Posted by katekite on April 29, 2002, at 14:43:01
In reply to Re: Depakote/Topamax/Wellbutrin..something seems wrong, posted by pand0ra on April 29, 2002, at 13:12:25
Yes topamax is one of the few mood stabilizers that can even help people take off a few pounds. I agree with Ritch that maybe the word finding problems could be related to it though.
Talk to your doctor about the suicidal ideation -- since mood stabilizers shouldn't have that effect, its either you or the wellbutrin. It could easily be the wellbutrin. So maybe ask not about going off an antidepressant altogether but switching to a different less agitating one. A few people say it starts out agitating but that goes away... I don't know. All I know is if you feel suicidal and you didn't before its time to get chummy with your shrink asap. They won't mess around making you stay on something known to worsen some people's agitation.
You were saying you weren't sure what their diagnosis of you was: next time you see them be sure to ask. Sometimes mood stabilizers are prescribed just for moodiness, sometimes for borderline personality problems, sometimes for bipolar I or bipolar II, a few other reasons. But it will only help you if you know what lines they are thinking along with you as far as the diagnosis.
Lastly, you sound pretty coherent for having been on two mood stabilizers for only a week. That's lucky! Often people can be pretty out of it for a while. So you may find that if you don't change your dose of depakote or topamax too quickly, that you will adjust to them and the word finding problems go away. If you are not dangerously depressed then I'd recommend going real slow upping the doses, trying to make sure that you adjust cognitively to each new level before trying to steop it up. Rather than getting to a target dose that your doc has found works, make sure you get and stay at a dose that works for you where you are stable and can still find words.
Good luck, kate
poster:katekite
thread:104388
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020425/msgs/104425.html