Bipolar, meds and affect

lwebstar · 06-26-2008, 10:56 PM

I am wondering about other people's experiences with mood stabilizers and the way they make you feel. Does anyone else feel emotional blunting while on medications? I've heard other people with bipolar disorder claim this but I find that professional information sources and professionals themselves claim it doesn't exist. I was researching right now and I couldn't find a single piece of information on this phenomena. I am a psychiatric nursing student and I've never heard anything mentioned about this either. Yet I feel it everyday and have since I begun treatment 5 years ago. I used to have such intense emotions. Now I feel unmotivated, lethargic and unable to be happy almost all the time. I'm not depressed. I'm in fact very stable and have been for 3 years. But I still have this constant blah feeling that never goes away. I want to feel again. So after researching this without success today I thought I'd ask if anyone else knew about this, experienced it, etc?

For medications, I am on 300mg Lamictal (which is my miracle lifesaving drug regardless of any emotional blunting) and 1mg haloperidol. Also I take zopiclone and melatonin for sleep. I've tried many many other mood stabilizers without success prior to this including Valproate, Lithium and Carbamazepine. I've tried Seroquel and Risperidone as well. I've tried Zoloft, Celexa and Effexor. Anti-depressants tend to make me manic so I don't take them anymore.

Bethann · 06-27-2008, 11:41 AM

Haldol is well known to cause a blunting effect. My doctor says that definitly can occur on mood stabilizers (this was my biggest fear that prevented me from taking them), but said it's not an acceptable side effect and that if that happened, we'd switch meds.

I did have that problem the first time I took Seroquel, but now that it's paired with Lamictal, I don't have it.

ivetastedflight · 06-27-2008, 02:09 PM

I take 400mg Lamictal, in conjunction with 450mg Wellbutrin (and Klonopin and Ambien), and I have to say that as long as I remember to take the crap, I'm fine. I do go manic on an antidepressant alone, but with the stabilizer, I'm good to go.

I do not believe in the whole: "I'm not going to take meds! They make me a ZOMBIE!" I think that is BS and just another way for people who are sick to reject meds, and it is socially acceptable to do it this way, just based on the stigma of psych meds.

I just want to shout out at those people, "If you feel like a zombie, you are either taking the wrong med, the wrong dose, or both! Don't give up!"

Don't get me wrong, I've been on a lot of meds, and have felt and done a lot of things based on their effects, but I kept trying and I found something that is currently (and has been for 4 years) effective. I laugh and cry often (and in healthy ways!), I get confused and think clearly often, too. The main thing is that I have something to live for and want to live for it, whereas before, I had something to live for and just didn't want to.

In addition, Haldol is kind of an older drug, and "they" have since created more effective drugs with less side effects. I know that Geodon helped me for a long time.

Good luck, Lindsey.

Sarrah · 07-01-2008, 03:32 AM

See the post I have just posted about Zoloft.
I think I may have Bipolar 2 but have been taking Zoloft since age 25 and am now 34, and looking back has definately made me go into hypomania - I didn't know back then but do now.

Talking a lot, too much
More outgoing
INappropriately laughing
Spending too much money I don't have on things I dont need. Luxury items
amassing great credit card debt.
Choosing very inappropriate partners and thinking its love.

Weird stuff like that... I am thinking I may actually have bipolar but dreading Lamictal or Lithimum as I've heard its toxic and can blunt you out.

I just want to be normal. Sometimes I regret ever taking Zoloft. I am trying to wean myself off it and this week I am only on 25mgs.. will see how I go.....

pal · 07-01-2008, 04:48 AM

For me it was a dose thing...once I got the dose right I feel totally fine. Stable but still able to feel. When I'm unstable the intensity of the emotion is too much (either up or down) and my emotions change constantly with no relation to outside events.

I have a (very personal) theory that PCOS bi-polar may not be identical to other bi-polar. I don't think I cycle like "regular" bi-polar. My ups and downs seem really related to what I eat and my hormones. I'm waiting for the science to catch up with what I know from my own body!

