[Brokenfriend]

Have your headaches subsided? Do you feel better?

It is so wrong for the insurance companies to make people change their medicines.

Shame on you insurance companies one more time. BF

[Pamster]

Originally Posted by Brokenfriend

Have your headaches subsided? Do you feel better?

It is so wrong for the insurance companies to make people change their medicines.

Shame on you insurance companies one more time. BF

Hi Brokenfriend,

Big hugs to you thank you for caring about my situation, you're right it's so wrong they did this to me like this, pretty much sending a letter to tell me I'd have to jump through hops to get back on abilify, which now I am not so sure I want to do. I was getting closer to the borderline of diabetes, which runs in the family anyway, so I was wondering if I shouldn't switch to something else anyway, but I had hoped to do it the RIGHT way by weaning OFF abilify not being forced to do a cold turkey withdrawel. I am doing okay but now I have an infected tooth, the broken one I wanted to try to wait til the free dental clinic to get repaired, now its too late and I have to have it pulled.

The seroquel is helping, finally feeling better, day two no need for imitrex so far this morning, which is encouraging since the pharmacists I spoke with about this said it was possible the withdrawel could continue with migraines for up to two weeks, and it did last one full week, so I am really relieved it's hopefully behind me now. The slight raciness I feel is something I can live with I think, I just have to be aware of how fast I talk and try to slow it down, I had some depression last week but that's understandable after the crappy circumstances I had to endure. THat's gone now too thankfully, and I feel much better.

THank you for caring Brokenfriend, I was going to bump up my old insurance bites thread but seeing this made me feel really good to know you and the others care like you do. I count on my friends here to understand the heacy burden of being Bipolar II and that understanding in turn helps me to deal with it. Hope all is well with you, I haven't been able to keep up with all the threads here with these darn headaches kicking my butt, so maybe I will do some catching up soon. Thanks for posting to me!

[waves]

Originally Posted by Pamster

I was getting closer to the borderline of diabetes, which runs in the family anyway

OH ShhhhTTTT!!!

i hate to be making this post. but i have to tell you since apparently nobody else has. and maybe even your doc doesn't know given the propaganda the drug has received. ... this suxxxxxxxx dingy soxxxxxxxxxxx ... insurance aside.

Pam, if you are already hyperglycemic... or at familial risk for diabetes... this is NOT a good treatment option for you!

Seroquel is one of those drugs which, like Zyprexa which is more "famous for it," increases the likelyhood of diabetes & metabolic syndrome. Also, like Eli Lilly, apparently AstraZeneca - makers of Seroquel - underplayed and misrepresented these risks, as well as the degree of efficacy of the drug (not as good as it's made out to be).

Documents on Seroquel show drugmaker knew of risks
2/27/2009, 3:20 p.m. PST
By LINDA A. JOHNSON
The Associated Press

here's an article on a class action suit in FL... it's about to go under appeal. hard to prove the stuff if you read the art. you will see why.
Prescription Access Lawsuits - Seroquel

general info on some AP's/stabilizers and involved risks.
About.com: Bipolar Disorder Meds Increase Risk of Metabolic Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes

if anything, this might be a hoop to get you on a stabilizer that does not have this issue, or back on Abilify. for that matter i am not aware of Abilify carrying these same risks.... in fact... i just found this:

[summary] An economic evaluation of aripiprazole vs olanzapine adapted to the Italian setting using outcomes of metabolic syndrome and risk for diabetes in patients with schizophrenia

~ waves ~ burnin' down the house (fire extinguisher, anyone??)

[Pamster]

Yeah, on t he autism forum on BT I posted about it and one of the members posted a link to a lawsuit for diabetes related to seroquel use. I will have to try something else, geodone maybe. I appreciate your post waves, thank you.

I don't think mood stabilizers can help with racing thoughts and rapid speech can they? Which means I have to find one atypical that will work without triggering diabetes. Thanks again waves for posting, I really appreciate it.

[Mari]

Originally Posted by Pamster

I don't think mood stabilizers can help with racing thoughts and rapid speech can they? Which means I have to find one atypical that will work without triggering diabetes. Thanks again waves for posting, I really appreciate it.

Dear Pam,
Actually, it depends.
Mood stabilizers can help with racing thoughts.
It depends on so many things.
I am on Verapamil for a mood stabilizer. Nothing else worked for the racing thoughts and we tried everything available at the time.
So I don't think that a person necessarily needs an atpyical. It depends on the nature of the what is going on and so many other things.

M.

[Pamster]

Originally Posted by Mari

Dear Pam,
Actually, it depends.
Mood stabilizers can help with racing thoughts.
It depends on so many things.
I am on Verapamil for a mood stabilizer. Nothing else worked for the racing thoughts and we tried everything available at the time.
So I don't think that a person necessarily needs an atpyical. It depends on the nature of the what is going on and so many other things.

M.

THat's good to know Mari, I had good results with each atypical I've used, but I've taken Neurontin/gabapenten and it did nothing for me, I know that there are better mood stablizers out there, but I am worried about laictal rash if I started on lamictal or going off it and developing seizures. Lots of things to worry about with that kind of therapy. Thanks for posting about your experience Mari, I really appreciate it.

[waves]

Sure mood stabilizers can help with racing throughts/rapid speech - those are are manic sx and ANY anti-manic could work, depending on the individual. most mood-stabilizers are primarily antimanic. Depakote is first line attack for mixed states usually. but also agents (stabilizers) that can work for those sx are Tegretol & Trileptal, and the old classic lithium.

Neurontin/gabapentin was used off label for bipolar but was never approved, and finally shown to be completely useless as a mood stabilizer for bipolar.

now, if you take it for pain, or when you first start taking it... it sure grogs you out... so that sapping of energy can make it seem like it works as an antimanic but you get used to that side effect pretty quick and then it's useless.

i take Depakote - an AED - and do well on it as a stabilizer and it is not an atypical. it does carry risk of weight gain, and supplements are recommended to avoid alopecia. there is controversy about it causing PCOS... but, if one excludes genetic predisposition which may be triggered, many suspected precursor changes are related to nutritional deficiencies which can be corrected with appropriate supplements. anyway nothing has been proven there yet.

Depakote helps me BIG TIME with racing thoughts.

[Dmom3005]

Interesting thought on verapamil. I take it for both high blood pressure
and for migraines.

Donna

[Mari]

Pam,
I've been following your story about the med switch because I hope it has a happy conclusion.
Keep us updated if you can.

M.

Here is a pic of blue skies coming your way.


Sinatra's "Blue Skies":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6cZKcRhQes

Willie Nelson doing Blue Skies":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSCplj40uuY&NR=1

[Brokenfriend]

I'm so sorry about your tooth also. I have a tooth where part of the filling has fallen out. It's been like that for just over five months. I'm hoping to get on this waiting list to have it filled. So I can relate to that. I'm sorry that your tooth is getting sore.

Can't you go to a local hospital,and explain? Maybe they can work something out with you. BF