Shown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by bipolarspectrum on February 23, 2005, at 13:56:40
Hi,
I just started depakote and i feel soooo tired... I'm only at 500 mg.. will it ever go away??
bps
Posted by Ritch on February 23, 2005, at 23:33:24
In reply to will DEPAKOTE sedation go away??, posted by bipolarspectrum on February 23, 2005, at 13:56:40
> Hi,
> I just started depakote and i feel soooo tired... I'm only at 500 mg.. will it ever go away??
> bpsIt is very sedative no doubt. I think it also disrupts sleep (for me anyhow) in some other extra way that might contribute to daytime drowsiness that may make it seem more sedative than it would be if it didn't disrupt sleep. On a positive note :) I found that the cognitive sfx did fade, but it wasn't a good thing to be in your system in the middle of a depressive episode that was relatively unmixed. I get REALLY sleepy at 500mg (IF I'm in a depressive phase).
Posted by theo on February 25, 2005, at 16:58:39
In reply to Re: will DEPAKOTE sedation go away?? » bipolarspectrum, posted by Ritch on February 23, 2005, at 23:33:24
Does Depakote help at all with mild anxiety and depression? My doc was suggesting 250mg ER version or 125mg regular Depakote for mild anxiety and light BPII.
Any input would be appreciated
Posted by Ritch on February 25, 2005, at 21:54:27
In reply to Re: will DEPAKOTE sedation go away??, posted by theo on February 25, 2005, at 16:58:39
> Does Depakote help at all with mild anxiety and depression? My doc was suggesting 250mg ER version or 125mg regular Depakote for mild anxiety and light BPII.
>
> Any input would be appreciatedAll I can say is that it *does* for *sure* settle you down IF you are agitated due to mania or mixed manic states. IF you are anxious as a spinoff from being manic or "mixed", then it should help. IF that *IS NOT* the SOURCE of anxiety/mixed situation, then I would look to other meds (sedative TCA, trazodone/serzone, MAOI, SSRI, benzo, etc.).
Posted by bipolarspectrum on February 25, 2005, at 23:52:12
In reply to Re: will DEPAKOTE sedation go away?? » theo, posted by Ritch on February 25, 2005, at 21:54:27
Hello,
Thanx for the replies... I think depakote is a nice augmentating med... I'm thinking of combining it with lithium.. a low dose of each may reduce the side-effects while allowing for them to act syngeristically.. depakote helps me sleep at night and, this is weird, really helps my libido... not in a hypomanic hypersexual type of way, but more in a general enjoyment fashion..
bps
Posted by theo on February 26, 2005, at 7:18:11
In reply to Re: will DEPAKOTE sedation go away?? » theo, posted by Ritch on February 25, 2005, at 21:54:27
> > Does Depakote help at all with mild anxiety and depression? My doc was suggesting 250mg ER version or 125mg regular Depakote for mild anxiety and light BPII.
> >
> > Any input would be appreciated
>
> All I can say is that it *does* for *sure* settle you down IF you are agitated due to mania or mixed manic states. IF you are anxious as a spinoff from being manic or "mixed", then it should help. IF that *IS NOT* the SOURCE of anxiety/mixed situation, then I would look to other meds (sedative TCA, trazodone/serzone, MAOI, SSRI, benzo, etc.).
I'm a little afraid of TCA's because of all the heart disease issues, and SSRI's are only so so with many unwanted side effects, mainly loss of work ethic and sex. I thought Serzone was off the market for causing liver problems?How does one know? It seems the approach these days for meds is like trying on a pair of shoes, try them on until you find one that fits.
I think I'm anxiety/mild depression, my pdoc suggests I'm BPII and my anxiety is mania. Now, I have NEVER had a true manic state as far as euphoric, not sleeping and talking non stop. I'm usually always on a low end and have a mild fear/anxiety feeling running in the background, especially around crowds.
