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Mood Disorder Community
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 Topic  |
| betharoo
Starting Member
10 Posts
Gratitude: 1
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 Posted - 07/26/2005 : 18:14:05
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I hate to say it but my best drug is lithium. I resisted it for 7 years then finally caved to the will of a new psychiatrist. Lithium tones down my mania, and I think helps the depression as well. I feel like it is the most essential drug in my arsenal, altho I think it contributes to weight gain and icky-looking skin. I also like Lorazepam as a sleep aid. It is a soft and yummy drug.
 Worst drugs would have to be Parnate and Nardil (Narwhale), which both gave me huge weight gain if I remember correctly. One of my shrinks said that it was better to be fat and alive than a skinny corpse, but surely there must be better alternatives. And there are. I also think Zoloft was nasty, but tricyclics in general don't work well for bipolar disorder. |
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| gemini
Starting Member
15 Posts |
Posted - 09/16/2005 : 22:15:41
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I've had MD for 23 years, but only tried meds over the last 15 or so - tried plenty of 'em in that time though! Lost track of most.
Worst that I remember was Prozac which totally deadened my feelings towards sex. I'd been celibate all through my 20s (not voluntarily - the depression) & having just started to enjoy a healthy sex life with my new husband found it taken away from me. Didn't just not want sex, actively repulsed by it. Came off Prozac & thank God libido came back. So bad that didn't notice any effect on my mood other than the dep that being asexual caused.
Best med EVER was ECT. Had worst mania ever summer 2002, incredible feeling but so destructive for relationship with husband. Lifelong social phobia & no self confidence, but passionately applied for job of Nightclub Bouncer at thrash rock club! Crashed into zombie-like dep. Emergency measure = ECT. Found myself giddy & giggly after sessions, dep definitely lifted despite horrors of being on ward & massive flare-up of rheumatological problem (caused by violent seizures caused by docs not allowing for my increased body-
builder muscle mass - didn't give enough muscle relaxant). For 1st time ever went nearly 2 years without pronounced mood swing (remained on meds). Memory severely affected, vague & amnesiac, & big chunks missing at random. ECT effect now wearing off - bad dep over past 3 months, getting worse.
Current meds: Lithium, my lifeline. Moclobemide, supposed to help with social phobia. Flupenthixol for anxiety & agitation. Occasional Diazepam. Beta blockers under discussion but I don't fancy them.
Lithium's effective at evening me out but is like an anti-creativity drug - can't draw because of shaky hands (I was portrait artist); worse: can't write because Lithium stops it coming through. Spent whole life writing; since Lithium my books & short stories have dried up, & the magnificent poetry I wrote during depressions has died. That's the worst side effect I've ever had from any med.
But I daren't come off it again.
please God make it stop |
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| thehours
Starting Member
1 Posts |
Posted - 09/22/2005 : 22:36:21
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The best med for me has been lithium (Eskalith), ye olde med of champions.
The worst have been Lamictal, as I got "the rash" and had to stop taking it; Abilify, Risperedal (sp?), and Seroquel for turning me into a zombie; and Zyprexa, for making me gain over thirty pounds in one month -- I felt like a balloon, a really groggy balloon at that!
I've taken other meds, but I thought I'd mention that Depakene worked decently enough for me but I had to take large amounts of it for it to work and it eventually made my hair fall out and damaged my thyroid. I guess I haven't had that great of luck with meds. Good thing I still have the lithium! |
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| Olivia Rae
Starting Member
12 Posts |
Posted - 09/24/2005 : 15:40:03
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Hi
My present meds are the best as far as not giving me intolerable s/e's or allergic reactions...Lithium I felt poisoned on 600 mg - my legs became numb, hands cherry red, liver enzyme levels went through the roof...Topomax-I was delirious x3 days until I hit a clear patch and tossed them. I couldn't figure out how to get out of a robe or match coloured papers into piles as an example. Effexor sent me absolutely so agitated I was jumping up and down and screaming. Verapamil I passed out driving back along a country road in winter and ended up in a snow bank. Tegretol I had STevens-Johnson syndrome where my hands looked like purple sloughed grapes. Mellaril ( a filthy drug) again caused delirium. Valproic Acid and I were awful together. Finding a decent drug is like finding a decent date!
So now: Lamotragine/Seroquel/Wellbutrin/Remeron/Clonazepam and a handful of drugs for physical ailments. I was on Celexa as well as the WEllbutrin and Remeron but the theory is Bipolar ppl shouldn't be on AD's. Good theory! My shrink is a good guy and I am lucky that he isn't a pushy do unto type. We negotiate. So the doses of Wellbutrin have been reduced to 150 mg am and bedtime. Then we got greedy and tried in the am only and I crashed big time. He said that the reducing and discontinuation of AD's is a goal but we should focus more on the process and how I am functioning rather than follow a book blindly. This guy is the best shrink I have had and I have had a good one and then some beauts. I live in Vernon, BC, Canada..
So good luck to one and all and the *****tails. Too bad we don't have happy hour and toss all our pills in the middle of the table and pick the colours we like best. Now that would be entertaining! OR |
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| SheerLin
Incredible Member (2000+ posts)
3918 Posts
Gratitude: 201
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Posted - 11/15/2005 : 05:46:45
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Hi Jana,
The worst med I took was risperdal. It made me very ill, I felt like I had the flu only worse. seroquel would be the best so far. It makes me gain weight, oh well.
