Posted by MB on January 11, 2002, at 16:44:56
In reply to Re: How long until Trileptal sleepiness goes away? » MB, posted by Elizabeth on January 10, 2002, at 21:33:49
> > I don't know what the pharmacokinetics are but what I know is that it's making my depression worse.
>
> Uh-oh. It sounds like it's pretty bad. I think that if you're pretty sure that the Trileptal is to blame, getting off it makes sense (although it's important not to stop anticonvulsants abruptly -- you should really talk to your doctor about that). Anhedonia is a big part of my (major) depression, and it's really hard to treat -- buprenorphine is the only thing I've found that helps. A lot of people do feel more depressed on mood stabilizers, although they can have antidepressant effects on others.
I'm off of the Trileptal and feeling better. By itself, it made me more depressed, but mixed with Prozac (which I started) it made me absolutely miserable. I felt stimulated and mildly euphoric from the Prozac, and then the Trileptal would kick in (approx. 2 hrs after dose) and I would sink into this horrible dysphoria that was like a mixture of euphoria and depression combined. Prozac by itself seems to cause anxiety, but not dysphoria in me. The doc wants me to try Neurontin next. I've taken it before for RLS and found it really tolorable.
> > > Have you ever tried benzos (Klonopin maybe?), and if so, what effect did they have?> > They relax me with no side effects (unless I drink with them, then I dissociate). When I take them as prescribed they're great. Unfortunately, I'm in alcohol recovery (sober 2 years) so I'll have to try everything on the market before I'll be allowed to try a benzo. You know how it is.
>
> Yeah. *sigh* If you ask me, a history of alcoholism is a reason to consider a benzo, not a reason to rule them out. I think a lot of people who get in trouble with drugs are self-medicating, and what they need is a drug that acts similarly but that they can take under a doctor's supervision.
I've had a few episodes of really *severe* anxiety since I started the Prozac. I find that Kava extract really helps. That's scary that some people are turning up with liver damage from the stuff.
> > When I heard that the doc wanted to try SSRIs (*again*) I was mortified (I hate them) but he assured me the AE would mitigate the agitation/rage/anxiety induced by the SSRI (which Im supposed to start after getting on the AE).
>
> Wait -- do SSRIs have any positive effect on you that justifies exacerbating the anger/agitation symptoms?
I think I got mixed up...it was *Wellbutrin* that made the anger worse, not SSRIs...they just give me anxiety and make my thoughts kind of racey. Well, they do relieve the depression for the first week or so that I'm on them, but then they poop out. I'd have to say that with the Prozac, the *anger* is better, but *anxiety* is worse. I'm supposed to try a higher dose this time of the Prozac (60mg instead of 20mg) so it might be different. Then, I'm supposed to add Adderall. I'm scared...I can't even drink a cup of green tea without severe, hand-ringing, hyperventilating anxiety (moreso now than ever since I started the Prozac). Amphetamine will send me to the moon. This is another reason for the antiepileptic; to help with the anxiety. Neither Trileptal nor Gabitril did anything for the anxiety. I don't know if Neurontin will help...the first time I was on it, I was also taking .25mg Xanax tid, so anxiety was not a problem
> > All I know is that I have OCD symptoms and I'm told SSRIs are the only way to go with OCD.
>
> Well, sometimes the atypical antipsychotics, benzos, and Buspar are used. Also, I think that other things may often resemble OCD. What kind of symptoms do you have that are supposed to be indicative of OCD?
Recurrent thoughts that are disturbing...thoughts of killing myself even when I'm not suicidal, thoughts of horrible things happening to people (people I love), etc. Anxiety when things are not in their place. Weird rituals like...my feet have to be on carpet when the clock chimes or when the toilet stops refilling. Also I repeat words over and over in my head and spell them out with my forefinger on my thumb. I think these last two are more *tics* than *obsessions* because stimulants (and SSRIs) make them worse and faster.
> Best of luck to you. It looks like you're in a twisted situation that needs to get untangled!
>
> -elizabeth
Well, thanks for the luck...I'm hoping the Neurontin smoothes things out without making me derealize (Gabitril) or sending me into a mixed state (Trileptal).MB
poster:MB
thread:88575
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020110/msgs/89760.html