A Bipolar Disorder Update

I’ve written about my bipolar disorder before. Initially, I wrote to point out Why Bipolar Disorder Patients Don’t Take Medicine. Then, I wrote Living with Bipolar Disorder: Is It Just Me? And now, I update with more pharmaceutical detail.

I offer this quick synopsis of the situation thus far: About a year ago, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder by my family physician. He told me at that time that he was reluctant to prescribe any medication for the disorder but he felt compelled. I understood, started taking Geodon, and ended with a nice and toasty nervous breakdown that made me afraid to ever take any mood stabilizer ever. Ever.

But I did. The next one was lithium carbonate. I waited at least a month before I started taking it. And Lithium was good for almost a whole year.

Fast forward to a few months ago. I was (and am) so apathetic that it’s not often that I leave the house. While I’ve actually enjoyed this, it’s improved. My favorite thing in the world now is to lie in bed when I don’t have to be standing up or sitting at the computer for some dumb reason. I want the remote control on the right and Mixie on my left with her spine in alignment with mine. My pillows remind me of the joy of my present existence.

Lithium makes my face sweat and I know that I am soon to replace the drug. It’s an odd sweat. It doesn’t stink like armpit stink, where-have-my-hands-been stink, or puked-into-gym-sock stink. It’s chemical. It’s weird.

I’m not keeping up with my blogs. When the telephone rings, I hope it’s not for me.

I think my favorite part of all of this is the friend who tells me to “just get out of the house.” She’s a wonderful person. And she doesn’t understand bipolar disorder. It would be nice if I could get everyone in the land educated. Is there such an e-mail address? Maybe everyoneintheworld@ hotmail.com?

Dr. No-No (my psychiatrist) is changing my Lithium after having read my last bipolar article. She was going to wait to change it pending further physical studies. I don’t blame her; of course I don’t. She’s awesome. It’s just hard to medicate us. Very slowly, I am being weaned off of Lithium and will soon be taking Seroquel XR. It seems like I’ve heard some frightening stuff about Seroquel. But if it works for me without frightening side effects, then it will be a very good thing indeed. I have to have my blood tested somewhat frequently because of the Lithium. I’ll miss that, and who wouldn’t?

In regard to bipolar disorder, I’ve now written about the pain and difficulty of trying to get the correct medication, what it’s like to be bipolar, and a pharmaceutical update. How will my next installment read? Even I do not know.