Posted by Ron Hill on May 25, 2003, at 13:15:43
In reply to Re: Bipolar disorder and alcohol consumption » Ron Hill, posted by justyourlaugh on May 25, 2003, at 10:55:37
Shannon Sweetie,
> thanks for the response,,
Sure, happy to do so.
> i was on topamax but it made me much worse...
Have you ever tried any other moodstabilizers? Topamax may be a good med for some, but it is not a first-line moodstabilizer (when used as the sole moodstabilizer) for bipolar disorder. Specifically what leads you to believe that your are bipolar? What dx does your pdoc assign to your condition?
> the zoloft is really slowing me down,i almost feel level...
If you are bipolar, an SSRI without a moodstabilizer is not recommended. Please read this:
http://www.psycheducation.org/bipolar/controversy.htm
> i get horrible depressed the next day from drinking,,so i usually drink some more...
Yeah, that's what I thought. Buy some 500 mg tablets of niacin and try it. It might help a little.
> im am screwing everything up again
You're okay Shannon (am I spelling your name correctly?). You can get this figured out and solved (but ya gotta wanna). Is there an AA program available locally that could help you overcome your alcohol addition? It is very common for bipolar patients to self-medicate with alcohol, but there are safer treatment options available with much higher efficacy.
It seems to me that job-one should be to get your dx nailed down. Then invest the time required on the net to research treatment options for your particular disorder. Start this process by spending the ten bucks required to take this on-line diagnosis screening test. The results will likely be insightful and well worth your time and money.
http://www.mentalhealth.com/p71.html
If the ten bucks is too hard to come up with right now, then take this free bipolar questionnaire:
http://www.psycheducation.org/depression/MDQ.htm
JYL, I’m not speculating that you are, but if it turns out that you are bipolar, then a good place to start your research is by looking at the following document. Don’t be intimidated by the size of the document; just read bits and pieces of it. In particular, begin by scanning the sections that addresses treatment/medication recommendations. Lithium and Depakote are the first-line moodstabilizers recommended in the document.
http://www.psych.org/clin_res/bipolar_revisebook_index.cfm
If you need help, we’re here for you. Problems are just solutions waiting to be found. You’re a bright gal; go find some possible solutions to your issues.
-- Ron
poster:Ron Hill
thread:228972
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030525/msgs/229033.html