New to antipsychotics/type 1 bipolar

[shannyxo]

Hi there, I am new to this forum and newly diagnosed with type 1 bipolar. I recently had my first manic episode and it lasted for 7 months. Not impressed about this and feel let down by our medical system for various reasons as I was then depressed for 6 full months after this. Hell on earth. I am also a registered nurse so definitely expected more from our medical system. Anyways, I digress. My question is to folks who have taken abilify. It is suppose to be one of the least sedating, although I feel more sedated than when I was taking Seroquel. I am only taking 5mg. I realize this is a low dose but I seem to only need low doses. While on Seroquel I was able to taper down to 100mg. Yet they both are causing fatigue which is very troublesome. I also live with chronic pain and the Seroquel was helpful for this. Has anyone had any success with no fatigue or sedation and help with pain from any of the antipsychotics they have tried??? Oh and also hoping to have one with less chance of weight gain. Yes I am looking for a diamond in the rough. Thanks for any insight. Shan

[AJ]

Hi Shan and welcome to the forum. I found Seroquel very sedating and Abilify not sedating at all. However I did gain some weight on Abilify, which is less likely to cause as much weight gain as others. I have never had any pain relief from any of the antipsychotics I've been on. Response to medication is so individual. It can take a while to find the right medication(s). Keep us posted on your search for the diamond in the rough.

I also worked in the health care field and know how the 'system' works. Even so, I had a hard time getting the help I needed. I hope you're feeling better.

[paul m]

Hello and welcome Shannyxo. I've tried many anti-psychotics and I have found that they all can be sedating, some more than others. Currently I'm on olanzapine and seroquel with some lorazepam . I don't take the lorazepam daily, just if I need it.

I have found that my meds work better if I don't take any slow or extended release medication. For example I take 5 mg of olanzapine in the morning and 5mg in the evening an hour or two before bed if I can. My prescription calls for me to take 10mg at bedtime. By taking it 2hrs before bedtime I find that it helps to reduce the morning fatigue. The seroquel I take is 100mg which I use more for a sleep aide than anything. However I get it in 4X25mg tablets. I do this so that if I'm already tired I can take 25 or 50mg rather than the full 100mg at bedtime. This also makes it a bit easier to wake up. I do this with my pdoc's ok.

I have found that taking extended release pills all at bed time very sedating in the morning. I have never used any anti psychotics for pain, but if it works for you that's good. In regard to weight gain, that can be a problem with all of the anti-psychotics and I have no solution.

Extended mania and/or depression really sucks. I think that most people on here have had problems being diagnosed correctly and then trying to find what works. I know that if my first pdoc had asked 3 or 4 more questions I would have diagnosed much sooner. He and most of my other pdocs didn't really do a good job of prescribing my medications or explaining options. My current pdoc is pretty good to work with, but I still find that I have to be pro active. I've probably learned more from forums like this and other peer supports than I ever did from the medical system. Please don't hesitate to ask more questions and/or answer other people's posts. Sometimes I use the forum to vent out some of my frustrations.. Take Care paul m

[Speedfreaker]

Hi Shannyxo,
I am also bipolar and have been on meds for a long time. I currently take Bupropion 300mg... Prestiq 50mg and Latuda 40mg for mood stabalization. I find that weight gain is minimal and
the foggy or sedation feeling is mostly not there. I am sorry to hear you are struggling, it took a long time and a lot of experimentation to get the right dose of the right meds for me...
Change is hope... keep fighting for your happiness.

[shannyxo]

You all are so wonderful to reply. Thanks a million. It means a lot. For now my biggest compliant which I find the most challenging remains fatigue. I'd take weight gain or other side effects over this. Any medication suggestions? Speedfreaker I'm going to look up prestiq and latuda. Good suggestion on looking into short acting Paul.

[paul m]

A good place to look up info on drugs is Drugs.com https://www.drugs.com/sitemap.html It has prescribing info, dosage info, interaction checker and many other types of info to offer. Take Care. paul m

[Gossip]

Hi Shan

I'm stable and clear-headed on a combination of lamictal and zeldox, but it took a lot of trial and error to get me there. I've found that antidepressants have more of an analgesic effect than antipsychotics, but they're usually contraindicated in bipolar 1. My (former) pharmacist made an error in January and gave me cymbalta instead of my proton pump inhibitor. I wound up rather manic and I'm still not fully recovered, but the pain from my Ehlers-Danlos was better while I was on it. As a former unit clerk I definitely share your frustration about dealing with the system... I was able to find a good team after a few tries, but it took some work for sure. Good luck finding the combination of meds and help that work for you!

[paul m]

Hello Gossip. That really sucks getting the wrong medication. But thx for sharing your story. I too have received the wrong medication from a former pharmacy and I didn't even get an apology. Made me realize that I have to ck everything every time. Take Care. paul m

[Gossip]

Hi paul m. The problem was that it was labelled as what I was supposed to be taking, but the pills were actually something else. I was stressed and exhausted since we were in surgery and didn't question the fact that they were a different colour... assumed it was a generic or something. Only figured it out when the "proton pump inhibitor" obviously wasn't doing its job.

Without imovane I'm sleeping 3-4 hours a night and am super energetic and productive, so the mania is obviously still a work in progress....

[AJ]

I hope you continue to recover quickly Gossip. How are the moods today?

[Gossip]

Thanks AJ! Does it answer your question if I say that it's just after 3 AM, and I've been wide awake since 1:15 and feel great? Also still super angry and irritable. I'm not a nice person when I'm manic! Nothing like it was for a bit there, but obviously still a work in progress.

[AJ]

Yes that certainly does answer my question. I am a very irritable impatient person when I’m manic. Totally out of character for me otherwise. Hang in there!

[paul m]

Hello Gossip. I used to go through the highly productive stage for a short time, then I became super irritable. Take Care. paul m