[PlanningtoLive]

Hi everyone.......looking for some info on the above two meds. I was on Abilify and Geodon, but have to get off of them now due to tremors and such, so he suggested one of these two.

Any info on side effects, how they work, etc. would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Mary Alice

[lenjan]

I can't take Tegretol, and I wasn't on Trileptal long enough to notice if it worked or not. I do remember having had to take a pretty significant dose (I think I started at like 900 mg a day), so that would lead me to believe that it's probably pretty mild.

Sorry I can't help more -- will be interesting to hear others' experiences.

((((((Mary Alice)))))

[PlanningtoLive]

Thanks, Candy. That does seem like a high dose. I know they have to monitor my blood levels or something like that (I read that much at least).

{{{{{Candy}}}}}}}

[Shyguy88]

I take Trileptal for my mood stabalizer for Bipolar Disorder, and my experience with it is bad, I'm still on it and hoping to get off of it soon. 1 reason why I don't like trileptal is because it feels like I am in my mixed moods a lot, where I feel very irratable, depressed and can't sleep well like getting very little to no sleep, and second reason is it gives me horrible acne breakouts.

[PlanningtoLive]

Thanks, Shyguy. Have you been on it for very long? I did read about the rash that it can cause. I emailed my T and he said that the Tegretol has a more beneficial effect than the Trileptal.

[Shyguy88]

I have been on trileptal since probably around mid July, then around late August I stop taking it up til September 17th, when I seen my new pdoc. My new pdoc put me back on the trileptal, put me on celexa and took me off wellbutrin and paxil (the wellbutrin worked for depression, but he wanted me to try celexa.) he kept me on the seroquel and klonopin, the klonopin helps me for anxiety but I only take the seroquel still because I have an addiction to it and I need to slowly wean off it, so I can get something else.

[leftyscotty]

I recomment trileptal from lithium, You dont have to get blood tests!

I have been on Trileptal for 4 years now. 1200 mgs per day 600 morning - 600 evening. I worked up from 200 per day when I started, taking them twice a day.

I do get headaches sometimes, but that is about it.
I wish you luck.

I was on Trileptal for one year. Trileptal is said to be safer than Tegretol in regards to the side effects-- I believe that with Tegretol there are some issues with different blood disorders-- rare, but serious. Trileptal is not equal to Tegretol in effectiveness of treatment. In fact, Trileptal is rarely used as a sole 1st line agent for the treatment of bipolar. It is normally used in conjunction with another mood stabilizer. My pdoc put me on Trileptal only because I basically refused all other options. To be honest, Trileptal did nothing for my moods. I believe that it did help my anxiety some. While on this drug I experienced two major depressive episodes. As far as the side effects, I tolerated it pretty well. I started off very small-- 75 mg per day-- and eventually went up to 1200 per day. At the beginning I had headaches and diarrhea. Unfortunately, I also experienced this weird, transient side effect once I got up to the higher dose-- About 20 min. after taking the medication I would get this dizzy, out-of-it, completely drunk sort of feeling. It would last for about 30 minutes, then pass.

After about a year of taking this drug I decided to stop because I couldn't see any improvements on my mood.

I am currently on my 6th day of Lithium, but as of right now my dose is too low to determine anything.

[PlanningtoLive]

Thanks Pink and Lefty. My pdoc decided on the Tegretol, so I am on 200mg. once per day at bedtime, with the possibility of going to twice per day. So far, nothing.....I realize it's only the second day, but sometimes you feel something different.

Anyway, thanks for all the input. He had mentioned Lithium too pink, as I was on that once before. I've already had to have my blood checked before I took the first pill, so we'll see how it goes.

Mary Alice