BiPolar~ Because we need our own thread~

[CurveControl]

A safe haven for all the folks who are struggling with issues of BiPo, medications, and weight loss.

It CAN be done!

How is everyone??

[Houston Heather]

FATIGUE today. Mood's good, but tired. I'm a rapid cycler so I don't know if it's depression, side effects, or just hating the heat.

I'm hoping a run tomorrow morning will give me a good boost. I have a routine a few times a week: get up at the crack of dawn, dress, run, come back, eat, take my pills, shower, get ready for work. It's not much fun getting up that much earlier but I've never had a bad day when I went for a run.

It's a great mood stabilizer for me (in addition to my lithium, lexapro, and risperdal). I rewarded myself this week with a purchase of a cute new running outfit at Target ($25), and some gourmet flavored whey protein packets.

I have a terrible time being good to myself. I have to work at it.

Oh, this last week (when I added CLA to my supplements) I lost an inch off my waist. I'm halfway to my "waist" goal of 30 inches.

[CurveControl]

Good for you!! I always feel better when I work out, I just have to force myself, then after I am done I think 'I should do this every day' then the next day comes and......................


I am hoping my mornings will be better now, Starting today I am stopping my Seroquel 100mg, and taking Klonapin .5 to 1mg. Pdoc said that at 100mg it was more a sleep aid than a mood stabilizer, and there are better ways to achieve that. The seroquel hangover is a bear!
Tomorrow I start increasing my Lamectil by 25 mg increments a week until I am up to 200 mg (I am on 100 now)

I am hoping it will help with my wt loss too!
Wish me luck, Med changes are always scary!

[Houston Heather]

Thanks for the heads up on the Seroquel Molly! I will NEVER take it.

I am absolutely paranoid about any medication changes, unless it's going "Up" on a medicine. My sister volunteers for clinical trials, To me, thats "crazy". She loves it. You couldn't pay me to do it.

It will be interesting to see if my Dr can reduce my Lithium as I lose weight. I'm taking 4 of them a day. I don't mind, but I always end up taking a pill every time I eat.

Ugh. I'm still cranked. I hope I can sleep. I am consuming hardly any caffeine so I can't even blame that.

Night.

[CurveControl]

G'night Heather.
I took .5 mg and I am not very sleepy. I think I am gunna take another .5 and see if it helps.

Sleep is a big issue with me.

[mobykat]

Hi, my husband and best friend are bipolar. I just wanted to pop in and say hi, and it is so great to see so many ppl willing to share their stories to help others. It is such a scary issue, that does need to be monitored well. I saw a post of self medicating, just a quick note, please do not do this unless you know a lot about your own cycles and are under the supervision of your doctors. When at the peaks of your cycles, its is hard enough to remember to take medications that are proven to help even things out, let alone deal with supplements and trials that you are not sure of. please look after yourself.

[Houston Heather]

I don't miss the old unmedicated days. Ugh.

I feel asleep OK, slept well, and got my run. Before I go to bed I like to take some Valerian Root capsules - they either work or they don't. No drug interactions and a bottle of a hundred is less than $5. If I really have a hard time sleeping then I'll take a benadryl. I have allergies anyway.

I was down to 200.5 after my run. Awesome. I'm not going to claim it just yet but it's nice to know I don't have far to the 100's.

I had a great run this morning, the sun coming up, the "regulars" in the park, it was cool and refreshing. The Risperdal makes me sensitive to heat so YUCK on running later.

I would never ever do it, but sometimes I wonder, would I lose at the same rate if I weren't taking medication? I have a funny feeling it would be about the same regardless.

DH has made it abundantly clear, if I go off my pills (I would never want to) I will be fired, evicted, and divorced in short order.

Oh, and my cat brought me a dead sparrow this morning. He didn't understand why I was upset. Now he's banished from the house for a while. I was OK with it at first, I mean, he's an animal, but then he started batting the dead body around...

Time to go.

[CurveControl]

He was proud of his gift, Momma~ You were supposed to fry it up for him.

I slept OK, I did need 1 full mg of the Klonopin. I will try just .5 again tonight and see. I was anxious about it last night, new stuff yanno? If I still need the full Mg I will have to call the Doc before he leaves town. otherwise I will run out and her TOLD me .5 to 1 per night, but he WROTE for .5 at bedtime so I won't be able to fill it when I need to. He will have to call and change the directions to 1-2 at bedtime. (I have .5mg pills)

It was odd waking up with No seroqel hangover! and only sleeping 7 hours instead of 10 or 11.

anyone go to the crazymeds site?

[Houston Heather]

Yay Molly!

Funny thing about the cat, I have been starving all day. Like, really hungry, I eat, I get hungry pretty fast. I feel like a human tapeworm! Maybe he was just trying to feed me. It's either a whoosh coming or PMS.

I feel I punished him enough - I ate fried cube steak (our favorite) and didn't share. I got a lot of from him.

