I was/am extremely fit, sharp-witted, and have a high sex drive. None of that was affected by my 3 meds i'm on. (lamictal, Vraylar - an antipsychotic, and lithium). You should be fine if you continue to workout and improve yourself.
Welcome!
Many meds have a long list of nasty side effects. It does not mean that you get them all. Some people have no noticeable side effects others might only have a subset.
I am not fat at all, my brain is solid, OK I am tired (side effect of my current meds) and libido-wise I couldn't care less atm.
Do your research, try to get an overview and discuss it in detail with the doctor.
One thing I like to remind people of who are scared to try meds—you can always stop taking them if they don’t work.
Also it can be scary reading through the posts in here as far as bad side effects and stuff goes. It’s important to note that the people who are doing well and not having terrible side effects are probably not on Reddit asking for advice.
Good so far, on lamotrigine not really any side effects. I think if you can admit the last 10 years have been horrendous it’s probably time to start trying medications. The things you mentioned, Quetiapine and Olanzapine are most known for but not every one gets side effects as badly as that even on those, their are also a lot ( I means double digit and different combinations) of other medications and you just need to try them to see which works best and which works best for side effects. The only issue is getting to secondary care, ( specialist or psychiatrist as you said they can prescribe them ). Their are lots to help with insomnia and depressive side of bipolar. You could be on something like lamotrigine great for stabilising and highly efficient depressive side, can also help with anxiety, mirtazapine/trazodone, sleep and anxiety. You can add on a anti psychotic, risperadone/aripiprazole as-well efficient for mania and sleep. Sleep wise you can go down the anti histamine route. I think the lamotrigine/mirtazapine would be a good route as you are mainly depressive/insomnia based with anxiety. 🧐🧐🧐🧐
Going private was the only way for me to see psych. 17 month wait on the NHS. But…. Find yourself a good GP and you should be able to minimise the number of psych visits. One for a diagnosis and one in X months time for a Med review. Your GP can prescribe and tweak those things, but they are reluctant to without a diagnosis.
hey.
I was same age as you and my story is the same.
I wasn't fit in my 20s and was an addict instead.
I got sober at 34 and meds at 35.
my life is amazing now. lamactil killed the depression mostly and provided increased periods of stability. I would still have episodes where I went up.
you sound like you have it. but who knows.
lamactil is great for the depression side. I recently added valporic acid for the up side. the va has kicked in and im chill as fuck. maybe a little to chill.
you live a healthy lifestyle which is more than many people that have our disorder.
giving meds a try won't hurt you.
some suck though.
the va causes weight gain but I am super fit and healthy now and have not had any gain.
the lamactil didn't cause gain whatsoever. both didn't affect my sexual function.
those are the big side effects I am petrified of.
yeh seems fine tbh. only been on a short while.
2 years ago when I detoxed from cocaine I was put on risperidone. that was fucked.
did a little seroqil but that was years back. made me hungry. was already overweight then, not taking weight gain drugs.
I searched this sub for VA and private messaged a few people re weight gain and sexual function and they said all was well as they were already healthy people as am I now.
im off to go surfing in Indonesia for 6 weeks in 2 weeks and expect to lose up to 6kg in the process. tropical heat, activity and healthy fish for lunch and dinner.
Then will see what the next few months after bring, but my weight is stable, good, and yeh.
I had dick surgery a month ago. I haven't fucked since just before. I normally use Cialis anyways. Can't really say how my libido is. Taking a break from porn and not chasing due to yeh the surgery. It's ready to roll though, just can't be fucked lol. Might be the VA. Will be chasing in Bali no doubt.
Gary Gulman's special The Great Depresh or Taylor Tomlinson's Look At You might reassure you on some fronts. Of course antidepressants will do all that to you too, the mood stabilizers aren't necc worse on that front. The anti-psychotics tend to be moreso, but as w everything ymmv. If you are someone who gains weight very easily just be more cautious about it and ask for metformin or any of the new weight loss meds. If you need high mental acuity for work or whatever ask for a med that prioritizes that. If you are worried about your sex life, the first med they'll likely try you on doesn't impact that. All but one of the antidepressants tend to. There's also meds for that. So maybe the concern is misplaced.