In any case, each person is different and only you, with your doctor's help, can figure out what the best treatment combo for you is going to be...drugs, dose, alternative methods, etc. It's a bit of a guessing game and (intelligent) trial and error. Don't they teach that in nursing school? Keep at it til you find what works for you.

skeeweeaka · 07-02-2008, 02:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lwebstar

I am wondering about other people's experiences with mood stabilizers and the way they make you feel. Does anyone else feel emotional blunting while on medications? I've heard other people with bipolar disorder claim this but I find that professional information sources and professionals themselves claim it doesn't exist. I was researching right now and I couldn't find a single piece of information on this phenomena. I am a psychiatric nursing student and I've never heard anything mentioned about this either. Yet I feel it everyday and have since I begun treatment 5 years ago. I used to have such intense emotions. Now I feel unmotivated, lethargic and unable to be happy almost all the time. I'm not depressed. I'm in fact very stable and have been for 3 years. But I still have this constant blah feeling that never goes away. I want to feel again. So after researching this without success today I thought I'd ask if anyone else knew about this, experienced it, etc?

For medications, I am on 300mg Lamictal (which is my miracle lifesaving drug regardless of any emotional blunting) and 1mg haloperidol. Also I take zopiclone and melatonin for sleep. I've tried many many other mood stabilizers without success prior to this including Valproate, Lithium and Carbamazepine. I've tried Seroquel and Risperidone as well. I've tried Zoloft, Celexa and Effexor. Anti-depressants tend to make me manic so I don't take them anymore.

Emotional blunting is a fact IMHO, something that I have felt on most medications.... Mostly, because they consider me medication resistant.... On antidepressants I am manic....with mood stabilizers I am a zombie...and have tried everything... It has been my experience that physicians tend to down play the side effects as not to alarm the patient, some patient's are extra sensitive and some are not... For example, on Wellbrutin it caused me to have seizures...as well as mania... I now take seizure meds on a regular basis and my therapist says she has several patients that had seizures while on Wellbrutrin...it just depends unfortunately...

TJ

lwebstar · 07-02-2008, 02:44 AM

I do know that meds are a trial and error. I know it more from personal experience than from my nursing training actually. I think I know far more about psychiatry from my own personal experience than my psychiatric nursing training in fact, but I'm only half way through. I think you learn more in the workforce than in school actually.

Anyways, as for being on haldol, I know it's not the reason I feel emotionally blunted because I've been bad in the past and have gone of it for a few months and felt no different. I'm on it for paranoia. When my psychiatrist first suggested it after I had gone off my seroquel by myself because it made me mentally dulled I was like "it's old!" But she said there were new studies of using low dose haldol with bipolar patients that were successful. And it did get rid of the paranoia and little side effects. I had akathisia at first but it went away.

I think the lamictal thing is a dosage issue. It really is my miracle drug because I'd tried so many and nothing worked and then lamictal slowly stabilized me over a year period. it really took that long to have a real effect but I was totally stable and have been for the last three years. But over the years I've gone up 25mg at a time whenever I have stressful times and feel myself getting depressed. And it really helps me cope with the stress and depression when my dosage goes up that 25mg. But I don't think it's necessary to stay on that increased dose and that's what I've been doing. So now I'm up to 300mg which I've discovered is quite a high dose. 200mg is usually the highest therapeutic dose from the readings I've done on it recently. So I think that its the dosage that is causing me this emotional blunting. I am thinking if start lessening it by 25mg every few months, it might be better. I shall talk to my psychiatrist about it at the end of July when I see her.

The other day I was just really frustrated with the way I was feeling so I just needed to rant about it. I think I'm far better off the way I am than being on no meds. Both as someone with bipolar disorder and someone in psychiatric nursing I think meds are super important and you just have to find the right ones and right dosage. I have the right med but I think its the wrong dose. It's just so frustrating though. I mean if I had energy and motivation and happiness, I think I could be doing so much better in life, I could make more effort to make myself physically healthy. I spent so much time on mental health the last few years that I never bothered with physical health. And with PCOS, obviously its important to work on physical health too. I just want to have more energy and be more motivated in life and not think it's pointless and feel so blah about life. I try to change the way I feel but it's like I can't get out of this lethargic apathy much of the time. I'm working hard on making my life good but nonetheless, it would be nice if I could enjoy it too.

