# Bipolar symptoms from using ADHD and SSRI drugs?



## MidwestDave (Jun 18, 2009)

Hi,

I am in the third year of my second marriage. My wife is severely ADHD and she uses Adderall (a strong amphetamine) and an SSRI antidepressant (Celexa I think these days).

Much of the time she is fine, her mood and thinking is clear, smooth sailing, everything is normal. Then WHAM, the slightest disagreement sets her off into uncontrollable rage, pouting for days, not speaking to me, endless arguments about me being the source of her anger and weird behavior, and on and on. I have noticed that she often gets MOST out of control when she is using Adderall, or more often AFTER she has been using it, when it is wearing off.

Now mind you, I am not the perfect husband, but I love her very much. I would do anything to make her happy, but she cannot ever see that the source of this unhappiness is within herself, and that these powerful drugs take a toll on your emotions and your body. I know her so well, I can see the pattern.

Sometimes I think that these drugs are over-prescribed and I am not sure that doctors truly understand what happens when you are taking them together with other drugs. I just wish I had my kind loving fun-filled wife around ALL the time, not just once in a while. 

Anyone else deal with this sort of stuff?


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## Blanca (Jul 25, 2008)

MidwestDave said:


> Then WHAM, the slightest disagreement sets her off into uncontrollable rage, pouting for days, not speaking to me, endless arguments about me being the source of her anger and weird behavior, and on and on.


it could be the drugs and so you might think about checking with her doctor. you could even keep a log of what she takes and how her mood was that day. 

or it could be because she is having some un-addressed emotional issues. the most effective results are a combination of drug and talk therapy. She may need to go to counseling.


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## Dark Angel (Jun 17, 2009)

I have a history of depression and anxiety and fluvoxamine worked wonders for me. My problems were caused by a chemical imbalance though, there's probably more here than that.

I agree. Councelling may really help and perhaps a different medication might help too. What works for some doesnt work for others.


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## Sensitive (Mar 29, 2009)

I agree that doctors overprescribe antidepressants. I am not taking them, but my husband thinks they will make me happier. I believe in resolving the emotional issues I have rather than blocking my thinking so I can't function. Depending on what issues your wife has, she may need to change medications, get a better therapist, or find alternate ways to cope. I had a sister in law that was prescribed an antidepressant, but she was really bipolar and it threw her into a seveare manic state and she committed suicide. I think she had an enormous amount of stress that was building, and the pain was too great for her to bear.


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## preso (May 1, 2009)

MidwestDave said:


> Hi,
> 
> I am in the third year of my second marriage. My wife is severely ADHD and she uses Adderall (a strong amphetamine) and an SSRI antidepressant (Celexa I think these days).
> 
> ...


I agree and wonder if your wife tantrums don't have more to do with a controlling personality rather than her mental illness.


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## MidwestDave (Jun 18, 2009)

preso said:


> I agree and wonder if your wife tantrums don't have more to do with a controlling personality rather than her mental illness.


Unfortunately this may very well be true. But, I think that it is so extreme that it borders on a mental illness, a delusional way of looking at things. And, it is not always the same.


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## Sandy55 (Jun 3, 2009)

MidwestDave said:


> Unfortunately this may very well be true. But, I think that it is so extreme that it borders on a mental illness, a delusional way of looking at things. And, it is not always the same.


It could be a cognitive disorder. She interprets aka "thinks" wrongly; she may assign interpretations of situations that are just out of whack. If she misinterprets or over reacts frequently to things that are not in line with the reaction, she may need to find a _cognitive_ therapist.

Cognitive thinking disorders are found in people who have been traumatized as a child. From what I've studied and determined is that trauma as a young child causes the brain to hard wire (crystallize) in a non-standard pattern, causing "odd" thinking patterns and odd interpretations of input, especially in the emotion areas (limbic system "damage"); there is like a misconnect between cognition and emotion response.


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## Sandy55 (Jun 3, 2009)

What cognitive therapy does is teach a person how to interpret and think in a more rational pattern. They basically teach a person to react to situations with more logical thinking, hence their reactions to situations will improve.


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## Mr B (Feb 6, 2009)

Her meds need adjusting. Bipolar is tricky and so medication effectiveness and doses need to be carefully monitored. Cognitive therapy won't work until her moods have been stabilized chemically.


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## dobo (Jun 30, 2009)

Is there any relationship with her monthly cycle?


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## preso (May 1, 2009)

I am taking effexor for hot flashes, I have no depression and it makes me too lazy to think in my head.
I am wondering how this works on someone depressed? as it seems to make me tired in my head.. so how can it make anyone feel better?

btw, the meds work GREAT for hot flashes


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## Atholk (Jul 25, 2009)

Adderall can certainly create aggression.


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## Dubsy Jones (Feb 16, 2010)

I, too, take Adderall for severe ADHD and an SSRI for depression. (Well, it was prescribed for depression..but what I thought was depression is actually ADHD..so now I am taking it for another reason.) I experienced the "crash" from Adderall, too. Let me tell you, it's absolutely horrible. I am not a dramatic or argumentative person by nature, but when it wore off, it was like Jekyll and Hyde.  I do not have bi-polar disorder, though. It's simply an effect of the medicine..and although I don't know the entire situation with your wife, I wonder if this is exactly what's going on with her. 

I'm guessing that your wife takes a generic form of Adderall..and that it is the immediate-release formulation. If so, have her try a different pharmacy that carries a different generic brand. Different companies put different amounts of the active ingredients and fillers, etc in the medicine and it DEFINITELY makes a difference, ESPECIALLY if she is on a relatively high dose. If that's not an option, then she might try taking a small dose of an anti-anxiety med, like Ativan..as the Adderall is wearing off. (Not that you want her taking yet another med, but she needs to control the ADHD just to function..) I switched my generic Adderall brand..on accident, actually.. and it's been wonderful. I don't get a crash and I can actually get stuff done! :yay: No more daily PMS, lol..

Taking the Adderall with the Celexa isn't the issue, in my opinion. Either she needs the dose adjusted, the extended-release formula, a different generic brand, or to time her doses so that the medicine doesn't wear off as quickly. Or something for anxiety timed with the crash. Also, make sure she is eating and drinking enough water during the day. It's so easy to forget to eat with Adderall. That makes me super grumpy, too. And Adderall makes one more dehydrated so it's important to drink a ton of water. 

I sure hope something works for your wife because it can be so easy to fix. Your post was a while ago so I hope you're still around. You have my best wishes...and good luck!


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