adderall bipolar disorder
Bipolar II and Lamitcal Question. Need Some Quick Input! Please?
I usually take Adderall for Attention Deficit Disorder. I’ve been taking it lately and I’m having the hardest time sleeping at night. My thoughts are racing lately. I cannot sit still either. I have Bipolar II (less severe than Bipolar 1), but I’m on Lamictal. Is this normal? The psychiatrist just increased my does to 175 mgs. too.
I am able to usually take a caffeine pill and a half because I’m usually lethargic. I take the caffeine pills because I hate coffee, tea, and soda pop. I took a caffeine pill today, which was really stupid of me because I already felt awake. Right now, I have to shake my legs or else I feel extremely restless. What’s happening to me? I did not take the Adderall today. Usually, I’m able to take both (caffeine pill and Adderall) and I don’t feel this way. Both usually help me concentrate a lot! Is the Lamictal leveling me out? Perhaps I don’t even A.D.D. and the Adderall and caffeine is affecting me like it would any other person?
Stimulants like Adderall and caffeine can sometimes make a bipolar person manic. You need to calm down the bipolar brain – not over stimulate it or stress yourself. Lamictal has become a popular drug for bipolar but it has mainly an anti-depressant effect and does not act as a mood stabilizer as much as some of the other medications. Would you consider seing another psychiatrist? The most important thing of all is to work with a doctor who is very experienced with bipolar. I am bipolar and am really glad that I swapped docs a couple of times until I found a true bipolar expert. Sometimes the old fashioned, tried and true meds work best. For me (and I have the same bipolar/AHD combo, but also with panic disorder), I think good old fashioned lithium is always worth trying. Hang in there – you sound like you are in touch with yourself and have some good intuitions about what might be going on. Stabilzing moods is the most important thing, and definitely avoid anything that will “rev you up” and push you towards mania. Don’t worry – there are effective tretaments around and it WILL get better.
