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Dr. Andrew Rynne
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Dr. Andrew Rynne

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Exp 50 years

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Suggest Treatment For Bipolar With Sleepiness

All I want to do is sleep during the day as well as the night. My dr. is working out my meds for bi-polar but I think I may need an anti-depressant for depression instead. Drs. say you can't use the same anti-depressants for depression as you do for bi-polar. Why is that?
Mon, 1 Sep 2014
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Psychiatrist,  's  Response
Hi,
Thanks for using HealthcareMagic.

If you have narrated your current medicines, i can guide you how to reduce day time sleepiness by changing dose schedule.Some of the medicines specifically quetiapine, olanazapine and clonazepam which is used in bipolar may cause sedation.if you are taking any of them,shift dose more at night.

In bipolar disorder two phases of mood are there and they are at two extremes(poles) , that's why it is called bipolar.One is depression(low/sad mood) and the other is mania(high/irritable/elated mood).
For mania treatment is mood stabilizer medicines like valproate, lithium or lamotrigine which bring mood from high to normal.While in depression phase lithium or lamotrigine brings mood from low to normal.

But if anti depressant is given in depressive phase, they can bring mood from low to normal to high and cause manic episode to occur. So generally antidepressant is not given in bipolar depression specifically without mood stabilizer cover.So your doctor is right.

Hope I have answered your query.
Regards,
Dr.Chintan Solanki.
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Suggest Treatment For Bipolar With Sleepiness

Hi, Thanks for using HealthcareMagic. If you have narrated your current medicines, i can guide you how to reduce day time sleepiness by changing dose schedule.Some of the medicines specifically quetiapine, olanazapine and clonazepam which is used in bipolar may cause sedation.if you are taking any of them,shift dose more at night. In bipolar disorder two phases of mood are there and they are at two extremes(poles) , that s why it is called bipolar.One is depression(low/sad mood) and the other is mania(high/irritable/elated mood). For mania treatment is mood stabilizer medicines like valproate, lithium or lamotrigine which bring mood from high to normal.While in depression phase lithium or lamotrigine brings mood from low to normal. But if anti depressant is given in depressive phase, they can bring mood from low to normal to high and cause manic episode to occur. So generally antidepressant is not given in bipolar depression specifically without mood stabilizer cover.So your doctor is right. Hope I have answered your query. Regards, Dr.Chintan Solanki.