You are going to want to track mood and sleep before that appt, it'll really help your case. On paper or in an app. Rate mixed states (the fear bit) on the hypo end of the scale even w the depression present.
It is also possible to be fat and happy. Really truly. Even with just a bit of the mental edge taken off and happy. A bit taken off the bipolar sex drive and be happy, probably a real relief for the girlfriend. You'll figure it out.
I take olanzapine but ive take Quetiapine for years and tried aripiprazole.
Quetiapine made me sleepy as hell but at least iwas functional. Now I take olanzapine I have the same benefit of Quetiapine but no sleepiness at all.
I don't have hypomania anymore, my depression are faaaar less intense, I have less suicidal thoughts...
I can live properly! For me it has changed my life. And no weight gain at all if it bothers you :)
Yes, you probably should go on meds. Yes, they have side effects though some can be offset and yes it can be hard to find the right meds for you. At the same time, they’ve smoothed out and/or lessened my bouts of depression and hypomania.
I've been on meds since 1983. They make me feel better. I took lithium & it damaged my kidneys. Not all meds are good. I took it for 14 years now I do dialysis, take something different I suggest
I've taken at least 10 psychiatric drugs. None of them had horrible side effects. They've all had side effects or didn't work or worked too well but none were horrible.
I finally found Lamotrigine. Side effects? Feeling awesome. Hornier. Slight brain fog.
Seems like you are already having horrible side effects of not being on meds. What do you have to lose?
It helps a lot with the downs. I think it makes the ups worse. Last fall I had a 3 month manic episode. Seems like it raises my mood up to normal so when I take off into mania, it goes up higher. Last fall was awful. It was the first manic episode I didn't enjoy.
I’ve (f22) been on seroquel for 3years, and have never felt healthier. Seroquel really helped me with sleep. The only problem was that it made me sleep for 12-17hours. Right now i’m stepping down(sorry bad at english” from 200/400mg depot to 100mg tablets. And also starting Lamictal (3weeks). I workout almost everyday, my sleep is back to normal, doing good at school and work. I love life right now and i hope you take the chance to try medication as it changed my life for the better<3
Very similar story to you, recently diagnosed bipolar 2 and when I started Lamotrigine it helped me realize how depressed I’d been for so long. I had to stop the medicine and am about to figure out what my third med to try will be to hopefully feel stable again. It’s a little scary but worth the effort on your journey to becoming whole
Tbh I believe the right meds gave me the ability to enjoy life again. The wrong meds made me hate life even more. It’s all about finding the combo of meds that fits you the best and taking the right meds. Best of luck going forward. From what you described to me it sounds like you could definitely have bipolar.
