans comp case. This has been going on amyear and have been instructed by orthpedic surgeon not to return to work. The appeals was last week and it is finally over. The decision will be granted in 30 days.

My husband was suicidal, needy, emotional...flung himself on my car as I was headed out to a meeting last week. I told him I could not help him and to call his sponsor. He did and he is fine now. But I wonder if I am still experiencing the residual effects of the trauma. It takes me awhile to even out.

I love you all very much. I am sorry if I have bored you with all of this. I know reading long posts can sometimes be trying. It helps me just to get it out and know someone is listening. I think hubby who is a major fast track, creative director workaholic, is having difficulties slowing down to life at home. It helps me to put a barrier of white around my aura to keep other energies out. I forget sometimes and get caught up in the world. I am extremely sensitive and empathic. It is a gift as well as a curse.

I wish you all a beautiful May day with sunny skies and gentle breezes. God is in all of us. We are all spiritual beings. I wish you peace and stability today and perhaps...a chuckle or too!