Posted by susan C on October 13, 2002, at 22:25:08
In reply to Re: Attention Mouse, posted by MJC on October 13, 2002, at 13:54:46
Hi dee HOo,
First, I think all your questions are good ones, and, as always, they need to be asked of and discussed with your doctor. I can only share my experience...which is, get a base line liver panel, then plan on another in about six months...maybe another in another six months, just to see what is up. Otherwise it was on a 'wait and see' basis...The liver function tests at the beginning, as I understand it, are to observe how your body is dealing with the medicine, how quickly it is being processed, and how much of it your body is using. The 'ranges' everybody talks about, are, as I understand it, for seizures, and mood management can take place with much more, or much less.I havent heard of anyone having 'all their hair fall out' it is more that the frequency and volume of individual hairs increase. Instead of, say, ten in the brush, it is more like thirty, or you notice a bit more in your hand when you run your hand through your hair...or watch it wash down the drain...
As to drinking and depakote, I have read stories of everything from 'hey,I drink anything and I am ok' to 'took one sip and I was in ER'. Personally, I don't drink, anyway, so it was irrelevant. And, I didn't want to mess around with it. I am a pretty straight and narrow kinda gal, or mouse, whatever.
I figure, if other things have been tried to no success and you are straight with your doctor about your other habits (alcohol etc.) it is worth an informed try. After all, it is the 'gold standard' mood stablizer, a lot of people use it successfully and it is thoroughly studied.
opinioned mouse
poster:susan C
thread:123387
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021012/msgs/123536.html