I'm hoping, maybe I'll lose some more soon. I would like to get below 200 but keep reminding myself it's about getting healthy. I am looking better so I try to content myself with that.

At least I don't have those "Jabba Jowls" any more.

Off I go. Tell your puppies I said Hi!

[CurveControl]

poor kitty.

*sniff*

My Pups are outside again, trying to play. I keep looking out at them.

I am hoping to get into the 170's this week. We are going to Il next week to do the family visit. Only bright spot there is that I will get to visit DD1.
I realy miss that girl!

I CANNOT believe she is nearly 24 years old (in august) I know I was married, with 2 kids and one on the way, But she just CAN't be old enopugh for all that!!

Her boyfriend is a fireman, 29 and has a 6 year old daughter (he has custody)

[Houston Heather]

Some of the family stuff can be a real nightmare. Frankly, I am delighted that DH's family disowned us. I told them "Don't say anything you wouldn't want him to hear if he was awake" while he was in the coma but they didn't listennnn....He still won't tell me some of what they said.

Some of it, like "Heather is crazy" is actually kind of funny. Yes, I am, but I take my pills! Other things about him were quite cruel. He never got a chance to say anything about that before they disowned him but he was plenty mad. They wanted to put him in a nursing home because he would require some care (me: "I'll do it!") and they didn't want to bother. After he had recovered completely, then they wanted to act like it never happened. Ron told them, I want an apology before I can forgive you. They disowned him. If I told you the whole story you'd think I went off my pills. I did it all myself, unmedicated, and he's fine now.

So much for "crazy".

That is great that you get to see your daughter! I guess that makes you an honorary grandma (I'm ducking here). My neices and nephew are growing up so fast, it's amazing. They are really unique and wonderful people.

Who's going to watch the puppies while you're gone, or are you taking them too?

[wifezilla]

Crazymeds.org and crazyboards.org are both excellent sites. They used to be run by the same people, but there was a split a while ago. The sites have kissed and made-up though

[CurveControl]

I am enjoying the crazy boards!

I am not liking the dang Klonopin. I gave up and took a seroquel last night about 2 after I couldn't 'shut down' after 1 mg of Klonopin. It may not be my answer. Or I may need a stronger dose. He is going to be out of town for a month and I really wany to have this back on track before he goes!!!

I am waiting to hear back from the Pdoc, hopefully tomorrow to see what he wants to do.


I am hoping DD's boyfriend will stay here with the dogs while we are gone. If he comes with us I guess I will ask one of DH's co workers oe one of DD's friends.

[Houston Heather]

Not the neighbors?

[CurveControl]

No WAY! LOL

[sweet&sugarfree]

Hi Molly and Heather! A lowcarb thread for bipolar my life now is complete! I have been dealing with manic depression for almost 3 years. Molly seroquel made me really sleepy and fuzzy. Maybe a small dose will help you. I take litium and it has been a god send to me. I started going to the gym today to break the funk I'm in. I've had a small bout of depression for a couple months now. Time to get the good endorphins going. I am also hoping some daily yoga will help me as well. That's all for now! Molly

[Houston Heather]

Lithium rocks! I love my little pink pills!

DH was ready to check himself into a nursing home (he is completely blind and partially paralyzed from an accident), I was so bad. He called Adult Protective Services, got a caseworker, and they put him on a waiting list. With medication, we're a couple of lovebirds. I don't ever forget that.

I got whalloped by a depression a couple weeks ago but I'm a rapid cycler. They only last a couple weeks for me now. I found a B-50 very helpful. I got mine at Walmart. My depressions get really bad in the evening so I would take a vitamin when I got home from work around 1. It helped a lot, enough that I take it every day now.

It got bad one day, enough that DH could tell, and I had just bought some Acetyl-L Carnitine (400 mg) and Co enzyme Q10 (50 Mg). I took them together and about an hour later, Ron asked "What did you do? You sound a lot better now!". I felt a lot better too. When I run out, I'm buying more.

If it had gotten really bad I would have called my Dr. Thank God I have a decent P-doc. Even with a little bump in the road now and then, it's so much better than it used to be. He's also very supportive of my WOE and weight loss.

Today's a good day. I woke up, weighed, and measured. My butt is half an inch smaller than it used to be! Only 5.5 inches to go to goal!

DH got a gift from the cat. When we came home, the trail of feathers led to his door. Inside, a blizzard of feathers on the floor and a dead bird. The cat had eaten the "good parts". I had to pick up "bits", dead bird, and vacuum up the feathers. The cat door is closed and locked now.

He was pretty upset yesterday, a nice driver we know got mugged at gunpoint. The guy is OK but DH was really upset. The volume knob on his emotions is a little busted from the accident. I guess it's like living with me sometimes.

[sweet&sugarfree]

Heather your post cracked me up! Your but being half an inch smaller really made me laugh! That is really something to celebrate!

