hi again chums

Hello I am back after two years so I thought I would share my experiences.

I have been on ADs for 15 years with decreasing effectiveness. I began to realise that my early positive results were merely replacing depression with mild elation, and the effect didnt last that long.

But coming from depression, few complain about elation because they have forgotten what normal feels like. But as I said, after a while the ADs stopped working.

I also realised that there were some times in my mid 20`s when (medication free) I had had similar periods of elation. I speak here of unusually elated mood, irritabilty, distractedness, etc.

However, unlike BP1, BP2 is marked by short episodes(even just one episode) of elation followed by long depression.

Increasingly frustrated and depressed I looked at options.

I realised that something I hadnt tried was mood stabilisers. They have a completely different method of action to antidepressant.

However the most commonly known and used is lithium, which is a tricky drug to get the dosage right, and anyway seems to be more effective at preventing elation than depression.

Then I read about lamotrigine, the first drug to treat BP2 since lithium. The only severe side effect (effecting a very small number of patients)is a potentially life threatening rash. However, the risk could be mediated by slowly increasing dosage. It took me 6 weeks to finally get up to full dose.

Unlike ADs I have no side effects whatsoever.

What is my mood like?

Exactly 1 year ago I began taking it at full dose. After 4-6 weeks my depression almost completely lifted.

Previously, over a week I would be severely or moderately depressed every day. Now on average I have 2 days of mild depression, 2 of mild elation and 3 of normalcy.

I do not pretend I am cured, (in fact the reason I havent posted before is because I have had too many false dawns) but if I was to stay like this on the drug for the rest of my life I would happily settle for that.

I believe some of you may be BP2 undiagnosed

why?

1. it is the illness most commonly misdiagnosed as depression. ON AVERAGE IT TAKES 15 YEARS FOR SOMEONE WITH BP2 TO BE DIAGNOSED!
2. as above, people see their gp, he doesnt know much about BP2, he gives them ADs, they presume they have depression and try to live with it

By now you may be thinking, hey this could be me, how do I get my hands on it?

Firstly, TREAT ME LIKE ANYONE ELSE WHO GIVES INFO ON THE INTERNET IE with a massive pinch of salt

Your doctor will be resistant to giving you it. It is relatively novel and is called a `3rd line` `treatment` normally given only to those who have been hospitalised.

My route was that, on holiday abroad I went to a doctor who prescribed it. back in england I told my gp.

even though gps might not be happy to commence the medication themselves, they are happy to continue it if you are having no side effects.

Lamotrigine is not only effective for BP2, but also severe depression.

Here is a link below. As you can see there are controversies over its effectiveness, which is the nature of all novel drugs.

http://psycheducation.org/depression/meds/lamotrigine.htm

So there we are. My little story. I have regained pleasure in sex, began to write short stories, and landed a very well paid job.

But I am not cured. Nor am I saying for sure that it will work for any of you.

AS I SAID EARLIER, do the research, research your own life experience with mental illness, make notes and put them in a letter to your doctor.

I was able to present my doctor with a fait accompli as I had been prescribed them by a doctor abroad on holiday, (probably not the best way to go about it).

I do not have SAD, but I will pop in for another week or so to answer questions.

Good luck to us all on our difficult journeys.

sorry again

BP1 = Bipolar type 1
BP2 = Bipolar type 2