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pacman_789
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Default Feb 10, 2020 at 07:05 PM
  #1
So, after trying several mood stabilizers (Lithium, Lamictal, and Depakote) as well as some antipsychotics (Abilify, Seroquel, and Vraylar), I’m noticing a pattern. Every one of them impairs my cognitive abilities, and I keep having to choose between the personal benefit vs. the negative effect on my work.

I guess they do what they are supposed to by slowing my mind down, but I really struggle with staying motivated, multitasking, and responding to interruptions. I get extremely edgy over the slightest noise and get so angry if something doesn’t go my way or if I’m interrupted. It’s like I have no stress tolerance anymore.

What do you do when the treatment causes more problems than it solves? Anyone taken a medicine for bipolar 2 that doesn’t cause those issues? It may just be the way my body responds to the medicine.
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Default Feb 10, 2020 at 09:05 PM
  #2
I am currently on several of those you mention. I have never had any of the cognitive issues you describe, sorry. I do note that I don't laugh nearly as much as I used to, which is unpleasant, but I spend a lot of time psychotic when symptomatic and that is just not tolerable, so I don't really mind that much.

I really hope you can find a combo that works for you!!!!!

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Default Feb 18, 2020 at 07:38 PM
  #3
Quote:
Originally Posted by pacman_789 View Post
So, after trying several mood stabilizers (Lithium, Lamictal, and Depakote) as well as some antipsychotics (Abilify, Seroquel, and Vraylar), I’m noticing a pattern. Every one of them impairs my cognitive abilities, and I keep having to choose between the personal benefit vs. the negative effect on my work.

I guess they do what they are supposed to by slowing my mind down, but I really struggle with staying motivated, multitasking, and responding to interruptions. I get extremely edgy over the slightest noise and get so angry if something doesn’t go my way or if I’m interrupted. It’s like I have no stress tolerance anymore.

What do you do when the treatment causes more problems than it solves? Anyone taken a medicine for bipolar 2 that doesn’t cause those issues? It may just be the way my body responds to the medicine.

A mood stabilizer should help you stabilize so you are not constantly on edge, irritable, angry, and so on. To me, mood stabilizers don't slow the brain down, they create a more balanced state of mind.

I could be entirely incorrect, but my first thought is that it sounds like maybe you needed a higher dose of the meds you were on. The reason I'm saying that is because it sounds like the dose you were on wasn't effective enough to do the job. Just a thought.

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Default Feb 19, 2020 at 03:32 AM
  #4
If I had to guess I would say the antipsychotics are more to blame than the mood stabilizer. As far as meds go they tend to be more sedating.

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Default Feb 20, 2020 at 03:16 AM
  #5
What is the problem symptoms that Bipolar is giving you ?? Totally off meds what’s your struggles ?

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Default Mar 10, 2020 at 10:43 AM
  #6
I've had issues with cognitive changes on both Lithium and Depakote. I think it's fairly common, and also one of the main reasons that people stop their medications. They feel dulled and like they're not as creative, organized, fast thinking, etc. But at the same time too we have to be careful, because we're not always the best at evaluating our own thinking and behavior. I found for me that yes the medications do take away some of the creativity but they also help me stay more creative long term in actually following through on things. Depakote caused more of a fog that Lithium did. Lamictal doesn't cause a fog at all. Latuda also helps organize my thoughts. I was on Wellbutrin too which helped with focus before I switched to a different medication. I think it's about finding the right medicines and the right doses for you, but also deciding if the side effects of getting treatment outweigh the side effects of not getting treatment. For me, the answer is that the meds are worth it.
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Default Mar 13, 2020 at 01:59 PM
  #7
Thanks all for the replies. Sorry for the delay as there was a gap between replies and I didn't come back to check it again. I am on Tegretol (carbamazepine) now for the first time (going on 3 weeks now), and it's becoming clearer to me the issues I'm having. My mood doesn't cycle as rapidly as it did before, and I'm less irritable and easier to get along with. That said, I feel an anger that I haven't felt when I was not on meds, and it seems to me that it's just a general anger due to not being able to get excited or feel fulfillment from my work or pleasurable activities. I'm angry at other people who are happier than me, envious of others, etc.

Regarding cognitive function, I feel more forgetful and less confident in myself at work. I think that's causing me to feel a sense of urgency about everything (e.g., i've got to reply to this email now because if I don't, I'll forget about it). That probably also explains my edginess because it's so hard for me to stay focused to finish a task, so when I get interrupted, I'm really edgy about it b/c i can only do one thing at a time.

Beth, you mentioned that maybe my dose was too low, and I gave that some serious thought b/c my doctor had mentioned that before too as a possibility. It's hard sometimes to differentiate the anger I feel now from a hypomanic episode, but it's becoming clearer to me now that the anger I have when hypomanic is more of an irritability if things don't go my way, but otherwise i'm in a pretty elevated mood. I can shift that quickly. Contrast that with this anger that is for no reason, and there is no excitement or happiness, just a general flat feeling that doesn't fluctuate a lot but lacks general feeling.
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