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I'm 19M and need help/advice, please read
I wasn't able to seek help until I turned 9 years old, at that time I was diagnosed with OCD, ADHD Inattentive type, and Bipolar Disorder. We started me on very simple medications and over time we've tried quite a few.
My diagnoses are as follows, Anxiety Disorder, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Inattentive Type, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Bipolar Affective Disorder, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
I'm 71.5 inches tall and weigh 155-168 lbs, I'm white. I didn't before but now I will periodically hit my vapes, once nicotine the other thc. Mostly towards the evening time because they both seem to help when I'm able to use them but I don't want them to be my solution forever as they're not a proper solution I don't think, right? I don't know.
I was doing well for 2 or 3 years on seroquel 100 mg and celexa 40 mg or 60 mg I can't remember, with my current dose of Ativan as needed.Then bad things happen, first, while I was driving around with a 350lb piece of attempted equipment(I had strapped it down as best as I could and even pulled and pushed it prior to leaving, I thought I had eliminated the sliding risk.) in the back of my truck I attempted to merge onto the highway but I wasn't able to see in my blind spot, the left lane was clear I was merging into the right and myself and this other person were the only other cars for a few hundred feet when I seen him I fully had to emergency brake sending the part flying through my rear windshield, hitting my head and launching me out of my seat being caught by my seatbelt. I went to the ER, I stopped seeing colors whenever I did math in my head, I could no longer do 15*17 in my head, and my memory seemed impaired but my CT was fine, sent home, and have been seeing a neurologist every few months every since. Then, I went through a rough break up which was fair enough, a couple of months later one of my only friends was arrested and then I didn't get to speak to them for a month. Near this time as well my dad started to get sick and in the span of 2 months went to 2 or 3 hospitals, was told he was fine, went back they transferred him to another hospital for surgery as one of his internal organs was multiple times its size, perforated, and about to explode and leak into his abdomen.
Why do I mention this? I feel like things shouldn't change for no reason, right? There had to be something or some reason as to why these medications suddenly stopped working?
Currently, I'm taking Lexapro 10 mg, Ativan 1 mg, Concerta 36 mg, Seroquel 100 mg, Topamax ?mg, and Amitriptyline ?mg. Daily however I take Concerta and Lexapro whenever I wake up, Topamax at 9:00 in the evening, and Seroquel and Ativan around the same time recently since I'm having difficulty sleeping(even before I was put on Concerta).
How long should it take to find the correct medication? What am I doing wrong? Do I need a new doctor? I want to be able to function throughout the day, be happy, be able to sleep, be with my family, be able to shower, be able to do my college work. What do I do? 10 years and counting can't be normal right? Is it more difficult to find medication due to my autism?
My diagnoses are as follows, Anxiety Disorder, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Inattentive Type, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Bipolar Affective Disorder, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
I'm 71.5 inches tall and weigh 155-168 lbs, I'm white. I didn't before but now I will periodically hit my vapes, once nicotine the other thc. Mostly towards the evening time because they both seem to help when I'm able to use them but I don't want them to be my solution forever as they're not a proper solution I don't think, right? I don't know.
I was doing well for 2 or 3 years on seroquel 100 mg and celexa 40 mg or 60 mg I can't remember, with my current dose of Ativan as needed.Then bad things happen, first, while I was driving around with a 350lb piece of attempted equipment(I had strapped it down as best as I could and even pulled and pushed it prior to leaving, I thought I had eliminated the sliding risk.) in the back of my truck I attempted to merge onto the highway but I wasn't able to see in my blind spot, the left lane was clear I was merging into the right and myself and this other person were the only other cars for a few hundred feet when I seen him I fully had to emergency brake sending the part flying through my rear windshield, hitting my head and launching me out of my seat being caught by my seatbelt. I went to the ER, I stopped seeing colors whenever I did math in my head, I could no longer do 15*17 in my head, and my memory seemed impaired but my CT was fine, sent home, and have been seeing a neurologist every few months every since. Then, I went through a rough break up which was fair enough, a couple of months later one of my only friends was arrested and then I didn't get to speak to them for a month. Near this time as well my dad started to get sick and in the span of 2 months went to 2 or 3 hospitals, was told he was fine, went back they transferred him to another hospital for surgery as one of his internal organs was multiple times its size, perforated, and about to explode and leak into his abdomen.
