Reaction to stimulants = bipolar?

[Blueranne]

Meds can induce manias but they dont "make" you Bipolar. But, if you already are Bipolar then they can be triggers.

(sorry for the edit. I think we posted almost at the same time)

[Abi]

Originally Posted by Festinalente

Meds can induce manias but they dont "make" you Bipolar. But, if you already are Bipolar then they can be triggers.

(sorry for the edit. I think we posted almost at the same time)

Hooray!!

Accurate and succint.

People please READ that and INTERNALISE it. Its just two lines. Maybe whe can put it up on the front page.

(Sorry but I'm so sick of "I became manicky on Celexa/Prozac/Imipramine/Ritalin/Adderall/insert psychoanaleptic of choice; AM I BIPOLAR?")

[lbeezy]

I am both Bipolar and ADD. I take Saphris 10mg at bedtime and Adderall 40mg XR in the morning. Before I was getting the right treatment for Bipolar, if I took any kind of stimulant (dose doesn't matter) it would trigger a manic episode that would last for days. If I wasn't getting the right treatment for Bipolar then I wouldn't be able to take medication for ADD. I can tell you from experience that stimulants can trigger a manic episode in a person that is Bipolar, My symptoms of mania would last for several days even if I discontinued whatever stimulant I was taking.

[MeganTrouble]

I was diagnosed bipolar (never diagnosed ADD or ADHD) about 7 years ago, but have been struggling with the disease since childhood. since being diagnosed I have been in and out of hospitals and been on and off of all different kinds of meds. 3 years ago my dr. started me on seroquel xr (50mg at night, although most nights I only take 25mg so I can actually wake up the next morning for work) and adderall xr (currently taking 20mg in the morning and 10mg at noon). This combination of meds has worked wonders for me! The adderall wakes me up in the morning, gives me energy, helps me focus.. I can only describe it as a controlled hypomania. and the seroquel at night helps me sleep and brings me out of the hypomania stage. I sometimes wonder if this combination of seroquel and adderall could be damaging in the long term use of it, but it seems to be working so well for me right now that I'm hesitant to bring my concerns to my doctor.

[huk phin]

Originally Posted by buddy

I have bi-polarII & ADD.I take Abilify for the bi-polar & Dexedrine for the ADD.I started on both meds. at the same time, so I can't tell you if a hyper reaction to a stimulant means that you have bi-polar.I am sure that someone else here may have the answer you are looking for.Has your doctor suggested a mood stabilizer?It was the best thing to happen to me when the doctor put me on the Abilify.I finally knew that my mood swings weren't normal & the med. helped me very much.Good luck to you.

I also take Abilify and Dex (Vyvanse). By chance did you notice that the Abilify "mutes" the effects of the stimulants. I do not feel my Vyvanse normally. I stopped taking the Abilify and after a couple of days the Vyvanse knocked my socks off. I mean "pow". I started taking the Abilify again and went back to not feeling the Vyvanse. Have you noticed this at all?

Thanks!

[quirkyscrawler]

Originally Posted by GiGi3

If a person takes a stimulant like Adderall or Vyvanse or any of the other ADD meds, even a small dose and it makes them super irritable or hyperfocused, maybe even a little manicy feeling, does this mean they are bipolar?

I have had a "mood disorder" for sometime and in the past 2 years was diagnosed with ADD.

Now, even when I take a tiny 5mg of Adderall after several days I become irritable. If I take 10mg I get waaaaaaay toooooo hyper and this later in the day messes up my mood.

Does someones hyper reaction to a stimulant mean for sure they are bipolar/ADD and not just ADD?

I noticed that I was more irritable when I first started taking Adderall, but over time it went away (I'd say it began to subside after a couple of weeks). Caffeine can also cause some irritability, and if I hadn't eaten for a while I'd feel anxious.

I also have Bipolar symptoms, and am currently taking Seroquel along with the Adderall (along with Wellbutrin). It does help with the mood; I don't really feel myself crashing from the stims actually, whereas I used to cry sometimes when I came down. Sometimes it is finding the proper dose though, and this might change over time. I used to take a higher dosage of Adderall, but find that low doses (5 mg) allows me to focus more than usual, without stressing me out too much. Sometimes I do take 10, but that depends.

This is just an opinion, but I am also of the belief that hyperness sometimes has to do with personality. Not to say that brain chemistry isn't involved...but I can sometimes get very hyper/silly depending on who I'm with.

[quirkyscrawler]

Originally Posted by Squirrely Seth

I wonder if I should go back to taking Abilify. I went off it because I told the psychiatrist I thought i had a lower sex drive, but that could have been due to the depression. Also I also had no trust in the psychiatrist. I swear for now on Im writing this stuff down.

Strattera and SNRI's messed with my sex drive. The problem went away when I switched to Wellbutrin, which is a DRNI? I think? Anyway, everyone reacts to meds differently but if you're looking for something that might counter the effects of an anti-psychotic (I take Seroquel also), you might want to ask your pdoc about Wellbutrin. I would take marathon naps on Seroquel, and Wellbutrin gave me more energy (this was when I was not on Adderall also).