bipolar disorder and mmj

[learnin2grow]

Hey gang. I haven't been around for some time thanks to my new diagnosis. I had a full-blown manic episode about a month ago. So now I'm bipolar. Life has pretty much sucked since then, but it's getting better. I am taking lithium carbonate as a mood stabilizer, and I'd say my mood has been stable. I have heard mj helps to offset the side effects of the drug, and some say mj is a good mood stabilizer in and of itself... perhaps I was self medicating all along... although I only smoked about once a week on the weekends to blow off steam. My doc is dead set against marijuana use, for no scientific reasons that I could gather... but my question: Anybody out there with a similar affliction? Any advice on alternative treatments? Thanks in advance.

 

[HippieMama]

Look in the last page of the epileptic thread in this forum....I posted about my experience there.....If you would like to talk about it more, pm me anytime!!

There is an EXCELLENT book by Carrie Fisher (Princess Leah of Star Wars Fame) The Best Awful.... It's a novel, but it's based on her bi-polar experiences....I was amazed at how similar our experiences were...
That book is a sequel to Postcards from the Edge, but you don't need to read
it to read this one.

I highly recommend it.....I really enjoyed it!!

I was hospitalized for the entire month of June this year and missed my son's high school graduation. I still cry about that....

Life can suck at times, but we are here to help each other, right??

Peace,

~HM

 

[KingRalph]

intermittent smoking is not very good for bipolar, honestly, continual use is the only treatment for bipolar. after a little bit of regularly smoking throughout the day, you will stabilize and a lil bit later you will become running at full functionality again. stopping this medication or smoking only once a day will leave you going back and forth between bipolarness. ingesting the herb would also probably help quite a bit in not having you get too stoned at certain times. best of luck.

 

[HippieMama]

Speaking from my experience....JUST MJ does not work for me because I also have the psychosis component of Bi-polar....I THOUGHT that just MJ would work as it does for a few friends of mine that also have it, so I (with the permission from my doctor) went off the depakote ....well 1.5 yrs later the bitch was back and it wasn't pretty.....

So, I say IF you have NO psychosis &/or have never been hospitalized, you can try MJ on a regular basis and see if it helps...

Good luck & here's to better days!!

~HM

 

[learnin2grow]

Thank for the input guys. I'm really struggling to find something better than lithium. Brain chemistry is something I value while I'm at work, so I hate having to take these damn pills that make me so foggy headed. The medics do not fully understand the mechanism of lithium, but it stands out as the gold standard of care for bipolar. That pisses me off. Perhaps there is something as simple as a mineral deficiency... who knows.

I was hospitalized twice last month to get over my manic episode. I was non-violent, but I had delusions of grandeur. I'll keep you guys posted on my progress.

 

[HippieMama]

Maybe I should start a thread about *delusions of grandeur*, OMG I am laughing too hard now...Ohhhh, the stories I could tell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Sinfuldreams]

I'm Still God Like and your all.........

I'm Still God Like and your all.........

Just Pimples on my butt! :
I'm not Bi-Polar ( as far as I know ) but I know at least 2.

Of course I'm never wrong, but then either are they!
I'm not sure if Cannabis will help. What King Ralph said sounds right.
And as Mama points out it won't help everyone.

I know 1st hand it helps in the 1st stages of Alzheimer's. Alzheimers makes the Mood Swing far and wide. Eating it was the best way to use it. They went from completely nuts to nearly normal. It didn't work towards the end stages.

I know a God Like 17 yearold girl. Her mom told me she started to smoke. Now this kid is bad news. Not sure how many Drugs she SHOULD be on but wont take. It seems at the moment, she is OK when she smokes ( Not a lot )
but still is a total BITCH. But better than trying to tear the walls down or kill someone. Does it help? Not sure yet but she is less agressive, for now anyway.

This is a tough situation and no one easy answer fits all.
Best of luck and keep us informed ok?
All My Best
Sin

 

[Guest]

My wife is bipolar, and she didn't like the incontinence that lithium sometimes causes, so she is prescribed Zyprexia in its place. She's been on it for years, and seems to work fine.

 

[HippieMama]

My wife is bipolar, and she didn't like the incontinence that lithium sometimes causes, so she is prescribed Zyprexia in its place. She's been on it for years, and seems to work fine.

