lurker/new poster with couple of ques

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-12-2007
lurker/new poster with couple of ques
1
Mon, 07-30-2007 - 2:20pm
Hi,
I have been lurking here for a few months now, but have never posted. I was diagnosed with BP at the beginning of the year after having been unsuccessfully treated for post partum depression for the previous 11 months. All my docs agreed that it was indeed BP and not simply depression. I was hospitalized as a day patient for the end of March and most of April after I had a complete break down and could not even fuction on a minimal level. I took a few more weeks off work after that and went back in mid-May. This has been my first experience with anything like this and my family has been supportive to a point but does not understand it at all and think I should be able to control myself. It has been a difficult road so far. Since mid-May I had been pretty stable with few ups and downs until about mid-July. I was going through some family stress and could feel myself just feeling a little off. Not really depressed or manic, but just off somehow. Last week it finally got the better of me and I think I must have been experiencing a mixed episode because I slept all day, but did not feel depressed just exhausted, and my mind and thoughts were jumping around like crazy and I was extrememly anxious. I went to my doc and she upped my Seroquel and told me to use Ativan for really anxious moments. I had also been taking an appetite suppresant drug called phentermine (with is an amphetemine type drug)to help with the weight gain I have experienced (0ver 30 lbs.) She took me off it while I got through this episode. Well slowly over the last week I have begun to stabilize I think, so today I thought I would begin dieting again and so I took my phetermine. Fast forward and hour or so and I felt like I was going completely manic. I was running around work couldn't sit still talking really fask and my mind was racing. I thought I would try to go to the gym and work off some energy which I still plan to do after this post, but I went ahead and took an Ativan and I think it is helping, but for a few minutes I felt like I was totally going to loose it the same way I felt when I was hospitalized. Is it impossible to stay stabilzed or will these episodes come and go regardless? Has anyone else experienced the side effect of a drug causing mania.
As soon as I feel stable, the rug gets pulled out from under me again and my family suffers for it and they are all getting impatient with the whole thing now as because of my overspending we are in peril of losing our house. Please help! Sorry if this posting seems jumbled but like I said my thoughts are kind of jumbled right now.
Thanks,
Stacey
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-07-2002
Mon, 07-30-2007 - 4:10pm

Hi Stacey,
It is very common for many antidepressants to bring on mania, and that I have experienced. However, I have never had that from a diet drug, though I could see how that could happen. Years ago, I took Redux, which if I recall correctly had Phentiramine in it. Didn't make me manic, but then again I only took it for a few weeks.

There are other things that can be done for weight gain. If I were you, I would ditch the Phentiramine for an alternate or no drugs at all. Perhaps Meridia?

Express!
Beth "Petrouchka"