[Bitterbee]

Has anyone here taken Tegretol? If so did it help stabilize your moods and how bad were the side effects and how quickly did it help you?

And also anyone on Lithium ....I have been stuck on no meds that can help or meds that make me sooo drugged I cannot get up. So on my Dr.'s list these are the last two. I took Lithium a long time ago and it did help from what I remember. But made my hands shake terribly, could not write and had some weight gain and makes me extremely sick to my stomach. But am desperate now for help so debating between the two.

thanks if anyone can help...I can't go on like this, he must find something. There has to be something or I wont make it.

Karen

[justpassingby]

Hi bitterbee,

I took Tegretol before for several months even maybe a year without any bad side effects, except for perhaps weight gain and I think it made me groggy or fuzzy. I took Lithium not too long ago and after a month or so I had to get off due to it making my hands shake and weight gain. Now I just had to get back off Lamictal yesterday per my pdoc thinks it could be the problem of my red bumps rash like all over by back and arms with extreme itching. So right now I am titrating back on Trileptal and also taking Invega and Ativan, but I'm not sure one mood swing med will cut it. I hope you have better luck finding the one med that doesn't cause so many problems. Just to note one year ago I was on 8 psy meds each day and I was a walking zombie. Thank God I got off most of them. I am just waiting to find the right med combination and I am not there yet like you.