Really, incontinence from Lithium? I have never heard of that.....hmmm I'll have to look that up

I took Zyprexa while in the hospital, when I came home and looked it up in the PDR, the dose they were giving me was like 4x the highest does that was recommended, I was very upset. I saw the possible side effects and I
decided against taking it. I am on just lithium now. Someone mentioned that it made them feel foggy, I haven't found that to be true. I have extreme thirst & swollen feet from it & have to take water pills. I am in the bathroom every 20 minutes from 8 am - 2pm It really sucks

 

[PFCruz]

hey there learnintogrow, From my understanding lithium is used to contol the "manic" 1/2 of the bipolar. Other drugs are used for the "other" half. The other half can be a number of disorders, but usually it's schizophrenia. Have the docs tried any other type of drugs or just the lithium? I have a few years experience in this field if you need to ask ....good luck

 

[learnin2grow]

Other drugs? They gave me zyprexa, but it made me feel drunk, that's all, didn't change my attitude any differently than drinking 12 beers would, but I couldn't drive on it let alone work. They also tried seroquell and I grew somewhat psychotic on that one, it seemed to hurl me even deeper into my mania. I've been stable for a few weeks, I'm really scared at how fragile my body chemistry has become. I am continuing my quest for alternative answers!

 

[I.M. Boggled]

My wife is being treated for bipolar &I am finding this conversation very insightful.

My wife is being treated for bipolar &I am finding this conversation very insightful.

Thank you all for sharing..
I hope you all don't mind, but let me interject some background information on this important subject...perhaps this conversation will help bring others "up to speed" on the subject of "manic depression." I hope this thread can go
on to help those here and others in their pursuit of symptom relief.
Note on usage: "Manic-depression" was the original term used for the disorder. While it is still commonly used to refer to bipolar disorder, the term manic depression is also now used (by a relatively small number of mental health professionals) to refer to the entire clinical spectrum of mood disorders that includes both bipolar disorder and unipolar depression. Others are trying to phase out the term entirely..

Definition:
BIPOLAR DISORDER, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a serious but treatable disease of the brain.
Bipolar disorder causes dramatic mood swings from overly "high" and/or irritable to sad and hopeless, and then back again, often with periods of normal mood in between.
Severe changes in energy and behavior go along with these changes in mood. The periods of highs and lows are called episodes of mania and depression. Different subtypes of bipolar disorder, namely bipolar I, bipolar II, and rapid-cycling, are diagnosed according to the frequency and severity of these episodes.

In most populations it affects around 1 percent of the population.
Men and women are equally likely to develop this often-disabling illness.
The disorder typically emerges in adolescence or early adulthood and affects sufferers throughout their lifespan. Although traditionally thought of as an adult disorder, there is now recognition that children also suffer from bipolar disorder. There are no definite known causes. Scientists believe that bipolar disorder may be caused by a combination of biological and psychological factors. Most commonly the onset of this disorder can be linked to stressful life events. Cycles, or episodes, of depression, mania, or "mixed" manic and depressive symptoms typically recur and may become more frequent, often disrupting work, school, family, and social life. The "kindling" theory suggests that persons who are genetically prone toward bipolar disorder experience a series of stressful events, each of which lowers the threshold at which mood changes occur. Then at some point these mood changes occur spontaneously. The person then "becomes bipolar". This might explain why the cause of bipolar disorder is difficult to pinpoint but is somehow related to genetics and environment.

A variety of medications are used to treat bipolar disorder. Many people with bipolar disorder are on multiple medications, which may range between two and five. Some people with bipolar disorder add to or replace their western medication with herbal or holistic options. But even with optimal medication treatment, many people with the illness have some residual symptoms. Symptom management is considered one of the only useful non-medication treatments of bipolar disorder. This treatment teaches how to lessen the severity of mood swings by recognizing and managing triggering symptoms or events.

"Adjunctive therapy" with cannabis is helping patients to cope with the symptoms of diseases and disorders from MS and chronic pain to arthritis and bi-polar disease. The list keeps growing as more research is conducted. Adjunctive therapy means an “additional” or ancillary therapy.
Cannabis is not intended to replace primary medical treatments but to compliment them.

Bipolar disorder is often complicated by co-occurring alcohol or substance abuse. Traditionally this has been viewed as an attempt by patients to self-medicate the condition.
More recently, some have doubted if this is an entirely accurate description.

Cannabis particulary can alleviate symptoms of depression and may also have a mood stabilizing component in bipolar disorders, but the random titration of drug abusers usually does do more harm than good.

