Sleeping issues + meds

Hugs to you, cat eyes !

It can take a little while to grow accustomed to the changes medicines cause. Depakote is one of the more stimulating AED's. Not a real problem if you're only taking one or two meds. But, the more medications we take, the more side effects we often suffer.

Chances are that the side effects of Depakote will be easier to manage once you're able to get off another medication (or two!). That said, Trileptal is an AED used for partial seizures as well. Are you stopping that one, or taking it for mood control?

Hugs to you ~ Hope that you feel better very soon

Shez

What are AED's?
I take the following meds for the following purposes:

Depakote: antiseizure for abnormal brain activity
Trileptal: mood stabilizer
Abilify: antipsychotic
Klonopin: anti-anxiety, sleep aid

I have the feeling that I'm taking all this because I'm still not stable enough to reduce dosages or to stop any of them. I'm not sure but I will ask my pdoc. I haven't asked before because I was so zombified from the meds my previous pdoc gave me that I did not care. I have been awake only about a month and still, things have been difficult to manage.

Thanks for your support Shez I appreciate it very much!
Hugs to you too

Well, I'm back to zombified zone. I took the pill to stop the lack of sleep and now I am sleeping all night and half day. When is this going to get balanced?
I Hate This!! I wish I could stop dealing with this. It's too much for me. It is WAY too much!!!

Well ... I am starting on Depakene aka Valproic Acid 250 mg. Took my first pill earlier this evening. And now off to take my Seroquel ... and then hopefully to dream land. I have been hypomanic, manic and mixed these past few days. GRRRRrrrrrr. Hope this werx.

Had a really psycho manic episode on Friday night. And a fairly rough weekend. Manic. No, mixed. No, hypomanic. Ugh. Y'all know what I mean. Well, anyway, I wrote about it in my blog (link on my profile page).

Regards to you all.

Hey frizzy! I hope your new med helps with your mood stabilization.
I understand when you can't tell if an episode is manic, hypomanic or mixed. I've been trying to do so for past crisis and still can't tell what they were.
I read your blog and the only thing I can tell you is: please stay in the wagon! It is safer in there!

Hugs cat eyes

Sorry about the lingo - an AED is anti-epileptic drug (medication). Both Depakote and Trileptal are AED's which is why I asked if you were stopping the Trileptal. There are a couple other AED's that are frequently used with neuropathy, migraines, mood disorders as well. I can't recall their names...

I'm curious what type of seizures you're having? Some AED's primarily prevent partial seizures from occurring. There are other AED's that primarily only prevent generalized seizures from occurring. Thankfully, about half of the decent medications out there treat both partial and generalized. But it's a very important piece for you to understand. If seizure activity occurs throughout both sides of your brain, that's generalized. If seizure activity is localized into one side of the brain, or in one small area on one side of the brain, that's partial.

For some reason, I thought that you were taking Lithium. Am I mistaken? Well, do call the doctor and tell him/her how things have been going for you since the medication change. It hasn't been easy at all ! It wasn't expected to be easy, but surely hoped things would ease a bit by now. Very best wishes !

Shez

I have to say thank you to both cat and rk for there posts. About 2 weeks ago I was diagnosed with bipolar II. Hearing people talk about issues I've suffered with for years is making me feel a little more normal again. Thank you very much.

Hey Shez!

I should have understand what AED means,... it was just I thought of them as Anti-Seizure meds, lol.. but now it makes all sense

Yes, Depakote and Trileptal are both AED's, and my pdoc gave me both because Depakote alone wasn't being completely effective so Trileptal was added to the mix.

I actually don't have seizures in the sense that my brain is acting normally and suddenly starts an electric storm (not partial nor generalized). It is more like in a region of the brain there is always an abnormal activity going on. In that region of the brain, the neurons are always acting more than they should. It is not epilepsy. I would like to tell you in which part of the brain is this abnormal activity but I don't have the results at hand right now. I would like to remember what else the neurologist told me but I don't have any idea since I was so zombified from the meds I was taking at that time.

I am not taking Lithium. It was a med that my pdoc was considering to give me if Depakote didn't work. As far it seems, Depakote is maybe starting to work.

I have been in contact with my pdoc and she has been readjusting my meds to try to stabilize me. Actually I talked to her yesterday and she made a new readjustment and I have to wait two or three days to see if it is working. All we are doing now is trying to stop a possible hypomanic state (or worse, a mixed one), and it seems she is succeding at that.

You are completely right! Thing haven't been easy at all but I really appreciate your support and also all the support I have received from PC... thank you for your wishes, I hope you are doing just fine and also send you my very best wishes!!

- Cat

((((((cat eyes))))))))

Sorry babe.......all I can manage.......

Thank you dear ((((((Michah))))))
That is all I need to feel better, trust me
Everywhere I see your posts, I find truth and support and this one is no exception. I hope you can feel better asap.
This bad days will pass too... for both of us. All we have to do is wait for better days to come, and get us.