Posted by lostsailor on September 4, 2001, at 12:36:01
In reply to Re: how does depakote make you feel? » lostsailor, posted by Mitch on September 4, 2001, at 9:54:20
> > Actually, I am the one that has become depakote defiante. I will go back on it, but he really likes the neurontin for the anti-aniety properties. About the pen, he's a bit used to it by now. I think he was more concerned about me invading the staff icebox and poss. forking out dough for lunch. the bigge with Effexor is that it's the only thing that really works for me. Neurontin has helped with manic behavior, but I am the first to admit not as well as Dep., but the side effects are more tolerable and i like not havung the bloodwork needed for dep use. Tegritol is another optin for me, but we are reserving it if possible. Lithium is a NO NO...It is the only med in his "arsenol" that I have repetaadly refused to take--I like having a thyroid...lol ~Tony
> >
> > 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.
> > ~Tony
>
> Tony,
>
> 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:lostsailor
thread:77263
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010902/msgs/77684.html