BPDFamily.com

It hasn't even been a week since I was referred to this site. I thought my husband was bipolar, but now think it is BPD. However, he started taking Prozac less than a year ago and it seems to have made him manic. I say this because I discovered he has been spending excessive amounts of time partaking in deviant sexual behavior online and a recent affair.  Not only does it appear as if he wasn't concerned about the ramifications of getting caught, but he has downplayed it all as if it is something that can be forgiven or accepted.  This does sound like BPD behavior, and I do now see that he has always had BPD traits, but it seems the Prozac has had something to do with this extreme recent behavior.   Does it sound manic?  Could he be both bipolar and BPD?

Really that should be a question for a psychiatrist.

I can say from personal experience that Prozac has the effect of de-stressing a person (kind of like mindfulness, but doesn't work nearly as well)... and for some people, me in particular, it had the side effect of getting them wound up. I had a prescription at one time, took it once and was up for about a day and a half and wired, couldn't sleep. Had to stop taking it.

Someone with BPD could easily use the Prozac to ease their anxiety about doing whatever they wanted to do anyway... . which could be the kinds of behavior you mentioned.

Would take your question to a psychiatrist... . they should know be qualified to give really good advice on it.

Charred:

What you have said makes sense. My probably-BPD H may have been doing some of these things all along with some guilt and definitely been more careful about getting caught.  But now the Prozac has allowed him to feel good, even euphoric, while behaving in this manner. I will never know the truth about how long this behavior has been going on. For all I know he has been unfaithful for years.  And it is hard to accept that I will  never know the truth. His reaction to my reaction, when I confronted him, was so bizarre and cold, that I felt this wasn't even my H. And the person he is right now is not the person he was before Prozac, that person would be suffering right now and reacting. Instead his reaction is only to what I have now decided to do, and that is to divorce him.  I guess BPDs think they can have their cake and eat it too!  Thanks for the insight. Be well.

My information that I have learned is that a single medication does almost nothing for BPD. It may help with some things but the core of BPD needs to be dealt with in therapy.

I can speak to my experience... . mine was on 2 meds and still was just as sick as before.

Currently I found out, during a recycle, that she is on prozac and I can tell you her BPD is just as active as before.

My H has been on Prozac for years and it has really helped with the BPD.  He says it gives him a numb feeling physically and it does calm him down. 

I would almost think in your case that the Prozac might not actually be working, that maybe he does not have a high enough dose?  I'm just guessing here.  My H takes 80mg which is really high, but he had to get to that level before it began to help him.

Some people just react badly to some medications. My H didn't do well on Prozac. It made him 'numb' (as maryy16 mentioned) but it also made him angry and he started doing more extreme things to try not to feel so 'flat'. So it made him worse rather than better. He's on different medication now and it does help quite a bit, but it certainly isn't a cure.

my ex suffers from bipolar2 and BPD, shes been on prozack and it alone is not good for ppl with bipolar. it can drive them manic and keep them there.

MY uBPDh has been on Prozac for a few months. A very low dosage. It helped with his anxiety and depression and bulimia. He is less bothered by things most of the time... sometimes it seems like it does nothing, when compared to him in a good mood anyway.

I have however noticed that at times he will be just inconsiderate and more selfish. I discussed the specific acts of inconsideration with him (not when he was doing it, but at a later time when he noticed I was frustrated with him), and since he has consciously worked at not being inconsiderate.

I think the other poster is right. Prozac has the unfortunate side effect of apathy. Although the anxiety/depression is reduced, because things don't bother then as much, getting "caught" doing something he has been doing just does not bother him as much.

He also still has his emotional deregulations, but with less things triggering him, they are fewer and further between. I agree that CBT and DBT are probably better tools for BPD, but the only way to lessen my Dh's anxiety to even accept that idea has been the Prozac.

I do not believe any higher dosage would change your H's choices... only lessen the anxiety that would go along with it.