Quote:
Originally Posted by Mari
Kay
You do not need a mood stabilizer for long term. You need one for right now.
(I read the Wikipeida entry for Latuda.)
Have you already tried all / enough of the anti-Psychotic meds? Did you have akathisia on them?
Why would she go with a brand new drug for you , esp one that works for depression?
I do remember that you are on other meds that potentially react/interfere with your bipolar meds.
These are your options as I understand them. My explanations are somewhat non-linear due to massive sleep deficit.
I do understand that you are dealing with A) mania with bad thoughts and B) akathisia.
1. Call the pdoc's number for whomever is on call until you see the pdoc on Fri. Ask for a different med -- one that you know will bring you down ---- you have to make this call even though you are not optimistic about getting help.
2. Keep taking the Xanax and the Latuda as directed until Friday -- a bad option but an option.
3. Go to the ER. The ER will be most concerned about bringing down the mania and they will be able to do that. You might present as o.k. enough to be treated without being locked up.
You might have a suggestion for a med that you know will bring you down without the akashisia.
The ER trip has a very good chance for relief/ success even if it risks a lock up.
4. On your own, increase the Xanax (for the mania). Lower the Lutuda for the akashisia and the mania --- a possible option.
5. On your own, see what other meds you have that you can take for the mania --- a possible option only if you are in a good head space to prescribe for yourself. And if you have enough meds that can get you through to Friday.
Talk to us.
M
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My thoughts on being on a mood stabilizer long term come from concerns over the severity of my suicide attempt (it being my only one) and the frequency of these hypo episodes over the last 2 yrs. I'm an alcoholic, but a binge alcoholic, mostly associated with hypomanic episodes. The s/s attempt is clearly fresh in my mind, having only happened in December. Perhaps my perception will change when I can better digest things.
When do they decide to send you to a psychiatrist in the US?
Again, I don't want to delve into the MS arena in any detail, but it has to be mentioned. But the toll hypomania takes on my body is awful. My body can still feel it (but not so much if I'm drunk), nonetheless my mind drags that body a long. I guess how long I crash afterwards depends on how much damage is done, and how long the episode lasts.
I have experienced akasthisia before, caused by Zyprexa, prescribed for another intense hypo episode. I am NOT having fun!
The pdoc at the time (I've had a couple at that office)put me on a very low dose of Seroquol? to treat the akastisia the first time. And it worked very well.
Tried as mood stabilizer, I can't take Seroqoul because I hit the dirt at 150mg.
Lithium gives me moderate acne, but I didn't stop it because of that. I can't take the following drugs that I've tried because of side effects (and we're not talking Mickey Mouse stuff):
Lithium
Risperidone
Seroquol
Zyprexa
Depakote
Cymbalta
Ativan
The pdoc said she didn't want to have to put me on any "heavy-hitters" yet because of the side effects.
She said she has had a lot of success with Latuda. She said that there were very few side effects unless it was taken at high dosages. I was particularly concerned about neurological symptoms (Risperidone, ESPECIALLY Lithium), again only at high dosages).
I expressed my concern that Latuda was marketed for BP depression. She said it was a mood stabilizer and wasn't known to induce mania....
I was 3 days into what could (and was a hypo episode). But she put me on the Latuda anyway. The hope was to get me off one of my current meds if the Latuda is effective.
I know the akasthisthia is from Latuda. Maybe the hypo is fall-out from stopping the Lithium. I know that is common.
I know the pharmacist checks for drug interactions, but I did check myself. I didn't check myself. I didn't find any.
I'm on 5 different psych meds.
Pdocs add. They don't subtract:
Latuda 20mg
Lamictal 400mg (5yrs)
Topamax 200mg (5yrs)
Zoloft 100mg (2 mo for worsening OCD, helps, surely not helping with the hypo right now I bet)
Xanax 1mg 3xday (6 mo to replace Klonopin)
I'm leery of increasing the Xanax above 1mg.
I
DID take the Latuda last night, but I struggled with the decision. The pdoc I have now is my 5th at that practice and I was never fired as a patient. 3 left the practice...
I
FIRED the one I spoke to yesterday. That was the only time my husband stepped inside a pdoc's private office.
She is covering for my pdoc until she returns tomorrow.That's all I'm going to get if I call. If I call today it will be the same thing: suck it up, take meds as prescribed. If I call today, it will be, "your pdoc will be in the office tomorrow, suck it up, take meds if prescribed, if you're s/s go to the ER." I'm sure she's had patients who have experienced hypo+akathisia.
I will try to get my pdoc on the phone tomorrow. Maybe she'll prescribe something, maybe she won't. She'll keep me on Latuda. "You were already hypomanic. Give it time to work." LOL
It's important that you feel that your condition is being managed properly. It's important that you have faith in the professionals you call for help when you need it, and get help when you do. It's time for a change.
It's taken me
6 hours to write this because I can't sit still from the akasthisia, but my thoughts are racing because I'm hypo. I'm having long conversations with telemarketers.
I get off track, ramble, so I delete. I edit, cut, paste, write, re-write. But I think I'm fairly clear. I hope I'm fairly clear.
I'm sorry this is so long, but I swear it could have been a novel.
Kay