Today at two pm my husband is bipolar and had a really bad episode partly because he refuses to take his meds and partly cause he is having a rough time we all are. He overdosed on Tegratol 5 400mg pills. We had to call the EMT and the police in order for him to get to the hospital. He made it okay no bad affects (thanks God) but he is now commited to the psych ward at the hospital for observation and to get put forcefully on meds. It was so hard to keep it together but I did and plus i have severe depression (I take Celexa for mine) but I held it together and now I am home and had to talk to somebody. I am not telling anyone except my mom who made sure I got home from the Hospital after watching my husband to make sure he was okay. I get to visit tommorow for an hour he is being forced to stay there for a week. I need support advice, anything please!

Hi Tabby... I'm sorry about your circumstances and at the same time, am glad that your husband didn't succeed in taking his life. I commend you on finding this safe internet haven - you may notice that there are some posts at the top of the main page called "stickies"... and they are very useful posts in helping you understand the demon called suicide.

That said, I hope you are reaching out to your own doctor and/or therapist to talk about this life-rocking experience... its going to be a tough go, I'm sure.

Its coming to a long weekend so you may not find many folks posting here but please don't give up on us... just keep reading and learning all you can about what you're dealing with.

Why is it guys have such a hard time taking meds, I will never understand

I'm on celexa, too... and recently upped it because I was feeling that pull to leave this world... thankfully that and dear friends have lifted me up again. (under a doctor's care)

keep us posted and hang in there

Addy

Tabby Cat.... You have come to the right place to talk about suicide...many of us here have attempted it, and consider it an option but by leaning on each other and sharing our pain, we have learned that it isn't the solution. I'm glad your husband is safe in the hospital.

There are several good books out there that offer help and understanding..try "Suicide, The Forever Decision" by Paul Quinsett. It's an excellent, paperback for those considering suicide and those who love them.

We have an active bi polar forum here that your husband might want to consider joining when he is back home...I assume he will be going to therapy and hope he will be more reasonable about taking meds.

I'm so sorry you are having to deal with this on top of your own depression. Please know that you aren't alone...come talk to us and let us know of his progress.

Hi Tabby

oh dear, i am sorry you had to go through that. i hope in the psych ward they will be able to help your hubby with his compliance issues, that can be difficult. it is good that you are helping yourself with meds.

i am bipolar and i also post in the bipolar forum here. whether or not your husband wishes to join, you are welcome to join us yourself. we have folks there who are bipolar, relatives of bipolar and also who just have similar difficulties (depression, anxiety) that post. here is the link:

Neurotalk Support Groups - Bipolar Disorder

meanwhile, this (Survivors of Suicide) forum is the right place to talk more in depth about suicide. it does come up as a concern in the Bipolar forum as well. feel free to participate in either or both forums to whatever extent you wish.

welcome to Neurotalk and hang in there.

~ waves ~

wanted to give tabbycat a hug . Sorry you are dealing with everything that you are right now.I am glad your hub did not succeed .
I have attempted in the past .now looking back honestly it was the only way I knew how to scream out for the help I so badly needed.
sending positive thoughts and wish for him to receive the care and help .and you my new friend what a great wife an angel to be there for him ..even tho you too have your issues. getting him to the hosp was /is the best thing one could do. listening and talking to a t-doc are at the top of to do list too I think.
a pro doc to talk to and help me figure my way threw my issues and learning coping skills is something that helped me a whole lot.
belonging to this understanding forum here is priceless too. glad you found us.

let us know how things are going and try your best to get threw this...we are here for you.
PEACE
BMW

I talked to him for ten minutes this morning at 9:30 he was very upset. He kept saying how he wants to come home. I love him but I know whats best is for him to stay there for the week. He is sick and been throwing up cause of the pills he OD on but I am bringing his some clothes and pictures and a card. Any advice on what to tell him I got see him at 3 for my hour visit but honestly I am at a loss I just know I have to be strong for him and our marriage! I thank you all for your concern and I will keep you update thank God he is okay and I found this site. I cried for an hour last night missing him and I slept wearing his shirt and his boxers. I miss him so. Thanks all

Dear Tabby,

you are doing the right thing.

tell him you want him to be well and are on his side.

tell him you love him.

tell him you miss him.

tell him your slept wearing his shirt and boxers.

keep posting i will check for your updates.



~ waves ~

Tabby - regarding Tegretol OD - i've been there....

*everyone/anyone* this is going to be gross - re puking, so if you are sensitive, don't read it.

i do not understand why your hubby is still throwing up!!!!!

I OD'd on Tegretol too, by accident, once.......

i puked my eyes out ... could not stand, could barely crawl, quadruple vision... had to call 911.

by the time they got me to ER i was beyond stomach contents i was puking bile. they gave me an antiemetic to stop the puking and put me on fluid replacement to get the carbamazepine level down.

maybe you could ask the doc what they did/are doing to help him, and whether they have given him an antiemetic... (maybe they already did and it was of limited use. ) if not, maybe they'd be willing to give him one.

poor thing i feel for him, that was a horrible experience.

~ waves ~

From what I know they just told him to rest. They didn't even pump his stomach cause they said they didn't need to but I think they should have he took alot of them. I am going to see him about half an hour will post when I get back and I told him I sleep in his clothes and I love and miss him. At least they are letting me bring him a card and some clothes so it can be a little easier on him. I love him so much! thanks all for your support!

Hi Tabby


pumping the stomach only helps if it is done almost immediately when the stuff is ingested. once the stuff is absorbed pumping the stomach does no good. the throwing up is not, in the case of carbamazepine, the result of stomach irritation. it is an effect of drug intoxication.... the stuff was already in his system when he got there.

bizarre no fluid replacement... i was hooked up to one of those big liquid bags for 24 hours, they said they had to put minimum 3 of those things through me... and then redraw my levels! AND during that 24 hours, they were collecting/measuring my "liquid output" as well! plus i was on all kindsa monitors, O2 monitor, heart...



maybe he is less acute than i was ... i'm sure they drew his levels.... you probably don't need to worry. the XR will take time to flush out though, that's the only thing, and they can't really speed it up. i am sure they are making sure he drinks water. i passed out after a while, so probably they had to do iv fluids on me as i couldn't drink.

see, the best we could figure, in my case, is that i took a defective 400XR and it delivered the full amount into my blood immediately.

i hope you have a good visit with your hubby. you are a trooper.

~ waves ~