Q.I was diagnosed 12 years ago with bipolar disorder and take numerous
medications which include:
neurontin 3300mg per day
celexa 60 mg per day
serzone 250 mg per day
seroquel 125 mg per day
I also take multiple meds (seizure type) for migraines
I have begun to show extreme dissociative symptoms, which no one has been
able to account for. MANY of the symptoms for bipolar and bpd are the
same. A psychiatrist that only reviewed my symptoms as reported by a
family member suggested that I may indeed be suffering from bpd instead of
bipolar disorder.
A. I view dissociative behaviors as an anxiety symptom. This is a bit
simplistic, but dissociative behavior is part of panic disorder (an anxiety
disorder). I would probably suggest increasing your Celexa to 80 mg/day (more
if you smoke cigarettes), and seeing what happens. If this fails, I would use
either Serzone at 500 to 750 mg at bedtime (if you are not obsessive) or
Effexor XR at 450-600 mg (my favorite and good if you are obsessive). The
migraines probably are caused by the same chemical imbalance as your
dissociative behaviors. Correct treatment will eliminate both.