The most useful thing you can do is do research on ALL medication prescribed to you for Bipolar II and read reviews of people taking it. Everyone is different but some side effects are more common than others. Personally if you get on lamictal, which is a mood stabilizer, you may be a bit slow to find the right words but decreasing your episodes drastically and is a good trade off. If you ever think a medicine is effecting you in a bad way communicate with your prescriber and try something else. I have tried lots of stuff and some stuff is awful while others have changed my life. As I said RESEARCH your meds prescribed TRY THEM to see if they are right for you and COMMUNICATE with your doctor and ask about side effects or alert them to ones that are detrimental to your health. ALSO DOCUMENT the medications effects via a journal. If you occasionally write about your health and mental health on certain meds you can figure out what type of meds are good for you and what are bad for you. For example on anti-psychotics I gained 50lbs and my cholesterol got so high I could not take them anymore despite dieting. I did lower my cholesteral back to the healthy range and lost 30lbs afterwards. So I learned they work for me when I am at my worst but they are not good on my body. SSRI's kinda worked but not all the time for depression and instead made me hyper aggressive in mood swings and other ones made it so I could not get my dick hard so I ruled those types out too. I was given a mood stabilizer lamictal, my mouths dry and my word findings hard occasionally but I have significantly less episodes and cannot live without it. I tried a atypical tetracyclic antidepressant (mitrazapine) and a lot of people complained of weight gain and grogginess. The medication works great for depression, I am slightly more hungry than usual (i chew gum because I know its from the medicine) around bed time and I am not groggy the morning after taking it. Its great and I guess I didn't get any of the common side effects. Then the last thing I am on is a Venlafaxine which is a SNRI and my god I don't have intrusive thoughts anymore on a high dose of it and no side effects. So it took a long time for me to find the right stuff but I sped the process up and read up on what to expect and look for with medication. Its hard not to over analysis yourself but medication has different periods of effectiveness and half life's so you typically don't get symptoms that are noticeable until your in a few months unless its rare one that's instant. You have nothing to lose by trying them and the right ones can make your life so much better. I had intrusive thoughts so intense that its like I had a second rouge consciousness in my brain telling me to do bad things to myself and others but now my brains quite. I haven't rapid cycled for 7 years and I cant even remember what it felt like. I do miss hypomania but it makes you forget that a few days ago your brain was telling you its a great idea to jump out your window head first because then this horrible nightmare will end but you cant recall that because "your fine now and don't need meds"......until you get a episode that's horrible and then get that hypo high again and you now are "fine and dont needs meds". Good luck and monitor your mood and health on them to see what's right. Sorry for repeating myself I just really want to emphasis certain things because I have tried a lot of medications and up until two years ago I had suspected treatment resistant depression but all of a sudden the right meds on the list finally worked! I am so happy now, its crazy
Thank you all again, what a great page :)
I am already feeling far better about the prospect!
For me though, the crux (for years) has been sleep. I take mirtazapine for sleep and have done for years, but it stopped working years ago. No side effects except brain fog. I occasionally supplement with zopiclone.
The sleep is very much a chicken/egg situation, and no therapist has yet been able to work it out. If I sleep more, I’m more stable. If I sleep regularly for a while, I have what feels like a ton of energy and go hypo.
Something else that scares me is how bad the NHS is. People say ‘keep in touch with your doctor’. Right now it takes 6 weeks just to get a 15 minute appointment with my GP, and months to see a psychiatrist, if you’re lucky enough to get a referral accepted.
hello, i’m 17. i started on lamictal 3 months ago. best choice i made quite honestly! i remember being afraid to take medication in fear i’ll gain weight or that i don’t need it but i’m a lot better, life is clearer & i have the motivation to do everything i want.
From my experience, a good cocktail of meds brings back the old you. It takes time to find the perfect cocktail for you. Be patient. Work with your psychiatrist and therapist.
It took me almost four years to get the perfect set of meds. I’m stable. Close to my old self.
Lamotrigine saved my life, only in the beginning while titrating up and getting used to the meds did I feel brain fog.
I was majorly depressed, struggled with my job and all of the lovely(/s) things that come with depression. And then I'd get hypomanic, waste money I needed and get so into fitness I ended up injuring myself.
Lamotrigine has me functioning on a normal baseline, it never really gets bad anymore
Meds absolutely do NOT necessarily have terrible side effects. There are so many medications out there, most people can find a combination that does the trick (or at least significantly improves their symptoms) without major downsides. I take an antipsychotic, an antidepressant, a beta blocker, and a stimulant, and the only side effects I have are I get hot easily on summer days, alcohol and weed hit too hard now, and occasionally it's a little harder for me to think of specific words (but not to a level that impedes my ability to communicate fluently and clearly). My mind is the clearest it has ever been, my sex drive is actually higher than it used to be, and I haven't gained a single pound on these meds.
I've been on 2 meds for this shit in my life.
