After many years - actually almost half my life - of highs and lows among other also because of on-off SSRI medication, I have now been on more less 200mg quetiapine for a year (due to a hypomania that was more intense and actually recognized and lead to diagnosis).
It seems to stabilize me a bit, but I‘ve still experienced a 4 months long hypomania followed by (rather mild) depression (my psych put me back on low dose ssri). I don’t have strong side effects, beside some weight gain. My psych is asking herself if lithium is worth a try. I’m mostly functional but I still suffer, have a really hard time managing relationship, kids, work, life generally. I’ve been living with suicidal thoughts for so long, they have become normal.
I‘m mostly looking for advice, what would you try next in my case (add something like lamotrigine to the mix, increase quetiapine, start lithium, other??)? From what I’ve read here I think lithium and lamotrigine could be a good combo for bipolar 2. Also I think my quetiapine dose is rather low. I‘m asking here because my psych seems to be a bit lost, too🙃
I‘ve had years that qualify as rapid cycling. For the last years, my longest periods without phases were never longer than a few months I guess, maybe a year once. I experience mixed phases too.