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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by MJC on October 12, 2002, at 18:52:14
Hey, I've been recently diagnosed as being Bi-Polar II which doesn't surprise me since I fit the bill perfectly and it seems to have run through my family tree.Anyways, I need to find a mood stabilizer that will be right for me.
My Doctor is leaning towards Epival which I'm really cautious about because I've been seeing all these reports online about people dying from liver problems and stuff while taking this medication. I don't want to take something that will just cause me to drop dead.
I also need to be fairly alert and be able to use my head. I don't want to be walking around like a brainless zombie just in order to keep control of my Bi-Polar symptoms. In fact, I'd rather be dead than to be a zombie like that. When my Doctor put me on Paxil to try it out for 3 months, that's basically what happened, every week I'd get slower and slower till I turned into a couch potatoe that couldn't even keep his mind on track to watch TV shows so I'd focus on the great commercials instead.
So are there any mood stabilizers that won't kill me and won't turn me into a zombie?
Also, if anybody is going to suggest Epival... what's this about going to get my liver checked every so often? Would this be like a weekly event? Maybe every 4 months? Once a year?
Anyways, any information would be greatly appreciated. I'm trying damned hard to fight this thing off but my mind and body are starting to get tired of this ever changing drug cocktail.
Currently on 1.5mg of Clonazepam a day
75mg of Effexor XR every 36 hours
50mg of Trazadone every night (which my Doctor just suggested today to cut out for a few days)
Posted by Ellen S. on October 12, 2002, at 23:05:38
In reply to What Mood Stabilizer would work best for me(BPII), posted by MJC on October 12, 2002, at 18:52:14
You say "My Doctor is leaning towards Epival." I had to look that name up, and I found that it is a brand name for divalproex sodium, which is sold in the U.S. under the name Depakote. If you search this board for posts about "depakote", you might find some useful information.
I have no advice to offer about this medication or about your choice of a mood stabilizer, but I notice that none of the meds you have taken up until now is a mood stabilizer. Whatever you choose, I hope you find that it works better for you than these other meds have done.
Posted by compucat on October 13, 2002, at 11:05:54
In reply to Re: What Mood Stabilizer would work best?, posted by Ellen S. on October 12, 2002, at 23:05:38
hello MJC -
I am not specifically familiar with Epival, but I can tell you that I told my Pdoc that I wanted to steer away from it, if possible, due to its side effect of potential significant weight gain, which would not have been healthy for me physically.
I am BP II and am currently on the 2 mood stabilizers Neurontin and Topamax, in addition to the anti-depressants Wellbutrin and Celexa.
As for these mood stabilizers, I do not recall Neurontin causing me many of those typical foggy side effects, however, at the time, I was also juggling a number of other meds in the search for the perfect combination.
I personally did find Topamax to initially cause me to zone out for a good couple of weeks when I first started taking it. Now, this will only happen for a day or two ONLY if the dose is significantly increased, which my doc does not like doing.
Good luck to you, I hope things work out -
Compucat
Posted by susan C on October 13, 2002, at 12:27:07
In reply to Re: What Mood Stabilizer would work best?, posted by compucat on October 13, 2002, at 11:05:54
Hi, One of the hardest, if not the hardest things is the trial and error process it takes to uncover the right combination. Your milage may vary, for example, I didnot gain weight on depakote, I lost some; also, I "released" some hair, but not a lot, and it stopped after about nine months. I also noticed the "dullness" to disappate after a dose was settled on, after a period of time (I'd have to look at my notes to figure it out), but then maybe that is me...it takes a long time for me to find things that work. Now, If something is NOT going to work (ie bad unacceptable side effects) that happens in the first month. For me, the 'dullness of depakote was acceptable, compared to the mood swings. It didnt help me 100%, but it helped me enough that I didnot want to stop taking it, and I was willing to put up with the dullness...I hope this make sense. I am writing to support you and encourage you to not give up, to try to find an answer. This is a difficult illness we have, with no easy answer.
mouse
Posted by MJC on October 13, 2002, at 13:54:46
In reply to Re: What Mood Stabilizer would work best?, posted by susan C on October 13, 2002, at 12:27:07
Hey, Epival is the Canadian version of depakote, and that's what my Dr is suggesting to try next. To be honest, I'm scared to death to try this drug. I'm currently 24 and I'd say that for the past 10-12 years I've been drinking pretty constantly. Like on a weekly basis. Since this drug works through the liver, I'm scared of just dropping dead from taking this drug. Of course I'm getting my Liver checked before I take it, I've already insisted on it, but what's it going to be like after that?There's a lot of nasty stuff on the Net and from what I've seen I need to go get my blood checked like every week or something? For how long does this last for? Can you still drink sociabally on this drug? Or will one beer, for example, cause some crazy side effects?
