Mood Stabilizer OR Anti-Psychotic Alone

Have you been stable with just a mood stabilizer or just an anti-psychotic?
One doctor told me that he gave patients just lithium and an anti-psychotic as needed when manic/psychotic.
Another one was very against mood stabilizers and just recommend the newer generation Anti-Psychotics.
I was stable on just Invega for 7 years. They added lithium when I had a manic episode and insomnia and now I'm on both. Double protection as they called it.
The only problem is both drugs have significant side effects. I gained weight on Invega and have to take a thyroid medication for Lithium.
Any thoughts greatly appreciated.
I also find Klonopin very helpful for insomnia and racing thoughts to calm down at night (big coffee drinker).

No.

When I was first diagnosed, my doctor had me on just Latuda, and I got up to 160 mg, but I was still depressed and wound up in the hospital.

Just recently I decided to stop taking Latuda and just stay on Lamictal and Klonopin (as needed) and I was having a rapid cycling episode and wound up in the hospital. My NP is pretty much against me only taking a mood stabilizer and nothing else, and now she is refusing to treat me.

I refuse to take any more anti-psychotics because of the weight gain and other side-effects. Only time will tell what this new doctor has to say (I don't see him until November).

I have read of other people on this forum being on only a mood stabilizer and use an anti-psychotic PRN, so I guess it really just depends on the doctor (and the patient).

Yeah the side effects can be bad with both. I think the Anti-Psychotic is more effective at keeping me stable personally so I just have to watch what I eat and drink. Weight gain is the biggest side effect.

I agree 100%, as after trial-and-error for 3 years I found a med combo that worked- Latuda and Lamotrigine. But then I became a complete zombie because my NP kept raising the dose. I also put on 30 lbs in addition to the 30 I gained from other meds prior. The weight gain is way too much for me to handle, so I decided ###$ anti-psychotics.

Geodon works as both, so I've been stable on it for years. I do get manic and psychotic a lot, but it's bearable, if that makes any sense. Generally, I get manic/psychotic when it's time for the next dosage, but the dosage takes care of it. It does knock me out for a good ten hours though. Other than that, and the incredibly fast withdrawal times (from not taking it within 24 hours of the last dose), it works very well for me.

I just started Abilify 5 days ago. That is all I'm on at this time.
It's a miracle how quiet my mind is! I was afraid I'd feel like a zombie but I'm quite happy the flashing thoughts and intrusive thoughts have vanished into pharmaceutical air!

-- Fri Oct 06, 2017 9:34 pm --

I just started Abilify 5 days ago. That is all I'm on at this time.
It's a miracle how quiet my mind is! I was afraid I'd feel like a zombie but I'm quite happy the flashing thoughts and intrusive thoughts have vanished into pharmaceutical air!

I need both. Because type one. For fully blown mania. And psychosis..Geodon is good for me

Lamictal is awesome for me as a mood stabilizer and that’s for the “low” moods. It is very effective in other ways too. I have depression episodes but not often. Type 1 thing. Both types suck.

Hope that helps.

-- 29 Oct 2017, 09:44 --

morosenurse wrote:I just started Abilify 5 days ago. That is all I'm on at this time.
It's a miracle how quiet my mind is! I was afraid I'd feel like a zombie but I'm quite happy the flashing thoughts and intrusive thoughts have vanished into pharmaceutical air!

-- Fri Oct 06, 2017 9:34 pm --

I just started Abilify 5 days ago. That is all I'm on at this time.
It's a miracle how quiet my mind is! I was afraid I'd feel like a zombie but I'm quite happy the flashing thoughts and intrusive thoughts have vanished into pharmaceutical air!

Abilify was good for me, too. I did get akathesia. Psychiatrist gave me Cogentin. Poof! Akathesia gone.

-- 29 Oct 2017, 09:47 --

Tyler wrote:Geodon works as both, so I've been stable on it for years. I do get manic and psychotic a lot, but it's bearable, if that makes any sense. Generally, I get manic/psychotic when it's time for the next dosage, but the dosage takes care of it. It does knock me out for a good ten hours though. Other than that, and the incredibly fast withdrawal times (from not taking it within 24 hours of the last dose), it works very well for me.

I take it, too. The sleep is heavy but I wake up feeling GOOD. Do you? Not like the Seroquel hangover. I feel refreshed and ready to start my day.

If I’m extremely unwell, it won’t put me to sleep. And I do 500 cals.

I've been taking clozapine (an antipsychotic) for about three years now, and for the past year have been off any other meds except ativan as a PRN. It does well for mania and psychosis, but I may have to start an antidepressant in the near future. I think it's possible for pwBP to do well on solely a mood stabilizer or an antipsychotic, although it's not going to be the case for everybody.