Medication
I have had a few people ask me about medication, so I have dedicated this blog to the ins and outs of my medication. In short, I am for medication. However, taking medication is a much more complicated answer than yes or no.
For me, taking medication was never a question. I saw how much I was hurting my family through my behavior, and felt it would be a selfish choice to go without. However, though I feel I am still a beginner at this whole bipolar universe (I was initially diagnosed about 4 years ago), I have learned about a few reasons why people choose not to medicate. The first reason is trying to live without emotion. Bipolar gives you a range of emotion that many cannot understand. Some medication seems to completely take away that emotion, and you’re left feeling numb and robotic. However, I don’t feel that all medication gives this reaction. The second reason I have learned about is having a bad reaction to a medication, and being scared out of trying different meds.
Whatever the reason for not taking medication, it’s important to note that everyone experiences bipolar differently. There are also varying degrees to which the disease manifests itself. When I was diagnosed, I was told that I had a mild form of bipolar. I guess there are people who have an even milder form than I do, which enable them to manage bipolar without medication.
Medication for some can be a scary avenue. It can give countless side effects that are scary and undesirable. But I still feel that with the help of the right psychiatrist, a medication can be found with little side effects and can help you manage your bipolar. I’ve been through a number of different medications, and felt like many of them didn’t even work (although it’s hard to tell due the unpredictable nature of the disorder.). But I think we may have found a drug that has helped me stay stable.
It’s called Lithium. By my understanding, it’s one of the most widely used maintenance drugs for bipolar. I’m also currently taking Geodon, which is also a maintenance drug. Taken together, they keep me from hiking too much into mania or dipping too low into depression. Unfortunately, they have their fair share of side effects. I have to drink a lot of water so I don’t have to go through kidney dialysis later in life. I have to pee a lot. I can’t take a lot of fiber, because it makes me get diarrhea. (I know- like you really wanted to know that, right? I’m just being honest here.) And I just learned that Lithium specifically might be responsible for my frequent brain farts, too. I’ve been having a hard time remembering things, and also have poor concentration. It’s pretty frustrating- so I’ll be talking to my psychiatrist about this particular issue the next time I see him. Maybe there’s another drug to combat it. Because so far, I think the Lithium is doing a good job at keeping me stable.
There was another drug that I tried that I really liked. It’s called Latuda. It was just approved by the FDA to be used for bipolar depression. I felt a difference almost right away. I felt calm and in control. Unfortunately, because it was so recently accepted by the FDA, insurance won’t cover it. For a month’s worth of the drug, it was over $500. We tried appealing to the insurance company to cover more of the drug, since it apparently worked so well for me. Unfortunately, we were turned down. So, until there’s a generic form, or our insurance company is comfortable covering this drug, I have to make do with something else. Bummer.
Commonly used are other mood stabilizers and antidepressants, anticonvulsants, antipsychotics, and benzodiazephines- or central nervous system depressants. A lot of these medications work on your brain to slow down your brain function- since a bipolar brain is a hyperactive one. I’ve tried drugs in each of these classifications. Unfortunately, I didn’t do a very good job at keeping track of which was which and what my reactions were to the drugs. I wish I had- I’d have a much better understanding now of what the drugs actually were doing to me and for me.
The thing to remember about medication is that it doesn’t take away the bipolar. It can’t “fix it”. Medication can only make bipolar a little more manageable.
So, my philosophy on treating bipolar is this: take the best of every treatment avenue, and combine it to find a happy balance that works for you.Find a good psychiatrist to help you find the right medications.Find a good therapist.Learn other management techniques that work for you (I’ll discuss these next time.)
Know that Bipolar is manageable. It only takes desire and discipline. It’s hard, but it’s totally doable. Medication, in my opinion, is a large piece of the managing bipolar puzzle. When used appropriately, it helps one become whole.