Medications and bipolar /Adhd

[disciple1]

Hi, 20% of people with Bipolar have ADHD as well.I may be one of them as I have big issues with timekeeping,organisation and cluttering. My question is' has anyone experience of taking med's for bipolar such as moodstabilisers and antidepressants as well as meds for a.d.h.d.?' Also have any particular therapies been helpful?

[rlm8588]

My sister has both Bipolar and ADHD (and anxiety). It gets real tricky to treat as some ADHD medications can instigate a manic episode. For that reason she only takes medication to treat Bipolar. Best thing is to find someone who knows both conditions really well. Goal-based/solution-based therapy has worked well for her... and she's tried a lot of different approaches.

[disciple1 in reply to rlm8588]

Hi, Thanks for replying . I have bipolar2 so I only get Hypomania so maybe the combination would work for me. It is not possible here to get practitioners experienced in both. I wonder if your sister would be interested to add anything or whether there are others with bipolar2 ( mostly depressive swings ) who have been on ADD medication and bipolar meds together.

[TheErikHood]

Maybe I can add something to this. Right now, I am taking Vyvanse 70mg 1/day and Adderall 20mg 3/day. I also take Topomax 5mg 2/day, Lithium 300mg 2/day, and Triliptol 2/day for my bipolar disorder. I also take Klonopin, Diazapam, and Ativan at night to curb my mania(I would go 96 hours without sleep before I would just crash).I have been taking this for 2 years now. I was diagnosed with all this at the age of 35. I will say this: it has helped me tremendously. I sleep a good 8 hours a day. I have even been promoted twice at my job within that time frame. I only wish that I sought care for my condition in my 20’s. I self medicated with marijuana during that time. My psychiatrist and psychologist have both told me that is pretty normal for someone with my conditions to do. So, I hope this helps even a little.

[disciple1 in reply to TheErikHood]

Hi, I appreciate your replying as it encourages me to continue to look for the right medication.The main problem for me is spending so much time tidying up after myself and trying to keep on track.As for timekeeping I cannot believe I will ever improve without help as the habits are so ingrained....but I still have Hope.Shalom