Bipolar Type II Support Group

Hi I need any advice/help I can get. My boyfriend of 1 1/2 years is bipolar2. He is on antidepressants which have almost killed his sex drive. He's constantly indecisive and regrets every decision he makes. We recently moved in together and I've noticed he's become more manic. He was on lexapro and now on Cymbalta. I don't think either has worked to his benefit. He has a difficult time going to the doctor and doesn't want me to go with him. I love him very much but this is killing our relationship. Please help!!!

Thank you everyone for your wonderful input. He went to his doctor and they said his testerone was low for his age. He is now on testerone gel. I'm hoping since they use it for older guys when they are depressed that he'll be able to get off the antidepressants. I'll keep you updated.

Post edited by: irishluvmnky, at: 09/17/2008 08:40

irishluvmnky , Welcome you will find many to listen . I too am with a guy that has bipolar 2 My boyfriend too takes an antidepressant and that has happened too . I have heard certain ones are worse then others as far as the side affects . He has not spoken to his doctor about the effects?

beware that a lot of true bipolar individuals expereince episodes of mania while on antidepressants. Nonetheless, they are still required. I am on Paxil 10 mg. It was lowered from 20 mgs for that reason. Your boyfriend will also more likely take a combination of meds to tackle the BPD. The sex drive depends on the person. Mine went up actually

My husband was Biploar II as well as having polysubstance abuse and anxiety and depression, he took Remeron and it helped him he liked it because it took his depression almost all the way, away. I've taken Lexapro and Cybalta and all those did was make me tired and groggy.

I say WAS when I'm referring to my husband because he passed away recently.

Yes Remeron lowers your sex drive, but only in the beginning, I take the antidepressant Remeron now too and it works so much better than Cymbalta or Lexapro EVER did with both me and my husband.

It also gives you vivid dreams, I take the sol-tabs because they help me sleep better.

A couple of things you should know, it gives you the munchies and it makes you gain weight, but only if you allow it.

I think the dreams are therapeutic honestly. Cymbalta gave me headaches and Lexapro felt like it did nothing but make me sleepy all of the time.

I don't know if any of this helps but this was how these meds effected me.

Oh and for anxiety, Xanax works wonders for my anger and fear, also Propanolol is Soooo amazing, it takes the butterflies out of my stomach and it doesn't make me sleepy one bit. I also take (blood pressure pills) Clonidine to help me sleep at night.

I used to take Klonopin for anxiety but it seems like it wasn't as effective as Xanax. I made the mistake of taking extra Klonopins and it turned me into a mean drunk so to speak and I had memory loss so watch out with that, I know Xanax has the same effects but I learned my lesson the first time.

Take Care

~JackieBlue~

hello. First I would like to say I am sincerely sorry for your loss. If you don't mind, what did he pass away from????

As for meds....I take paxil 10 mgs.; depakote 250 mgs twice a day....I will start abilify...and need to take trazadone 50mgs to sleep. Im having a hard time quitting the drinking on weekends as well as other habits on the weekend. I do good with meds during the week, Im trying to find the strength to guit everything else and just take meds

Oh no worries, my husband passed away from a drug overdose of pain killers, the coroner said the pain killers suppressed his lungs and he probably fell alseep and his lungs just collapsed which then stopped airflow and with him unable to wake up he lost his life.

I wasn't there when it happened and I never got to see his dead body, I was out of town with family when I got the call from an investigator.

His remains were shipped in an urn to his hometown to his mothers home, so I still have dreams about him not being dead. It's weird but I do. They're dreams where he's telling me he's still alive somewhere and he tells me he's just fine, even though I know it's not true. I guess I'm still in denial.

Anyway about Paxil, what does that feel like, is it addicting, does it make you sleepy or energized? How did you feel when you first began taking Depakote? What about Trazadone? What are each of the meds you take for?

I used to have a pain pill habit and a cigarette smoking habit I went through withdrawel by choice from the pain killers in December 2007, I hated the addiction and wanted to be free from it even though they were prescribed to me for back pain.

No it wasn't easy and yes I can truly say it was worth the try cause now I don't need to pop a pill just to get out of bed anymore.

As for the smoking I quit that this past February 2008, I'm not sure how...I was just able to do it and haven't had a single craving and I'm saving lots of money too.

~JackieBlue~

JackieBlue, I am so sorry for your loss.

irishluvmnky,

You have taken a step in the right direction by looking for some support and yourself. I also suggest educating yourself on the disorder. There is a link to healthline.com at the bottom of this page that is helpful.

Your boyfriend really should discuss his sex drive with the doctor. It could be due to the medication and the pdoc should be able to come up with a solution.

I feel like a "load" has been lifted with paxil. actually happy and my mind doesn't get as cluttered, which is good....at the same time...i can tend to get manic on it because that's just what antidepressants do with bipolars. That's what the other meds are for: depakote is a mood stabilizer. my hubby says I tend to not argue much and seem very calm when on it. I did also ntoice that I tend not to worry much, and get a little lazy. Not to an extreme, but a change in work ethic a little. Trazadone I take to sleep. I may be physically exhausted most days, but my typical mind won't let me rest...it keeps going all the time.The trazadone really helps me sleep soundly. no grogginess in the morning if you take it at about 7 hrs. before u get up in the morning. I start taking abilify before bed tonight, so I'll let u know how that one goes later. It supposedly helps with manic episodes, which i tend to have a lot of.