Bipolar Support Group

So I was just taken off of Lithium, as it did not agree with me. I was on it for about 8 months and dealt with many negative side effects. It did stabalize my moods, there was no doubt in that, I just couldn't live with the side effects.

So the doc gave me another medication called Saphris. I specifically asked him for a weight neutral medication like Lamictal, Tegretol, Topamax, etc. He said Saphris was weight neutral. I go home and do some research, only to find it is not wieght neutral and has a similar reputation to Seroquel!!! Which I have had bad experience with.....

I refused to take the meds and called and told his secretary so. He has not gotten back to me and I feel like I've been lied to and I don't appreciate it. I feel like he's just trying to push the greatest and latest drug on me, so that he can get paid.

So I'm currently on Prozac and Wellbutrin and no mood stabilizer. My wife is worried, but I refuse to take Saphris.....

How long have you been trying to call? I ask bc I was just having serious frustration at not having my calls returned for a week and found out the reason was my new nurse practioner only works on Tuesdays and Thursdays and hadn't even gotten my messages yet.

You must be beside yourself. I hope this gets taken care of soon and you feel better.

Oh and welcome. Do be careful. I am no doctor but bipolars on anti-depressants without mood stabilizers can go into mania.

Is there an emergency number for your doctor in case they are just not in office like mine wasn't? (I had an emergency answering service to call, i didn't use it because I was not in an emergency, just trying to get a schedule thing taken care of)

I've heard that Saphris was OK weight wise. I don't take it, so I can't give you a first hand testimony though.

I agree with your wife that it isn't safe for a bipolar person to be just on antidepressants. Are you sure you can't take Saphris until your next appointment?

I'm a big fan of Tegretol and can vouch for it being weight neutral. I also take a touch of Lamictal and have always found that weight neutral as well. Both are generic, so both are cheap.

Welcome to the group, Izzy! I currently take Abilify and have had no problem with weight gain, but if you research it, it shows weight gain, too. We all respond differently to medications and I know others have gained weight on Abilify. It just doesn't have that side effect for me. The point being Saphris may not cause you to gain weight and you won't know without trying it. I am not recommending either way, this is just an opinion. I truly hope you get a call back soon. I would be upset if my pdoc (psychiatrist) did not return my call the same day.

I know how you feel: my pdoc usually does not return calls either; the clinic staff usually don't even answer the phone, they just let it go to voicemail. And my doc tried to push Saphris on me too but I take Geodon and you're not supposed to take them together--there's warnings on both medications specifically not to do so. So I didn't take the Saphris and called my doc countless times and finally got a call back in which he actually scolded me for reading the warning label. I know people do take both meds together but I don't want to take that risk.

When I saw him in person I got another lecture and he told me he refused to put me on any other med (because the Geodon isn't working) than Saphris, but I'd only do that if I stopped Geodon entirely and when I try, with his supervision, I have bad withdrawal symptoms and I'm manic right now anyway.

So my non-expert advice to you is 1) be polite but call often, because eventually you'll get through (this works for me, it's about six or seven calls for every reply), and 2) maybe look for a different doc, though that can be a crapshoot so take both pieces of advice with a grain of salt.

Yeah, mine takes 3-4 days to return my call, and it's usually while he's driving home. What's worse in my case, he has two different phone lines with voice mail: One for regular use, and one for "urgent matters" and emergencies. In the midst of it all I have to sit there and think if my problems are urgent or an emergency. Is it relative? I know I'm suffering, but monkeys aren't swarming out of the sky, maggots aren't eating my skin . . . I've left a few messages on this line, and the return time was the same -- leading me to believe that my "urgency" and "emergencies" are of low priority vs. his other clients' hell. He doesn't take my version of hell and suffering into consideration. I hate these two seperate phone lines! When suffering, who wants to sit there are analyze whether you think it's an emergency vs. whether it's an "actual" emergency, as interpreted by my pdoc. Shyeahhhhhh . . . .

I get a call within 24 hours from my regular psychiatrist. I'm really lucky. He listens to me and takes my suggestions into consideration too. I've suggested many things and we've tried them. Some worked, some didn't. You might want to look into getting a new psychiatrist. I would be worried about taking two antidepressants without a mood stabilizer. Your wife has reason to worry. I would make a decision and take either or until something is resolved. If you don't you'll also go through withdrawal and Geodon withdrawal is nasty. Welcome to the group! It's awesome here and I hope you like it!

Yes, I have tried calling multiple time and will continue to call him. I just don't like the idea of using a new drug, A) cost I feel like the doc isn't listening to me. Now my whole family is constantly asking me if I'm ok all the time..... I feel like I'm a zoo animal and everyone is on the other side of the fence just waiting for something to happen...

My mother and I are both bipolar and live together so we "get" it; sorry you don't have relatives who are more understanding. Obviously they care or they wouldn't ask but it must bug you. One thing I don't get is why your doc would try you on Saphris first vs. a more traditional mood stabilizer like the ones you mentioned to him, because they have longer track records of safety and know the adverse effects etc.

Sometimes I get paranoid that docs get perks or some other kind of gift if they push so much of a certain new drug; I can't tolerate most of the drugs you mentioned above but came to my last visit with a list of what I could take (Topamax or Latuda) because I need something new and he said no, nothing but Saphris, take it or leave it. I said "leave it" so he just upped the dose of my current med (Geodon) and my sedative, the latter of which I'm not complaining about, which is why I haven't searched much for a new doc yet.