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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 14 of 14. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by stresser on February 6, 2005, at 13:32:30
My daughter has been on Wellbutrin, Paxil, Lexapro, Effexor, topamax, and now Trileptal and Zoloft. She has been diagnosed with bipolar II and also has a binge eating disorder. She cannot control her eating and since starting the last two medications has gained more weight, and I am wondering if they are wrong for her. The topomax wellbutrin was working for her and she was controling the weight, except her hair started to fall out so she stopped taking them. I am starting to not be able to trust the doctor.....and I don't think there's anything out there that will help her and keep her weight down at the same time. Is there anything that can keep her train of thought away from food and on something else? Mood stabilizers have not helped her grades at all, and since she is not ADD the doctor won't give her medication for that. I was hoping he would do that in an experiment so that we could find out if it would help her concentrate better on her school work. Things are going from bad to worse, and that's not what I had expected when we found these new doctors.....I'm exhaused! I would appreciate any advice.
Thanks a bunch,
L
Posted by Ritch on February 6, 2005, at 14:16:09
In reply to Is there a medication out there?, posted by stresser on February 6, 2005, at 13:32:30
> My daughter has been on Wellbutrin, Paxil, Lexapro, Effexor, topamax, and now Trileptal and Zoloft. She has been diagnosed with bipolar II and also has a binge eating disorder. She cannot control her eating and since starting the last two medications has gained more weight, and I am wondering if they are wrong for her. The topomax wellbutrin was working for her and she was controling the weight, except her hair started to fall out so she stopped taking them. I am starting to not be able to trust the doctor.....and I don't think there's anything out there that will help her and keep her weight down at the same time. Is there anything that can keep her train of thought away from food and on something else? Mood stabilizers have not helped her grades at all, and since she is not ADD the doctor won't give her medication for that. I was hoping he would do that in an experiment so that we could find out if it would help her concentrate better on her school work. Things are going from bad to worse, and that's not what I had expected when we found these new doctors.....I'm exhaused! I would appreciate any advice.
> Thanks a bunch,
> LYou mentioned that Topamax and Wellbutrin were working, but that her hair started to fall out and you stopped *both* meds? Are you sure you can attribute the hair loss to both meds? Just wondering if she could have stayed on the Topamax or the Wellbutrin and just changed one med instead. It can be really tough to find meds that have efficacy, and then discontinue because of side effects. Had her doctors considered trying to add Folic acid or selenium/zinc or other things to control the hair loss? Just wondering if there was a way for her to go back to the effective meds and find a way to mitigate the hair loss, or at least isolate the hair loss to one med or the other. Hope this helps.
Posted by redscarlet on February 6, 2005, at 17:56:18
In reply to Is there a medication out there?, posted by stresser on February 6, 2005, at 13:32:30
I lost tons of hair on Topamax and changed to Zonegran and have not had that problem.
I'm also on Wellbutrin.
Zonegran can help with weight just like Topamax can in some people.
HTH
Posted by stresser on February 6, 2005, at 20:42:49
In reply to Re: Is there a medication out there?, posted by redscarlet on February 6, 2005, at 17:56:18
I asked him about the Zonegran, and he said he wasn't familiar with it. It didn't impress me when he made that comment, but I'm not the psychiatrist, and I didn't want to come off like a know-it-all mother. She was taking Biotin and Zinc, but I don't know how long it takes for that to make a difference. I had just heard that Topamax can make hair fall out, so we assumed it was that. She is wanting to start back on the Wellbutrin, and after consulting with the pharmasist and being told it's fine to do that she is starting to take it tomorrow. I will tell the doc myself, that she wants to go back to it. The wellbutrin made her really sweaty, but she says it's better than the weight gain. The zoloft is doing the same anyway. The doctor didn't think the Wellbutrin was causing the hair to come out. Thanks everyone. -L
Posted by redscarlet on February 6, 2005, at 21:00:28
In reply to Re: Is there a medication out there? » redscarlet, posted by stresser on February 6, 2005, at 20:42:49
I wish your daughter the best going back on the Topamax.
I would start at low dose again and move up from there.
Keep taking the biotin and zinc and I think Ritch's thoughts on folic acid is good too.
If the Topamax doesn't work out a second time due to hair loss I would really look into the Zonegran, but I hope you will not have to.
