Bipolar support thread

dmg24

feelinggood wrote: »

I was on a mood stabiliser/ant-psychotic before I got pregnant, but she won't prescribe one when I'm breastfeeding. It is the third time I've gone high with ADs. I'm seeing Psychiatrist and CPN in a couple of weeks. They are aware of the situation but haven't suggested any coping techniques.

There seems to be split opinion on mood stabilizers and pregnancy/ feeding. My first psych was so against them that she wanted to make me have a contraceptive implant. The next one I discussed it with was of the belief that, if there are going to be complications, they will happen irrespective of what medication you are, and my current one just says we will keep an eye on the situation!

Maybe you could write things down when they happen, and then give your list to the psych when you see them? I find that showing how bad things are in writing tends to have more impact, as you can remember more - and sometimes it is easier than saying things outloud!

feelinggood_2

Thank you for the replies.

I saw a Pyschiatrist while I was in labour, who wanted to start me back on my pre-pregnancy meds, but I said I wanted to try without them. I wish I'd taken her up on it. Current Pyschiatrist will not entertain the idea at all, despite me pointing her to literature that rates them as safe as the anti-depressants I'm currently taking.

It is really difficult because when I last saw the Pyschiatrist, she told me to halve my dose to bring me down a little bit. I didn't, and I thought I was tolerating the side effects better. I don't know if that is the case though. I'm terrified of going low again. I'm worried it is a choice between this (happy, energentic but restless, angry and rude) or how I was before (sad, lifeless).

Self-harm is worse when I'm manic too.

I don't know what to do.

dmg24

Is your GP supportive? You are entitled to be referred to someone else if you are not happy with the care you are receiving. Your GP can arrange this, or you can contact PALS yourself and they will mediate for you.

Do you have contact details for your local Crisis Team? I always think that I am not serious enough to contact them, don't want to bother them etc. I had a chat with my uni support worker and she said that it was actually better to call them before things became too bad. Might be worth a call, even if it just prompts an earlier appt.

feelinggood_2

dmg24 wrote: »

Is your GP supportive? You are entitled to be referred to someone else if you are not happy with the care you are receiving. Your GP can arrange this, or you can contact PALS yourself and they will mediate for you.

Do you have contact details for your local Crisis Team? I always think that I am not serious enough to contact them, don't want to bother them etc. I had a chat with my uni support worker and she said that it was actually better to call them before things became too bad. Might be worth a call, even if it just prompts an earlier appt.

I was in the middle of requesting a new CPN with the help of a PALS advocate when I became high, and told them that I was alright and didn't need them.

I'm torn because I know I should cut the dosage down, but I don't want to risk getting low again. I told them again and again I was scared I'd go high, but they didn't believe me. I think I'd have rather stayed low.

I don't really know what help I want, or what can be done - I don't think anything can really.

Pyschiatrist also doesn't like me taking my LO with me to appointments, and I haven't got any childcare. I'm dreading my therapy referal coming through, LO isn't able to be left at the moment.

louisebt

Hello, hope everyone is coping!

I've pushed my CPN and she is requestiong one of the mental health teams doctors comes to see me asap.... i dont have bipolar diagnosis from anyone in concrete but its my cpn who thinks its there....

Having a rough time at the mo, in a few weeks it will be 3 years since my lovely ex threw me round the house with a knife to my throat, and the flashbacks etc are still happening, its driving me insane!... I am struggling to sleep, had 2 lots of sleeping tablets from docs but i'm still awake until about 4am each morning

storeton

it's not nice what life can throw at us,nobody can understand the feelings of low self worth.
I am not a doc. or shrink but have lived with my mental disorder for 20 years.
The medication helps but only to push the pain lower into your stomach,it puts a cap on it but you can feel zombified by drugs
I was iocked away for 4 months and until I got a handle on my situation I was in utter inner turmoil until I discovered the word acceptance
It may sound daft but once you have accepted whats happened , you can deal with it in your own way whatever that is .
may your god bless you
storeton

Zoelikesjam

feelinggood, you need a new psych....Mine comes and visits at home(I am disabled but surely they will if you request?)
My new psych is a waste of space.
After me telling him i wasnt getting on with the seroquol, i can not function on it the next day, i have to get up with the children to get them to school etc but i am irritable, snappy, horrible sleepy etc on them. I'd rather be self harming than snapping at my babies.
Anyway, he decided i was fine...as i was animated on the phone when he arrived? Erm, of course i was you moron. It was the first time i was meeting him and i also put up a block when i meet new ppl till i feel comfortable.
Plus it was a fairly good day. He doubled my seroquol...despite me telling him how it made me...
Im having issues with my gp aswel, i take lorazapam when i feel like self harming. my gp will only perscribe 5 a month....I take 2/3mg for an episode...this allows me only two episodes a month...i generally have three a week.
Im all over the place atm as i dont want to take my seroquol, my sertraline is making no difference whatso ever and i just feel totally !!!!.
Thinking of going through pals to change gp's as im having magor issues with them atm.
Hope everyone is well(as can be!) and chins are up, fake smiles plastered on face
xxx

Fire_Fox

Hi all, hope it's OK if I post here as I am not AFAIK bipolar. Been diagnosed so far with depression, anxiety/ stress, SAD and insomnia going back eight or nine years. I think I have had episodes of hypomania therefore I think I *may* be cyclothymic, but have never broached this with my GP.

Have just changed meds from mirtazepine 75mg (highest dose) to amitriptyline 25mg (low dose) as I was sleeping poorly. I am finding the amitriptyline very strong, much more motivated and feeling 'myself' but also a little high - like Ecstasy feels for those who have dabbled.

Have an appointment with my GP next week, in case anyone is concerned I should be getting medical advice. I am a qualified pharmacy technician myself and looked up the side effects, but that is not the same as getting support from those who have been there IYSWIM. At present I am not intending to increase the dose to the prescribed 50mg until I have seen my GP, does that seem wise?

skipsmum

Hi Firefox, can't answer your question but I'm sure its fine if you post here!

Fire_Fox

skipsmum wrote: »

Hi Firefox, can't answer your question but I'm sure its fine if you post here!

Thank you. I ran a search on amitriptyline and it was this thread that came up, but being undiagnosed and not claiming to be disabled I wasn't sure.