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Dixville posted:I actually was prescribed lamictal after an episode of suicidal ideation last year. I had extra left over... i took some last night... i know kinda dumb to do before talking to doc but i think it helped me sleep last night. I can't say one way or the other for a variety of reasons, but I will say I've taken old trazedone before when anxiety gets crippling, and I don't have a current prescription. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS but I deffo have done it so no judgements here. That being said, be very careful about sudden stop/start on lamictal. It can cause something commonly referred to as "lamictal rash" and if you suddenly get a huge rash on your chest drop what you're doing and go the gently caress to the hospital. Don't worry about being paranoid, if it happens you'll know. But, treat the medication with respect because of it and talk to your pdoc ASAP if you want to start it again. Also you may have noticed I'm on a hypomanic streak myself last night with the furious morning posting. I found and addressed a huge anxiety trigger for me, and the rush of good feels tipped me over. It happens, if you can blunt it with stabilizers and find healthy outlets it's really not catastrophic.
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May 8, 2020 16:28
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Chokes McGee posted:I can't say one way or the other for a variety of reasons, but I will say I've taken old trazedone before when anxiety gets crippling, and I don't have a current prescription. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS but I deffo have done it so no judgements here. Cool thanks for not shaming me or whatnot. I took the lamictal before and it just made me sleepy so I don't think it will be an issue. I'll watch for any weird rashes for sure.
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May 8, 2020 17:15
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No shaming but seconding being super careful and DO NOT take lamictal again without doc permission. Its a super tricky one that can and absolutely will gently caress up your poo poo. There are lots of not dangerous things that will help you sleep and your doc can suggest or prescribe something better. Whenever my husband has to go on or off lamictal its a huge loving production but its worked well for him mood stabilizer wise. Also, if Im remembering right if you get the rash you cant ever take lamictal again and its one of the better mood stabilizers so you dont want to ruin your ability to take it if you need it.
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May 8, 2020 17:49
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Chokes McGee posted:I can't say one way or the other for a variety of reasons, but I will say I've taken old trazedone before when anxiety gets crippling, and I don't have a current prescription. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS but I deffo have done it so no judgements here. Congrats on your victory, enjoying your hypomanic posting as always! I've had a few of those days as well lately, when a fix sticks and you just feel like a goddamn champion for a while. Do like. Unfortunately, right now I'm experiencing the opposite, where the thought correction doesn't stick and I have to keep going back in to fix things in an endless loop. I'm under pressure in every part of my life right now, and I've found myself in an intensely happysad romantic situation, and hooooo boy is this an up and down ride.  Dixville posted:Thank you, this was my gut feeling but bipolar scares me. It has a terrible reputation as far as disorders go. There's some pretty cool celebs that have/had it though so that's cool I think! ADHD+Bipolar 2 here, which it sounds like is what you're worried about (I Am Not A Doctor but you seem more hypomanic than manic)? I get infrequent but rough mixed episodes of despair/anxiety and insecurity/paranoia, so while Chokes is right that it's manageable and not something to be terrified of, I do totally understand your discomfort with that possible diagnosis. It can be especially scary if you've had someone with Bipolar 1 in your life before. But as noted above, it's different in every person, and with support, you'll find your system and be alright.  Dixville posted:I actually was prescribed lamictal after an episode of suicidal ideation last year. I had extra left over... i took some last night... i know kinda dumb to do before talking to doc but i think it helped me sleep last night. Something that is important to note about Lamictal (if you do get prescribed it again): what I have experienced is that it while it does a wonderful job of making the mood swings less frequent and tougher to trigger, it does not make the ones you do have any less potent or easier to ride out. So (again, this is anecdotal) you end up smoothing out most of the ups and downs but keeping the big spikes that are still enough to push you over the edge. Most people seem to have a better experience on it than I have, so my comically uninformed guess is that this might not so much of an issue for people who don't have the double diagnosis? But work on some coping strategies with your therapist just in case. Trixie Hardcore posted:DO NOT take lamictal again without doc permission. It's a super tricky one that can and absolutely will gently caress up your poo poo. Can you expound on this a little? I feel like my experience has been a little extreme compared to most, and my pdoc is something of an odd duck, so I'm wondering if there's something I'm missing here (yes, I know no one here is a doctor, and yes, I'm planning to talk to a real pdoc about this ASAP, but I'm still curious). Dixville posted:Thank you, this was my gut feeling but bipolar scares me. It has a terrible reputation as far as disorders go. There's some pretty cool celebs that have/had it though so that's cool I think! That's because there's a pretty strong correlation between bipolar, charisma, and creativity (also true for your ADHD). It's not all bad. 
