Are you BPI or BPII? I know that BPI's are much more likely to be pushed manic on antidepressants. I'm BPII and I only go manic on high doses of antidepressants (above recommended dosing levels)

If you're BPII then you could be helped by an antidepressant as long as you already have a mood stabilizer on board, which you already do.

I agree with DontSteal. I am bp1 with mixed features and rapid cycling. Anti-Depressants have made me have major mania with terrible irritablity and agitation. Lamictal is great for depression with bp, but too much can get you hypomanic. To me that part feels good!

Right now I'm BPII but she says she thinks I might be BPI. I dunno but I suspect based on what I have read I think I could be too. Anyway, thanks for the info... I'm all about being a guinea pig if it helps with this depression.

BP2s can have issues with anti-depressants also.

For me they either did bad things or nothing at all.

Lamictal, despite being a mood stabilizer is highly regarded for BP2 depression so upping might be the answer.

Those w BP1 should never take nor be prescribed an anti depressant.
At 1st it will decress depressions but the bottom will fall out and crashing and crash is hell to say the less.

Am on Geodon & Lamictal and an anxiety med which works great for me.
Befor Lamictal I use to have moments where I was taz in a pink dress.

You may or may not need mg adjusted on your meds.
Sounds like your not getting restful rest and this will also cause person to have moments of such thoughts.
Destract your mind - go for walk, do cross word puzzle, what ever it takes to destact your mind away and off such thoughts.

I take my Geodon at 9pm and am asleep by 10pm.
my anxiety med cause me to sleep for 1 hrs so I take it at 1 pm and lay down for schedule nap.

Paxil drove me insane. toxicity and my system was crashing due to paxil.
My phramist verbally told my formor Dr that he refused to refill paxil and that my eyes were already showing signs of my body shutting down. Pharmist against my formor Dr medical advice called EMS and sent me to ER due to paxil.

Those w BP1 should not ever take paxil or any form of anti depressant.

It depends on the anti-depressant and the person. I was on Celexa after my first stint in the psych ward, but had sexual side effects and had to come off of it. Then, I went a long time without an anti-depressant and just raising my dose of Lamictal. The second time I was in the hospital the doctor put me on Effexor and I thought my pdoc was going to go through the roof! He said it would likely make me cycle more frequently and he was right. The mixed episodes were crazy and I had to be weaned off of it slowly. And again, I went a long time without an anti-depressant. Finally, he put me on Pexeva 10 mg and gradually raised me to 20 mg. It's a new version of paxil and so far so good. No mania, no mixed episodes. More motivation and energy. The pdoc's Physician's Assistant said it was the most stable he has ever seen me.

Good luck to you. If you feel you need an anti-depressant, don't drop the issue. There could be a "baby dose" out there that makes all the difference in the world.

Hugs,
Vickie

I am BPI and am on two antidepressants. I take Effexor 300mg and Welbutrin 150mg. I have been on Effexor for almost 2 years. I just started Welbutrin last week. I stopped smoking and it is supposed to replace some of the dopamine the nicotine was providing. I am also on Geodon 180mg. It is an antipsychotic that also works as a mood stabilizer.

I think the question of whether or not antidepressants will make us manic really depends on the person. I was undiagnosed bp that had taken antidepressants off and on for years. They don't push me into mania. I cycle with or without them. When I had the episode that qualified me as BPI, I wasn't on any medications at all.

I supposedly have very mild BP spectrum not even BPII and can't take AD's even with a mood stabilizer. I had tried many different ones years ago to treat PTSD and OCD but I was not on a mood stabilizer at the time and all of them either made me hypomanic or mixed. I was put on a mood stabilizer (Lamictal) several years ago and then was able to tolerate a very small dose of cymbalta for a short period. It helped pull me out of a bad depression but as the dose was increased the symptoms of hypomania got worse so had to quit taking it. We tried another AD and I went into a mixed episode rather quickly and that was the last AD she will ever prescribe for me. Some seem to be able to tolerate a small dose. Just be cautious.

This is something that only you and your pdoc can decide because we all react differently to any given medication. I'm on Depakote to control my mood swings, and on Lexapro, which is an anti-depressant, and have not experienced any mania whatsoever on that combination.

What works for one person may not work at all for another, so it comes down to trial and error until you find what works for you.

Well said rcjneon. Everyone has different body chemistry and will react differently to the same med.

I'm bp1 and antidepressants scare me, i had them once and made me really manic that was before i new i was bp.
a doctor tried to prescribe them to me recently and i told him i didn't want to end up on the street naked or something...so i say no thanks !

well im on 2 anti-depressants. cymbalta 120mgs. and prozac 60mgs. and on a mood stabilizer, tegretol 200mgs. it works alright for me.

Yeah, as far as the antidepressants I have tried these were their side effects: Anafranil--sexual side effects, Paxil--walking very briskly and often, Luvox--buzzing around like a bee. These were all prescribed before I knew I was BPI. Afterwards, I was moved to Lexapro, and after a recent reduction it seems to be helping for the time being. Also, they gave me Trazadone (Dylantin) for sleep and I was up 36 hours straight.
Now, when you have a reaction like any of these, it can be very helpful to on in to see your pdoc because you can learn so much about the meds. Without this, you may feel like your life is out of control. Therefore, by contradiction it seems there is one logical outcome, and that is get into seeing the doctor as soon as you see issues come up. You are then empowered. Enjoy your life when it comes back to be yours now.

--Moah

A couple of years ago I think I had been on every anti-depressant on the market and none of them had done any good. I got a new pDoc and she told me that studies had been done saying that anti-depressants had shown to be very little help with Bipolar depression. I told her I could have told them that and saved them the trouble of the studies! LOL! She put me on Lamictal to help with my depressions and it has been a God send for me.

I\'m BPII and the only thing that ever makes my hypomanic is when anti-d\'s are introduced into my med regime.

Most of the time as long as your on a mood stabilizer and anti-d can be safe, but sometimes it can cause mania or hypomania, your pdoc is very correct.