What do you consider the best mood stabilizer is?

I've been trying to go without a AD and a MS for a few months now, and just work with my AP. But I've had bouts of mania, not too extreme thank God, and now I'm slipping into a low. I have an appt with my pdoc next week and I want to have an informed discussion with him about starting a MS. I can't take lithium products due to hypothyroidism. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I take Levoxyl to counteract hypothyroidism from Lithium. It works perfectly well. I do not think that anything beats Lithium in effectiveness. I have been on Lithium, Depakote, Lamictal, and Lithium wins.

I don't think its possible to compare medications ... What works for one may be a nightmare to another. It often takes time to find the right combos of medication that will balance out results versus side effects.

Even once a " good combo" is fine it may not be the last combo you are on.

My Pdoc always tells me that being Bipolar requires us to be flexible.. Is it always easy? Nope .. But then again what in life ever is?

Good Luck

I know everyone responds differently to meds and what works for one will not work for another. I'm just asking opinions on what works best for other bipolars, both type one and type two. I've already been on a few that just leave me mind numbing dead and I don't want that. Just firgured I could get a few ideas here. not looking for treatment here, just ideas.

I can't compare either. I've tried Lamictin and Sodium Valporate and can't separate them

Im on Abilify, it works for me...

Only used Tegratol and Lithium. Tegratol wins hands down, coz not only did it work, I had zero side effect too

...damn I wish I really knew?..thanks for this topic cos I was procrastinating about asking the question....but now I can take some information to the psychiatrist next time.

I take sodium valproate about a bucket full of it a day (not really )...but I just cannot tell if it's any good for me...Olanzapine was another one I had several years ago.

I have asked for lithium before but I get told no!....why would that be?

Okay, Abience, these are the ones that I've taken:

Lithium-came off it because of endocrinologist's report that it was one of the most
toxic medications on the market. I had kidney damage from it. For others, it may work wonders.

Depakote: The best to suit my chemistry, but it made my hair fall out, so that one was out.

Lamictal -15 mg. Originally established at standard dosage of 100 mg. once a day,
but I could take only 15 mg. because the higher dose led to hypomania. Then, had
to stop Lamictal because of development of acne.

Finally, I take only 10 mg. Prozac once a day and 7.5 mg. Deplin (a food medication)

Changes in my diet allowed me to move into the 10 mg Prozac which works just fine.
I would say that Deplin (a concentrated form of folate which can cross the blood-brain barrier has been the most successful medication I've ever taken. Here's why:

some people do not have the enzymes necessary to metabolize folic acid into folate which can cross the blood-brain barrier. The patient can become deficient in folate in the brain if those enzymes are not in the digestive system to manage folic acid.

Only a genetic test will reveal if one is not blessed with the proper enzymes for the
use of folic acid conversion, but since I felt so much better taking 7.5 mg Deplin once a day, my psychiatrist felt there was no need to do genetic testing.)

Evidence indicates that 7 out of 10 depressed patients are folate deficient. It's
worth asking your psychiatrist about in my view.

I hope you find what works for you.

Genetic

I take Lamictal and Tegretol. Lamictal helps with the mania, but I was still depressed, so my pdoc added Tegretol. This is the first time I've felt stable in 3 years.

Awesome post thanks. I go see the head stinker right away and would like to walk in knowing what I'm talking about. I want to ask for a mood stabilizer but curious if I should even ask. Does it mellow you out between episodes too?

Lithium and lamictal are probably the most common choices. Can they use thyroid meds to control the thyroid issues? Thyroid meds are pretty painless and work really well. If not, lamictal seems to be the other popular choice. Takes awhile to titrate up to a therapeudic dose, but works very well for many people. Hope they figure something out for you.

Thanks everyone. There are so many out there! Yes I am already on a med for my thyroid.