Bipolar Disorder

Hi Everyone - I was diagnosed today with Bipolar II - Depression with hypomania. I have been treated for anxiety disorder with depression for almost a year with Lexapro with really good results, but could never understand why I still experienced "melt downs" that would last for days and subsequent bursts of being on top of the world (never shopped compulsively or exhibited any extreme behavior.) I had attributed it to "being hormonal."

These episodes have increasing become worse and more frequent, thus prompting me to Google, and was led to some Bipolar II quizzes, and it was like I was reading about ME! The questions all made sense, and described exactly what I was going through! Looking back, I have had these episodes since I was about 18 years old (I'm 47 now!), but they were very few and far between, maybe once or twice a year.

Anyway, my doctor has decided to leave me on the Lexapro, and start me on Neurontin. It is SUPER CHEAP, has very few side effects, and he has experienced pretty fair success in his 30 year practice using it as a first attempt with Bipolar II. So, I'm going to give it a whirl, keep a positive outlook, and pray! My poor husband doesn't know if he's coming or going anymore!

My best wishes to all! We wouldn't wish this on our enemies!

I hope you see good results with the Neurontin. I can relate to the melt downs, and then bursts of energy. Never knowing what your going to get as a mood from one minute/hour/day to the next. Keep us updated on how the med is working.

 

              

Hi there!  I take Neurontin too, and while it's the best mood stabilizer for me, I did not know this until I tried some others first (Neurontin was not yet on the market when I was first dxed.)

Good luck with your first drug go-round (finding the right ones for you can be a bit bumpy), and welcome to the board!

Express!

Beth "Petrouchka"

Hi! I have been on the Neurontin a week now, and am up to my maintenance dose - 300mg 3x a day. I could tell a difference on about day 4. My nervous energy, "itchiness" had subsided, and it was actually QUIET in my head! I am going to stay on this dose, along with 20mg of Lexapro. I also take 75mg of Topamax for migraines, have been on it for 3 years. I am going to increase slowly to 200mgs as I've heard promising studies on it's effectiveness in treating Bipolar 2.

I suffered from uninvited thoughts, which usually triggered my volcanic outburst (directed at my DH!), which would last for from hours to a day or two, followed by my spiraling into a pit of despair where I would remain for days. Then I would just snap out of it, and all was euphoric for 6-8 weeks until I would repeat this cycle! These thoughts played in my head constantly...building, gradually bringing me down off of my "high" and back into an outburst and it would start all over again!

So far the Neurontin as quieted those thoughts greatly, and I am much more at ease. I still have the thoughts, but not as frequently or are they as troublesome.

I am glad to hear you are also doing well! I'd love to hear your "story"...cause it's funny how similar we all are!

Best,

Shelley