Posted by SLS on July 12, 2000, at 0:22:48
In reply to Re: Cogentin and TD, posted by CynthiaM. on July 11, 2000, at 18:52:45
Cynthia (pretty name) -
Just a quickie before I go to bed.
> I do feel like I am slamming into mania and I am not certain how to hit the brakes. Maybe if I just keep cleaning? Any thoughts?
Yes. Come over and clean my house to see if that helps any.
I hope someone else jumps in here. Perhaps there is something going on for which a simple diagnosis of bipolar disorder doesn't explain. Is there any family history of bipolar disorder, ADD, or other similar malady? How old were you when you first became ill? Was your first episode mania or depression? When did you first begin rapid-cycling? How often do you cycle?
In which order do your episodes occur?
1. normal -> mania -> depression -> normal
2. normal -> depression -> mania -> normal
3. mania -> depression -> mania -> depression
4. otherI ask lots of questions, I know.
I am suspicious of both thyroid and estrogen. When did you begin taking them, and when did you start rapid-cycling?
If you are bipolar I, I think you should remain on lithium since it doesn't seem to hurt you any. It can make a good base around which to add other mood stabilizers or antimanic agents. Like I said, rapid-cyclicity can take 6 months or longer to improve from the time you establish the right combination at the right dosages. It does not resolve all at once. The cycles may change slowly. They will hopefully become spaced further apart, with the episodes being of shorter duration and decreasing severity. The folks at the NIH like Tegretol, but they almost always combine it with lithium, and often a third drug like Depakote, Lamictal, or Neurontin.
I hope I was clear in stating that Cogentin is used to treat the extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) that appear early in treatment with neuroleptic antipsychotics. These symptoms are not tardive dyskinisia. The newer "atypical" neuroleptics (Zyprexa, Risperdal, Seroquel, and Clozapine) are not as likely to produce TD as the older ones.
Did your tremors begin immediately after starting Tegretol?
I wish I knew how to get us both well.
I'll keep the front door unlocked.
Good night.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:40059
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000708/msgs/40146.html