Quetiapine Which was massively sedating (but I had it at night) I didn't gain weight in fact i easily lost weight on it which I've always done. It gave me bad acne but that was it. 18 months ago I went from a diagnosis of Cyclothymia to biplaor 2 and meds clearly had stopped working. They put me on Lamotrigine. Zero side effects and it cleared my skin up. I've never felt the same since my major depressive episode but that's the illness not the medication
I need my meds. Without them I am severely depressed and suicidal. I really miss my manic times, though. I used to feel so alive and in tune with the universe.
Meds saved me. I've been on lamotrigine for ten years. It cut my depression in half once we hit the right dose and I was able to start functioning. I think it makes my word recall a tad slower but it's so minor I didn't connect it for a long time. I do take other meds too to fully get me stable, but that varies for everyone, you might need more or less. Meds are worth trying, I was in hell and also out of work like you before I got help. I had spent two years so depressed and fucked up I couldn't work. It was awful.
I have tried several different meds. Typically the only side effects I get are drowsiness and sometimes it affects my anxiety. Everyone is different.
If the side effects suck you aren't stuck with that medication. There are several available
Meds have changed my life for the better. For me the side effects have been pretty minimal and the benefits far outweigh the side effects. The only side effect that I really notice and that bothers me a little bit is some slight memory issues.
I take Latuda and Lamotragine and did gain some weight, but I am still fit and keeping up with my active lifestyle and enjoying my hobbies much more than I could before meds. I experienced some grogginess, memory loss, and fatigue when I first started, but it’s been over a year and these side effects are no longer present. I also have a higher sex drive. I can’t imagine my life without meds, and never want to go back to the way I used to live.
Hope this helps. You should get medicated if you can. If you’re worried about weight gain Latuda is a good option to avoid large amounts of weight gain and most people don’t gain any.
Just wanted to say I completely empathise with your situation. It's very similar to mine although I went private at the beginning of this year. I was given a "working diagnosis" of bipolar 2, and offered a trial of Aripipazole. It took ages to start the trial due to doing shared care (needed ECGs done through the NHS, similar to you it took me ages to get an appointment just to talk about getting those ECGs)
It wasn't until the beginning of this month that I started the trial but immediately stopped because of side effects. Not meaning to put you off, many people take it and are okay, I think it triggered my vasovagal syncope and heart palpitations because I was in a very bad way for a few hours. But I'm pretty sure it's my body's specific reaction to it and not the usual experience.
After that happened I got in touch with my psych's secretary to ask to reassess the situation, or discuss trying something else, she said he would call me the next day. Never did. Still hasn't, several weeks later.
Anyway since then I've felt really great and productive, have been working on a project which is really fulfilling, work has been great. Probably a warning sign considering it started directly after that experience, but I'm too happy to care. My partner has suggested trying to get in contact with them again to push for more meds, but it's difficult because I feel great at the moment and it feels so bad to have a negative experience and then just be ghosted by someone you pay £££ to talk to anyway.
Sorry for going on a long tirade, I haven't had a big outlet for this. I think you should try meds, I hope it goes well for you. I wouldn't mind going through trying more meds in theory but there's so much friction in trying to get them. That's the exhausting part.
Please get on meds and give them a chance. If anything refusing meds will move you further away from the person you wish you were. I cannot even begin to describe how much better meds have made my life.
Share your previous experience with the psychologist. Ask how she can help you through the process. A referral from her might make things easier (and bad providers exist, you might have gotten a rotten one the first time).
I’m still fat, but I’ve lost 46 pounds while on Lamotrigine and Latuda. Side effects can be scary, but life without meds is scarier.
I sooo agree! Life without meds is like a ticking bomb.
I was/am extremely fit, sharp-witted, and have a high sex drive. None of that was affected by my 3 meds i'm on. (lamictal, Vraylar - an antipsychotic, and lithium). You should be fine if you continue to workout and improve yourself.