Why do I mention this? I feel like things shouldn't change for no reason, right? There had to be something or some reason as to why these medications suddenly stopped working?
Currently, I'm taking Lexapro 10 mg, Ativan 1 mg, Concerta 36 mg, Seroquel 100 mg, Topamax ?mg, and Amitriptyline ?mg. Daily however I take Concerta and Lexapro whenever I wake up, Topamax at 9:00 in the evening, and Seroquel and Ativan around the same time recently since I'm having difficulty sleeping(even before I was put on Concerta).
How long should it take to find the correct medication? What am I doing wrong? Do I need a new doctor? I want to be able to function throughout the day, be happy, be able to sleep, be with my family, be able to shower, be able to do my college work. What do I do? 10 years and counting can't be normal right? Is it more difficult to find medication due to my autism?
Before anything I want to say that I feel for your situation, and it seems you've had a rough go-around which can trigger your disorders to become worse. I'm not very old, I'm actually 17F..but I know A LOT about mental health considering I wish to be a psychiatrist and I have my own journal of information on disorder and medications/treatments and I know my own struggles and try to use it to help people so just know I'm not a doctor but I've had some similar issues. I have currently diagnosed with ADHD combined type, sensory processing disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, depression w/ a history of self harm, and bipolar disorder type II.
First off, I'm going to say that my own doctor told me Lexapro is a horrible medication to use on someone who has ADHD since I was on it for my depression and anxiety originally before I switched doctors and was diagnosed with ADHD. He said it is very ineffective in treatment for anxiety and can worsen ADHD symptoms, so there's that tidbit of info. I am currently on Adderall, Lamictal, and Viibryd but I think I'm going to have to increase my Adderall dosage soon as I'm starting to lose my focus a lot easier.
Now, I have a cousin who has both Adderall and ADHD. He could not tolerate a stimulant medication, and it caused him to have suicidal thoughts and was switched to a non-stimulant, which made a huge difference. Since Concerta is a stimulant, the issue could root from there. Also I feel like being on 1mg of Avitan is a little pointless, but there may be another reason for that.
Also, is the seroquel being used for insomnia or bipolar disorder or both? That can play a big role in how the medication is affecting you.
And, please know that things CAN change for no reason. Sometimes our brains just go out of wack. However, considering everything you have been through it is reasonable to conclude you have some trauma and excess stress, and this can most definitely change things and severely. I recommend talking to your psychiatrist or prescribing doctor ASAP, as I know personally these things can spiral really quickly especially when it comes to the ADHD/anxiety/bipolar mixture since that's a very delicate comorbidity that is known for high suicide rates.
Lastly!! Please try to stop that vape! I know it self-soothes and I feel for you. However, nicotine can interact with some of your medications and cause them to be less effective. That, and you're predisposed to addiction due to ADHD and bipolar disorder.
I hope I helped!!! Have a good day/night.
First off, I'm going to say that my own doctor told me Lexapro is a horrible medication to use on someone who has ADHD since I was on it for my depression and anxiety originally before I switched doctors and was diagnosed with ADHD. He said it is very ineffective in treatment for anxiety and can worsen ADHD symptoms, so there's that tidbit of info. I am currently on Adderall, Lamictal, and Viibryd but I think I'm going to have to increase my Adderall dosage soon as I'm starting to lose my focus a lot easier.
Now, I have a cousin who has both Adderall and ADHD. He could not tolerate a stimulant medication, and it caused him to have suicidal thoughts and was switched to a non-stimulant, which made a huge difference. Since Concerta is a stimulant, the issue could root from there. Also I feel like being on 1mg of Avitan is a little pointless, but there may be another reason for that.
Also, is the seroquel being used for insomnia or bipolar disorder or both? That can play a big role in how the medication is affecting you.
And, please know that things CAN change for no reason. Sometimes our brains just go out of wack. However, considering everything you have been through it is reasonable to conclude you have some trauma and excess stress, and this can most definitely change things and severely. I recommend talking to your psychiatrist or prescribing doctor ASAP, as I know personally these things can spiral really quickly especially when it comes to the ADHD/anxiety/bipolar mixture since that's a very delicate comorbidity that is known for high suicide rates.
Lastly!! Please try to stop that vape! I know it self-soothes and I feel for you. However, nicotine can interact with some of your medications and cause them to be less effective. That, and you're predisposed to addiction due to ADHD and bipolar disorder.