Good Luck... :-)
Posted by stresser on February 6, 2005, at 21:11:20
In reply to Re: Is there a medication out there? » stresser, posted by redscarlet on February 6, 2005, at 21:00:28
I meant to say she is going back to the Wellbutrin.....she is staying on the trileptal for now. I don't know if she should go back to the topamax, but I am thinking about asking the doctor about it on friday when she goes in to see him.-L
Posted by redscarlet on February 6, 2005, at 21:29:42
In reply to Re: Is there a medication out there?, posted by stresser on February 6, 2005, at 21:11:20
Well starting back just the Wellburtin will let you know if that was or was not causing the hair loss and then you can decide about the Topamax once you know for sure.
Hope she's feeling better soon... :-)
Posted by Bill LL on February 7, 2005, at 8:25:57
In reply to Is there a medication out there?, posted by stresser on February 6, 2005, at 13:32:30
Aside from the loss of hair, were her grades still bad on Wellbutrin and Topomax?
If the answer is yes, I would put her on a stimulant such as Ritain or Adderal since that could solve both the grade problem as well as the weight problem.
If I were in your situation and the doc would not give an ADD drug due to lack of an ADD "diagnosis", I would switch docs IMMEDIATELY.
A few years a go I spoke to a child pdoc with a very good reputation. He said that the best way to see if a child needs Ritalin is to give the kid Ritalin and see if it helps.
Posted by stresser on February 7, 2005, at 9:00:42
In reply to Re: Is there a medication out there?, posted by Bill LL on February 7, 2005, at 8:25:57
Yes, the grades were still bad on both, but she says that she wasn't trying much then. She says she's really trying now to bring up here grades. I am looking into finding another psychiatrist, or maybe looking towards our family doctor because she is very understanding and always works well with us when we have problems. He did recommend that she see her for a check-up anyway. I did just call the office and ask about putting her back on the topamax/wellbutrin combination, and am waiting for the nurse to return my call with the permission. I told her I would not give my daughter the trileptal/zoloft anymore. It hasn't helped her AT ALL! Thanks everyone!-L
Posted by Minnie-Haha on February 7, 2005, at 10:25:36
In reply to Is there a medication out there?, posted by stresser on February 6, 2005, at 13:32:30
If Wellbutrin was working for her, maybe she should get back on it? I don't know if her hair loss was from that, but whatever it was, taking a little extra zinc may help. (I lost hair on Depakote and I took a little extra zinc, in addition to my multivitamin, and it helped me.) I should think Wellbutrin and a weight neutral mood stabilizer like Trileptal would be a good combo to try.
Posted by stresser on February 7, 2005, at 11:39:00
In reply to Re: Is there a medication out there?, posted by Minnie-Haha on February 7, 2005, at 10:25:36
The nurse called back and told me to put her back on the topamax and Wellbutrin again. She is taking Zinc, Biotin and I will add folic Acid in also, so maybe the problem won't be as bad this time around. I don't know. I'm really at my wits end....I have found old candy bags in her car (big one's) so that tells me the binge eating is still strong, and it's quite upseting. The psychologist isn't helping much, because she does not want the help just yet. He's good, but she's stubborn, and resists authority, so we're working against a strong force. I need the medication!!!!@##@@#!@$@#%@ I wish someone who has been there could tell me what to do....it's been two years and I need an answer. Thanks, all of you have really been life-savers to me, I can't express how much I appreciate the help. You are all such giving people and it's rare to have found total strangers that are willing to be there for someone they have never met. Bless you. -L
Posted by redscarlet on February 7, 2005, at 12:11:51
In reply to Re: Is there a medication out there?, posted by stresser on February 7, 2005, at 11:39:00
L, I wish you and your daughter the best.
Maybe the two of you need a girls day out after all this, go get your nails painted and have a really nice lunch some place fun, spend some time laughing together.
Good Luck and God bless to the both of you... :-)
Posted by Ritch on February 7, 2005, at 12:18:40
In reply to Re: Is there a medication out there?, posted by stresser on February 7, 2005, at 11:39:00
Hi there. Just a side note.. but Zoloft was the only SSRI that seemed to *stimulate* my appetite. I think that craving sweets is even listed in the monograph info for the drug. Just thought I would relay that. Prozac had the least effect on appetite for me (even seemed to lessen it somewhat). It is also used for bulimia. So... if her doctors really think she needs an SSRi at some later time.. you might consider Prozac instead and avoid Zoloft like the plague.
Posted by stresser on February 7, 2005, at 14:53:50
In reply to Re: Is there a medication out there? » stresser, posted by Ritch on February 7, 2005, at 12:18:40
Ritch,
Thanks so much! I wish I had known that two weeks ago...oh well. It must have stimulated her appetite, but it didn't mine at all. The topamax must offset the Zoloft for me a little. He didn't mention Prozac at all, but then she woudn't admit to him that she has an eating problem. Thanks agian!-L
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