Posted by Marc Dyer on November 16, 1999, at 20:57:28
I am having some difficulty in my life with who is correct, 20 years of psychiatry being treated for bipolar II or some doctor I had for a year saying I'm not Bipolar but Dysthymic.
It started 3 weeks ago, when I wanted a med change from Lithium to Depakote, and the psychiatrist refused. When I told him I was bipolar, he said I was dysthymic, and gave me the reasons. I was a little shocked, but he made sense saying that I had no hallucinations, delusions, and I reacted to situations, whereas a bipolar would become moody out of the blue. Although he told me, I felt that he should have told me at the time he noticed I wasn't bipolar. I quit the doctor, and went to the clinician. He believes I'm bipolar from the charts, and me talking a lot at times.
I am having a problem getting a 2nd evaluation because I have Medical/medicare in other states, and not many doctors want to go thru some diagnostic tests
that easily. Since I don't have the doctor, I have to go to the county for meds.
I am upset, want to get this 2nd opinion done, and was wondering what other people would do. In the meantime I am taking Lithium, Prozac and Trazedone for Bipolar II. And although the clinician that I'm seeing says that Lithium can be used for Bipolar II, I don't want to take Lithium if I don't have too.
Any suggestions on what I might do?
Marc in San Francisco
poster:Marc Dyer
thread:15324
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19991108/msgs/15324.html