Medications for bipolar

Has anyone started or reinstated medications for bipolar after discontinuing a benzo?

 

If so, what meds and what happened?

 

Thank you

Hi. I see no one has responded. If someone has experience with this, can you please chime in?

 

More background: it is a possibility that I had latent bipolar without realizing what mania was prior to benzo. I’ve been trying to untangle all of my mental illness issues (combined with benzo withdrawal) with my therapist. I did respond poorly to a small dose of remeron the second week of taking it. It made me very agitated and I had to discontinue it. That could potentially point to bipolar, since some other depression meds (SSRIs SNRIs and stimulants for ADHD) in the past have caused what could have been a hypomanic episode.

 

I am still considering doing a voluntary inpatient or intensive outpatient program to attempt to stabilize more over the next 6 weeks before I need to return to full-time work, and if i do so, I would like to be prepared with knowledge of others’ experiences who have had a similar situation or circumstances.

 

In a few days, I’ll be 6 months post benzo.

 

Thanks.

Oh, I meant to add — I think if I have bipolar, I may need a mood stabilizer, since ADs may have triggered hypomania.

 

I do not think I can take lamictal. I tried it a few months ago and I discontinued because I started to get itchy. I wish I could tolerate it, as it seems less complicated than all the testing required if I were to need depakote or tegretol. Or lithium, for that matter.

 

Thanks again.

I understand that. I understand my brain does need a break.

 

But I also need help with whatever illness I have going on here aside from benzo withdrawal. I clearly cannot manage life, the stress of working full time, etc., with being so mentally ill.

 

I guess the thing here is that I can see my full chronology. From before benzos to now. I certainly had mental issues prior to now. The trick is figuring out how to treat those without further injuring my CNS — if that is even possible to treat and recover simultaneously. Maybe it is not. I don’t know.

 

My other mental illness(es) won’t magically disappear once I’m healed from benzos, if that ever even happens. I really do not have the option of being house bound for however long it takes to heal because of my finances. I need to get back on track ASAP.

I understand and respect your opinion.

 

 

Sure, many of us, myself included, have trouble meeting the demands and fitting into the aspects of culture.  Here, there, anywhere -- in my case.  I cannot be so idealistic as to think culture and society are going to accommodate me, though, when I have bills to pay and need to get back to life.

 

 

I have already taken more than a year at an exceptionally reduced level due to all of this, and I cannot afford more.  If I could take more time, as I see some others have been able to do, I would do that. 

 

 

I am not happy with matters as they stand -- I not only want, but need to get back to some semblance of normalcy.  Coping mechanisms are of absolute importance, and I am actively attempting to learn more.  Can coping mechanisms help?  Enormously.  Medication cannot work effectively without coping mechanisms.  For those fortunate enough, perhaps coping mechanisms can work alone.  If I am being completely honest with myself, I do not know if coping mechanisms alone will be sufficient for me.......not with all of the comorbidities I experience. 

 

 

Thank you for sharing your view.  I appreciate and respect that.  If you have any valuable coping mechanisms that have worked for you that you are willing to share, I would love to hear about them.

 

 

Thanks again.

Personally, I think this stance is very dangerous for some people.

 

 

I would appreciate it if you would not reply to this thread any longer if you have a completely anti-med sentiment.

 

Thank you.  Best of luck with your journey.

 

 

Edit: I should have included and emphasized that I have absolutely no interested in reinstating benzos. The OP was regarding medication for bipolar, specifically mood stabilizers.

My son, age 24 has bipolar.  I am on this site helping him get off diazepam he has been on for 2 years.

 

I understand the need for mood stabilizers.  In his experience, lithium was very good for him for over 10 years, keeping at a lower dose range of 0.4-0.6 as a blood level.  Very few side effects at this dose.  It does take time to work its magic - doesn't work right away, take a month or two for full effects.  It's a natural mineral - not made in some pharmaceutical lab.  So that is nice.  In the old days, much higher levels were used and it had a lot more side effects. 

 

After 10 years of success on lithium, he had to go off because of some other issues with his kidneys.  He became very unstable  moods after stopping.  It was really helping.

Now he has switched to depakote, (after a LOT of other med trials of other stuff)  Depakote is definietly helping him - but still trying to find the right dose, and trying to wean off the benzos he got put on when he was so unstable after stopping lithium - which is the worst part now!

 

In his experience, the antipsychotic meds often used as mood stabilizers had a LOT of side effects, and were very hard to get off. Tread carefully if one of these is recommended.

 

He also tried lots of alternative meds/supplements etc - but there is no replacement for a good mood stabilizer  in my opinion if the diagnosis is truly bipolar disorder.  At least that was his experience.

He had to stay away from ALL antidepressants and stimulants or his mood cycles got much worse.  ANd good sleep and healthy diet, lifestyle etc.

 

These are his experiences anyway.  I've watched him through all this for the past 10 years.

 

I really really hope you can find what works for you.

 

 

I should add that depakote and benzo's  may have some interaction, in that if given together, the depakote may raise levels of diazepam or clonazepam.  - I don't really understand yet the significance.  I know depakote is sometimes used to help taper off benzodiazepines.  So, if you are off all benzodiazepines, it may help you ??  It does act on GABA receptors, like benzodiazepines.  Which I guess could be a good thing.

Thank you for the feedback.  I really appreciate it.  Does your son experience any side effects from the depakote?

 

 

I am leery of taking anything while my brain is still healing from the benzo damage......I would like to be able to NOT take anything, obviously, but I am not sure that is going to be an option for me in the long-term.

 

 

I already have been living a very reduced lifestyle and getting plenty of sleep, eating well, and exercising, and that is not helping a great deal.

He started the depakote in January, while he was tapering. He was in very bad bipolar relapse that had gone on and on for a year.  He tried a lot of different medications, was hospitalized 4 times, once for 8 weeks for severe depression/mixed state.  In retrospect, his taper off diazepam may have been contributing at the time.  He was on a stable dose of 6mg diazepam for many months when he started the depakote - but still very non-functional.    Initially depakote gave him some gastrointestinal distress - but that went away in about 3 weeks.  Start low dose, go up slowly helps.  He felt a LOT LOT better mentally after starting it, and had a very nice window of feeling quite good for 4 months.  His mood, energy, ability to focus all returned, sleep improved - he felt like himself again.  It slowed down the excessive thoughts.  He had been in what seemed like "mixed state" bipolar prior to that - very depressed but agitated/anxious at the same time, unable to function, unable to work for the previous year.  Then he felt good enough that he started to rapidly taper the diazepam.  Well, that was a bad idea!  Should have gone more slowly!  That is when he started feeling really bad again - but we are now certain that is from the rapid taper. Still trying to stabilize from that and then taper more slowly.

 

I don't know if you are male or female -  but be aware if you are female that there are more potential side effects with depakote because it affects ovarian hormone function in some.