what's the best medicine for Ultra rapid cycling?

[trstbrown]

i've been diagnosed with Bipolar depression and Borderline Personality disorder with moods that shift daily, ranging from hypomania to severely depressed. about 10 years ago a doctor tried me on Lithium and it didn't seem to be having an effect so i was taken off it and that's the last medication i was taking until recently when my PCP put me on Trazodone for anxiety and insomnia. is there any meds that work to stabilize moods so they won't swing from one extreme to the other within a 24 hour period? i've also tried Lexapro, Paxil, Seroquel, and Zoloft. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated so i have an idea of what to talk about with my psychiatrist.

[Kelcoo]

Have you taken these medications?  Seroquel had me falling asleep all the time.  Zyprexa put about 100 pounds on me.  These meds shouldn’t be taken lightly.  I’m currently taking latuda and noticed a 5 pound weight gain so far. I’m bringing up the weight gain because that can really depress you.   Trazadone didn’t work at all.  Klonapin which is a benzodiazepine works great on anxiety.  Do you take antidepressants?  Wellbutrin is what I take.  Everyone is different so medication is trial and error. Plus pcp aren’t really the best to prescribe these.  They don’t have the experience that mental health doctors do IMO

[trstbrown]

currently i'm on Nuerontin to stabilize the mood swings which helps a lot. instead of cycling multiple times each day, i cycle about once a week or less. it doesn't help the depression though so my doc put me on Abilify and Zoloft. the side effects of nausea and blurry vision is the only problems i have with it so far. Trazodone helps the insomnia but i've tried Seroquel twice and even a small dose made me sleep more than i should have been. my husband told me to stop taking it after i slept 18-19 hours straight on it. i've tried Prozac and Lexapro recently but those weren't helping. hoping i find a combination soon that will work and i hope you do too

[specialmom]

Kelcoo, I agree these meds should not be taken lightly. These days, so many that prescribe them ONLY do that as it has gotten so complicated. Psychiatrists really don't provide psychotherapy much at all if at all anymore. My son was on seroquel and also was sleepy.  But he was on a very low dose which that's normal for that. He was inpatient for suicidal ideation when they started him on it. He was on it for about 6 weeks. He tried abilify for 48 hours and was wired like a binge of amphetamines. He never slept. So, that was a no. We didn't try any others after that in that class. I do read and know a lot of people that have success adding them to their SSRI or SNRI though. I'd be willing for my son to try another.  He's having another suicidal period.  Medication is definitely trial and error. sigh

[specialmom]

trstbrown, Sounds like they are trying to find a good mix for you. Have you had the genesite test as of yet? This is something that reveals a little more information that could help you. One thing we learned is that my son doesn't metabolize folic acid and has to take methylized folate to do so. This is linked to mental health.  Are you meds helping currently at all?

[trstbrown]

my mom keeps telling me to get the test done because there's a family history of medications having the opposite effect. i had to stop the zoloft today because it brought back my thoughts of self harm and i stopped having those 9 years ago. i'm going to be changing insurance on the 1st of june so i'll have to ask my PCP if it qill cover that test. if i can find something that will help then it'll be worth it, even if i hate getting blood work and tests done in general. at this point i'm about ready to give up and only stay on the Nuerontin.

[specialmom]

I think usually it is a psychiatrist that orders that test. Genesite is the company we used. They will do the work ahead of time with your insurance company to find out your copay. They say if it is over 300 dollars they will notify you. I think MOST people pay up to 300 at most. Just fyi. Our insurance covered the whole thing. It's an expensive test and you want the FuLL version but it is revealing so hopefully you can get that.

[Rose_Needs_help]

I personally have been diagnosed with the exact same thing. I’ve tried so many meds and my body did not tolerate them possibly due to other issues and allergies. Anyway the best medicine for me to deal with the mood swings and keep me stable has been Lamotrigine. I went all over the place from mania and ending up in a horrible place from attempting suicide in my depressive state. I am currently on 400 mg of Lamotrigine and have been focusing on Jesus and the hobbies I used to enjoy before. So far those things have been a life changer for me. Still working out meds for other health problems but hopefully will get there soon.

[BpdPhantom]

I, too, have rapid cycles of mania and depression. Those are my 2. Sometimes rage gets involved but its mainly those 2. Ive been on meds all of my life and I still havent found relief. Right now, im on Lamotrigine and it helped my rage A LOT. Turned me into a quiet borderline though. I would rather turn my bpd inward than out though. Ive tried so many pills and types of therapies. I want to get tested foe autism bc I also have adhd.

[specialmom]

That's really hard!  Have you ever worked on the 'feelings' aspect? Recognizing them as they shift and having coping skills as they do? It can really help with emotional regulation.