Posted by Ritch on March 20, 2005, at 17:18:21
In reply to Re: Paxil w/drawal question..anyone? » Ritch, posted by SLS on March 20, 2005, at 12:05:08
> Your having figured out your cycles is amazing.
>
> I wonder if using light therapy during your depressed phase might not make you manic if you expose yourself to too much of it.
>
> What drugs are you currently taking?
>
> What has been your history of using mood stabilizers? Ever tried lithium?
>
>
> - ScottHi Scott,
I'm on 250mg-500mg/day of Depakote ER--I had 125mg sprinkle caps and it was 250mg-375mg day, but I'm out of sprinkle caps now. When I take 500mg it is just when I get a little "tweaky" and scatterbrained (every week or so for a couple of days). I'm also on Clonazepam .5mg most days, sometimes up to 1.0mg for a day or two here and there. I was also on a tiny bit of Celexa 1/2mg every other day, but I've been off it for about a week, and I am going to see if I can stay off of it.
Mood stabilizer-wise.. I was on lithium the longest from 1980 until 1998 (with exception to a year or so in there where I stopped it with near disastrous results). Also during the '80's I was on low doses of Thorazine or Mellaril. More recently have tinkered with (for at least a month or two) Topamax, Neurontin, Gabitril, Trileptal, Keppra, verapamil. The only thing I haven't tried that might be helpful would be Dilantin or Tegretol or Lamictal. Did try Tegretol, but for just two weeks as a switch from lithium back in 1990 or so. I was in the middle of a nasty depression, and the depression seemed to get worse but that may have been stopping the lithium.. (no side effects though that I can remember with Teg @ 200mg/day).
Generally, I've found the best times to try something new or stop something is when I am in a high phase, NOT a depressive one.
Hmmm.. the light exposure thing.. Well, I never wind up getting a light box, although every time the winter depression approaches I swear I'll buy one.. this time I'm going to get the thing in September well BEFORE I get hip-deep in a depressive spot and lack the motivation. I've actually tinkered with taking melatonin at night as an antimanic, and it seems to help! I HAVE thought quite a bit about light triggered mania, and I sometimes get quite a robust euphoric high spell or two in January or February if there is snow cover that persists with a lot of sunshine. The problem is the summertime depression. There is more anxiety and hostility, more mixed. The leaden paralysis thing as well. There is NOTHING worse for me than to be super agitated and feel like a block of lead at the same time. The wintertime one is more of a "classic" unipolar atypical depression, just super sleepy and hungry, and thick headed.
The three week thing I've noticed even before I sought treatment.. I didn't quite connect the dots though-- because back then you were just manic depressive period, or something else, no splintering..
poster:Ritch
thread:471753
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050317/msgs/473264.html