Just wondering if anyone has had a destabilization of their bipolar while using mood stabilizer and a med for ADD, particularly a stimulant.

My pNP seems to be trying to steer clear of giving me a stimulant and I'm wondering if she will at all, and I'm feeling anxious about it. I used to take Lamictal (which I am on now), Wellbutrin and Ritalin, and it seemed to work well for me. I've said this about ten times but she wanted to do Strattera, I guess to avoid the stimulant - ?? I didn't ask if she would definitely never prescribe me one -- Strattera did me in so that's out.

I am starting a new highly stressful teaching position soon and feel that I will drown without something to address my ADD, but I'm wondering how destabilizing it might be. I don't want to go through that.

I am brand new here, and just started seeing a pNP in March. She is definitely trying to try stimulants for me, now that I seem to be in good shape with Trileptal. I think your doc needs to be very clear on why she's doing what she's doing for you, and care about your very real concerns. Tell her you need specifics, and find someone else if she (or he) doesn't respond. P.s. I'm not exactly Bipolar II but basically have the same symptoms, and ADD very very I ! Good luck!
Jan

My pNP seems to be trying to steer clear of giving me a stimulant and I'm wondering if she will at all, and I'm feeling anxious about it. I used to take Lamictal (which I am on now), Wellbutrin and Ritalin, and it seemed to work well for me. I've said this about ten times but she wanted to do Strattera, I guess to avoid the stimulant - ?? I didn't ask if she would definitely never prescribe me one -- Strattera did me in so that's out.

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I would stick to what you know helps. I am on Lamictal, Ritalin and Abilify (abilfy temporarily - just until the Anxiety is gone). Ritalin makes my anxiety worse if I am not on a mood stabilizer like Lamictal. My doc wants to try strattera with me but it's not fast acting like Ritalin and I know Ritalin works. Why mess with something that works. I also work in the school system. I would not want to be messing with meds right now. Maybe at the beginning of the summer. Just my opinion. Good luck.

What did strattera do to you??

My pdoc also didn't want me on stimulants. He said that it can actually cause destabilization of moods. That may be what your pNP is trying to avoid. However, if you know that something works, I would specifically ask them why they don't want to try it.

I know that the Ritalin works and I only have to take 20 mg. a day to get the effect I really need. I think a lot of my depression (which is 95% of my bipolar) is directly related to the anxiety and helplessness I feel as a result of my ADD. It is also related with my hormones as well. BP women tend to destabilize rapidly without meds when they are in a high estrogen state like pregnancy -- ADD women tend to do much better. Pregnancy was like a dream for me, I wish I could be pregnant all the time. I was fine without meds.

Strattera made me sick as a dog but it worked for the first week or so, so I stuck it out for like 7 weeks until it started messing bad with my hormones, which started wreaking havoc on my moods. I went to get a root canal and the first thing I thought when I got the pain meds was, I wonder how many of these it would take to kill me? I wasn't suicidal so I felt like it was the Strattera (which does have a label for side effects like bizarre thoughts) so I finally dumped it and felt better pretty much within 48 hours. I just couldn't do it any more. I even lost 7 pounds on Strattera, so you know if I was willing to give it up it had to be bad!! :) The Strattera was helping more with my ADD than I thought and I am looking around like, why can't I do anything and why does my house look like it's been ransacked by Huns?

Ritalin never caused the mood fluctuations that Strattera did, as long as I was taking a mood stabilizer. I am sort of freaking out about going back to a highly stressful job that requires organization without something to address my ADD, which Wellbutrin helps but not nearly enough.

I go to see my pNP lady tomorrow and I am so tied up in knots about it I've eaten like a 1/4 of a box of sugar cereal. Ritalin -- PLEEEEASE! I swear I don't get high on it -- I only wash my dishes and keep my keys in one place!!