Concerning bi-polar~~~~

[Guest guest]

, I too have bi-polar. It took many years to finally realise how important

staying on my meds really was. It is one reason this is so hard to treat, most

patients are unwilling to keep taking all the meds as some do have unpleasant

side effects. I had double the problems with most due to the sensitivities

caused by the fibro. Now I am on, and staying on, a regimen that works for me

without too many bad side effects. I am using Lamictal in conjunction with

tegratol, both are off-label for bi-polar, and also Celexa. I also take

Klonopin. These seem to do the trick. It is so important that we do stay on our

meds. I don't know why your nephew's mother would encourage him to be off of

meds. He will NEVER get better without them. There is NO cure for this disorder.

It is a lifelong commitment to stay on the meds. There are so many people living

on the streets because they refuse to stay on their meds and then cannot deal

with life. I'd say about 80% of street people (and that's conservative) are

either bi-polar or schitzophrenics who refuse to follow drug therapy. It's

really sad. If they would only work with their psych doctors, it would be

possible to find a 'cocktail' without so many bad side effects. Of course, a lot

of psych doctors, I guess, don't want to bother with these patients. They maybe

don't care if they do have bad side effects, and some of the drugs can have

horrible side effects, so it's not always the fault of the patient. I can see

both sides of the story. I just wish your nephew's mother would work WITH him to

find a drug regimen which would make his life better. I will keep my fingers

crossed for him. I know how bad it can be.

Peace and Love

Caroline

>> In Caroline's posting, I realized something about SOME - not all

> people in the medical field not believing in various meds! One of my

> nephews is bi-polar and many of us in the family were exposed to some

> of his behavior when he was in a manic state the weekend and days

> following my mother's funeral. I won't go into details but the

> police were called to the hotel where my sister's family were

> staying. He had the choice of going to jail or to the hospital and

> he wisely chose to go to the hospital. My sister had known of his

> condition for several years at the time and as a nurse who is married

> to man with panic disorder, I would have thought she might have seen

> the signs prior to his behavior that evening and perhaps watched him

> a bit more closely. I understand that as an adult, his mother can't

> necessarily step in, but I also found out when I spoke to one of his

> paternal aunts that he had left her a message asking for a ride to

> the airport. L said had she known why he was going to the airport,

> she might have made other arrangements as she knew that he was at the

> beginning of a cycle.

> Well, nephew was put on meds to help with the bi-polar disorder,

> don't know which one(s), but as someone who has had friends, spouses

> of friends who have bi-polar disorder, I know the importance of the

> meds. My sister, the nurse, does not believe he needs the meds but

> rather has researched and had conversations with a friend about him

> taking vitamins and supplements. I know there can be advantage to

> those things, but I also know that the prescription meds can target

> his disease more specifically than supplements or vitamins.

> So, yes, I do believe there are people who are nurses or other

> medical related fields who do not believe in medicine!

> And I do worry about my nephew -- I used to call him pretty often,

> but I have gotten to the point that it is difficult to talk to him as

> I don't know what to say to him. So from perhaps a call every few

> months of calling him, now I seem to only call around his birthday

> and Christmas. And I have also stopped calling his paternal aunts as

> I know he has pushed them to the limit with his behavior. Oh, and I

> should say that his mother is in a midwestern state and he lives in

> California and does not see his mother that often.

> But this is just one example of someone in the field who doesn't

> believe in medicines.

> I even sometimes wonder what she may think about the fact that I take

> antidepressants among other drugs --- she's never really seen me when

> I was in a major depression so she really has no way of knowing how

> much I need the meds.

> Perhaps this was off the topic of your co-worker, but I just find my

> sister's attitude not so good --- oh, and her reason is that the

> medicine's cause too many side effects.

>

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