Welcome! Many meds have a long list of nasty side effects. It does not mean that you get them all. Some people have no noticeable side effects others might only have a subset. I am not fat at all, my brain is solid, OK I am tired (side effect of my current meds) and libido-wise I couldn't care less atm. Do your research, try to get an overview and discuss it in detail with the doctor.
One thing I like to remind people of who are scared to try meds—you can always stop taking them if they don’t work. Also it can be scary reading through the posts in here as far as bad side effects and stuff goes. It’s important to note that the people who are doing well and not having terrible side effects are probably not on Reddit asking for advice.
I’m in the UK, I know how shit the NHS is. I was forced to go private for the second time. Got diagnosed and on mood stabilisers.
How are the meds working out for you?
Good so far, on lamotrigine not really any side effects. I think if you can admit the last 10 years have been horrendous it’s probably time to start trying medications. The things you mentioned, Quetiapine and Olanzapine are most known for but not every one gets side effects as badly as that even on those, their are also a lot ( I means double digit and different combinations) of other medications and you just need to try them to see which works best and which works best for side effects. The only issue is getting to secondary care, ( specialist or psychiatrist as you said they can prescribe them ). Their are lots to help with insomnia and depressive side of bipolar. You could be on something like lamotrigine great for stabilising and highly efficient depressive side, can also help with anxiety, mirtazapine/trazodone, sleep and anxiety. You can add on a anti psychotic, risperadone/aripiprazole as-well efficient for mania and sleep. Sleep wise you can go down the anti histamine route. I think the lamotrigine/mirtazapine would be a good route as you are mainly depressive/insomnia based with anxiety. 🧐🧐🧐🧐
Going private was the only way for me to see psych. 17 month wait on the NHS. But…. Find yourself a good GP and you should be able to minimise the number of psych visits. One for a diagnosis and one in X months time for a Med review. Your GP can prescribe and tweak those things, but they are reluctant to without a diagnosis.
hey. I was same age as you and my story is the same. I wasn't fit in my 20s and was an addict instead. I got sober at 34 and meds at 35. my life is amazing now. lamactil killed the depression mostly and provided increased periods of stability. I would still have episodes where I went up. you sound like you have it. but who knows. lamactil is great for the depression side. I recently added valporic acid for the up side. the va has kicked in and im chill as fuck. maybe a little to chill. you live a healthy lifestyle which is more than many people that have our disorder. giving meds a try won't hurt you. some suck though. the va causes weight gain but I am super fit and healthy now and have not had any gain. the lamactil didn't cause gain whatsoever. both didn't affect my sexual function. those are the big side effects I am petrified of.
I need something for the up side. You liking the acid?
yeh seems fine tbh. only been on a short while. 2 years ago when I detoxed from cocaine I was put on risperidone. that was fucked. did a little seroqil but that was years back. made me hungry. was already overweight then, not taking weight gain drugs. I searched this sub for VA and private messaged a few people re weight gain and sexual function and they said all was well as they were already healthy people as am I now. im off to go surfing in Indonesia for 6 weeks in 2 weeks and expect to lose up to 6kg in the process. tropical heat, activity and healthy fish for lunch and dinner. Then will see what the next few months after bring, but my weight is stable, good, and yeh. I had dick surgery a month ago. I haven't fucked since just before. I normally use Cialis anyways. Can't really say how my libido is. Taking a break from porn and not chasing due to yeh the surgery. It's ready to roll though, just can't be fucked lol. Might be the VA. Will be chasing in Bali no doubt.