I tried Lamictal which does nothing for anxiety. Neurontin and Topamax made me feel more withdrawn, and Keppra helped but made me a little angry and blunt plus with it's short half life a had to take it 3x daily. The PI says twice daily for Keppra but also says it has a 6-8 hour half life. I could take it at 7:00am and feel it wearing off around 2:00pm.
Paxil works great, but I can take it only knowing sex will not be a part of my life, girlfriend won't appreciate that to much!
So, enter Depakote. Do small doses give you much side effects? The hair loss side effect scares me a little. What about cognitive difficulties/memory issues?
Benzos work great, but I'm trying to find something I can take long term to keep that excessive worry and fear feeling I have when I have no reason to feel that way at bay.
Posted by Ritch on February 26, 2005, at 11:09:05
In reply to Re: will DEPAKOTE sedation go away??, posted by theo on February 26, 2005, at 7:18:11
> I'm a little afraid of TCA's because of all the heart disease issues, and SSRI's are only so so with many unwanted side effects, mainly loss of work ethic and sex. I thought Serzone was off the market for causing liver problems?
You can get generic nefazodone. There are some people that it really helps. But, the "liver thing" is real but unlikely. There is trazodone, however-if you haven't tried that.
>
> How does one know? It seems the approach these days for meds is like trying on a pair of shoes, try them on until you find one that fits.Well.. that's pretty much been the case for many of us unfortunately.
>
> I think I'm anxiety/mild depression, my pdoc suggests I'm BPII and my anxiety is mania. Now, I have NEVER had a true manic state as far as euphoric, not sleeping and talking non stop. I'm usually always on a low end and have a mild fear/anxiety feeling running in the background, especially around crowds.
>
> I tried Lamictal which does nothing for anxiety. Neurontin and Topamax made me feel more withdrawn, and Keppra helped but made me a little angry and blunt plus with it's short half life a had to take it 3x daily. The PI says twice daily for Keppra but also says it has a 6-8 hour half life. I could take it at 7:00am and feel it wearing off around 2:00pm.
>
> Paxil works great, but I can take it only knowing sex will not be a part of my life, girlfriend won't appreciate that to much!
>
> Benzos work great, but I'm trying to find something I can take long term to keep that excessive worry and fear feeling I have when I have no reason to feel that way at bay.
>
>
> So, enter Depakote. Do small doses give you much side effects? The hair loss side effect scares me a little. What about cognitive difficulties/memory issues?You respond to meds a lot like I do. SSRI's "work" for GAD-stuff (which is what most of your anx. symptoms sound like), but if I take very much at all I start getting negatively disinhibited (anger) and my cycling doesn't speed up so much as it gets "caricatured". That sounds odd, but I guess the best way to put it is that whatever mood "mode" I'm in it is accentuated in a weird almost cartoonish way. Benzos work good too, but they tend to depress me too much. I see your reasoning with the Depakote, and your doctor's hunch about the anxiety being driven by "mania". It could be that the expression of the anxiety (at minimum) that is being driven by manic roots is psychomotor agitation. Depakote *does* settle that down with me. If you express a lot of your anxiety by restlessness and moving around a lot (worrying), you might find it helpful. In short, I would give it a try and see what happens. When I started back on it a couple of years ago.. I was just taking 125mg. Yes, I noticed s/e, but they were just minor cognitive ones. At 250mg, I start to get a little twitchy (not bad). At 375mg I start getting apathetic and hungry. At 500mg I'm putting on weight and my left hand visibly is tremoring. I get a *little* hair loss, but it is mitigated with Folic acid, zinc/selenium. I'm real med-sensitive, so these doses sound miniscule, you would just have to try it and see.
Posted by ed_uk on February 26, 2005, at 11:10:40
In reply to Re: will DEPAKOTE sedation go away??, posted by theo on February 26, 2005, at 7:18:11
Hi,
>Paxil works great, but I can take it only knowing sex will not be a part of my life
What dose did you take? Perhaps you could try a lower dose.
Ed.
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