There is growing evidence, however, that carefully titrated dosage of delta-9-THC tincture, taken sublingually (under the tongue), may prove of some benefit when taken with other mood stabilizer medications.
In some cases, the substance abuse seems to begin before the onset of bipolar disorder, which is difficult to reconcile with the idea of self-medication (at least initially). Nicotine addiction is very common in bipolar sufferers, and in the view of some, may be an active precursor to mature onset of both bipolar affective disorder and other forms of clinical depression in general.
.........

In mid-2003, a twin study was published concerning environmental factors and bipolar disorder. The bipolar twin was found to be far more affected by changes in sunlight. Longer nights resulted in mood and sleep-length changes far greater than the healthy twin. Sunny days also did more to improve mood. In fact, natural light in general was found to have a profound positive effect upon the well-being of the bipolar twin.

Paradoxically, in the 2004 publication of a study using Tel Aviv's public psychiatric hospitals, it was found that "Admission rates of bipolar depressed patients increase during spring/summer and correlate with maximal environmental temperature".[3] Unipolar depressed patient admission had no such correlation. High temperature points in the month, as well as high temperature months, were found to be correlated with depressive episodes in admissions


Research into new treatments....
...It has been hypothesized that bipolar disorder may be the result of poor membrane conduction in the brain and that one possible cause may be a deficiency in omega-3 fatty acids. Following an encouraging small-scale study conducted by Andrew Stoll at Harvard University's McLean Hospital, the Stanley Foundation is sponsoring research regarding the beneficial claims, and several large scale trials of treatment using omega-3 fatty acids are under way.

NIMH has initiated a large-scale study at 20 sites across the U.S. to determine the most effective treatment strategies for people with bipolar disorder.
This study, the Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder (STEP-BD), will follow patients and document their treatment outcome for 5 to 8 years.
For more information, visit the Clinical Trials page of the NIMH Web site.

Clinical Trials: Bipolar Disorder (Manic-Depressive Illness)
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/studies/2mooddisordersbip.cfm

Bipolar disorder @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipolar_Disorder

Common Medical Uses for Cannabis (Marijuana)
http://www.letfreedomgrow.com/cmu/index.htm

Cannabis Elixir (Tincture) preparation
http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=15269&highlight=tincture


.......

Bipolar disorder, talent and famous people

Many famous people are believed to have been affected by bipolar disorder, based on evidence in their own writings and contemporaneous accounts by those who knew them. Bipolar disorder is found in disproportionate numbers in people with creative talent such as artists, musicians, authors, poets, and scientists, and it has been speculated that the mechanisms which cause the disorder may be related to those responsible for creativity in these persons. (Many of the historical creative talents commonly cited as bipolar were "diagnosed" retrospectively after their deaths and thus the diagnoses are unverifiable; however, in cases diagnosed in recent decades there does seem to be at least some correlation between bipolar disorder and creativity.)
The possible explanation for this is that hypomanic phases of the illness allow for heightened concentration on activities and the manic phases allow for around-the-clock work with minimal need for sleep.

Albert Einstein, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Kurt Cobain, Vincent Van Gogh, Jimi Hendrix, Napoleon, Ozzy Osborne and Sir Isaac Newton amongst many other illustrious people throughout the course history have been within the grasp of Bipolar Disorder.

"I have not been an easygoing guy. I think it's called bipolar manic depression. I've got a rich history of that in my family"-Ben Stiller-

My wife has been diagnosed with a severe form of Bipolar Disorder.
Pure Indicas have a mood stabilizing (soothing) effect on my wife when smoked occasionally throughout the waking hours. She has had over a dozen "small" strokes and we've agreed together to keep her pretty well chilled out these days. A laid back "green acres" stress free lifestyle with a tad bit of MMJ thrown in, makes for a pretty happy gal these/most days, [that and a prescription med bag that some junkies would probably kill for. ]

I wish upon you all "peace and serenity".
IMB

 

[Guest]

So is it related at all to chemical imbalances in the brain. I always thought that was the case. Because MJ is known to lower the seratonin levels produced in the brain. Which is also related to depression. I wonder sometimes if I am not and a few here might agree, I tend to go through periods of highs and lows. I hate it because I get no real answers from my doctor. All he seems to want to do is fill my meds and send me on. I ask the questions but he never answers them. I am very nervous and I fidget alot when I am setting still, it drives my wife crazy. I don't stress as easily as I used to but that was a concious decision that I made for my self. To slow down and let life go as it will.

