[undertheradar]

OK y'all, I have felt better the last 3 days than I have in years. I am on 750 Depakote, 150 Seroquel, and 10 Lexapro. I have NO idea if I am going into hypo, or if the meds are working. I have only been on Depakote for 2 weeks, so I guess I need y'alls advice on how I can tell the difference in feeling really good, or going into hypo mode. Could the Depakote make that much difference in 2 weeks? I just don't know much at this point. Thanks in advance.

yes the meds could be starting to kick in........hopefully your mood will even out a little on the meds without going into hper mania.....

[undertheradar]

I will wait and see since I guess I am in this for the long haul......

[Pughead]

Depakote is more likely to keep you from going into mania or hypo-mania. I know that after I was dx'd from my primary care doc, the depakote started to greatly help me about a week or so after being on it.

I really haven't felt as many "manic" symptoms since being on it.

[undertheradar]

guess i am going into hypo.....

[DaveyJones]

Maybe not...Seroquel made me feel REALLY good, but not manic...the Depakote should keep your feet on the ground. If not, call your pdoc for more... BTW, watch for weight gain...both Depakote and Seroquel are notorious for this...

Good luck!

DJ

[undertheradar]

Hey DJ. My pdoc wanted to take me from 500 to 1000 depakote, but I freaked out since when on lithium after an upped dosage I became toxic. I asked her to go baby steps because I freaked so bad. Guess I should have listened to her and gone to 1000. I am hoping to stop there so I won't have the bulk of the side effects. Thanks for the info. I am just so up and down. I have a hard time waiting for the prize.

[DaveyJones]

I understand what you're saying...just remember, Depakote and lithium are totally different drugs, and do not work the same way in the body, even though they are both "mood stabilizers". You do have to monitor Depakote levels, like lithium, but just because lithium caused a problem does not mean that Depakote will.

Here's the deal, as I see it...you have to trust you doctor. BUT, if things are not working, you must trust yourself enough to go to your doc and tell 'em what's up. I know it's tough with some doctors...that's why we keep mood charts and all that, but ideally we keep looking until we find a doctor who will work WITH us insteead of ON us.

There are so many drugs out now that show promise...Seroquel has been very helpful for me (a godsend, really), I'm also BPII....you have to take a much higher dose, though, more like 400, but that's up to your doc, of course.

Anyway, I know how hard this can be...I suffered under a misdiagnosis for 9 years, which totally destroyed my life. BUT, I feel better now, and I'm on the way back! You will be, too, and very soon, I bet!

DJ

[undertheradar]

Hi DJ.

You are a God Send! Thanks you so much for sharing your info with me. I think I have a great pdoc who is willing to work with me. The only problem is that I just don't know what I am doing med wise. I just got some mood charts to start working with. My pdoc wanted me to take 200 seroquel at night but i was feeling like I was going to stop breathing when I was trying to go to sleep so I adjusted the dosage myself, I know, a big NoNo, but she ok'd it eventually. I have an appt on next Friday but am going to call her tomorrow to talk to her dr on call. When do you take your seroquel? I haven't had any side effects to the Depakote, unless being tired is one of them. Thanks so much, it helps to know that you are on some of the same meds as I am and how you are reacting to them. Take care, Michelle

[DaveyJones]

Hey, Michelle...

I take the Seroquel at night, the doctor said to take it a couple of hours before bed...I usually take it right before I go to bed, though. I have had the "can't get my breath thing" a few times, how really odd that is. I also have a very small problem with a restless leg type thing, the doc gave me benztropine to take care of that, but I don't think it does much for it. I take a couple of Tylenol PM with my nightime meds and I don't have a problem. I drift off to sleep and awake ready to go in the morning.

FYI, I take 1350mg lithium, 200mg Lamictal and 400mg Seroquel each day. NO antidepressants... I think they are poison for BPII, but that's from my own experience, though there is much research to back up my opinion. Check out Dr. Jim Phelp's papers at www.psycheducation.org. There's a TON of great info there for us non-BP-I types.

Hope this helps, and take care!

DJ

[undertheradar]

Do you have a hard time getting up in the morning? Do you have side effects from the lithium? I have been having a hard time getting up and staying up. I am on AD's and am having horrible anxiety as of last week. I am frustrated with the whole med thing. I know it takes awhile but I am not patient.

[DaveyJones]

I do have a hard time getting up. If I have something to do I manage OK, and feel fine shortly. But if I don't have anything pressing, I can sleep til noon, NO PROBLEMO!!! LOL!!!

I do not feel drugged, though, or funny or weird in any way. As for lithium, I used to have trouble with diarrhea, but we've dropped my dose some and switched to a time-release formula, so that's all better. I feel really well for the first time in ten years or so. My experience tells me that it won't last forever, though, so I am trying to get as far as I can as quickly as I can....going back to school, getting into the excercise habit, looking up my old friends, you get the idea.

So, I might suggest making a to-do list for the next day before you go to bed, and try to keep to it. Even if it's just little stuff it will keep you moving and you'll get some satisfaction from getting it done. (I'm trying to do this one myself, with varying degrees of success).

I do know how hard this probably is for you. There were large portions of those ten years where I did the absolutely very least I could to get by...it's all I could do. I'm still trying to rid myself of habits I developed during thaat time. I know I'm going to win, though, and I couldn't have said that even a year ago.

Keep the faith, keep fighting...things WILL get better, but it's going to take a while.

DJ

[JonB]

I've never experienced the not being able to breath thing, but I get a wicked bad case of restless legs and general restlessness with Seroquel. Doc gives me Ativan for it, but I have to take so much it makes me dopey the next day. I should probably just take it all earlier in the evening instead of waiting for the last minute.
I take Lamictal so don't have any experience with the other meds. Good luck.

[babs92]

Hi Michelle

I am BPII and take Depakote time release 1000mg a day and 100mg Zoloft (just upped from 50mg as trying to get anxiety and depression under some control). 750mg Depakote was what I started with as doc said it was a maintenance dose.

I had to switch from Effexor to Zoloft as the docs thought that it had triggered my hypomania. As Davey says some anti d's can do this.

Seroquel sounds like a good anti d. What is Lexapro?

I hope you are feeling somewhat better now and that the meds are working for you.