September Cheats ?? (your input please)

Avatar for firstglimpse
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Registered: 04-08-2003
September Cheats ?? (your input please)
3
Tue, 09-12-2006 - 10:39am

Okay, through this board & research I know September his historically a trigger month. Even through the years B4 H was dx'd I always realized Sept would be difficult. But with the delusions from last Sept (which eventually worked into psychosis on 10/05/05) he seems to be getting hit with double-triggers.

Plus, he'll be traveling for work for 2 weeks straight this month. So far H has been able to stay sober since last June EXCEPT when he travels. (Just came out of a whopper of a trip where he couldn't figure out to get home & asked me to fly to SFO to help him figure it out. It took him 2 extra days to get home. Constant calls to me in his fear of it all.)

This time he'll be traveling with his boss. I know with her there the threat of losing his job (on final written noticed due to last years episode) he'll do well for the first few days. But as time goes on I fear his illness will start to win over.

Then after a week he does not come home but straight to an employee annual meeting where his VP will also attend. Now his VP loved my H until last year's episode. (Even flew him out a month before the madness hit to do work on his own personal house.) Since then he will not even talk to my H.

H's pdoc will not prescribe antidepressants due to last years reaction. He says the Lamectal(sp) should lift his mood. Well his mood is on the fast decline right now.

.... so I need to figure out some cheats, if any of you have tried the following, or have any to add, please let me know your own personal account.

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* Omega-3 Fish Oils (EPA)
* Vitamin B Complex
* Vitamin B-12 shots
* 5HT (5-hydroxy-tryptopha)
* Vitamin C
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I also know there are some vitamins to avoid (like too much folate causing mania) if you know any to avoid, please list those too.

We do have a BBQ for his Dual-Diagnosis Anonymous next Sunday. If people seem talkative I'll try to ask there too. But I think my H may be one of the only ones who suffers bipolar. I think most are schitzophrenic(sp).

TIA!

Bonnie




"Only when we are sick of our sickness shall we cease to be sick."

~ Lao-Tzu, from The Tao Te Cheng
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Tue, 09-12-2006 - 11:01am

Hi Bonnie,

September has not been a trigger month for me, but October sometimes can be. Now, as for the "cheats" you asked about...I've tried the B's and Omega 3's, fish oil, flax seed oil, you name it...sorry, didn't much work for me.

My pdoc wouldn't rx antidepressants for me for a long time...I was in and out of the hospital being suicidal so I finally got them...I've been a bit more manicky on them, but nothing out of control. Your H needs to take them. Lamictal works for a lot of people, but it did nothing for my mood...so I came off it.

Lexapro has been the best a/d for me...but they all work differently in all BP brains.

I also take Ativan. When I feel myself getting too "up" I pop an Ati and it calms me right back down. Does he take an anti psychotic? I think I remember him being on Seroquel. Its VERY important to take that all the time...esp when you've had the delusional episodes before. It will curb his mania some too. I worry more about depression now with him. How's his pdoc coming along???

I know you are trying very hard here to prevent an episode and that's great...but you also can't anticipate toooooooo much either. Do you know what I mean? Sometimes, I can be "talked into" an episode too. Weird, but true.

His work can be the greatest stressor he has right now, and can cause an episode. That should probably be the first thing you guys work on...I know its hard to just get another job.

Hopefully others here will sound off as well.

Hugs,

Keli

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Registered: 04-06-2005
Tue, 09-12-2006 - 12:05pm

Mine actually seems to be in the spring/summer.

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Avatar for firstglimpse
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-08-2003
Tue, 09-12-2006 - 12:08pm

He did put out a frew apps after this last time he traveled. He thought for sure he was going to get fired. But now that it is apparent it will not be this time he has stopped looking. He's self-esteem is so low he doesn't know how he'll interview. (Knowing him as I do I bet he'll still be able to win people over ... start talking of his success, even when he's depressed, and he'll have a lot to brag about. -Convicing him w/o him taking any of it negatively is another story.)

I will continue to get him to try to get out there. There is a computer placment board that I guess has some pretty good success. The nice thing is, employers seek you out. I think that is his best choice right now. I'll work on the pluses with him this week. For example ... if they come to you after reading youre resume, they already pretty much know you're qualified, so you're only job would be to brag ... or something like that.

Thanks, as always Keli!

Bonnie




"Only when we are sick of our sickness shall we cease to be sick."

~ Lao-Tzu, from The Tao Te Cheng