Welcome,

and just and FYI BiPolar needs to be treated by a Psychiatrist always. GP's do not have the expertise to treat this disease, nor do they know the medications enough. A BP'er should never be put on just an Anti-D that can cause a manic episode.

Hopefully the Lamictal works, but don't be surprised if your Pdoc adds other meds over time. BP is usually treated with a Cocktail of meds, and sometimes it can take a little while to get the Cocktail right. You have to give yourself a little time to get things in place. Are you seeing a Therapist also? This is the other side of the coin for treating BP successfully.

Take care,

Kat

Welcome, I was newly diagnosed with Bipolar 2 last week & was not surprised. I have put my family through hell & back with my mood swings, that I'm glad to have a diagnosis. The Psych. Nurse Practioner prescribed Seroquel but the first night I tried it, I got agitated & a fast heart beat & didn't sleep much.

I'm also on Lamictal & Zonigram for seizures.

Keep in touch

Welcome to the group. I hope you get the most out of it. I know lamictal takes a while to get up to the right dosage. I tried it but I am 58 and have been diagnosed since 1984 so I am a oldie at this. Well, alot of experimentation. I do best on less medication but do lack sleep sometimes. All the medications I tried keep me up eating. I don't get no sleep. I just wonder what could help me sleep better. I need to take a sleep study but until I get regulated on my sleep well then cannot have it. It would be a waste of my time and the doctors.

I cannot work at all suffer fibromayalgia and degenerative osteoarthritis. I also had some traumatic things happen in my life so I get haunted once in a while by them. I live alone and am finding peace with myself and also with God in it.

Glad you're here as DS provides so much comfort in times of pain.
I've successfully used Lamictal for 10 years. It's proven to be a good drug for me also. I hope you can also find relief because it feels so wonderful to be stable. I miss the highs, but there's too big a price to pay for them. Stability, stability, stability.is my byword.

Welcome aboard, I was recently diagnosed BP 1 in the last year and a half.Currently I'm on lithium and I'm doing very well. Going with a psychiatrist that specializes in BPD and med management is definitely the way to go in my opinion.

Best wishes.

I'm still not sure about the diagnosis. Lithium was mentioned to me by a therapist over 20 years ago and I wouldn't consider it. At the time all the people I knew that were on lithium were depressed zombies. Actually this was probably close to 30 years ago. In hindsight they may have been on other things in addition to the lithium but either way they seemed very sad and apathetic.

My highs never caused legal trouble and as I got older I learned to ride out the over the top emotions. I had rules I followed and one was during certain times I would not under any circumstances make decisions about relationships or jobs.

One of the big downsides was never knowing how I felt about something. Feelings are subject to change. What is good on one day is bad on another day.

Most of my mood changes seemed to be brought on my hormones and now that menopause is hitting my moods are depressed and more depressed.

I would give anything for a "high".

Has anyone ever felt like they loved everything and everyone? Even a blade of grass has profound meaning and deserves love. A breeze touching the skin is like being caressed by God him/herself.
I miss those days :-(

Oh...and to the person who asked ( I am sorry...I forgot your name) Yes I am working with a therapist because i am a hot mess of other crap too.

Some days I want to marry him and some days he is a jerk face.

Hi! I'm also new here. I'm glad to hear that you finally got your diagnosis and I hope you and your therapist are able to work well together (in my mind, that's the major part of it). I - myself have had some really bad experiences by Lamictal. But, meds are very individual and I've heard plenty of people praising it.

I wish you good luck!

Hi Cecil ...welcome. I am very new. I was diagnosed with BP2 after years like u. I got the diagnosis at 43 but chose to say "no freaking way" until I was 46. How do u feel about the diagnosis? So many feel relieved. Like it answers so many questions. Do u feel relieved or do u feel like "omg why did I have to "white-nuckle-it" for so many years untreated"? My doctor and I work with an antidepressant and serequel during mixed episodes. The pure hypomania is ok for me as long as I totally AVOID alcohol (cuz I love everyone....guy...girl....ugh) and get totally manic if I'm drunk in this state. So i trunk along on my antidepressant and if I am going down and the aggitation and urge to cut is so huge I can't run a 5k or exercise it away I take a serequel and my day and the next r history to sleep. It is a constant balance act and some people have told me to give in and do a mood stabilizer full time but I'm afraid. This seems to work. I just have regrett that hurts. Regrett for the late diagnosis. Regret for the loss of a 19 year marriage due to my actions. I feel robbed a bit but still fighting. I overdosed at 19 (back in 1986) ....they didn't know then. But I think...if they had....wow what things I could have done rather than grasping at my moods and trying so hard to maintain equilibrium?

Anyway....welcome ....u will do well. Knowledge is key. I can not tell u how healthy food, avoiding mood foods (sugars...ect) and exercise has helped me with sleep and stability. Those things with my antidepressant (the pitfall for BP2) and serequel to control the mixed hypo-agitated state while depressed has helped me. Good luck. If u have time....could u explain how u feel. Lucky and relieved or some frustration with the late diagnosis.