
emski
Well-known member
Hi everyone,
Nice to find this place
I was diagnosed with Bipolar II in Feb 2008 after a four week stay in hospital following a low period followed by a very high one. I have been treated for depression for about ten years (I'm 26 now) and have always felt very high and low periods in my life. My childhood was difficult, my father is an alcoholic and I was a very emotional and troubled kid. Despite my troubled childhood I've gone on to somehow excel in school, uni and work, yet found myself very depressed this last year with serious sleep and mood disturbances and having to take a long break from work.
However, in Jan this year I began to experience an elevated mood that lasted about six weeks until my admission to hospital in mid Feb. I drank to try and sleep (because it was impossible) and ended up taking pills/coke/amphetamine to try and continue my highs and escape from the insomnia and waking dreams (I got to the point where I didn't want to sleep becaue it was too frightening). I've had CBT, 1:1, and group psychothearpy. I was initially prescribed quetiapine and escitalopram by my psychiatrist, but couldn't tolerate the nausea and increase in already terrible anxiey by the escitalopram, nor the 'druged-up-ness' and associated low blood pressure and fainting from the quetiapine. I'm now on Depakote and mirtazipine - I think the Depakote is doing well to stabilise my highs, though I feel that the mirtazipine doesn't quite get there in levelling out my lows... I've been on it 3 months now...
Can any other bipolar sufferer advise as to an antidepressant used in conjunction with Depakote that has had better results?
Nice to find this place

I was diagnosed with Bipolar II in Feb 2008 after a four week stay in hospital following a low period followed by a very high one. I have been treated for depression for about ten years (I'm 26 now) and have always felt very high and low periods in my life. My childhood was difficult, my father is an alcoholic and I was a very emotional and troubled kid. Despite my troubled childhood I've gone on to somehow excel in school, uni and work, yet found myself very depressed this last year with serious sleep and mood disturbances and having to take a long break from work.
However, in Jan this year I began to experience an elevated mood that lasted about six weeks until my admission to hospital in mid Feb. I drank to try and sleep (because it was impossible) and ended up taking pills/coke/amphetamine to try and continue my highs and escape from the insomnia and waking dreams (I got to the point where I didn't want to sleep becaue it was too frightening). I've had CBT, 1:1, and group psychothearpy. I was initially prescribed quetiapine and escitalopram by my psychiatrist, but couldn't tolerate the nausea and increase in already terrible anxiey by the escitalopram, nor the 'druged-up-ness' and associated low blood pressure and fainting from the quetiapine. I'm now on Depakote and mirtazipine - I think the Depakote is doing well to stabilise my highs, though I feel that the mirtazipine doesn't quite get there in levelling out my lows... I've been on it 3 months now...
Can any other bipolar sufferer advise as to an antidepressant used in conjunction with Depakote that has had better results?