[WitchHazel]

I'm on SO MANY meds right now, and I still feel like crap. I'm more than 100 lbs overweight, and that's not budging despite diet and exercise. I'm schizoaffective-bp type. Though I no longer have super-manias, I do still have deep depression that I can't seem to shake, and is 'complimented' by anxiety. My pdoc is really thorough and I like him a lot, but he's conservative..... I want to suggest or mention some other med to him, but I don't even know where to start about what's wrong with mine!!

meds: divalproex 2000mg, lithium carb 600mg, sertraline 150mg, geodon 160mg, xanax 0.5mg twice a day PRN, trazodone 100mg PRN

Any ideas would be appreciated!! Thanks--

[~Christina]

Are all these the meds you have been on for a while? Sometimes meds just stop working for no rhyme or reason. I also believe that sometimes people are just on too many meds.

Good luck and welcome to PC

[hamster-bamster]

Try reducing Depakote to lose weight. Given that you are on the highest FDA-approved dose of Geodon and on Lithium, you should not need that much Depakote (Divalproex). Depakote is causing your weight gain, most likely.

Another option if he is so conservative is to lower Depakote to, say, 1000-1250 but raise Lithium by 300 mg.

So what do you take for depression?

[WitchHazel]

Originally Posted by hamster-bamster

Try reducing Depakote to lose weight. Given that you are on the highest FDA-approved dose of Geodon and on Lithium, you should not need that much Depakote (Divalproex). Depakote is causing your weight gain, most likely.

Another option if he is so conservative is to lower Depakote to, say, 1000-1250 but raise Lithium by 300 mg.

So what do you take for depression?

Actually, he's really concerned about putting me on antidepressants b/c I'm so prone to mania... so right now, just wellbutrin 150mgs. I feel I really need something more, though, but not sure how to convince him. Thanks for the advice-- I'll see if he's open to any of it!

[~Christina]

Good luck

[hamster-bamster]

Originally Posted by WitchHazel

Actually, he's really concerned about putting me on antidepressants b/c I'm so prone to mania... so right now, just wellbutrin 150mgs. I feel I really need something more, though, but not sure how to convince him. Thanks for the advice-- I'll see if he's open to any of it!

If he is concerned with mania, maybe raise both Wellbutrin (for AD and hopefully weight loss) and Lithium (to protect against mania). Just monitor the Li levels in your blood carefully.