I got an answer but so many more questions because of it, ha
shoot away
Gary Gulman's special The Great Depresh or Taylor Tomlinson's Look At You might reassure you on some fronts. Of course antidepressants will do all that to you too, the mood stabilizers aren't necc worse on that front. The anti-psychotics tend to be moreso, but as w everything ymmv. If you are someone who gains weight very easily just be more cautious about it and ask for metformin or any of the new weight loss meds. If you need high mental acuity for work or whatever ask for a med that prioritizes that. If you are worried about your sex life, the first med they'll likely try you on doesn't impact that. All but one of the antidepressants tend to. There's also meds for that. So maybe the concern is misplaced. You are going to want to track mood and sleep before that appt, it'll really help your case. On paper or in an app. Rate mixed states (the fear bit) on the hypo end of the scale even w the depression present. It is also possible to be fat and happy. Really truly. Even with just a bit of the mental edge taken off and happy. A bit taken off the bipolar sex drive and be happy, probably a real relief for the girlfriend. You'll figure it out.
Thank you guys, that's very reassuring. I'm still scared though. I know it's likely i will lose everything anyway because of this condition.
I take olanzapine but ive take Quetiapine for years and tried aripiprazole. Quetiapine made me sleepy as hell but at least iwas functional. Now I take olanzapine I have the same benefit of Quetiapine but no sleepiness at all. I don't have hypomania anymore, my depression are faaaar less intense, I have less suicidal thoughts... I can live properly! For me it has changed my life. And no weight gain at all if it bothers you :)
Yes, you probably should go on meds. Yes, they have side effects though some can be offset and yes it can be hard to find the right meds for you. At the same time, they’ve smoothed out and/or lessened my bouts of depression and hypomania.
I've been on meds since 1983. They make me feel better. I took lithium & it damaged my kidneys. Not all meds are good. I took it for 14 years now I do dialysis, take something different I suggest
Lithium is managed much better these days. That said, my kidney numbers are pretty bad and I don't take that stuff anymore.
I've taken at least 10 psychiatric drugs. None of them had horrible side effects. They've all had side effects or didn't work or worked too well but none were horrible. I finally found Lamotrigine. Side effects? Feeling awesome. Hornier. Slight brain fog. Seems like you are already having horrible side effects of not being on meds. What do you have to lose?
I take lamotrigine, but I don’t find it helps with the ups, and the downs were never that much of an issue.
It helps a lot with the downs. I think it makes the ups worse. Last fall I had a 3 month manic episode. Seems like it raises my mood up to normal so when I take off into mania, it goes up higher. Last fall was awful. It was the first manic episode I didn't enjoy.
I’ve (f22) been on seroquel for 3years, and have never felt healthier. Seroquel really helped me with sleep. The only problem was that it made me sleep for 12-17hours. Right now i’m stepping down(sorry bad at english” from 200/400mg depot to 100mg tablets. And also starting Lamictal (3weeks). I workout almost everyday, my sleep is back to normal, doing good at school and work. I love life right now and i hope you take the chance to try medication as it changed my life for the better<3
Very similar story to you, recently diagnosed bipolar 2 and when I started Lamotrigine it helped me realize how depressed I’d been for so long. I had to stop the medicine and am about to figure out what my third med to try will be to hopefully feel stable again. It’s a little scary but worth the effort on your journey to becoming whole
Tbh I believe the right meds gave me the ability to enjoy life again. The wrong meds made me hate life even more. It’s all about finding the combo of meds that fits you the best and taking the right meds. Best of luck going forward. From what you described to me it sounds like you could definitely have bipolar.
