New here and new to bipolar...

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-04-2005
New here and new to bipolar...
7
Wed, 02-28-2007 - 1:49pm

Hello my name is jenn and I was diagnosed w/ BP 3 weeks ago. I was put on Seroquel 50 mg for the 1st week and am now taking 100mg at night before bed. It knocks me out. I am having extreme mood swings and I have been very irritated for the last few days. I go to see the DR tomorrow. I guess I am just wondering if this is normal? I homeschool my son and I cant control my thoughts and moods. I feel like I am on a roller coaster and my children are suffering right along with me. I am so down all the time. When does this get better?

Thanks
Jenn

                            

Jenn2.gif picture by jynn1975

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-27-2006
Thu, 03-01-2007 - 5:48pm

Hi Jenn and welcome!!!


I am glad you are getting treatement with the bipolar. It takes time to find a good med or combo of meds to stabilize someone with bp. Everyone is different and it may take 6 months, 2 years, or longer to find a good med for you. I am hoping it won't take that long for you. Seroquel is a drug that didn't work well for me. At first it made me real tired all the time and then it stopped working. It wouldn't even help me sleep anymore, even with increases in dosage. I do know a lot of people use it and it works well for them. If you feel this med or any med isn't working well enough after a good amount of time than you need to let your pdoc know.


Homeschooling your child is a lot of pressure and it will take time for the med to kick in and help. You may even need an increase. Did you make it to your pdoc appt.? How did it go? Did he/she change anything?


I hope you are doing better. You may want to search the net on info about bipolar and read some books on it as well. Do you see a counselor? This helps with learning coping skills to handle your mood swings and you can learn to do things to help yourself with counseling. I know this is so hard on you. I have been bipolar since I was a teen but wasn't Dx'd until 6 years ago and I am almost 39. I could have had an easier life if I was dx'd earlier but I am glad they finally figured it out and I am more stable now than I have ever been in my life. I wish you all the best. If ever I can help I will be glad to.


Hang in there!


Tina




     ~ Tina ~

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-04-2005
Thu, 03-01-2007 - 9:12pm

Thanks Tina..I went to the DR today she is a therapist and her husband is my Pdoc. They put me on wellbutrin and up'ed my seroquel. I am going to do some online research and read the booklet they gave me. Thank you so much for your reply.

Jenn

                            

Jenn2.gif picture by jynn1975

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-01-2004
Sat, 03-03-2007 - 7:00pm

Jenn,


Welcome to the board, I'm glad you found us!

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-04-2005
Sun, 03-04-2007 - 3:11pm

Hi Marci,
Thanks for the welcome to the board. I appreciate the links to the websites. I think I am still in shock. All the info I have read seems to help me understand and deal with it better. I have not told my family yet. I told my DH and he took the news pretty hard. I think my mom will take it the hardest. She battled schizophrenia for years. It was such a hard time in our lives. Well Thanks again and hope you are having a great week-end.

Jenn

                            

Jenn2.gif picture by jynn1975

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-01-2004
Sun, 03-04-2007 - 6:24pm

Jenn,


While your mom may be upset, she is likely to be more understanding than a lot of parents who tend to travel down the river (denial) as long as possible.

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-02-2006
Mon, 03-05-2007 - 9:47am

Hi Jynn,


I'm a little late here, but welcome to the board:) I know it can be scary and overwhelming to learn that you have a mood disorder because of the unfortunate stigma that is still attached to it. But, trust me, it's more normal than most people think! I don't want to scare you off, but it took me a long time and a hospitalization to finally find the right combination of meds for me. Hopefully it won't take that long for you and you won't have to go to the hospital. I couldn't take seroquel because it was too sedating for me but I was on wellbutrin for years. They finally figured out it wasn't doing anything for me and took me off of it. But now I'm on a combination of meds that does work, so it does get better.


If you feel that you're getting stressed while you are home-schooling your children can you take a break? I don't really know how that works. But that would seem the most logical solution to me. Just take a step back, relax for a minute and then start again.


Good luck with the new meds and post here as often as you need to. Glad you found us:)


Hugs,
Traci

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-04-2005
Mon, 03-05-2007 - 1:30pm

Thanks Traci,

While we are in school, We take alot of breaks. Sometimes my son needs one and sometimes Mom needs one. Its been a challenge to say the least but I am taking it one day at a time. Thanks for the welcome.

Jenn

                            

Jenn2.gif picture by jynn1975