medication for bipolar disorder

[porolli]

my sister has recently been diagnosed as bipolar. she is on a number of medications - quetiapine, lamotrigine and zanax. she is concerned about side effects and has mentioned she is having muscle spasms. obviously I'm encouraging her to talk to doctors etc (she's in hospital) but she's asked me to research it for her. does anyone have any feedback on side effects so I can help her, at least come to terms with taking them?

[tiredemma]

hang on two mins

[vacua]

lamotrigine has a really benign side effect profile so it is unlikely to be that

is quetiapine seroquel? I think that group (anti-psychotics) can cause those sort of symptoms, I'm not an expert but 'tardive dyskenisia' comes to mind - are the doctors aware of the spasms?there are many other meds of that type, one called aripiprazole (abilify) is supposed to have the least side effects.

how long has she been on this combination?

[tiredemma]

argh- im sorry, i have left my book on placement.

sorry.

[porolli]

wow. thanks for speedy replies. she's been on combination about 3 weeks. the idea is that lamotrigine will be the only one longer term - quetiapine is a short term boost as I understand it. and yes, it is seroquel.
I'm not sure how much she's letting on to the doctors. she's still in quite a bad way and not communicating that well.

[vacua]

yeah lamotrigine is used as a mood stabiliser (stops you going too high or too low) and it's very effective against bipolar depression - is your sister high or low at the moment, or mixed? It takes a long time to build it up to a therapeutic dose, you have to go slowly because there is a risk of a serious rash.

quetiapine is one of those anti-psychotics that can bring a mood down from mania/hypomania and can also help depression although some people think that in depression it only seems to help because it makes you sleepy and hungry so that looks like an improvement! in the long run it can cause weight gain. that's pretty much the extent of my knowledge on those two, but have been on lamotrigine myself for 3 1/2 years.

[vacua]

don't know if you have found it yet but the MDF are a really helpful organisation and well worth joining - lots of help and support for friends and family and anyone who has the condition themselves

there are message boards too

MDF Bipolar

[TheMadHouse]

I take a really small dose of Quetiapine (25mg) in order to get me off to sleep and it does make my legs jerky or restless, but it works for me and traditional sleeping tablets do not. Sorry can not help with the others. I hope they get her balance right soon

[Xanthipi]

Well I take two of them: xanax and lamotrigine. I'm very succeptible to side effectsI haven't been able to tolerate any of the usual antidepressantsand yet I've no side effects with either medicine. Lamotrigine in particular tends to be well toleratedit's known for being quite a side-effectless medand you don't even know you're on it. . well I don't.

Xanax is just an anti-anxiety agent, a smoother and less addictive form of valium so far as know, and really has no side effects for me except for maybe sleepiness. It's really quite a lovely medication! I think most people who use it quite like it, really. I hardly use it---except on aeroplanes and in other situations where i get a bit anxious/panicky.

I've never hear of quitiapine, so can't comment on that.

The fact that your sister is in hospital and worrying about side effects is so familiar to me. I found that I (and the other patients ) got incredibly hyponchondriacal--but mabye that was just a neurotic New York thing as it was a hospital in NYC. I remember being obsessed the meds were going to be harmful in some way. i think that kind of worry can sometimes be part of the disease, some kind of resisance to treatment or something.

[Xanthipi]

oh sorryshe's actually having a symptommuscle spasms. So my last paragraph doesn't apply, sorry.

[porolli]

thanks for all your replies. I'll certainly look into the MDF.
I think you're right also that there is possibly an element of hypochondria, maybe inevitable if you're in hospital and confronted with it all the time? it's so difficult to know what to do to help. i'm just hoping the medication is beneficial soon

[zippitippitoes]

hope she starts to feel better soon

it is a difficult thing to manage..wishing you all well

[vacua]

Yes do try the MDF boards because there will be lots of people with direct experience of those meds as well as people who care for someone with bipolar who can support you.

The organisation itself is worth joining because you get free legal advice, a regular magazine and up to date research, leaflets and books about various aspects of mania and depression, cheaper travel insurance and other benefits. There's also a network of self help groups across the UK, you don't have to be a member to attend, but they often have interesting speakers and a library of useful books to borrow.