I asked my husband, Maurice, to think back to before I was taking meds. We both remember the trial and error period when my pdoc and I were trying to find the right combination for me. Some of the meds had some pretty wacky side effects. In fact, one of them made me attack Maurice. […]
I’m going to break my rule again today and talk about meds openly. I’m doing so because saying Med1 does this and Med2 does this, would get too confusing. Primarily I’ll talk about Abilify. I’ve been taking it for years and have been happy with it. There are many reasons for taking Abilify, but I […]
I take 6 pills every day for my bipolar disorder. That may sound like a lot to some of you and for some of you it may sound next to nothing. I have friends who take well over a dozen pills each day. What meds do they take? I’m not going to tell you. What […]
This Throwback was originally posted in January 2014 The second most lucrative drugs sold in the United States are those used to treat depression. (Drugs to prevent heart disease are first.) Abilify, an antipsychotic and antidepressant, is the 4th largest selling drug in the U.S. with 5.2 billion in sales. I regularly take Abilify, but […]
The Problem I struggle with memories. Actually, it’s worse than that. My memory sucks. Oh, you’re probably thinking, well sure, my memory sucks too. Now, I’m not trying to one-up you, but unless you are taking some kind of medication or have a health problem, I’m probably out-doing you. Three of the six meds that […]
Thinking back about ten years ago two things come to mind. First, was meeting Maurice, the man I look forward to spending the rest of my life with. The second thing is not pleasant. It was right after I met Maurice that my life spiraled downwards. Looking back at my life I can clearly see […]
Brain Molecules Could Help Predict Treatment Levels of a small brain molecules found only in humans and in other primates are lower in the brains of depressed individuals, according to researchers at McGill University and the Douglas Institute in Canada. This discovery may hold a key to improving treatment options for those who suffer from […]
Having attended numerous depression and bipolar support group meetings, I have heard one complaint from new people over and over again – weight gain. When the new person timidly asks if anyone else has experienced weight gain, the usual response is a lot of stifled laughter as nearly every person in the room raises a […]
This may not be news to many of you because the report came out a couple of weeks ago, but scientists have found two new gene regions that are connected with bipolar disorder. To put it simply, Scientists have shown further evidence that bipolar is a genetic trait and this could mean much, much more. […]
Earlier this year I swore I was going to average a weight loss of one pound a week. I’m struggling. Much to my dismay it’s time for a weight loss update…or lack thereof. Because many bipolar meds simultaneously reduce metabolism and increase hunger, weight gain can be a serious, unfortunate side effect. I try to […]