[zarantha]

I was diagnosed as Bipolar when I was 18 and have been on meds for it and several other disorders (Psycosis, Anxiety, PTSD, ADD, and OCD to name a few) since I was 29. I have been on Depakote since I started seeing the psych and it worked for a short time but its effectiveness has gone down hill. I have had several different antidepressants prescribed but the doctor took me off of them after only a short time of me being on them. She now has me on 1500mg of Depakote (lowered down from 2000mg as of May '09), 120mg of Geodon, 300mg of Lithium (just added 9/11/2009) and Cogenton (for the tremors caused by the Depakote). It worries me that I am on 2 different mood stabilizers at the same time but the doctor is still insisting that I stay on the Depakote no matter what.... I haven't had a blood level taken since January '09 to be sure that my Depakote levels are in a safe range, even though everything that I have been told is that it should be done a regular intervals.

Does anyone know if it safe to take both the Lithium and Depakote at the same time... or is it something that is going to cause permanent harm to my body? Any insight would be appreciated.

[VickiesPath]

I am not a doctor. However, Depakote was originally developed as a medication for siezures. It acts directly on the brain. Lithium is a naturally occuring salt. It is not an artificial pharmaceutical medication. (Although there might be an artificial version of it these days? Not sure.) What I'm getting at is, there probably won't be an interaction between the two. But, you can research it on the web if you want. Your local pharmacist also can tell you if they are commonly prescribed together without a problem. Yes, it is common to do blood levels of both medications on a regular basis, usually every 6 months at the least, sometimes sooner if just finding out what dose works the best.

I am on 1000 mg Depakote and for me, that is barely within the therapeutic range. But, I am a big person, i.e., at the top of the average weight range. If you are a smaller person, you may absorb more of it. I also have thyroid issues so my medication absorption is not always the most efficient.

This is the only insight I can offer. It's worth what it costs you. The best thing is...............call your doctor and ask.

[lonegael]

Yes, Phoenix, good point. I would ask a bit pointedly about those blood tests. Until they got me with a new patient program here, they weren't testing me either, and i had som nasty side-effects from Depakote (cound't stop thowing it up enough to get to therapeutic range). since I couldn't get them to test and couldn't get them to listen I went off completely, NO FUN! DO NOT RECOMMEND TO MY WORST ENEMY!!
Still, my hair stopped fallinng out and my stomach calmed down and I got in touch with the psych outpatient through another channel. Now it's OK, but those tests are very important. You might want to ask her what testing schedule you're on and when the next one is planned. Take care of yourself, OK? And let us know what happens

[zarantha]

It just seems that my doctor doesn't want to listen to me when I tell her that I am having issues with the Depakote... I got the tremors sooo bad that there wasn't anyway for me to function properly... she finally listened and prescribed Cogenton after months of agonizing pain for my internal organs... it actually bruised my organs so that I could barely move. now that we have that taken care of I have to try and get used to yet another med (lithium)... I will keep posting and let y'all know how things are going once I get used to the lithium... and hopefully off the Depakote since it doesn't work for me anyways...

I do know that the amount of time I spend in the sun is greatly reduced because of being on both the Lithium and the Cogenton... that is gonna be my one contention because I love going out to the lake and swimming... I burn easily anyways so I just am going to have to deal with it and not go out as often as I would like. For example... I took my sister to the bank to cash a check and while we were waiting for our mother to get there (about 15 minutes) I got burned pretty bad. I have to wear sunglasses at all times that I'm not indoors because my eyes are 3x more sensitive to the light.

I have only been taking the Lithium for 2 days and already have these issues ... hopefully the bad is outweighed by the good because I am really getting tired of this trial and error game that the doctor seems to be having fun with.

Depokate 5 years liver enyzmes went up

Now on LAMICTAL - stabilization is doing pretty good

Might want to check into it, no side effect of weight gain

[MSUKate]

If you feel that your doctor isn't listening to you, or taking your concerns seriously, you MUST tell them that.

If they still won't listen, then tell them that you will have to start looking for another doctor. It sounds like you are on a lot of medication. Is it too much? I can't say, I don't really know you, and I'm not a medical professional.

But I do know that if you are looking for a Doc who will probably perscribe less meds, or will work with you more on dealing with the, try to find a DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine), instead of an MD (Medical Doctor) They generally are more conservative than MD's in regards to doling out the meds.

I'm sorry you are having such a hard time.

I hope things get better. Good Luck

(Also, if you haven't have a Lithium Level since January, you might want to think about finding a new doc any ways, because they should be checking those at least every 3-6 months depending on your levels, to not do so can cause you Li levels to rise, and you can become toxic. its very dangerous)

[zarantha]

I can't afford to go to a different doc... I am on free med clinic because I don't make enough to cover the cost of the doctor let alone the meds.

as for the lithium levels... I just started taking the lithium as of Saturday 9/12. it is the Depakote that I haven't had levels done on since January. it too is supposed to be checked every 3-6 months.

I am on quite a cocktail of meds and I am hoping that the doctor is planning on weaning me off the Depakote... so far she hasn't listened to the fact that I don't feel any help from Depakote. I understand that the other pills are necesary but she keeps uping dosages of a med that was helping just fine at the level it was at... 2 60mg upping it to 2 80mg.

it is so very frustrating to tell the doctor that I felt fine with the dose that I was already on and having her counteract that by upping the dosage when it wasn't necessary. I know that everyone can't help me but it is sure nice to be able to vent about the frustration I feel over it all.

Thanks for the advice though... it is greatly appreciated.