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Diagnosed Today as Bipolar 2

Posted , 7 users are following.

liz05654
liz05654

Hi.

Today I was diagnosed as Bipolar 2 after a referral from my GP to a mental health team. I have suffered from depression since the age of 9 with major episodes occurring in my late 30's to mid 40's. I am 47 at the moment.

i have been on 225mg of Venlafaxine for about 5 years and for a while I felt great, however I. The last 6 months my mood has gone down considerably, with a few "highs". I.e. Compulsive behaviour, addictions, mood swings, racing thoughts etc. all the things that are apparently traits of bipolar.

i initially returned to my GP because I was sick of feeling either really low or really high, and want to be "normal".

but this diagnosis has scared me. I know this is probably a common reaction to this diagnosis but I still feel scared.

i have been prescribed Quetiapine, starting off initially at 25mg per day (to help with my insomnia) which will slowly increase to 200mg per day.

at the same time my Venlafaxine will be reduced so that I eventually end up taking only Quietiapine.

has anyone else been through this or had experience of it. I have been warned about the side effects, the most worrying for me being weight gain (I know that sounds shallow but I have worked hard to get to the weight I am now and any massive increase will depress me further).

but I am very interested to hear other people's stories. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

thanks

liz

2 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • lynne05476
    lynne05476 liz05654

    Posted

    Hi Liz, If you look through my posts you'll see i was diagnosed Bi-polar 2 last May.You will see i wanted support starting Lithium and Quetiapine as i was frightened to death at the begining but a year on i'm happy,coping and dealing with my mental health with lots of support from family,friends and work colleagues.i take 75mgs of quetiapine in divided doses now as it was muted that i needed to get to 150mgs when first diagnosed.Best advise i can give is give the meds a good go then you can start tweeking with medical support to find your dose.i also believe your hormones are messing with your status quo as like me menopause may be looming,all great isn't it ??? Good luck and keep moving forward.
  • liz05654
    liz05654

    Posted

    I just need to add that I had a full hysterectomy 3 years ago, but retained mt ovaries. I did ask the docs today if some of the symptoms or worsening of mood could be down to the menopause but they dismissed the idea. They said that although the menopause can cause various symptoms eg depression, night sweats, irritabilitily ( all that I suffer from) the actau

     symptoms of bloat are co plete

    y different. I am so confused. I don't want to go down the road of taking an antipsychotic drug if it's not needed.

    • Lizzie46881
      Lizzie46881 liz05654

      Posted

      Hi Liz

      I'm  Bipolar II rapid cycling too, I was diagnosed in 1998, hospitalised with it in 1999 but pretty much stable since early 00's, which is definitley down to the meds I take.  I'm on Citalopram 40mg (SSRI anti-dep), Risperidone 3mg (new type anti-psychotic) and Diazepam which I'm tapering off, now down to 2.5mg a day.  I didn't have too bad side effects when starting on meds but I did have a bad time when they first put me on an anti-psychotic, they tried three different versions at different times of the older type, eg: Chlorpromazine and Promazine, all of which I hated, but when they put me on Risperidone, my troubles just evaporated, no significant side effects and it stopped the hypomania and the obsessional thinking dead in its tracks.  I was once also on the mood stabiliser Eppillim (Sodium Valproate), but didn't find it effective so came off it.  I have anxiety too, hence the diazepam but this is being replaced right now by the sedating anti-histamine hydroxyzine 50mg split in two doses.

      Don't worry if this all sounds very complicated, they will find the right mix for you by trial and error, yes there will be soem meds that don't suit you. but stay cxlose to your psychiatrist and they'll find something better each time until like me you are stable.  I am happy and fulfilled and live life to the full, I wish the same for you.  Any questions just ask, I've been through the mill with bipolar but have come out the other a better person

      Love

      Lizzie xxxxx

       

  • smartypants71
    smartypants71 liz05654

    Posted

    I have rapid cycling Bipolar disorder. I take Lithium - 1000mg and Quetiapine - 150mg. I was/am very very overweight and was very worried about further weight gain. But I joined Slimming World last August and have just reached my 5 stone!! I am sure the medication may cause some people problems with weight, but I have not experienced a problem when trying to lose weight. I wish you luck on your journey and very good health. x

     

  • liz05654
    liz05654

    Posted

    An update:

    i went to my GP today and had blood tests and an ECT to get my baseline figs before starting on Quietiapine. The GP I saw today didn't seem to know anything at all about bipolar disorder and gave me no advice whatsoever. I have been reading on the Internet (which I know may not be the best thing to do) and am really scared about the side effects. It took me a long time to find an antidepressant that suited me I.e. Venlafaxine but it's obviously not working any longer and is not the right medication for bipolar. But the side effects from the new mess sound really scary I.e sleeping for the first 5 days, nausea, sickness, dizziness, disorientation etc.

    i am only starting off on a dosage of 25mg which will increase every 2 weeks by 25 mg until I reach 200mg and then my Venlafaxine will be slowly reduced to zero. 

    Has anyone else been through this and was it as bad as I am thinking it will be?

    liz

  • clare39944
    clare39944 liz05654

    Posted

    Dear Liz,  It sounds as if you've had quite a roller coaster ride.  I have two comments to make as to what has helped me.  The first is that as a long-term sufferer of Bi-Polar 1 I was put on Lithium 2 yrs ago (as well as a small dose of Olanzapine) and second I went on a course of Cognitive Behavour Therapy.  This two pronged approach is keeping me more stable than I have been for a long while.  Yes, it is a bit of a fag having regular blood tests for Lithium levels, but the positives do outweigh the negatives.  Also, as part of my recovery I have been able to do volunteer work and last October i joined a community choir.  Little steps, I know, but now I have made new friends and also it is wonderful to be more normal again.  All the best, Clare
  • anne60151
    anne60151 liz05654

    Posted

    Hi Liz

    i am going through something similar to you. Have had anxiety and depression for 5 years and tried lots of different antidepressants, most recently Venlafaxine. Taken it for a couple of years and it seemed to stop working so added in Lamotrigine which didn't make any difference. After a recent crisis my consultant has put me on Lithium, which at first I found very scarey, but now into my 8th week and already feeling much better. I too should be coming off the Venlafaxine but think this has to be done really slowly as there can be horrible side effects to reducing. I am also going through peri-menopause and have diabetes. I get very confused as to what is causing what symptoms and what medication is good, bad or not working.  What I would say is keep in touch with a good GP and the mental health team you are with and they will try to explain and help us understand. If they don't then ask. 

    Best wishes and good luck with the new medication. Hope it makes a difference.

     

  • louise79427
    louise79427 liz05654

    Posted

    Hey Liz

    When you were on venlafaxine did you feel groggy in the morning? I am on 225mg of venlafaxine too.

    Lou x

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