Unsinkabear has issued a correction as of 18:08 on May 8, 2020 |
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May 8, 2020 17:53
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Unsinkabear posted:Can you expound on this a little? I feel like my experience has been a little extreme compared to most, and my pdoc is something of an odd duck, so I'm wondering if there's something I'm missing here (yes, I know no one here is a doctor, and yes, I'm planning to talk to a real pdoc about this ASAP, but I'm still curious). The reason you want to only take lamictal as directed by a doctor is because a lot of factors can trigger an overreaction from your immune system to give you a lamictal rash and two of the biggest ones are 1) rapid starts and stops of dose and 2) too high of dose. My husbands doc has him start on a small dose and then ramp up to his regular dose over a series of weeks and then when he doesnt need it anymore he has to ween off over a series of weeks going from his regular dose down to a small dose down to a smaller dose, etc before stopping. His doc is always aiming for getting him on the lowest effective dose, this probably not a bad goal for anyone on lamictal (im not a doctor). The reason you dont want to trigger a rash is because 1) its not fun and it can be severe and in rare cases lead to toxic epidermal necrolysis and 2) youll ruin your ability to take lamictal in the future which could be depriving yourself of a very effective mood stabilizer. Basically theres no upside to loving around with it without doc supervision. e:just to clarify this can happen every time you start and stop lamictal, not getting a rash the first time doesnt mean you wont ever have a reaction, every time you start or stop you have to do so carefully. Trixie Hardcore has issued a correction as of 18:22 on May 8, 2020 |
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May 8, 2020 18:18
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Yeah you absolutely have to ramp up/down on lamictal under a p-doc's care. It's a godsend (for me anyway) but treat it with respect. And don't even get me started with lithium. Most of my bipolar group swears by it and it is absolutely the gold standard in bipolar treatment, but oh my gods it sounds like such a pain in the rear end. 
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May 8, 2020 18:39
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When we were in tough financial straits lithium was literally the only option because it was the only affordable option without insurance. Super glad it works for so many people but if it doesnt and youre poor its a nightmare.
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May 8, 2020 18:50
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If it helps the pills are tiny. I don't know the mg but i can't imagine it was a very high dose. No rash so far. Thanks for the info thread very helpful. Should have asked yall before taking it tbh
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May 8, 2020 19:39
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Even high dose limictil is a tiny pill. If its the first time youve been prescribed them its doubtful though that it would be a high dose. Hope your work day goes well.
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May 8, 2020 19:45
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Trixie Hardcore posted:Even high dose limictil is a tiny pill. If it’s the first time you’ve been prescribed them it’s doubtful though that it would be a high dose. Hope your work day goes well. Thanks it's going well so far. Little stressful but not too bad.
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May 8, 2020 19:58
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Got an appointment via phone with my psychiatrist for about an hour from now so hopefully will get further guidance and possibly other meds! Yay I'm glad they fit me in.
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May 8, 2020 20:10
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Dixville posted:Got an appointment via phone with my psychiatrist for about an hour from now so hopefully will get further guidance and possibly other meds! Yay I'm glad they fit me in. hell yeah
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May 8, 2020 21:34
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Broke down crying at work. Still here now. Today turned out to be one of the most stressful days I've ever had due ti factors outside my control. I feel like poo poo
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May 8, 2020 22:57
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Taking tomorrow off. I have till tues off Doctor told me about the lanictal rash i told him i already knew 
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May 9, 2020 01:39
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Dixville posted:Taking tomorrow off. I have till tues off Good on taking time off. It sounds like you could use a little rest. If I may offer advice based on my experiences: don't try to cram the day off with things you've been meaning to do but never get done, i.e. housework. Just kick back the rest of the day and do nothing if you have to. Take it slow and easy.