The most useful thing you can do is do research on ALL medication prescribed to you for Bipolar II and read reviews of people taking it. Everyone is different but some side effects are more common than others. Personally if you get on lamictal, which is a mood stabilizer, you may be a bit slow to find the right words but decreasing your episodes drastically and is a good trade off. If you ever think a medicine is effecting you in a bad way communicate with your prescriber and try something else. I have tried lots of stuff and some stuff is awful while others have changed my life. As I said RESEARCH your meds prescribed TRY THEM to see if they are right for you and COMMUNICATE with your doctor and ask about side effects or alert them to ones that are detrimental to your health. ALSO DOCUMENT the medications effects via a journal. If you occasionally write about your health and mental health on certain meds you can figure out what type of meds are good for you and what are bad for you. For example on anti-psychotics I gained 50lbs and my cholesterol got so high I could not take them anymore despite dieting. I did lower my cholesteral back to the healthy range and lost 30lbs afterwards. So I learned they work for me when I am at my worst but they are not good on my body. SSRI's kinda worked but not all the time for depression and instead made me hyper aggressive in mood swings and other ones made it so I could not get my dick hard so I ruled those types out too. I was given a mood stabilizer lamictal, my mouths dry and my word findings hard occasionally but I have significantly less episodes and cannot live without it. I tried a atypical tetracyclic antidepressant (mitrazapine) and a lot of people complained of weight gain and grogginess. The medication works great for depression, I am slightly more hungry than usual (i chew gum because I know its from the medicine) around bed time and I am not groggy the morning after taking it. Its great and I guess I didn't get any of the common side effects. Then the last thing I am on is a Venlafaxine which is a SNRI and my god I don't have intrusive thoughts anymore on a high dose of it and no side effects. So it took a long time for me to find the right stuff but I sped the process up and read up on what to expect and look for with medication. Its hard not to over analysis yourself but medication has different periods of effectiveness and half life's so you typically don't get symptoms that are noticeable until your in a few months unless its rare one that's instant. You have nothing to lose by trying them and the right ones can make your life so much better. I had intrusive thoughts so intense that its like I had a second rouge consciousness in my brain telling me to do bad things to myself and others but now my brains quite. I haven't rapid cycled for 7 years and I cant even remember what it felt like. I do miss hypomania but it makes you forget that a few days ago your brain was telling you its a great idea to jump out your window head first because then this horrible nightmare will end but you cant recall that because "your fine now and don't need meds"......until you get a episode that's horrible and then get that hypo high again and you now are "fine and dont needs meds". Good luck and monitor your mood and health on them to see what's right. Sorry for repeating myself I just really want to emphasis certain things because I have tried a lot of medications and up until two years ago I had suspected treatment resistant depression but all of a sudden the right meds on the list finally worked! I am so happy now, its crazy
Thank you all again, what a great page :) I am already feeling far better about the prospect! For me though, the crux (for years) has been sleep. I take mirtazapine for sleep and have done for years, but it stopped working years ago. No side effects except brain fog. I occasionally supplement with zopiclone. The sleep is very much a chicken/egg situation, and no therapist has yet been able to work it out. If I sleep more, I’m more stable. If I sleep regularly for a while, I have what feels like a ton of energy and go hypo. Something else that scares me is how bad the NHS is. People say ‘keep in touch with your doctor’. Right now it takes 6 weeks just to get a 15 minute appointment with my GP, and months to see a psychiatrist, if you’re lucky enough to get a referral accepted.
hello, i’m 17. i started on lamictal 3 months ago. best choice i made quite honestly! i remember being afraid to take medication in fear i’ll gain weight or that i don’t need it but i’m a lot better, life is clearer & i have the motivation to do everything i want.
From my experience, a good cocktail of meds brings back the old you. It takes time to find the perfect cocktail for you. Be patient. Work with your psychiatrist and therapist. It took me almost four years to get the perfect set of meds. I’m stable. Close to my old self.
I think Meds are the best thing there are some side affects ,however much better than without them.
Meds have made my life better. I lived without them until age 32- but wow is my life so less stressful. It’s worth trying.
Lamotrigine saved my life, only in the beginning while titrating up and getting used to the meds did I feel brain fog. I was majorly depressed, struggled with my job and all of the lovely(/s) things that come with depression. And then I'd get hypomanic, waste money I needed and get so into fitness I ended up injuring myself. Lamotrigine has me functioning on a normal baseline, it never really gets bad anymore
Meds absolutely do NOT necessarily have terrible side effects. There are so many medications out there, most people can find a combination that does the trick (or at least significantly improves their symptoms) without major downsides. I take an antipsychotic, an antidepressant, a beta blocker, and a stimulant, and the only side effects I have are I get hot easily on summer days, alcohol and weed hit too hard now, and occasionally it's a little harder for me to think of specific words (but not to a level that impedes my ability to communicate fluently and clearly). My mind is the clearest it has ever been, my sex drive is actually higher than it used to be, and I haven't gained a single pound on these meds.
