Posted by Else on July 30, 2001, at 19:12:48
In reply to Re: Depakote for dysthymia?, posted by Collete on July 30, 2001, at 9:41:38
I'm assuming your diagnosis is Bipolar II or Cyclothymia. This means you must have been hypomanic at least at some point in your life. If your "ups" weren't manic then what were they?
It's possible your diagnosis is wrong and that Depakote is not needed. I have been given a (dubious) diagnosis of Borderline Personnality Disorder mainly due to the fact that I am both labile and impulsive. I found anticonvulsants like Depakote and Neurontin considerably reduced my impulsive , sometimes self-destructive behavior. But I do feel this relief comes along with a price tag: a sort of numbness, not as bad as what I get with SSRIs, but similar. If you are not impulsive or out of control, you may not need Depakote. Wellbutrin is a more activating type of antidepressant than Prozac and is indicated in Bipolars because it appears to be the least likely to trigger mania according to many doctors(oddly, it made me hypomanic twice, but let's assume my reaction was atypical.)You say you feel so lifeless all the time. That's pretty much how I felt the whole time I was on Zoloft. I took it for almost a year and never responded. I actually attempted suicide while I was on is (not BECAUSE of it, but IN SPITE of it). SSRIs may not be ideal for you. Consider different types of antidepressants. A lot of them are mentionned on this board but just in case you don't know, if you don't respond to Prozac, you're not likely to respond to Paxil, Zoloft, Luvox or Celexa. They all do pretty much the same thing although some people respond differently. The same goes for TCAs. The only drug I ever found really useful was Parnate (an MAOI) but I was taken off after three weeks so I don't know whether the positive effects were due to the early, amphetamine-like effects of the drug or the antidepressant effect. I am tying to get my doctor to prescribe it again and not having much luck. But this is only one example. There are plenty of choices out there. Get as much information as you can before you see your doctor.
> Thank you for your response. Actually, I never thought I was bipolar, but that is the diagnosis I was given after spending one year is a depression study at the Univ. of PA. The pdoc seemed to feel I had mood swings even though the "up" cycles were never manic. At any rate, Prozac has helped me tremendously and I have been on it for about 14 years(or as long as it's been available) but lately, I still experience what has been called dysthymia. I have many depression symptoms but can still function. I have felt that the Prozac wasn't "working" very well for me anymore, so I went to see this pdoc, who prescribed Depakote. I am starting to learn what I can online and Depakote just doesn't sound sensible to me. He says he wants to stop my swings, but I already feel so lifeless all the time.
poster:Else
thread:72396
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010725/msgs/72598.html