My psychiatrist increased my dose of antidepressants, bad idea?

Question

I'm a 16 year old girl with Bipolar and OCD. My psychiatrist has put me on Olanzapine and Sertraline, but I saw him yesterday and he said he's increasing my dose of sertraline to 100mg (Instead of 50). My mum is away for the next two weeks, so I'll be staying with her ex boyfriend next week. I'm home alone this week. I'm worried the antidepressants will send me manic. I know my psychiatrist knows best and everything, but I think he's so worried about treating the OCD with antidepressants that he hasn't considered the risks of doubling my dose.

I've tried calling his office, but his secretary is not all that useful and although I left a message with her, I never got a reply.

What do you think? I can't just keep taking my normal dose unless I break the tablets in half or something, as the pharmacy has given me 100mg ones instead and my 50mg tablets have run out. Advice, please?

Thanks for reading and answering

Answer 1

when my counsellor advised my gp to perscribe anti-depressants for my cronic depresson increasing the dose didn't send me back to suicidal it just numbed me, so you should be fine but prone to spacing out alot and not really feeling anything at all until your dose is reduced again,

it would propably be advisable not to stay home alone at first as everyone responds differantly to medication, or if you are alone make sure a friend isn't far away or at the end of a phone.

good luck and your physciatrist wouldn't give you anything that wouldn't help,

good luck x

Answer 2

I have bipolar too. olanzapine is a mood stabaliser right? If so you should be fine. Although I wouldn't recommend being home along when you do it.

As you probably know when you start anti depressents they can send one manic, and often suicidal, I think the same is the case when you increase the dose, although it's not often as drastic as when you first take them.

I would recommend staying on your normal dose until you have someone to keep an eye on you and make sure that you're ok. There is no harm in waiting a week or two right?

Hope it helped.