Posted by CMV on September 8, 2001, at 10:47:42
I sometimes seem to have an opposite reaction to meds. I've had bi-polar since age 4. I'm now 39 (female). I have a pretty good response to lithium, even just at 900 mgs. But depression seems to be more of my problem because I'm bipolar II. Antidepressants sometimes switch me to hypomanic and I don't need to tell you about the weight gain on lithium. I'm very athletic which is also good for my mental condition too. But when you work out 6 days a week and eat a superb diet and still maintain a 20 lb. wt. gain it's frustrating. This is my second trial with topamax. The first time I was on 300 mgs. with 20 mgs. of prozac and I got so hypomanic and agitated I was almosted psychotic. I welcomed my lithium back. Well once the wt. came back I wanted to try topamax again with a lower dose of lithium. I am currently on 150mgs. of topamax and we tapered off the lithium. I started the topamax very slowly and could hardly remember my name. But all of that is gone now. I am as sharp as a tack. My depression is completely gone. I am on the border of hypomania. When we increase the topamax that gets worse. When we lower it my sleep isn't as good and the depression creeps in a little. I have a little trouble controlling my coffee intake. Once I do that, if I'm still hypomanic we'll add 300mgs. lithium and go up from there if we have to. I just use 25mgs. deseryl and .25 klonopin for sleep. By the way, it does help with the weight, more so at a higher dose than mine. Sorry about the long post. CMV
poster:CMV
thread:78258
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