I'm not scared of gaining weight, I'm already a big guy, not exactly obese, but I've got the kind of body that will adjust perfectly to an extra 10-20lbs, just distribute it evenly over everything. I'll never be a skinny pretty boy so that doesn't exactly bother me.
If my hair falls out, so be it, I'll just keep my head shaved. This is like the first time in maybe 8 years that I've got a normal length head of hair.
I'm scared mainly of this whole "liver" issue and my thought process. Paxil turned me into a zombie so I know what it's like to be made completely dull and honestly, I'd rather die than live like that. My brain is one of my most prized assets and I really don't want to lose my thinking ability.
So any information that you could provide me on this whole "liver" issue and my thought process would be greatly appreciated.
It's funny, I've partied my butt off for the past 12 years or so, put just about everything into my body from time to time (now I'm completely clean except for the weed... won't be giving that up in this lifetime)and this is the first drug that I'm like damn.... what exactly will this do to me???
Posted by cybercafe on October 13, 2002, at 17:06:33
In reply to Re: Attention Mouse, posted by MJC on October 13, 2002, at 13:54:46
1) you are not going to just drop dead ...
any temporary liver irregularities will be caught early... and are reversible ... docs are not in the business of killing people2) drinking alcohol regularly is never a good idea when you are on meds.. because the liver is needed to make them work.. and when you drink, it spends the next 2.5 days processing the alcohol -- any meds you take in that time aren't doing a thing ..... meaning.. if you are going to drink, don't even bother taking meds for the next couple days -- you're wasting your cash...
it is very important that your brain is exposed to meds consistently... i have been on parnate for 4 months now, and i am still getting better and better as my brain gets used to it>
> Hey, Epival is the Canadian version of depakote, and that's what my Dr is suggesting to try next. To be honest, I'm scared to death to try this drug. I'm currently 24 and I'd say that for the past 10-12 years I've been drinking pretty constantly. Like on a weekly basis. Since this drug works through the liver, I'm scared of just dropping dead from taking this drug. Of course I'm getting my Liver checked before I take it, I've already insisted on it, but what's it going to be like after that?
>
> There's a lot of nasty stuff on the Net and from what I've seen I need to go get my blood checked like every week or something? For how long does this last for? Can you still drink sociabally on this drug? Or will one beer, for example, cause some crazy side effects?
>
> I'm not scared of gaining weight, I'm already a big guy, not exactly obese, but I've got the kind of body that will adjust perfectly to an extra 10-20lbs, just distribute it evenly over everything. I'll never be a skinny pretty boy so that doesn't exactly bother me.
>
> If my hair falls out, so be it, I'll just keep my head shaved. This is like the first time in maybe 8 years that I've got a normal length head of hair.
>
> I'm scared mainly of this whole "liver" issue and my thought process. Paxil turned me into a zombie so I know what it's like to be made completely dull and honestly, I'd rather die than live like that. My brain is one of my most prized assets and I really don't want to lose my thinking ability.
>
> So any information that you could provide me on this whole "liver" issue and my thought process would be greatly appreciated.
>
> It's funny, I've partied my butt off for the past 12 years or so, put just about everything into my body from time to time (now I'm completely clean except for the weed... won't be giving that up in this lifetime)and this is the first drug that I'm like damn.... what exactly will this do to me???
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
Posted by bobbyy on October 14, 2002, at 5:46:26
In reply to What Mood Stabilizer would work best for me(BPII), posted by MJC on October 12, 2002, at 18:52:14
I was first put on lithium which was awful..now I am on topamax which I really like..I was tired a little on a 100mg..I am now on 200mg and not tired at all..now I have no side effects that I am aware of and would like my doctor to try higher dosage because the first few days were
"stunning" ..a "middle" found me the first few days..he also put me on risperdal..an atypical antipsychotic which I take at night ...it has helped me big time with rage and obsessive thinking..and probably mania...only side effect was weight gain ugh..especially when he doubled
my dosage...
also a lot of people swear by lamictal as mood stabilizer of choice..I haven't mentioned that to my doctor...especially since topamax has given me no side effects and am curious about higher dose
after that initial effect
bobby
This is the end of the thread.
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