Antidepressant brought out my bipolar

[Love]

Has anyone had this happen to you, one crummy antidepressant tablet and then went crazy. My psychiatrist was very apologetic then deemed me bipolar, my psychologist said I was allergic to the medication. Now I am on a mood stabiliser but still swing in and out of highs and lows all day. I am 57 so just exhausted from the physical activity of my highs or the brain chattering constantly and the amazing visions of glass blood me. My back hurts from the stupid stuff I just have to do.......any thing I can do?

[Peter_Pan78]

Yes @Love I believe my bipolar disorder was a result of an antidepressant and an anti psychotic interacting though my doctors refused to take it onboard. In a book called Mastering Bipolar Disorder by Kerrie Eyers and Gordon Parker states as such that antidepressants can cause symptoms that appear like bipolar highs.

[Love]

Hi, I have seen on some medication sites that the antidepressant, not allowed to say the name, not be given to people with bipolar. My psychiatrist works with my niece that has bipolar and he knows my other niece that has schizophrenia. My daughter has anxiety disorder, recently diagnosed with autism at 16 and my son has very high functioning autism. From what I can tell if there are other mental health issues in the family it is more likely the psychiatrist can see what the actual problem is. I had a DNA test to see if I can't cope with any other medications. I do believe we can only go to a psychiatrist that had been recommended by someone, go on a medication merry go round, try real hard to eat well and then hope and pray for sleep. Thank you for responding, I hope things are going well for you, I get my DNA results tomorrow.

[Jane4]

Hi @Love Did you get your DNA results? My son was complaining of back pain and thought it was because he was in bed so much but now I am wondering about the meds...he seems to be getting worse on them.

[MoonGal]

Hi @Love, you are not on your lonesome with having some medication trip up into mania (or hypo-mania).

I have had similar experiences. Very definately meds that have anti-anxiety properties trip me into psychosis and mania. I am also tripped into hypo-mania or psychosis by anaesthetic (always a squirrelly nutty mess after surgery for months on end). I am on an anti-depressant now have been for close to 10 years, and an anti-psychotic for a year and a bit. Enough meds to drop a horse - but I have such a high running rapid cycling form of Bi Polar that I manage pretty well with two meds that would put most people into bed and keep them there. I do not tolerate any of the mood stabilisers - they zombie-fy me, the anti-epileptics (also used for people where the salts are not tolerated) also trip me into psychosis and hypo-mania.

I am ultra-sensitive to many nuero-chemical changing medications and they do chuck me about awfully.

So - the medication can be a very fine line between helping and making our conditions worse. 

***It is important to discuss any adverse side effects, or even effects that are not specifically adverse but causing you concern) with your prescribing doctor.***

[MoonGal]

@Jane4 - I see you referenced @Love's mention of back pain by relating your son's experience. I was not aware until you said this that the particualr med I am on has a rare side effect of back pain - I have just spent the last hour reading reports and side effects etc about the one I am on. I was not aware until then that this particular med had that as a potential side effect. I live with debilitating, chronic lower back pain (to the point of being disabled by it and living with severe daily pain), and I am now wondering if in fact this may be linked to my medication. i am going to talk to my own doctor about it. So thank you for mentioning it.

[Love]

Hi Jane4 I did get my DNA results from a relief doctor as mine was on holidays. This doctor had a hard time reading them and did say i have a problem with a certain strain of anti depressants. He just doubled my dose of mood stabilizer as I was rather high as a kite and would have been happy except for the raging back, calf muscle and feet pain. He claimed all the pain was from manically doing too much. Well i did destroy my house and the yard but the mood stabiliser helps me to do stuff and not just make a mess. I organized to have my house painted, actually having strangers walk in the house! so i had to cut back about 6 big palm trees, it felt great using an axe and I didn't hurt myself. changing medication to see what works best without serious side affects seems to be a tricky job. My daughters medication was just changed from antidepressant to a mood stabiliser her diagnoses of anxiety and autism disorder now has the added joy of tentative bipolar. She has manic and depressive episodes together and I just have to let her rave on, not promise things she can't do and walk away. sorry about the huge rave.

[Love]

hi MoonGal I hope all is getter better for you, just the words "you are not alone" makes such a positive difference. Even though sometimes I ache to be alone to do what I want to do, manically clean, rearrange or cut overgrown bushes.