Expert: Joyce A. Anthony - 5/2/2009

Question
I have not officially been diagnosed with bipolar , my psych appt is June 19th.  I am currently going through the mental Health center so I am seeing a therapist who is sure I am bipolar 2 , she suggests while waiting for June 19th I go see my reg dr. to start a bipolar med.


My appt with my reg Dr. is WED, and she hinted at a drug called SEROQUEL. I was wondering if you could tell me in your expertise and experience what might be a 1st choice, perhaps you could name a few choices you might use for a patient that i could show my Dr.

My symptoms were always depression for 10 months of the year but as of late the hpomania (never full mania) has been here and even mixed states I believe.

Last week it was irritability and crying.
I do not know very much about biploar , no one in my family has been diagnosed . There are so many drugs out there , how does a dr. decide which to try 1st?

I wouldn`t want one that causes weight gain , I lost 100 lbs over the past year with a gastric bypass.

So i really would appreciate your opinion on top drugs to start off with and I can print and show my dr.               Hey it doesn`t mean she`ll listen to you though, does it?

Thanks so much.

PS: cut and pasted from question to bipolar dr on here, so skip me calling you dr , etc.

Answer
Hi Jennifer:

Seroquel is actually a very good choice for a start.  There are very few side effects.  A second choice is Lamictal, but that has to be started at a very low dose and increased slowly.  A combination of the two has been shown to work on people that nothing else work for.

Bipolar medications are often trial-and-error because what works for one person may not for another. Seroquel is quickly becoming the first choice because of the low incidence of side effects and the good response most people have with it.  I would honestly suggest you do try this first.

                    Joyce A. Anthony