Down a little recently

I have not posted in a while.  Don’t know why. 

Moving up to 1500 mgs of Depakote ER didn’t work for me.  I think it wasn’t mixing well with the additional blood pressure meds they put me on.  I couldn’t get out of bed because I was so sleepy!

I was really down about the blood pressure issue for a couple of days,  but everything is looking up now except for the sex life.  

Still, life is better than it was four to six months ago. 

Fibroymyaliga is doing well.  I was a little stiff this morning because Spring in the midwestern U.S. has been getting hit with a cold wave.  Snow flurries in the air today.

Life in the Bipolar Lane

Not quite two montsh on Depakote and life remains good.  I’ve had a few ups and downs along the way, but nothing like I was having without the medication.   Is this to be expected with Bipolar? 

When do you sense a crash is coming on?  Will it be gradual or bang?  I’m new to this world.  Help me out, please.

Pollen Sucks in Bipolar Disorder

   Pollen Sucks.

   In my neck of the woods, Spring has sprung and everything is beginning to bloom.  Every morning I wake up with my nose running.  For a person with chronic health problems that really sucks!

    I go to bed with my nose congested.  Makes life hard when you have sleep apnea and you depend on a cpap machine for sound sleep.   Sleep, or the lack of it, is one of my triggers in by rapid cycling of my atypical bipolar disorder.  

    In addtion, if I don’t sleep there’s not only bipolar, but the fybromyalgia flares up. 

    I can’t seem to find any over the counter antihistamines that won’t collide with my other meds.

   

Hit Bottom and Bounced

   I know to expect odd times with manic depression and in particular, rapid-cycling after going on the proper meds.  Yesterday was one of those days.  The odd thing about the depression part of it, I didn’t hit rock bottom as I’ve done the last few years.  It was like a soft bounce to the a different blow and then back up again.  Has anyone ever experienced that before? 

    I’m finding my obsessive-compulsiveness is an obvious trigger in my moods.  Again, it appears Zoloft and Depakote are my rescuers at this point.

My Life Has Changed in Under Three Weeks

It appears my blood pressure may be under control after being 165/100 most of last week.  With added medication, it was down to 130/80 Saturday. 

Mood-wise I’ve been feeling great.  Physically it has not been the greatest.  The doc took me off Mobic for the fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis because of it not mixing well with Depakote.

I go to my family physician today and hopefully she will be able to prescibe something new. 

My wife has noticed a major change in how I act.   She keeps saying, “welcome back.”  It has been a long four years since the derailment of my life because of Post Traumtic Stress Disorder.  I just kept getting more depressed and it was a struggle for me to get through the day.  I was having “ups” but they were happening in short bursts and always seemed to result in me sinking to a new low.  

I now believe I’m on the right path….giving life a whole new meaning! 

After 15 Days on Depakote for Bipolar Disorder-Atypical

  I’ve been on Depakote ER for 15 days.  My wife says I’m back to normal (whatever that means).

  My bouts with depression  up until 2003 were never severe or did they take away from ability to earn a living.  But everything changed when a tornado lifted my vehicle off the ground.  I was diagnosed with PTSD and never recovered.  Emotionally, I was in quick sand and going under.  My ability to work ceased.  My body hurt from Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatique.

  My family doctor was treating my depression and working with a psychologist.  It wasn’t until a visit with a practing psychiatric nurse led to the Bipolar Disorder–Atypical diagnosis.  She had me on Zoloft for the OC and added the depakote.   As I mentioned earlier, my life has changed for the better.

      Still, I’m afraid to come out of the closet on my diagnosis.  My psychiatric nurse says 50-percent of the people already have you classified when you say BP.  The other 50-percent won’t understand or accept it.  To me, that means I’m screwed.