I am not a rapid cycer..that can be really draining. I am just really bumbed right now in life. And I eat for comfort which doesn't get me anywhere. I have a lot to be thankful for I have a good job, I'm a nurse, Lots of friends, I am a single mom to an 8 year old son, and I am working on my masters degree in nursing. I think I am just lonely. I really would like to have someone special in my life. But when you are heavier it is hard. Men are not so attracted to heavy. I'm in st peppers lonly hearts club band.

I did my second workout today so that makes me feel good. Have a great Wed!

Molly

[CurveControl]

eeewwwww Heather!
Bird Bits!!

I have a story about cats and birds who lived at my house, I will see if I can find it.

Thanks S&S and ~ Back in September when I started the Seroquel it made me feel 'stoopit' until I adjusted. Now I feel great on 100 mg of seroquel and 100mg of Lamictal.
Doc said 100mg is not really a therapeutic dose, that at that level it is more for sleep (Yeah, so??? LOL) and the side effects, possible problems (wt gain/diabetes) were a little strong for that risk, But I did not feel as well on just Konopin and Lamictal (titrating up to try 200 mg of Lamictal) So, I have gone back to the 100mg of seroquel, but I am still increasing my lamictal by .25 increments.
Doc is out of the office until tomorrow. I might go back in if I have to tomorrow, BUT hope he will just call me on the phone. I was just there Sat and DD graduated thursday night.
All I need are refills for seroquel and Xanax called in to the Pharm if I am gunna stay on that therapy, and really I would rather do that till he gets back from his trip (he is going to Egypt for the month of june) He has several partners so I have coverage if I have a crisis, but I don't want to deal w/ another doc unless it IS crisis, KWIM?

I believe that I can lose weight and be healthy on seroquel.

[Houston Heather]

Yeah, go with what WORKS. I remember P doc thought taking pills mid-day was a horrible idea (he said most patients don't), but I take 2 lithium mid-day with great results.

After checking my levels, he agreed.

I'm staying out of the playground for a day or two. Before someone puts out a contract on me!

A shrink I knew at ate 10 said a squeaky toy is no fun if it doesn't squeak. I won't squeak.

I might check the kitten thread, though.. they are so cute!

[wifezilla]

Hubby HATED lithium...it turned him in to a zombie. Zyprexa works great for acute mania, but everyday...he also hated that. Lamictal worked but took forever to get up to a good dose. I wish he was still taking it, but he managed to convince his pdoc he didn't need it (oy!). The only thing he takes is seroquel now.

Everybody's brain cooties react so differently to the meds so it is no surprise to me that everyone takes such a wide variety of meds, combos and doses. Now, we just need doctors to stop acting surprised that not everyone does well on the same med.

As for me, I am "only" ADD. My med is caffeine

[Houston Heather]

I was a lithium zombie on a regular diet. On L/C, I'm fine except for fatigue. It's good motivation to eat clean - I hate the glue-brain feeling I get when I eat carbs.

What about Diet Mountain Dew? They were actually recommending that for Fetal Alcohol people (like me). It worked a lot better than the stimulant drugs and is safer.

[CurveControl]

Originally Posted by Houston Heather

What about Diet Mountain Dew? They were actually recommending that for Fetal Alcohol people (like me). It worked a lot better than the stimulant drugs and is safer.

Worth a shot. I have no problem with diet soft drinks.

Wifezilla~ I could not imagine Seoquel with out the Lamictal 'antidote' in the mornings!

I am glad that just the seroquel is working for him!

[CurveControl]

Bella Boos welcome to the family~

New cat= missing bird= A cool whodunnit for DS.
No body as of yet , but he is deep in his investigation. the cat has not confessed yet, but he is working on her.

The question is how did a 1 foot tall cat get to a cage suspended fron the ceiling with nothing around it to climb or jump from???

we found the cage on the floor. feathers everywhere, and of course DS had to exanine the spatter pattern on the wall before it was cleaned up by CSI cleanup (akaDad) I suspect the body will turn up, as the "suspect" is pretty small, and eating her catfood as usual this morning-throwing off suspicion, per DS.

I think we wach too much Law & order!

No one even heard the cage fall. Wierd as heck, but (sorry to bird lovers) this was the meanest parrakeet in the world- Kids were afaid to feed it, and it bit if you even touched her cage. Again, this was a rescue Pet from a family who was not taking proper care of it. I have scars from cleaning the cage.

AGAN do not flame me- The cage was as out of reach as possibe, and the other cats tried- belive me!

[wifezilla]

Oh yeah.....I do the Diet Dew. I also have coffee sometimes. I just can't get carried away. I was SOOO bad for SOOO long that if I didn't have 2 liters (or MORE) of Diet Dew a day, I was a TOTAL BEAR!

I am down to 2 caffeine drinks a day now.