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| Thu, 06-07-2007 - 4:40am |
I found out I was BP in 92, stayed a week in hosp. and put on Wellbutrin (which was fairly new back then). Long story short...I was off meds for the longest time and doing pretty good. I won't say I was normal because I have no idea what "Normal" is for me, but I was surviving and doing what needed to be done in my life. BAM!! March 7th my 10-year-old neice died suddenly. I was able to keep it together for about 2 weeks, for my brother and his wife.
The further away that dreadful day got, the further I sunk! In May, I had gyno problems related to stress and I had asked my Gyno if she could prescribe me an anti-depressant. My brother(who is also BP)had been put on Cymbalta and it really seemed to be working for him, so she gave me 4 weeks of samples. After just three weeks, I spiraled deep down. I quit showing up to my supervisory job which I had for six years (the longest I've ever held down a job). I just quit going. They called for 3 days, but I just laid in my bed and turned off my ringer. *Note: this was not new behavior for me, but I haven't been that bad in a very long time!
I had another gyno appt. and ended up breaking down in her office. She took me off the Cymbalta and I told her that my husband had said that I did pretty well when I was on Wellbutrin, so she gave me a script for Wellbutrin XL (150mg) which I have been on for 4 weeks.
Finally, the question: What experiences have any of you had on this med? Dr. told me to take in the morning because it "peps you up". I don't really "feel" pepped, still vegging out on the couch, I won't answer the phone(even for family), I don't leave the house, I don't get dressed and I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I can't even remember when I showered last, but my sleep pattern is all screwed up! Some days, I'll stay awake for 36 to 48 hours without even feeling tired! I understand that this is mania, but in the 15 years since I was diagnosed, I've NEVER had mania AND depression at the same time!! Any input? And I know you can't really give me advice on meds, but I'd like to know what has worked for you and what hasn't.

Hi terri0622,
I've been on the generic of Wellbutrin XL for over a year now. When I first went on it, it put me into a "mixed" state, which it sounds like you are describing (but I'm not a doctor). A mixed state is when you have the symptoms of both mania and depression at the same time. I had to be put on a mood stabilizer in order to get satisfactory results out of the antidepressant. It took a while to find the right med combination for me but I have been pretty stable for a while with only a few adjustments every now and then. I just adjusted my Wellbutrin a little higher because of a depression I was in and we are going to leave it there for a while because I have been doing well on the higher dose (I take 200mg of the XL twice per day for a total of 400mg). I've been happy with this med and I haven't really had any side effects from it.
I might suggest that you talk with the prescribing physician about your symptoms. If you are in a mixed state, you may need a mood stabilizer to get out of it (again, I'm not a doctor, I'm just guessing). If you do not have a pdoc (psychiatrist), you may want to get one.
Please call your physician and let him/her know how you are feeling. You deserve to feel better than your are.
Hugs,
Peg
Hi, I'm Beth. I'm afraid I can't help you with the Wellbutrin- I tried it years ago and it did nothing for me. But, I saw your post and I had to respond. I was dxed just a year after you. After that came a nine year roller coaster ride of getting stable- I thought it was over, dammit. (During that time I had more than one mixed episode, so I totally know how that goes.) But, starting last Februrary, I became depressed. The depression got better in March, but came back in April and has not gone away. This is the longest episode I have EVER had. I too am not getting dressed a lot of days. I went on a starvation diet (just plain didn't feel like eating), and that caused me to develop a gallstone. I can't get surgery til July, and now I have physical illness to deal with along with mental illness.
I guess I told you this because misery is supposed to love company, isn't it?
Express!
Beth "Petrouchka"
Having dealt with an early onset bi-polar child and as such having to do LOTS of personal research as most of the psychiatric community refuses to even admit it exists, I can say unequivocaly that one needs to be on a mood stabilizer before or along with any anti-depressants. In fact I am VERY surprised that your pdoc even Rx'd an ant-depressant without a moodstabilizer KNOWING you are bp.
Good luck,
tk
Terri,
Welcome to the board, I'm glad you found us and hope you will find it the great place of support that I have.
I've been on generic Wellbutrin XL for about 3 years now, take 150 mg twice a day.
Hi there...I am rapid cycling BP1 and I didn't achieve any sort of stability WHATSOEVER until I got OFF anti-depressants completely and on to only mood stabilizers...my life changed then. Anti-depressants (and I was on all of them at one time or another) actually made me suicidal...made my depression much worse...do you have a psychiatrist? I too am really surprised that you were dx'ed a/ds like that.
I went over 5 years in the worst possible non-stop BP episode you can imagine...I will NEVER take a/d's again, ever. I know for some, they may seem like they are working...but I can't take them.
Hugs.
Hi Terri,
Welcome to the board. I know what you are experiencing and it sounds like what is known as a mixed state. You are depressed and manic at the same time. I had a very similar reaction with the Wellbutrin. And, sadly it did nothing for my mood. My pdoc kept me on it for over 3 years and it wasn't until I went into the hospital back in January of this year that they finally took me off of it.
I, up until January, was med - resistant. In January the finally found the right cocktail of meds for me. It took over 3 years and several medications along the way. I'm currently on lamictal, zyprexa, topomax,cymbalta, and depakote. I have been on just about every other med available with little results.
If you haven't already done so, I would suggest getting a psychiatrist (pdoc) and a therapist (tdoc). A pdoc will be better able to prescribe bipolar medications. Not to mention closely monitor them.
Hang in there and keep us posted on how you're doing. We're here for you. Post often. Ask questions. We'll answer them if we can.
Hugs,
Traci
I just want to echo what some of the others said about seeing pdoc. My family doc just prescribed anti-depressants and they made me manic. Only when I went to a pdoc did I get on a mood stabilizer also. As far as Wellbutrin I recently switched to it from Zoloft due to side effects. It didn't work at all for me and I am back on Zoloft. I'm sending some *hugs* your way...
Morgaine