Posted by BearNCrow on December 27, 2010, at 19:17:24
In reply to Re: Going Off Meds - Possible Misdiagnosis Of Bipolar, posted by creepy on December 27, 2010, at 14:03:38
Most of the times I've been "hypomanic" were when a medication that can cause it was added. I think my "hypomania" is really just my own overendorsement of feelings and poor emotion regulation. We'll see what DBT does for me. I've been off of lithium 2+ weeks now cold turkey and there's no mania or hypomania to be found. Just life returning to my numbed out mind. Lots of sleeping because of my sleep disorder of not being able to move out of Stage 2 sleep. And incomprehensible amounts of physical pain from a painful back condition that at age 33 is making me severely physically disabled. I, sadly, predict loss of use of my left leg in the next week or two and, hopefully, spinal surgery before that can happen, which means possibly in the next week. Any depression I'm having right now is situational, and I'm handling life's stresses amazingly well compared to the past when there were far fewer stressors. Anxiety is under control. Lamictal did nothing for me. As was the case with most medications. All I want and need, I think, is Neurontin for sleep, Klonopin for anxiety and a very low dose of a mood stabilizer just to be safe. Something for ADHD would be great but I probably won't risk it and will try and learn cognitive-behavioral techniques for controlling it. For the record, I have had so many second opinions these past 11+ years it's hard to count them all. And all signs and symptoms are pointing to the fact that I probably have had chronic lithium toxicity building up for months and acute lithium toxicity for weeks culminating in 5 or so days of severe illness. Never again. My psychiatrist was negligent in my opinion by not responding to signs and symptoms with a simple blood test.
poster:BearNCrow
thread:974354
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20101218/msgs/974937.html