I hope I helped!!! Have a good day/night.
I wisj you well. I too was diagnosed by a psychiatrist with Asperger. I relate to you. I can't tell how long it will be for your to find the right meds. Unfortunately you'll probably soon find out its trial and error. Mental Health is far from an exact science. Plus it may be hard to find a medical professional that takes your coverage. "What am I doing wrong" Please don't blame yourself. Mental illness is a no fault illness. I wish you well with your journey toward psychological wellness.
Why weren't you able to seek help until you were 9? Are some of these diagnoses explainable from early trauma?
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State laws prevented us from doing it, either that or insurance reasons. I'm not actually sure we weren't told exactly why we were just denied and told to wait until I turned 9.
Gosh, I really REALLY feel for you. You absolutely have much going on with your diagnoses and things happening in your life. The accident sounds terrible and so frightening. I'm glad you are working with your neurologist for recovery. The brain is pretty amazing in how it heals itself and hopefully you are seeing improvement in symptoms and will continue to do so. That must have scared the holy heck out of you!
I don't think I caught how old you are in your post. Are you a fairly young person?
Your medication cocktail is complex. Personally, and this is just me, I'd rather see you ditch the nicotine vape, drop the ativan and keep doing the later in the day thc. There is a bit of evidence that this can help with very little negative effect. The other two have a lot of issues associated with them. Ativan is something that I'd never use other than a rescue med at best knowing that it can be addictive in ways that can all of a sudden overtake your life. I would not continue using it. But I also know, it works. If you can ditch that one? AWESOME. Seroquel. When was the last time you had an assessment for your mental health? I find so many disorders with overlapping symptoms and drugs used for off label and different things that it can get confusing. Do you see a psychiatrist for med management and a psychologist for talk therapy?CBT, DBT and Radically open DBT are all things I think can be helpful.
But you also have a lot going on. Life is hard right now. Autism does make it harder and it means your chemistry is a bit different. Many with autism also have a gene mutation related to metabolizing folic acid. My son has this mutation and he was prescribed a prescription strength supplement that helps him get folic acid and create more serotonin and other mood related transmitters. So, I'd also say if you have a psychiatrist, the genesite or related test could be valuable. It is how we discovered many things for my son. A therapist that works with autistic individuals is also super helpful. Support groups, oh so good to have. Therapists have the. You can do a search for something like mental health and social support group for autistic adults in my area. I have found many things in this way. Even just a DBT group that meets to work on skills would be great.
Now, functioning throughout the day. On your med cocktail, you have so much going on there. It would not be surprising if some drugs are counteracting another one or causing the way you feel as well. I think I'd talk to your doctor about how to tweak and fix that.
I don't think I caught how old you are in your post. Are you a fairly young person?
Your medication cocktail is complex. Personally, and this is just me, I'd rather see you ditch the nicotine vape, drop the ativan and keep doing the later in the day thc. There is a bit of evidence that this can help with very little negative effect. The other two have a lot of issues associated with them. Ativan is something that I'd never use other than a rescue med at best knowing that it can be addictive in ways that can all of a sudden overtake your life. I would not continue using it. But I also know, it works. If you can ditch that one? AWESOME. Seroquel. When was the last time you had an assessment for your mental health? I find so many disorders with overlapping symptoms and drugs used for off label and different things that it can get confusing. Do you see a psychiatrist for med management and a psychologist for talk therapy?CBT, DBT and Radically open DBT are all things I think can be helpful.
But you also have a lot going on. Life is hard right now. Autism does make it harder and it means your chemistry is a bit different. Many with autism also have a gene mutation related to metabolizing folic acid. My son has this mutation and he was prescribed a prescription strength supplement that helps him get folic acid and create more serotonin and other mood related transmitters. So, I'd also say if you have a psychiatrist, the genesite or related test could be valuable. It is how we discovered many things for my son. A therapist that works with autistic individuals is also super helpful. Support groups, oh so good to have. Therapists have the. You can do a search for something like mental health and social support group for autistic adults in my area. I have found many things in this way. Even just a DBT group that meets to work on skills would be great.
Now, functioning throughout the day. On your med cocktail, you have so much going on there. It would not be surprising if some drugs are counteracting another one or causing the way you feel as well. I think I'd talk to your doctor about how to tweak and fix that.
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