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May 9, 2020 04:43
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Chokes McGee posted:I can't say one way or the other for a variety of reasons, but I will say I've taken old trazedone before when anxiety gets crippling, and I don't have a current prescription. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS but I deffo have done it so no judgements here. my doc has prescribed me trazadone as a sleep aide. im not a doc but i dont think that is off label. my side effects were awful. ymmv
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May 9, 2020 05:47
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Eat This Glob posted:my doc has prescribed me trazadone as a sleep aide. im not a doc but i dont think that is off label. my side effects were awful. ymmv Nah it's not, it's what they gave me in the hospital. It works really well against my anxiety but also trucks my mood stabilization when it leaves my system and I can't take it continuously due to nasty derealization effects. It really pisses me off, because it's far and away the most effective least invasive antianxiety med I've tried.
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May 9, 2020 06:30
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that sucks, man. bad side effects for otherwise effective meds is bullshit
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May 9, 2020 07:55
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Thank loving god for cspam. I had to interact with libs today and listening to those fascists is grueling. Getting back in bed and seeing the succ zone and remembering im not the only one mad is seriously quite balancing.
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May 9, 2020 09:30
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I think this might be the official theme song of mania https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYOKMUTTDdA
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May 9, 2020 11:52
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thehandtruck posted:Thank loving god for cspam. I had to interact with libs today and listening to those fascists is grueling. Getting back in bed and seeing the succ zone and remembering im not the only one mad is seriously quite balancing. libs are going to spend the next 6 months equivocating about rape and people who are impolite to them about it get probed so i can't even enjoy the drat leper's colony schadenfreude like I used to, lol quarantine feels like an easy choice compared to expected to treating those fascist-loving assholes like people, even when I'm avoiding news as much as humanly possible it's nice knowing there's a place to talk about video games being stupid and not having to worry that i'm wasting time talking to bad garbage, when it could just be loving garbage like cspam~
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May 9, 2020 14:27
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Moved from 20mg to 40mg Latuda about a month ago and in the past week I've had multiple anxiety attacks and generally feel uneasy and unsafe. I can't sit at the computer without uncontrollable leg bouncing. I had one day of relative peace this week and the other days have been mostly torture. A pattern has emerged where I get paranoid anxiety around 7:30-8pm and then calm down by 10pm, enough to where I can get to sleep. I take my dose at around 6pm. This morning I'm just okay but feel tense and feel like my internal alarms are ready to go off on a hair trigger. Obviously I'm not a professional but I am going to call the psychiatrist Monday; am not looking forward to more nights of oppressive dread. What's frustrating is I just had a meeting with my p-doc this past Monday before all this happened and I felt mostly fine for the past three weeks up till then. Nothing bad to report beyond a little leg bouncing. And then the episodes started. I'm exhausted and just want a hug 
novaSphere has issued a correction as of 14:52 on May 9, 2020 |
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May 9, 2020 14:47
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novaSphere posted:Moved from 20mg to 40mg Latuda about a month ago and in the past week I've had multiple anxiety attacks and generally feel uneasy and unsafe. I can't sit at the computer without uncontrollable leg bouncing. I had one day of relative peace this week and the other days have been mostly torture. I'm right with you. I don't tolerate atypicals well at all, and Latuda wrecked my poo poo and then my wife's poo poo a few months after. I'm glad you called your doc. Just try to hang in there until you can get off of it.
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May 9, 2020 16:35
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I was fine on 20mg but then my new pdoc wanted to bump me up to 40mg. So I went with it. And now I'm in agony. I took that gene test and it said Latuda was fine and I've had virtually zero side effects on my dose up until I upped the dose, and now culminating in this feeling I have now. I'm trying to hang in there but it's really hard right now. I woke up today feeling okay and that feeling has progressively gotten worse throughout the day. I just hate that I'm stuck on a weekend with the inability to take any direct action on this. novaSphere has issued a correction as of 17:00 on May 9, 2020 |
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May 9, 2020 16:55
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novaSphere posted:I was fine on 20mg but then my new pdoc wanted to bump me up to 40mg. So I went with it. And now I'm in agony. Most doctors have a med emergency line. If it's well and truly intolerable (and sounds like it is), you might be able to get through to that and at least get their blessing to go back to 20mg.
