Posted by KrissyP on March 7, 2003, at 14:18:56
In reply to Re: Please help, it's 5am-effexor mania » KrissyP, posted by Ron Hill on March 7, 2003, at 11:27:10
Ron, I thank you for being so helpful!!!
I am definately going to check out those sites.
Like I said in an earlier post, I NEED A NEW psychiatrist. She has no plans on upping the dose of Lamictal, unless I tell her from my own reaearch-something I pay her for!
I started taking AD because my fiance at the time and I broke up, my dad went to jail for drugs, forgery, and alcohol, and I just got depressed because I didn't know what I wanted to "do with my life". I couldn't handle all this so I started on Prozac. I felt good on that but I GAINED 80 Lbs. and went from Luvox, Paxil, to Zoloft.
1) As far as the Effexor, I only started a little over a week ago, back on it since October 2002.
2) You say>>>" 50 mg of Lamictal is nowhere near the therapeutic dose level. You currently have very little mood stabilization on board"
I SO AGREE.
3)>>>>Your dx is BP II, correct?-Yes I was diagnosed in Nov 1999.>>>> What is you medication history; how long ago did you start taking meds, for what reason, which meds have you tried and how did each med make you feel?
I've tried EVERY SSRI but Zoloft only for a few days all the others NO GO-too many side effects.
Effexor has worked the best on my depression but makes me extremely manic. Do you think that the 50mg Lamictal is adding to this right now? I have also tried Risperdal-couldn't tolerate it-my body is VERY sensitive to a lot of meds:-(
I am on Klonopin-2mg at night and my psychiatrist wants me to start weaning myself to 1mg ONLY.
What, IYO, do you think I should do at this point?
I am puzzled.
I so appreciate your help, did this help any??
Please reply when possible,
Thanks again, Kristen
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Sorry you’re having trouble, but hang in there, this can be fixed. I can not take Effexor or any of the SSRIs. They all push me into hypomania (initially). After that they cause a reduction in dopamine levels resulting in blunted emotions, lack of motivation, anergy, etc.
>
> I subscribe to the position held by Dr. Phelps regarding the use of antidepressants for bipolar patients. He believes that bipolar patients should be treated with moodstabilizers first and foremost. If the depressive phase does not respond to the moodstabilizer (or combination of moodstabilizers) and it is decided that there is no other option but to add an AD, then MAOIs are best suited for the BP patient. Here is a link to his web site. His site is not very user-friendly, but if you click around you will find what I'm talking about. Click on "antidepressant controversy" or something like that. Click through the entire site if you have time.
>
> http://www.psycheducation.com/
>
> Also read the relevant portions of the American Psychiatric Association's document entitled; PRACTICE GUIDELINE FOR THE TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER (Revision). Here a link to it.
>
> http://www.psych.org/clin_res/bipolar_revisebook_index.cfm
>
> >I am thinking of just stopping the Effexor
>
> If you do, reduce your dose VERY slowly to reduce the risk of severe withdrawal side effects (including severe dizziness, nausea, etc).
>
> >I also took Lamictal 50mg, my usual 100mg Seroquel, 2mg Klonopin, my Stresstab, and Cal-Mag.
>
> 50 mg of Lamictal is nowhere near the therapeutic dose level. You currently have very little mood stabilization on board. Is your pdoc in the process of slowly ramping up the Lamictal?
>
> Your dx is BP II, correct? What is you medication history; how long ago did you start taking meds, for what reason, which meds have you tried and how did each med make you feel?
>
> -- Ron
>
poster:KrissyP
thread:206768
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030306/msgs/206864.html