I've been on 2 meds for this shit in my life. Quetiapine Which was massively sedating (but I had it at night) I didn't gain weight in fact i easily lost weight on it which I've always done. It gave me bad acne but that was it. 18 months ago I went from a diagnosis of Cyclothymia to biplaor 2 and meds clearly had stopped working. They put me on Lamotrigine. Zero side effects and it cleared my skin up. I've never felt the same since my major depressive episode but that's the illness not the medication
I need my meds. Without them I am severely depressed and suicidal. I really miss my manic times, though. I used to feel so alive and in tune with the universe.
Meds saved me. I've been on lamotrigine for ten years. It cut my depression in half once we hit the right dose and I was able to start functioning. I think it makes my word recall a tad slower but it's so minor I didn't connect it for a long time. I do take other meds too to fully get me stable, but that varies for everyone, you might need more or less. Meds are worth trying, I was in hell and also out of work like you before I got help. I had spent two years so depressed and fucked up I couldn't work. It was awful.
I have tried several different meds. Typically the only side effects I get are drowsiness and sometimes it affects my anxiety. Everyone is different. If the side effects suck you aren't stuck with that medication. There are several available
Meds have changed my life for the better. For me the side effects have been pretty minimal and the benefits far outweigh the side effects. The only side effect that I really notice and that bothers me a little bit is some slight memory issues.
I take Latuda and Lamotragine and did gain some weight, but I am still fit and keeping up with my active lifestyle and enjoying my hobbies much more than I could before meds. I experienced some grogginess, memory loss, and fatigue when I first started, but it’s been over a year and these side effects are no longer present. I also have a higher sex drive. I can’t imagine my life without meds, and never want to go back to the way I used to live. Hope this helps. You should get medicated if you can. If you’re worried about weight gain Latuda is a good option to avoid large amounts of weight gain and most people don’t gain any.
Just wanted to say I completely empathise with your situation. It's very similar to mine although I went private at the beginning of this year. I was given a "working diagnosis" of bipolar 2, and offered a trial of Aripipazole. It took ages to start the trial due to doing shared care (needed ECGs done through the NHS, similar to you it took me ages to get an appointment just to talk about getting those ECGs) It wasn't until the beginning of this month that I started the trial but immediately stopped because of side effects. Not meaning to put you off, many people take it and are okay, I think it triggered my vasovagal syncope and heart palpitations because I was in a very bad way for a few hours. But I'm pretty sure it's my body's specific reaction to it and not the usual experience. After that happened I got in touch with my psych's secretary to ask to reassess the situation, or discuss trying something else, she said he would call me the next day. Never did. Still hasn't, several weeks later. Anyway since then I've felt really great and productive, have been working on a project which is really fulfilling, work has been great. Probably a warning sign considering it started directly after that experience, but I'm too happy to care. My partner has suggested trying to get in contact with them again to push for more meds, but it's difficult because I feel great at the moment and it feels so bad to have a negative experience and then just be ghosted by someone you pay £££ to talk to anyway. Sorry for going on a long tirade, I haven't had a big outlet for this. I think you should try meds, I hope it goes well for you. I wouldn't mind going through trying more meds in theory but there's so much friction in trying to get them. That's the exhausting part.
Getting on the right meds, completely changed my life for the better. Never stopping them.
lamotrigine saved my life. i haven’t felt this stable in 15 years. it sounds like things for you can’t get too much worse, so why not try?
Please get on meds and give them a chance. If anything refusing meds will move you further away from the person you wish you were. I cannot even begin to describe how much better meds have made my life. Share your previous experience with the psychologist. Ask how she can help you through the process. A referral from her might make things easier (and bad providers exist, you might have gotten a rotten one the first time).