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May 9, 2020 18:50
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Chokes McGee posted:Most doctors have a med emergency line. If it's well and truly intolerable (and sounds like it is), you might be able to get through to that and at least get their blessing to go back to 20mg. I tried calling earlier today and was simply disconnected when I tried their urgent line. I managed to get in touch with my therapist and that helped, and I tried the pdoc office again and managed to get through to the operator. We'll see how it goes.
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May 9, 2020 19:23
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novaSphere posted:I tried calling earlier today and was simply disconnected when I tried their urgent line. I managed to get in touch with my therapist and that helped, and I tried the pdoc office again and managed to get through to the operator. We'll see how it goes. Good luck 
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May 9, 2020 20:07
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Does anyone know how long lamictal takes to work? Is it like ssris where it takes a few weeks or fairly fast?
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May 10, 2020 01:14
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Dixville posted:Does anyone know how long lamictal takes to work? Is it like ssris where it takes a few weeks or fairly fast? It depends on the person. For me, it was like someone flipped a lightswitch: I got a quick overnight gain, leveled off, and then after a week or two the full power had settled in. Other people may build up the power over time and not realize it except in retrospect.  So long as the side effects aren't hideous, be willing to give it some time. After a week or two, you'll know if it's working or not.
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May 10, 2020 01:26
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Chokes McGee posted:It depends on the person. For me, it was like someone flipped a lightswitch: I got a quick overnight gain, leveled off, and then after a week or two the full power had settled in. Other people may build up the power over time and not realize it except in retrospect. Thanks that is helpful. I have an appointment following up with my appointment on wednesday so we'll discuss progress by then
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May 10, 2020 02:48
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Chokes McGee posted:Good luck Thanks Got blessings to drop back down to 20mg Latuda from the pdoc on call and we're gonna set up an appointment ASAP to assess if I need anything else. Might be able to snag some klonopin as a just-in-case, break-glass-in-case-of-emergency anxiety solution. Managed to not freak out last night after my lower dose and today I'm feeling pretty "normal" so to speak so things are looking up.
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May 10, 2020 19:41
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I'm having significant anxiety about my Aussie state relaxing restrictions. The state of emergency ends today but nothing has changed and I'm still a somewhat fat dude with hypertension and asthma, ie the type of person who dies from the rona. Right now I can work from home but if they relax restrictions I have to commute to the CBD on a crowded train. And I won't sleep anymore because the gym underneath my unit will reopen. It's weird to say but my quality of life actually improved during lockdown, I've had time to do things like work out instead of spending every day in a sleep deprived haze and losing an hour just commuting every day. I find the social aspect of work draining too.  In addition, even if I don't die from rona, any time missed due to being sick could cost me my under construction condo since I have to prove I have steady income before they finalise the financing. Just thinking about this poo poo caused me to wake up at 5am and not go back to sleep. I had been sleeping so well
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May 10, 2020 21:34
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My sleep cycle is hosed up. I'm either sleeping way too much or not at all. I know it has something to do with my current mood, but I don't know how to fix it and I'm frustrated.
