I'm Not Crazy - Just Bi-Polar

So that is my personal statement now.  I was just diagnosed as having Bi-Polar after being treated for years for Depression. How does WLS play in to treatment, symptoms, etc?   Are the drugs i am on safe for WLS patients? (Seroquel and Lamictal)  I am trying to learn as much as possible. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Hi there, I recently was given the same diagnosis under similar cir****tances.  I have been on my meds for a while now, and know that my meds are safe.  The person you should be asking about the meds and safety is the doc who prescribed and/or your surgeon.   As for symptoms, the only thing I know from my own personal experience is if I do not take my medications as they are prescribed, I get into serious trouble.  That is when I tend to act out and do stupid stuff, like drink.   There is a lot of information available online, so you may want to Google and research it. Good luck, Trish

i am bipolar and am on a ****tail of meds.  (the wonderful world of psych drugs, right?)  i would recommend following up very closely with your psychiatrist as you lose weight; the weight loss is going to lift your mood a bit naturally and your body is going to have all sorts of absorption/adjustment phases.  (i'm still pre-op.  this is just what i've gleaned through talking to others, research online, talking to my doctors, etc.)  not a lot of research has been done on mood stabilizers post wls.  i've got one study; i'll try to find the link for you. one of my big concerns is transfer addiction.  bipolars are at higher risk of having an addictive behavior; i worry that once i can no longer rely on food what am i going to turn to next?  that's where frequent psych follow-ups come into play. i wish you the best of luck. 

Hi Sarah, I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder type II in May 2007. I'm not crazy either! I've been on Lamictal for 13 months and it's saved my life. I no longer have crippling panic attacks, live with devastating depression, or deal with the consequences I created when manic (over spending, drinking, promiscuity after my divorce). I was able to finish my master's degree last summer and have excelled at my job. I too was treated for depression for 10 YEARS before a wonderful therapist finally figured out what was going on! I have a psychiatric nurse practitioner who prescribes my medication and she had WLS so she understands a lot about absoprtion/medication issues for us. Lamictal and continued therapy have given me back my life. The meds for me were really sutble and my family noticed how much I was improving before I did. The biggest changes for me were the absence of anxiety, fewer teary days, and a huge improvement in my ability to get things done. I'm very careful who I talk to about my "condition" though (even though I'm posting it publicly!) because there is still a huge stigma about mental illness in our society. It's slowly getting better but we've got a long way to go. I'd be happy to talk with you more about my experiences. Hope this helps!