- Username
- LookUP4peace
- Date posted
- 3y ago
Bipolar 2 here. Re: meds- Most OCD meds are antidepressants of some type or another. It’s (extremely) important for people with bipolar biochemistry to take a mood stabilizer if they are taking an antidepressant (regardless of why it was prescribed). This could be lithium, Lamictal, or other options depending on the individual person and their situation. But this isn’t always common knowledge if they aren’t working with someone qualified to manage psychiatric meds. When I see stories about OCD meds propelling people into manic or mixed episodes, I often suspect they are working with a prescriber who isn’t familiar with (or taking the time to help dial in) the necessary stacking of these two types of meds.
Amen!!!!!! I second that on seeing a qualified prescriber of mental health meds especially when it comes to bipolar. That definitely means Psychiatrist. When I was released from the mental hospital, I followed up by my psychiatrist and he actually removed my antidepressant bc it was so low dose any ways and kept me on a high mood stabilizer that is helping greatly. If my ocd isn’t better with therapy alone, I will b put back on Prozac and it won’t b a problem in my case bc I’ll still be on my mood stabilizer. Obviously everyone is different and stuff, is say trust the psychiatrist definitely and don’t be scared to voice anything:)
@BacktoTheBasics It’s not an option everywhere, but there can be alternatives to seeing a typical psychiatrist if that’s been a struggle in the past, too. I actually see a psychiatric nurse practitioner instead of a psychiatrist for my med management (he’s an ARNP with prescriptive authority, so he has his own practice), and before that I had a GP who happened to put a lot of effort into continuing ed in that area so I trusted him to help me monitor things appropriately after I had my first episode.
@BacktoTheBasics (You have a really healthy outlook on all of this too - I have no doubt how much it took to develop and it’s serving you well 💜)
I appreciate all of your comments. Thank you for taking the time to help.
It’s so heartening to see all the work you’re doing to learn about this and how you can support your husband 💙
@JoyousEffort I am glad to find this app. I need encouragement too. Thanks!
He is amazing. Still works full-time though little sleep and extreme OCD. I credit his stubbornness! Lol His motto is "Never give up." But I am seeing him slowly starting to give up. It is so hard for him.
Kudos for you for being so supportive
Yes
Thanks
Yes, bipolar 2
Thanks
Yes!!!! I have been recently diagnosed with manic depression. I had a HUGE psychotic manic episode in a public bank last month so I had to go to a mental hospital for 9 days :( I’m still learning about my disorder and what I can do to help it but I’m not gonna lie when I get ocd triggered I feel my mania gets triggered. Why do you ask?
I read that OCD meds can cause manic episodes in some people. Has this been your experience? Makes it extra hard to balance meds. It is my husband who has OCD/bipolar.
Yea! Ur right! They can if patient is not on a mood stabilizer. For me, I actually wasn’t on any antidepressants at all. Mine came on more related postpartum and lack of sleep :/
...Maybe the antidepressants doing their job too well? Causing manic episodes? But he needs them.
Yea it’s tricky balancing everything:/. But it’s possible :) does he see his psychiatrist like monthly?
Yes. He has a general practitioner. Pretty much manages his own meds after so many years of it all. He has had an extra difficult time the past few years due to PTSD from losing our home to a flood. He is afraid to take lithium. Extreme weight gain years ago.
Hey kudos for getting help in general!!! That’s NEVER easy to do. do you think he would be up for a psychiatrist? N yes girl 😭😭😭😭 I’m not gonna lie or try to be a Debbie downer but mood stabilizers can make you soo hungry:/ I was eating like a pig and Gained some weight too :/ BUT when I changed my psychiatrist he actually switched my meds to a high-ish dose of depakote , and take it only once instead of twice AND at night time where usually “the cravings “ hit but I’ll b asleep. I have found HUGE improvements with this med.
@BacktoTheBasics +1 to finding a prescriber who wants to help find the best solution. There are a lot of other options out there that may ultimately be a better fit than lithium, too... I stuck with it at first because I was scared of the idea of lamotrigine (you need to take it very consistently to avoid side effects), but when I had good habits and trusted myself more to really stick to my daily med routine I made the switch (lithium isn’t great for people with my thyroid issues) and it’s been fine.
Clarity for the lurkers out there: Lithium is incredibly inexpensive and it’s effective for a lot of people, so it’s a good starter option and many folks have maintained great long-term stability with it. It’s just not for everyone, and it gets a bad rap because it used to be one of the only go-tos for bipolar. But now we have a big menu of options available to us, so we’re not limited to the old choice of lithium-vs-nothing.
Does anyone suffer from Schiz OCD. Where you obsess about possibly being schizo
Has anyone else been diagnosed with anxiety and OCD traits?
Lately I have been obsessing that I may have bipolar disorder since there is a higher chance of people who have OCD that also have bipolar disorder. I just keep telling myself that I have not been professionally diagnosed. Has anyone else ever experienced something like this? Am I the only one??
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