Posted by ed_uk on August 22, 2005, at 16:33:10
In reply to Re: Am I on a risky drug treatment?..or is it okay? » ed_uk, posted by Nickengland on August 21, 2005, at 16:35:27
Hi Nick,
> I feel because the atypical antipsychotics are orginally for the treatment of Schizoprenia, I don't think the symtoms I have are really that similar to Schizophrenia...
They don't need to be. Zyprexa, for example, is one of the most effective anti-manic drugs, the symptoms don't have to resemble schizophrenia. Schizophrenia was just the first condition that it was tested for.
>They act on dopamine too ~ whereas from what I understand the anticonvulatants work on gaba.....
.......gabapentin binds to specific calcium channels in the brain. It doesn't 'mimic' GABA as was originally though. Topamax does all sorts of stuff..... acts at sodium channels, calcium channels, GABA receptors etc.
>I would be going into a whole new territory so to speak..........
Gabapentin and Topamax were both new territory :-) None of the drugs you've tried before act in the same way.
>........and i'm not sure if the sedation would really work to make me feel better...
Some APs are more sedative that others. Seroquel is often quite sedating, Abilify is much less sedating. YMMV ;-) A lot of people find the anticonvulsants sedating!
>But then I take anticonvulsants and I don't have epilepsy?!...
:-)
>Temporal Lobe Epilepsy is very similar to bipolar disorder.....
Complex partial seizures can be difficult to diagnose, psychiatric symptoms may present.
Your symptoms sounds like 'classic' bipolar disorder to me, they don't resemble epilepsy....... as far as I can tell.
>..........I could be taking a risk making my condition worse?
It's possible .....but unlikely. Atypical APs have rarely been reported to induce mania......... but then so has Topamax.
>Hows the celexa treating you?...are you still at 60mg?
I'm finding it quite effective thank you :-) I'm still on 60mg.
Kind regards
~Ed
PS. I'm not recommending that you take an AP. You seem to be feeling much better lately. I just want you to keep your options open. An AP might come in handy in the future.
poster:ed_uk
thread:544191
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050821/msgs/545233.html