I have been diagnosed with both bipolar type II and ADD. I was on a mood stablizer, Lamictal, for right around a year. It did seem to help some and didn't have major side effects, but I did feel foggy on it and when I forgot and got my dosage mixed up I had dizzy spells, etc. I was glad not to be in the pit of despair, but I felt stupid.

After being on the Lamictal for awhile, my doc made the diagnosis for ADD and tried me on Straterra. I am underweight, so he did not want to put me on a stimulant medication. The side effect of loss of appetite was bad enough for him to have me stop taking it. I just couldn't eat, so I ended up losing weight with it.

During a particularly nasty bout of insomnia, I noticed that I was sleeping better when I forgot to take the lamictal (we'd tried two prescription sleep meds that didn't work), so I stopped taking it. I couldn't afford the psychiatrists office visits, anyway.

I did okay for several months, but now I'm feeling pretty depressed. I have a theory that the ADD triggers the depression. I have such a difficult time functioning and I screw up so much that it reall starts to get me down. I can fight the messages of worthless I start to tell myself for awhile, but eventually, it just becomes overwhelming . . .

I feel like the big guy on Jurasic Park that was being chased by the little dinosaurs. They were so harmless at first. It stings when they bite, but no big deal, but they keep following, and eventually I trip.

So all that to ask, if I'm unable to take Straterra, and it seems like I am, and underweight people shouldn't take stimulants, is there anything I can do about this? Is there a realistic chance that there is a medication I can take that will help me?

Hi,

I hope you checked with your doctor before going off the bipolar medication -- you want to be careful not to start having more serious mood swings -- bipolar II can progress to bipolar I.

As far as stimulent medication goes, I know for many people in makes them lose weight, but it actually stabilized my weight and I've gradually put on a few pounds,so I'm about where I need to be now. I think in my case the depression is what was making me lose the weight, so when that eased as a result of treating my ADD, I was able to stablize my weight. I did have to choose to eat at first whether I felt real hungry or not, but that wasn't a big problem and eventually wasn't a problem at all as I adjusted to the medication.

You might enjoy reading John Ratey's Shadow Syndromes -- he contrasts frank ADHD and Bipolar with milder forms and discusses lifestyle, gentics, and medication issues. This might give you a better understanding of how these and other disorders occur and interact.

Take care,
Scattered

Hi,

I hope you checked with your doctor before going off the bipolar medication -- you want to be careful not to start having more serious mood swings -- bipolar II can progress to bipolar I. No, I didn't talk to my doctor. Stupid I know, but we already owed so much money and I was so desperate for sleep. Plus the medicine is pretty pricey. None of it really good reasons, but that's just what happened.

As far as stimulent medication goes, I know for many people in makes them lose weight, but it actually stabilized my weight and I've gradually put on a few pounds,so I'm about where I need to be now. I think in my case the depression is what was making me lose the weight, so when that eased as a result of treating my ADD, I was able to stablize my weight. I did have to choose to eat at first whether I felt real hungry or not, but that wasn't a big problem and eventually wasn't a problem at all as I adjusted to the medication.That makes sense. Sometimes I just don't have the energy to get up and make something, so I just don't bother to eat.

You might enjoy reading John Ratey's Shadow Syndromes -- he contrasts frank ADHD and Bipolar with milder forms and discusses lifestyle, gentics, and medication issues. This might give you a better understanding of how these and other disorders occur and interact.

Take care,
ScatteredThank you for the reccommendation. It sounds like it's just the right thing for my situation.