My medication has helped me gain more control over my moods and consequently my life. I take three different medications that help treat the various aspects of bipolar disorder.
Pill #1 Seroquel XR: The Heavy Hitter
- makes me feel drowsy and calm so I can fall asleep
- it always helps me get a solid night of sleep (7-8 hrs). I used to wake up throughout the night at various intervals. Sometimes I woke up every few hours, other nights it was every 20 minutes.
- the XR in the name means the medicine is being released slowly throughout the course of the day and not just at night. Since I switched from Seroquel to Seroquel XR I have had fewer mood episodes in which I've wanted to destroy everything (preferably by smashing into tiny bits). It's also made me less likely to shriek at the top of my lungs in fury. I still get angry and I still have moments when I freak out; however, my rage is less severe and as a result less destructive.
Side effects I experience:
1. Weight Gain - Like my prescription for Zoloft and birth control one of Seroquel's most commonly reported side effects is weight gain. I like feeling more stable but I'm not too happy with the big buddha belly I'm developing.
2. Vomiting - Every couple of weeks I've felt extremely nauseous after waking up and have vomited as a result. I am not pregnant so there is no way I have morning sickness. The nausea I experience is similar to the wave of dizziness and disorientation I felt when I tried taking Depakote for a few weeks. I'm going to talk to my new medication doc to see if there's anything that can be done to alleviate this side effect.
Pill #2 Zoloft: My Saving Grace
- helps me stop fixating on sad and negative feelings. This medication changes the way I see the world for the positive.
- decreases the period of time I feel depressed. Instead of feeling hopeless and despairing for weeks or months at a time I can recover after a few hours or days. (My fear is Zoloft will randomly stop working and I will be hurtled back into the blackness of my worst depression.)
- decreases the severity of depression when I do have an episode. This might not sound like that big of a deal but it truly is. I no longer have suicidal thoughts and my inclination to be self-destructive has diminished.
Side effects I experience:
1. Weight gain - I've noticed a definite increase in my weight since I started taking Zoloft. My dosage was decreased at one time to counter the weight gain effect. Decreasing dosage han't really done much to stop the side effect.
2. Decreased sex drive - I noticed this side effect most markedly when I first started taking the prescription. After a couple weeks of taking Zoloft I felt like a weight had been lifted from me, like I could finally smile - but also like I didn't have much of a sex drive anymore. This is especially hard to adjust to after having been manic so many times. Mania makes me feel powerful and seductive and sensual. Zoloft makes it easier for me to be feel happy but it also makes me feel like my lust has faded.
Pill #3 Risperidone - Mania Manager
- reduces violent feelings of outrage and frustration
- slows down racing thoughts
- decreases the speed of my temper
- decreases risk taking behavior (anyone want to go shoplifting?!)
Side effects I experience:
1. Menstrual Cycle disruption - Taking risperidone caused my prolactin levels to be more than twice the normal level. As a result I no longer get my period at a regular time even though I am taking oral birth control. My doctor cut my dose in half in order to reduce my prolactin levels months ago but I'm still experiencing this side effect.
2. Weight gain - I've been taking risperidone for over two years now and I've definitely gained a more than expected amount of weight since then.
3. Feeling like a zombie - This only applies to the Risperidone M tab which is an orally disintegrating version of the pill I take daily. The M tab was prescribed to me for mood emergencies in which I feel extremely agitated. The medicine works in about 20 minutes and is very effective at getting me to calm down. Unfortunately it also makes it very difficult for me to focus on any kind of productive thought. I had to go home early from work before after taking an M tab at the office. I felt like someone had unplugged my brain.
Although the above medications have proved to be helpful I do not expect this will be my regimen forever.
No comments:
Post a Comment