thincyster85 · 07-10-2008, 01:48 PM

Sounds like all that drugs I've taken as well, at one point. I heard the blunting is a big deal with Lithium but at a high dose I haven't experienced it. I only have had the blunting with one drug- Seroquel- it made me feel blah and like a walking zombie- but probably since I wasn't taking something for the downside.

skeeweeaka · 07-10-2008, 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lwebstar

I do know that meds are a trial and error. I know it more from personal experience than from my nursing training actually. I think I know far more about psychiatry from my own personal experience than my psychiatric nursing training in fact, but I'm only half way through. I think you learn more in the workforce than in school actually.

Anyways, as for being on haldol, I know it's not the reason I feel emotionally blunted because I've been bad in the past and have gone of it for a few months and felt no different. I'm on it for paranoia. When my psychiatrist first suggested it after I had gone off my seroquel by myself because it made me mentally dulled I was like "it's old!" But she said there were new studies of using low dose haldol with bipolar patients that were successful. And it did get rid of the paranoia and little side effects. I had akathisia at first but it went away.

I think the lamictal thing is a dosage issue. It really is my miracle drug because I'd tried so many and nothing worked and then lamictal slowly stabilized me over a year period. it really took that long to have a real effect but I was totally stable and have been for the last three years. But over the years I've gone up 25mg at a time whenever I have stressful times and feel myself getting depressed. And it really helps me cope with the stress and depression when my dosage goes up that 25mg. But I don't think it's necessary to stay on that increased dose and that's what I've been doing. So now I'm up to 300mg which I've discovered is quite a high dose. 200mg is usually the highest therapeutic dose from the readings I've done on it recently. So I think that its the dosage that is causing me this emotional blunting. I am thinking if start lessening it by 25mg every few months, it might be better. I shall talk to my psychiatrist about it at the end of July when I see her.

The other day I was just really frustrated with the way I was feeling so I just needed to rant about it. I think I'm far better off the way I am than being on no meds. Both as someone with bipolar disorder and someone in psychiatric nursing I think meds are super important and you just have to find the right ones and right dosage. I have the right med but I think its the wrong dose. It's just so frustrating though. I mean if I had energy and motivation and happiness, I think I could be doing so much better in life, I could make more effort to make myself physically healthy. I spent so much time on mental health the last few years that I never bothered with physical health. And with PCOS, obviously its important to work on physical health too. I just want to have more energy and be more motivated in life and not think it's pointless and feel so blah about life. I try to change the way I feel but it's like I can't get out of this lethargic apathy much of the time. I'm working hard on making my life good but nonetheless, it would be nice if I could enjoy it too.

Wow being a psych nurse you will be able to see all aspects of the illness... It is frustrating because we do want to enjoy life and not just get through it...at least I do... But for me, I am always just barely hanging on by a thread.... Haldol sounds interesting, that is one I haven't been on is it a mood stabilizer... Antidepressants cause me to become manic and with mania I spend, spend, spend....and with Visa I don't have to go out of the house for that since I have the internet...a dangerous combination! I'm personally at the point where I refuse the meds because they have had such disastrous affects on me and my life...they do nothing for the illness so why use them.... I do, however, see my tdoc once a week and my pdoc every six weeks...

TJ :rheart:

intensity_too · 08-02-2008, 06:14 AM

I had this emotional blunting on many mood stabilizers . . . Lamictal, Lithium, Depakote, Seroquel and a few others.

My doctor finally tried Geodon, which is technically classified as an antipsychotic, but it has been heaven for me! Totally controls the mania, but allows me to feel and be emotional like a normal person. I also take Effexor and Wellbutrin to control my depression.

atcbabe1 · 08-09-2008, 02:13 PM

i to have had the blunting effect and try many diffrent mood stablizers. i know i run more on the depressed side of things so the mood stableizers 90% of the time flat line me more then do any good. it was hard finding a set of meds that work well for me and due to that have been off of them compleatly for 3 or 4 years. i know i can do better on them but finding a set that works well is such a pain that i can bring myself to do it.