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May 10, 2020 22:47
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Phew. re above, Victoria did the right thing and extended the state of emergency with very minor changes. Happy to live in an actually progressive place unlike fake rear end libland British Columbia, who have more deaths than all of Australia despite only 4 mill population. https://twitter.com/DanielAndrewsMP/status/1259657780962553856?s=19
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May 11, 2020 03:31
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rudecyrus posted:My sleep cycle is hosed up. I'm either sleeping way too much or not at all. I know it has something to do with my current mood, but I don't know how to fix it and I'm frustrated. A lot of this stuff is pretty rudimentary, so forgive me if it's obvious or you've heard it before: - Stick to a schedule even if you aren't tired (or on the other end, even if you are). Routine is incredibly important for this kind of thing. Go to bed at the same time every day, get up at the same time every day. For me this step has made more of a difference than pretty much every other idea below. - If possible, avoid brightly lit screens of any kind for an hour or two before bed; if you can't do this (and god knows I can't lol) then there are programs you can use to reduce the amount of blue light on your computer -- f.lux is one, Windows has a built in function called Night Light, and there are probably others for other operating systems (and maybe for phones too?) - Exercise during the day if possible, but again, not during the evening. You want something that will help you be tired when you need to be, but not to still be running on adrenaline. - Don't use your bed for anything besides sleep and sex; don't read in bed, don't use devices, etc. You want to form an association between it and sleep. - I've found white noise generators useful both for anxiety-related insomnia and just for the sheer practical value of drowning out other background noise. You can either get literal random noise, or nature sounds, whatever, basically just something unobtrusive and consistent. - Melatonin worked for me in the short term but the effects seemed to wear off after a while; it seems to vary a lot from person to person. More serious sleep aid drugs usually require a prescription and from what I gather it's hard to find one that doesn't have side effects, but if it's really bad ask your doctor about it.
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May 11, 2020 07:02
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Ive got a bit of stress to unload so apologies in advance. Im sitting in the hospital parking garage while my husband is in surgery. Hes been in awhile but Im hoping to hear from the surgeon that everything is okay in another 2 hours or so. This is routine stuff and complications are rare and Im not freaking out but its incredibly frustrating to be stuck out here. It sucks that I wasnt able to be with him to hold his hand and wait with him in pre op and I wont be there to wait for him to wake up in recovery. Instead Im stuck in my car 2 hours from home, feeling completely cut off from everything and counting on someone to remember to call me. Knowing that covid cases in our state are skyrocketing right now doesnt help. Knowing that we come back in two weeks for a second chance to get exposed doesnt help. Its just very frustrating. I assumed they might have some sort of system set up for families waiting for a patient but they dont. I made the mistake of going inside the hospital to use the restroom since they specifically said if I needed to use the restroom someone would lead me to it. Instead I had to navigate a giant garage full of people to find the one entrance that was open, where I was waved down a hall to figure it out. I assumed they would have some sort of system to separate people but they didnt and in fact they closed off the second lobby exit to have only one entrance and exit so I ended up having to make my way down a roni gauntlet of maybe 2 dozen coughing people (not all even wearing masks) to get out of the building. Now Im worried I might have gotten infected and I cant isolate from my husband out of caution because Im the person taking care of him post surgery. I am just very stressed and frustrated that on top of unavoidable surgery related stress and pandemic related inconveniences that medical systems also feel very haphazard and chaotic. Like there are basic measures that I expected to see here that dont really seem like they would have been a bother to implement, like one way entrances & exits and enforced mask and distancing practices, that for whatever reason arent being practiced in a loving hospital. Obviously this all FEELS bigger because Im worried my husband is going to die and Im dealing with unfocused anxiety but also this is total bullshit and my anger feels justified.
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May 11, 2020 16:51
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something cool about starting Cymbalta is that even on days where everything is grey and I can't feel myself I can still get out of bed, shower, do chores, and work. I can still maintain myself and make sure the next good day isn't full of tedious bullshit to clean up. That's something to remember.
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May 11, 2020 16:55
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Trixie Hardcore posted:Obviously this all FEELS bigger because I’m worried my husband is going to die and I’m dealing with unfocused anxiety but also this is total bullshit and my anger feels justified. It absolutely is justified. I wish I had more to offer than just this, but that's a bunch of utter horseshit. I hope everything goes well and his recovery is fast and painless.
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May 11, 2020 19:36
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Manic phase seems to be winding down. Thanks to all the people in this thread that helped me out, i didn't let on much but I was scared and looking for help. And I found it!
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May 11, 2020 20:25
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Tuxedo Catfish posted:- Don't use your bed for anything besides sleep and sex That second one isn't a problem  Thanks for the advice!
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May 11, 2020 20:35
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