Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 127778

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Old people who have BPII

Posted by susan C on November 15, 2002, at 12:33:27

Really, the statistics show that 5 out of six of us will live til we die...ummm, I mean, not from suicide. Those are the statistics, right? So, therefore, there must be some Old BPII people out there who have dealt with this illness for their (almost) whole lives.

My questions are, what are you taking? How long has it worked? What is your quality of life?

I am sure, like many who I have read here, it has been a mixed bag. Sometimes meds work, sometimes they don't. A big part of living with BPII is learning how to diagnose oneself, to manage one's life, have a good doctor(s) and strive for stability.

Perhaps the people I am looking for are not posting on this site? Perhaps the people who are living with their illness successfully in old age either don't need to investigate new treatment, don't "know" they are ill, or, aren't computer internet literate.

If you are out there, share, please?

mouse looking into a crystal ball (no "900" number available)

Re: Old people who have BPII

Posted by phoebes on November 15, 2002, at 15:22:39

In reply to Old people who have BPII, posted by susan C on November 15, 2002, at 12:33:27

I can speak for my Dad, who's in his sixties and has BPI. He's been on lithium and perfectly stable for the last 20 years. He wouldn't frequent a place like this because he doesn't need to.

Re: Old people who have BPII

Posted by JaneB on November 15, 2002, at 16:03:29

In reply to Old people who have BPII, posted by susan C on November 15, 2002, at 12:33:27

> Really, the statistics show that 5 out of six of us will live til we die...ummm, I mean, not from suicide. Those are the statistics, right? So, therefore, there must be some Old BPII people out there who have dealt with this illness for their (almost) whole lives.
>
> My questions are, what are you taking? How long has it worked? What is your quality of life?
>
> I am sure, like many who I have read here, it has been a mixed bag. Sometimes meds work, sometimes they don't. A big part of living with BPII is learning how to diagnose oneself, to manage one's life, have a good doctor(s) and strive for stability.
>
> Perhaps the people I am looking for are not posting on this site? Perhaps the people who are living with their illness successfully in old age either don't need to investigate new treatment, don't "know" they are ill, or, aren't computer internet literate.
>
> If you are out there, share, please?
>
> mouse looking into a crystal ball (no "900" number available)

I am 59 and frequent this site. Not that old but probably older than most here. I have been on Celexa and Klonopin for 2 years. Effexor worked for 5 years. Ocassionally take 5mg Ambien for a quick sleep. Keep thinking I should be able to do without meds but end up right back on them. Don't accomplish as much as I wish but keep very active. Diagnosis is indefinite.
JaneB

Re: Old people who have BPII » susan C

Posted by Squiggles on November 15, 2002, at 21:50:21

In reply to Old people who have BPII, posted by susan C on November 15, 2002, at 12:33:27

I'm oldish--just entered menopause a year ago;
I am old enough to not have been dx'd BP I or II,
as far as i know; just bipolar;

I have never felt depressed on Lithium - it's
a great drug; but i have had many complications
from "medical misadventures" -- benzos gave me
a hard time and i almost stayed young on one of
them, the thyroid was affected by the lithium
very early in therapy and had to be reinstated,
i had something like a thyroid storm because the
dose was too high for me. I would say that if
the drugs were better monitored i would have had
no problem at all. Oh, at first i was misdiagnosed
as depressed and given imipramine which really
made me sick.

Nevertheless, i managed to continue some of my
university studies, and work most of my life,
marry and work at it for 25 years; do community
work, etc.
I did not get my Ph.d on account of the onset
of bipolar (or was it the Valium withdrawal).

Psychiatry is very difficult.

Squiggles

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