bipolar and on meds...need help finding a cold medicine :(

[Aubrie]

First off:

Kinda feel weird about posting this but my pharamcist (sp?) is full of crap and no help. I'm bipolar and am taking lithium medication for it. My doctor told me not to take anything with a decongestant in it..well I have a cold and can't find a medication to take. My pharmacist told me Robitussin (sp?) but it has a decongestant in it. :roll:

So my question is, since I've seen a few people post about being bipolar once in a while, what kind of medication do you take for colds? And also why can't I take things with a decongestant in it?

Thanks to those who reply.

Edit: And for those of you who might wonder why i'm not asking my doctor, she's out of town for two weeks.

 

[Kiere]

Re: bipolar and on meds...need help finding a cold medicine

First off:

Kinda feel weird about posting this but my pharamcist (sp?) is full of crap and no help. I'm bipolar and am taking lithium medication for it. My doctor told me not to take anything with a decongestant in it..well I have a cold and can't find a medication to take. My pharmacist told me Robitussin (sp?) but it has a decongestant in it. :roll:

So my question is, since I've seen a few people post about being bipolar once in a while, what kind of medication do you take for colds? And also why can't I take things with a decongestant in it?

Thanks to those who reply.

Edit: And for those of you who might wonder why i'm not asking my doctor, she's out of town for two weeks.

Well first of all Robitussin makes several products..including some that do not have decongestants. I seriously would just check with another pharmacist though. There are lots of things you can do that are non-medication like pouring steaming hot water into a bowl and leaning your face over it with a towel on your head. Saline nasal sprays can help also. Humidifiers etc. If you were to do an internet search for homeopathic remedies you could probably find more..again i'd check with your pharmacist before trying anything though. Good luck and I hope you feel better soon!

 

[Kipsy]

Oh my god you poor thing >_<

I'm bi-polar as well, and for al ong time I wasn't allowed to have any decongestiants. I also have allergies to ragweed...

I would reccomend going to your local drug store, and asking the pharmisist. They usually know best, and can tell you what's safe to take.

 

[chpal]

Ummm, what is bi-polar?
is that when you have different personalities?

 

[Fellina]

The real question is, what kind of decongestants are you not allowed? Pseudoephedrine (aka Sudafed) is a stimulant, and most often not allowed to people with other medical conditions. (I know, I'm not supposed to take it either, it throws off my thyroid levels). Diphenhydramine HCl (aka Benadryl) is often considered a "safe" alternative to the pseudoephedrine.

Best person to ask would be your doctor, in all honesty. A good pharmacist would be able to help you just as well as your doctor, but probably won't. I know for a fact that any pharmacist that's been in the business for more than a year has had their heart and soul crushed into a tiny, black, unrecognizeable lump. My best friend worked as a pharmacist for about 8 months after getting her PharmD degree- she quit after that time because she didn't want to continue her transformation into world's biggest bitch. She now works as a Advair rep for GSK, and is considering applying for their R&D department.

Edit: Just saw the line about your doc being out of town for two weeks . . . is there another doctor in the practice, or a resident you can ask? They'd be able to help as well, if there is, since it's just a question about drug interactions.

 

[Neyla]

Ummm, what is bi-polar?
is that when you have different personalities?

It's a depression disorder where people suffer extreme highs (though there's nothing good about these manias as they can be, uh, maniacal) and the most abysmal lows. Behavior is erratic and unpredictable if not treated. It used to be called manic depression.

 

[Aubrie]

Thank you guys for replying. My grandmother found something this morning that I hopefully should be able to take and got me a Vicks vaporizer thing to use. Now my dungeon is gonna smell like Vicks for weeks on end.

Thanks again for replying, and Chpal Schitzophrenia (sp?) is when you have multiple personalities.

 

[Pascal]

Thank you guys for replying. My grandmother found something this morning that I hopefully should be able to take and got me a Vicks vaporizer thing to use. Now my dungeon is gonna smell like Vicks for weeks on end.

Thanks again for replying, and Chpal Schitzophrenia (sp?) is when you have multiple personalities.

Actually Multiple personality Disorder is when you have multiple personalities. Schizophrenia actually covers a range of different things, depending on the severity. The most common symptom people are used to hearing about is Hallucinations and Delusion. Hearing and seeing things that is not real.

http://www.mentalhealth.com/book/p40-sc01.html

A friend of mine actually has both Bipolar and Schizophrenia.

 

[Aubrie]

I thought it was Schitzophrenia. My mistake. Gonna go pass out now.

 

[rabidsquirrel]

Thank you guys for replying. My grandmother found something this morning that I hopefully should be able to take and got me a Vicks vaporizer thing to use. Now my dungeon is gonna smell like Vicks for weeks on end.

Thanks again for replying, and Chpal Schitzophrenia (sp?) is when you have multiple personalities.

Actually Multiple personality Disorder is when you have multiple personalities. Schizophrenia actually covers a range of different things, depending on the severity. The most common symptom people are used to hearing about is Hallucinations and Delusion. Hearing and seeing things that is not real.

http://www.mentalhealth.com/book/p40-sc01.html

A friend of mine actually has both Bipolar and Schizophrenia.

And Pascal gets the prize for coming up with the correct definition. All three disorders are often confused for each other by many people because in the earlier versions of the DSM (diagnostic and statistical manual of the American Psychological Association) they were sometimes called the same things and they have symptoms that can overlap.