Posted by bob on January 7, 2002, at 23:20:14
In reply to S.S.R.I. tolerance and other stuff., posted by zarathustra on January 7, 2002, at 21:39:56
I find it interesting that the doctors you've talked to say the side-effect profile of lithium is intolerable. I got a professional consultation done at Hopkins and they pushed Lithium. They said for for many people "it's not worse than taking sugar pills." Yeah... RIGHT! I don't know where they get stuff like that.
Anyway, I took Depakote for almost two years, and couldn't handle it without a hefty dose of Welbutrin to keep me awake (I still was drowsy a lot and had to sleep about 10 hrs/day). My opinion is that mood stabilizers are MUCH better at preventing mania, than they are at preventing lows. They may prevent an all out nasty unipolar depressive episode, but if they do indeed stabilize, it is at a relatively low mood point -- at least for me. I hardly did anything of consequence when I was on Depakote. I layed on the couch, with no enthusiasm, no goals, and no desire. It was a rather good anxiolytic though.
poster:bob
thread:89256
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020103/msgs/89268.html