 

[bush@crackhouse]

"All he seems to want to do is fill my meds and send me on."

Bigmo, that's pretty much what he was trained for... fill meds.

"I took Zyprexa while in the hospital, when I came home and looked it up in the PDR, the dose they were giving me was like 4x the highest does that was recommended, I was very upset"

Momma, habituation just calls for more - if you took that 4x already exceeding dose for a long period of time, maybe the 'doctor' would have to "double it" for it to work "conviniently"... and you were to be the one suffering from the side effects..
Maybe he would even get a chance to prescribe you something for those side effects...

A friend of mine went to live in uk and he was prescribed 'whateverzivexz' for a infection he gained while he was here. When he arrived there and the prescribed pills finnally ended he went to the hospital to see if anything more was needed - the english doctor reduced what he was taking by 1/4th with he argument that if kept on like this he would have serious stomach injuries when he got older because of the meds side effects...

I really try not to take any medicines whatsoever, dont really trust them, specially mental medicines and mental doctors and their nonstop growing list of mental disorders...

"So, you've been feeling down, your gf broke up with ya, wanna kill yourself? I see..."
"That's not a thing that happens in a "normal" life as you can agree with me, (????) maybe you have somekind of disorder... let me check the list... ahh, here you are, you have a Lack of Common Sense Disorder - you're gonna start taking these and these and these, when they're over come back again - (thinks* see you next month)"

This is just me, but as refered previously, can this Bipolar Disorder come from, not a genetic tendency, but a series of stress enviromental factors mixed with nicotine addiction? What im asking is if there's a bigger rate of Bipolars on smoking population or if its evenly distributed?
just wondering....

 

[learnin2grow]

My life had tons of conjoining factors that came to a head. In the old days they'd have called it a nervous breakdown. Now we have a prettier name with uglier poisons to ingest when afflicted. Who really gives a fuck if some crazy guy has to take poison? That's the way I feel. I don't want any chemicals attacking my brain unless I suck em in through a doob. At least we've got a safe track record witht that one.

 

[Guest]

hey there learnintogrow, From my understanding lithium is used to contol the "manic" 1/2 of the bipolar. Other drugs are used for the "other" half. The other half can be a number of disorders, but usually it's schizophrenia. Have the docs tried any other type of drugs or just the lithium? I have a few years experience in this field if you need to ask ....good luck

Schizophrenia and BiPolar are two completely different things, some may have both I guess, but the two arent one and the same.

 

[crazytrain]

Schizophrenia and BiPolar are two completely different things, some may have both I guess, but the two arent one and the same.

I think the confusion here is between Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective disroder. Schizophrenia is a separate disorder, while schizoaffective is a mood disorder co-occuring with pyshcosis. THe poster above you seems to mean schizoaffective, because while lithium is a mood stabilizer, it is not an effectiver anti-psychotic.

 

[WeldFlash420]

I am Bi polar as well, smoke regularly for mood stablilazation and because I enjoy it. For me it totally depends on strain and even wether or not it indicas or sativas. I tend to stay away from pure sativas or shalll I say I only indulge myself a few sativas a yr, rather then the old indicas body and mind lockers. PM me if you wanna shoot the breeze, it sucks total ass being bipolar and folks don't understand how it is not to be able to control how you percieve life.

 

[GorillaGreenz]

had my manic episodes last fall, sucked horribly... i noticed that you can smoke weed like it's nothing and feel perfectly strait when you're manic. I guess because it's such a natural high. I like using marijuana daily to treat it.

 

[herbie5000]

I have bipolar I. Have been hospitalised 4 times (over last 19 yrs) against my will, since my first episode at age 18.

I take depakote, citalopram, diazepam. I abuse alcohol.

Marijuana is, in my case, helpful in reducing anxiety and aiding sleep, amongst other positive things.

You are not alone. Bipolar can be scary. If u want to talk to someone who has got used to having the condition then pm me. I can point u in the direction of some on-line help groups etc which i have found useful in the past.

Remember that after mania comes depression, so you are gonna feel down for a while. But this is normal. And then comes a period of stability (which in my case generally lasts several years, thank God/wotever) before the next manic attack. PM me.

[JUST NOTICED THIS THREAD IS 3 YRS OLD - OOPS!)