Posted by Mitch on September 4, 2001, at 9:54:20
In reply to Re: how does depakote make you feel?, posted by lostsailor on September 4, 2001, at 0:49:46
>
>
> I was on dep. for almost two years. My doc used it as an ajunct to ssri's and benzos. At that time I was diagnosed
> with recurrent maj. Dep. and Panic w/ agoraphobia. I had already had textbook signs of mania (e.g., up for days on
> end, wild spending sprees while unemployed and in school ect., but doc wanted to reserve a bi-polar diagnosis. Two
> years of Dep. use and all was peachy. We secided that a trial period with out dep was in store. Disaster struck
> later...after returning from a "vacation" with ex fiance, my mother asked is she could come to the doc with me. I am
> 32 years old and have been seeing him for 6 yrs. She told me that I was illogical, unreasonable and "flighty." Having
> never asked this before and sensing that I was feeling partic. exuberant, I agreed. The meeting went well. She
> basically just said, "look at him doc" I was already in the office icebox while waiting, opening the office windows, had
> stolen the pen that he was taking notes with--sidebar: I collect pens from all of the medications that I have taken and
> had not yet a Celexa pen. He turned it over and I thanked him profusely. I then checked my weight, hieght and
> attempted to take my own blood pressure...lol. He said in a calm voice that he felt that he was finally witnessing an
> accute period of mania and started me on neurontin while still in the office. I was totally lost when he brought out a
> sample pack and escourted me to the water fountin. I have now been on doses of Neurontin varing bet 900 mgs
> daily ( on a 300/mg tid schedule) and he is strirving for 2400 (800 mg tid.) I seem to tolerate 1800 mg max. I do not
> feel as lethagic on "N" as on Dep. and "N" also works with gaba receptors--these are the sites that the benzoS bind
> with. I take 8mg of xanax, 225 of effexor xr, and a sleepind aid as well, but relife is far from full. I feel that I may
> need to go back to dep. during The next vist. Of interest--Hair loss...this is an effect that will be noticed early in
> treatment and tends to come in "bunches" If you have been on it for more than 6 weeks and not noticed it, you will
> prob never will--thankfully, I was lucky there. Sorry for babbling I hope this was a bit of help. Would luv feedback.
> ~TonyTony,
Neurontin generally isn't near as powerful as Depakote for controlling mania. Wow, you took the pen he was taking notes with? I have been wound before, but not quite that high 0:! The only other thing I can think to add is watch out with the Effexor, if I could tolerate 225mgs a day I would probably be opening and shutting my shrinks's windows too! I've gotten hostile and hypomanic on Effexor several times (on 37.5mg!). I would ask him about that. It would suck if you had to take a ton of other stuff just because an AD you were taking was causing most of your trouble,
goodluck
Mitch
poster:Mitch
thread:77263
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010902/msgs/77668.html