What does it mean when stimulants stop working and/or start causing anxiety or moodiness? Stimulants usually have a stronger effect when they are first started and then the dose has to be increased to achieve a good response. Some patients will become tolerant to at least some of the stimulant […]
Bipolar Disorder
25 posts
Depression runs in my family and I’ve been on the same medicine for a while with no episodes of depression. About two weeks ago I woke up feeling not myself and contributed it to getting my period on top of coming down with a respiratory infection. Still not feeling well […]
I don’t use Risperdal because of the increased risk of neurological side-effects, and increased prolactin interfering with hormones, including estrogen. Lexapro is good for anxiety, obsessiveness, and depression, especially sadness, but if your daughter is manic depressed/bipolar the Lexapro can make her more emotionally unstable. Effexor XR is a broader […]
Geodon is a medication with a lot of issues so that it is not one of my first choices. It is a good antimanic mood stabilizer if taken in higher doses (120-160mg). At lower doses it can destabilize mood. It is not an anti-anxiety medication. It usually requires twice daily […]
Serious adverse rashes can occur with Lamictil but it is rare. Most reactions are mild – they go away when the Lamictal is stopped and many people tolerate Lamictal okay when it is restarted. If a week or more goes by before skin clears you have to start back at 25mg […]
Depakene even in the best form, Depakote ER, can have adverse effects on hormones – it would be one of my last choices. Lamictal is the best tolerated mood stabilizer if it doesn’t cause a serious rash (very uncommon). The main problem with Lamictal is that it has to be […]
LAMICTAL (lamotrigine) LAMICTAL (lamotrigine) is formally classified as an anticonvulsant drug. However, it has been used for many years for migraines and pain. It is also effective for treating bipolar depression. WARNING: STOP THE MEDICATION IMMEDIATELY IF A RASH APPEARS. To minimize the possibility of rash: Start at a low […]
What do we know about the cause of postpartum psychosis? Hormones, especially estrogen, have a significant effect on mood. Estrogen raises serotonin. When estrogen drops precipitously, as it does premenstrually, postpartum, and at the onset of menopause – the brain serotonin levels drop. In women who are sensitive to low […]
Question: Can a series of major stress over a period of 3-4 years cause a person to become bipolar? — Pat P. Answer: If one has genetic predisposition, then a series of stressors can turn on the genes and induce depression, hypomania or both (mixed or dysphoric mania). Non-genetic personality […]
It’s frustrating trying to figure out what happened in the Miami airport this Wednesday. For the first time in U.S. history, a passenger was gunned down on the jetway after he abruptly left the plane just before takeoff. At first it seemed tragically clear cut. He had Bipolar disorder, was […]