[madrikh]

I am currently unmedicated (per pdoc's instructions) except for Klonopin. My doc wants me to go back on Seroquel, which worked for me but I had a lot of weight gain. He mentioned trileptal as an option (though not his first choice for me ). has anyone tried it? Any Success stories out there?

[hamster-bamster]

I am posting simply to get updates on this thread. I have not been on trileptal, but am interested in learning about it.

[Travelinglady]

I took trileptal for awhile for facial nerve pain. It didn't help enough, so I was moved to the stronger drug Tegretol. I never was on trileptal for bipolar, but it seems like it could possibly help. I am now taking Tegretol, though, as a mood stabilizer as well as to help with the facial pain, and I have no complaints.

[r010159]

Trileptal did not do anything for me. Even though Trileptal is an analog of Tegretol. it may not be as effective. But no blood tests.

[Sad&Bipolar]

I was on Trileptal for a long time, but along with a bunch of other meds. My Pdoc at the time liked to over-prescribe. I thought it gave me headaches.

I have been labeled, med-resistant or treatment-resistant. So nothing has worked for me yet.

This seems like a helpful summary:
Trileptal in bipolar disorder

I'm BP and take Trileptal because my pdoc thinks it has fewer side effects than other mood stabilizers and APs (Lamotrigine gave me horrible rashes all over my body, even at the lowest dose).

So far, Trileptal has mellowed out my moods, which is good. I still cycle, but the hypomanic/manic and depressive episodes are not as intense. Without the former, it feels as though the medication has put me in a prolonged low to mid-grade depression. Other side effects include an occasional hand and leg tremor (it's mild, I'm ok with it), drowsiness (it subsides after 3-ish weeks after each med dose increase), brain fog, and some disorientation after dose increases.

Overall, I'm more stable, and pretty happy with Trileptal. It's not perfect, it's not helped with focus, motivation, depression, etc. However, my relationships with others and myself have improved.

[manic_monday]

Trileptal sent me to the hospital within about a month of starting it, and I was on a pretty low dose. It gave me really awful tremors and I couldn't sit still. My blood pressure was through the roof, I couldn't focus on anything and I was extremely irritable. Like I said, the tremors got so bad that I couldn't use the bathroom and had to be hospitalized.

But everyone's body reacts differently and I don't want to scare you. I would start on a low dosage and see how it works for you. If there are any signs of what happened to me (which I believe only happens less than 10% of the time) then talk to your doctor. Bipolar is all about finding which meds or therapies work best for YOU; for me, it's abilify and meditation.