Bipolar Meds

[Anonymous]

http://alternativementalhealth.com/articles/bipolar.htm

You might find some options there. Good resource site with many links. Personally, I'd find a highly skill Dr of Naturopathy or Dr of Oriental Medicine.
From everything I've read, you may have to experiment for a while to find what works for you specifically. There isn't one 'remedy' that works for everyone. The only certain thing is that you won't have to worry about the potentially severe side-effects of psych drugs.

[providence]

Thanks, I'll have to check that out. Until then, I will continue to consult with my highly skilled Doctor of Cannabis. He is an excellent practitioner of alternative medicine. And he only charges $40 for the good shit. [ This Message was edited by: providence on 2005-12-02 11:31 ]

[Anonymous]

I hear ya. Proved to be the only thing that worked for my son. It is a natural alternative, just happens to be illegal, unfortunately.
I mean... how stupid is it that psych drugs have killed scores of people directly or indirectly and they're legal. Pot has none of those deadly side-effects and I know of no one who's died from it, and it's illegal.

[Anonymous]

I thought when the 60's generation got into
politics pot and more would be legalized.

Instead it got worse, go figure.

You probably know the history of the many
uses of Cannibus over the years, if you
need a refresher course, check this book out:

Reefer Madness
Sex, Drugs, and Cheap Labor in the American Black Market  by Eric Schlosser

"The book revolves around two figures: Mark Young of Indiana, who was sentenced to life in prison without parole for his relatively minor role in a marijuana deal ... "

[providence]

I could go on forever about how ridiculous it is that pot is illegal. Unfortunately, I'm high, and that seems like a daunting task.

Fortunately, I live in California, and yes, I am a card carrier. Not because of the bipolar of course. But in this crazy state, I'm sure that would be a way to get a card.

[try another castle]

On 2005-12-02 15:21:00, providence wrote:

I could go on forever about how ridiculous it is that pot is illegal. Unfortunately, I'm high, and that seems like a daunting task.

Yeah, what's up? I mean, I wonder why the marijuana lobby isn't all that organized?? I assume most of those guys are up as early as 4 in the afternoon. That gives them a few hours to get things done, right?

"Yeah, dude, we want freedom for... uh, what were we talking about again?"  :razz:

Heh, I used to self-medicate for my bipolar condition with marijuana. I was a pot-smoking fiend. (I'm not that good at moderating.) Unfortunately, it ended up making me incredibly depressed after years of use, since it is a depressant, after all. Not to mention that I had become as dumb as a post and couldn't even finish sentences anymore without losing my train of thought. It also wasn't all that great for my asthma.

Not saying it won't work for other people, especially if they can manage their use and not be stoned 24/7 like I was (except at work). I had to quit in order to restore some sense of functionality back into my life. (And the floor in my apartment had about two layers of empty 2 liter coke bottles.)

[Anonymous]

LITHIUM WORKS!!!!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

With lithium, is it possible to retain any exuberance of your personality, or does it just zone you out?  What about Abilify?

[elaina27]

i have been on Lithium for about 1 1/2 years and i can honestly say that it has changed my life tremendously. I am also on effexor xr and they both take care of the manic and deperssion.  oh and i tried getting on Topamax, but felt like i was loosing it. got off of that shit real quick.

[try another castle]

I think it's important to mention that not any one med works for everyone. Everybody is different, and will have a different reaction to the medication. I know people who have had a great response to lithium, and I know others who were totally spaced out by it and couldn't think straight. Same goes for any other type of psych med.

[Anonymous]

I was just informed about this site today...I can see that I'll have a shitload of reading to do as I am a 1986 RMA grad...none of us were on meds at that time for any mental illness.

I was diagnosed with BP in 1994 and it has been quite a rollercoaster ride.  My BP is basically refractory (too sensitive to meds) so finally after almost a decade of multitudes of different "cocktails", I pretty much switched over to just smoking pot.  Would I recommend it for everybody?...no...because we are all different...some meds work for some people...some don't. Pot works for me and lets me function without becoming a zombie.  It doesn't act as a depressant for me...and recently in a Science News article...mention was made that they have been studying it at the University of Sakatchewan in Saskatoon and they feel that it has some efficacy as an anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medication.

I'm just thankful for prop 215 here in California so I can just drive up to the store and choose from over 100 selections...not all are appropriate...but after my own personal experimentation, I have found what works best for ME...and if people don't like it...well...c'est la vie.

[Sageb1]

But why Depakote AND Zoloft AND Trazadone?



I know depakote is given more for mood stabilizing purposes (bipolar), zoloft as an anti-d, but what is trazadone?

http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trazodone

Looks like the kid was severely depressed. Trazodone is similar to tricyclic anti-depressants. Basically it's for "Control of Nightmares or other disturbed sleep", possibly due to PTSD, which may or may not indicate abuse of some sort.

[Sageb1]

I hear ya. Proved to be the only thing that worked for my son. It is a natural alternative, just happens to be illegal, unfortunately.

I mean... how stupid is it that psych drugs have killed scores of people directly or indirectly and they're legal. Pot has none of those deadly side-effects and I know of no one who's died from it, and it's illegal.

That's exactly WHY pot is illegal. Those legal psychactive drugs which ruin minds make profit for people who drink very expensive liquor.

However, those legal drugs are all marijuana substitutes.

[Sageb1]

i have been on Lithium for about 1 1/2 years and i can honestly say that it has changed my life tremendously. I am also on effexor xr and they both take care of the manic and deperssion.  oh and i tried getting on Topamax, but felt like i was loosing it. got off of that shit real quick.

Topomax can cause psychosis, but the new PR on it deletes reference to psychosis.

Effexor is always a stimulant first. Most anti-depressant rx from it is a natural reaction to the stimulant structure of the molecule. You can only get the XR version cos the other stuff could cause hypomania and lead to suicidal ideation and really wacky shit.

lithium does not make u happy; it just plays with your sodium-potassium levels and other marvelous shit. it does not relieve anxiety or reduce paranoia.

i have a friend who threw away her lithium and said the seroquel made her sleepy even at the lowest dose.

and right now she needs a OTC sedative for her paranoia.

me being the herbalist, i recommend damiana 370 mg 1-3 capsules 1-3 times a day as anti-psychotic with ginseng to relieve depression and valerian (1-3 capsules before bed) for sedative properties. YMMV

[Sageb1]

My final 2-bits: a herbal sedative would be best overall.

Something that replaces diphenhydramine which is anti-depressant in low doses <25 mg, sedative in moderate doses 25-150 mg, and a crappy pro-psychotic in large amounts (200+ mg).

Valerian is ok before bed; it even helps one get up regularly.

As a sedative, it's so strong you need either caffeine or ginseng to keep awake.