SheerLin |
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| lastson
Starting Member
10 Posts
Gratitude: 1
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Posted - 01/12/2006 : 17:22:40
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I love lithium. It has worked just fine with me, as long as I take it.
Lastson |
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| jeffthompson
Starting Member
18 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2006 : 18:08:23
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hello
There is two medications that didn't work for me. First was
Depakote. It made me more edgy and lazy. The other is Paxil.
The Anti Depressant wasn't very Anti. The Medications that I'm on right now is 300mg of Seroquel once nightly and 40mg of Lexapro twice daily So far it seems to be better, But not the best. The major side effects of the Depakote and Paxil were Sexual and almost like a narcolepsy type state. Not quite that bad. But close. " If your going to fall, Fall forward"
Jeff
Navy Guy |
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| taureandelite
Starting Member
6 Posts |
Posted - 01/19/2006 : 14:51:38
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Lithium was my lifesaver. I felt I was on top of the world, had mega amounts of energy, no one could upset me or say or do anything that could make me mad, but.......I ended up in the ER twice with anaphylactic shock, so...... I had to go off of it and everything else I was on at the time and I had a nervous breakdown from lack of. I have begged my doc's to allow me to just try it again because I loved it so much but...as we all know it would be the worst thing to do. I have been on nothing since 2001 but Zoloft and had to withdraw from that because of a new liver diagnosis. I hope my new p/doc can prescribe something for me to help. Ive tried to withdraw when things begin to get the best of me and I can say "withdrawing from situations has worked alot of the time".
Cheryl |
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| ladydreamr
New Member
78 Posts
Gratitude: 1
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Posted - 06/09/2006 : 23:01:58
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| Hello all, just wanted to say thanx for all your posts, I've been on 300mg of effexor and 60mg ritalin for almost 6 years now and just found out I'm BP so researching meds before I go in for my med appt. Once I have results I will post here as well. Thanx again, Pam |
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| kittyhawk
Starting Member
20 Posts
Gratitude: 6
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Posted - 02/23/2007 : 14:37:23
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| the most awful one I have been on is geodon, don't want my whole being control by a drug that causes. the withdrawal it does it is worse then herion because of the lack of sleep and everything, I was so ill when I tried to stop it was awful. I would love to chat with others I feel so alone. I'm trying to get into the VA for help still waiting for referrals |
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| mom22galz
Super Member (250+ posts)
336 Posts
Gratitude: 148
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Posted - 03/01/2007 : 11:59:05
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Best??
- Still loking for that one after 15 years on this train.
- Tegretol worked well until I had liver issues, so back to Epival/Depakote/Valproate (call it what you may). Just upped the dose to 1000mgs
- Klonopin, brand name only pls. Generics aren't the same
Worst
- Effexor by far (or side-effexor as i lovingly refer to it). Night sweats, no libido, no lessening of despair. Withdrawal was utter hell as another poster mentioned.
- Risperidal - 10 lbs weight gain in 2 weeks, zombie-mom, plus a facial tic.
- Remeron - Great if i could afford to sleep 20 hrs per day.
- Lithium - I write for a living, need I say more?
Neutral/no effect
-Paxil, beta-blockers, xanax, prozac, zoloft, buspar... and I'm sure there are more!
Afraid to try
- any other atypical anti-psychotics. Single mom of a 5 and 9 y/o. Can't afford to sleep so soundly that I can't be roused. |
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| dimmer7878
Starting Member
7 Posts
Gratitude: 4
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Posted - 03/30/2007 : 17:07:06
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Best meds:
High dose Geodon (400 mg/day)
Ability
Paxil
Remeron
Worst med ever:
Clozapine. I couldn't take it. It dropped my blood pressure too low, made me nauseous and I would pass out. I finally took myself off of it.
Dara |
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| EmergingArtist
Incredible Member (2000+ posts)
9136 Posts
Gratitude: 822
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Posted - 03/31/2007 : 18:47:44
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Best > Seroquel
Worst > Stelazine |
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| violetwater37
Starting Member
2 Posts |
Posted - 09/11/2007 : 12:03:25
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I was on depakene for almost 2yrs and it was the worst medication ever!!!! I had to stay on it because it was the only one i could get at the free clinic and then i finally got a job and got insurance. My side effects were terrible and as follows: kept loosing my hair and getting bald spots so kept hair extremely short, acne like crazy, stomach cramps and painful menstrual cramps,diarrhea every day all day; had to get on special medication to stop that one. I was always tired and woke with nausea. I gained approx 50lbs in two yrs and alot of these side effects i did not put together until recently. My therapist helped me realize that i needed to do whatever it took to get on new medication and now i am on lexapro one little white pill vs. 2-4 and buspirone 1 little pill for almost 2 wks and over half of my side effects have disappeared and the others are slowly going away. I have a great doctor who actually listens to me and agreed that the depakene was not working and not good for me. Now i am going through the withdrawals of depakene but should start to lessen soon. It takes a while for the body to purge that stuff. thanks for listening. I am new to this site. |
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| Niney
Incredible Member (2000+ posts)
2393 Posts
Gratitude: 592
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Posted - 09/11/2007 : 16:16:26
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Hi Violet,
Welcome to My Therapy. I'm glad you are getting off the medication that made you so sick and have found some that are better for you. I hope you will continue to participate with MT because there are a lot of kind, supportive people here. I would suggest trying up in the general section. There are more people up there.
Niney
"Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible."
Helen Keller
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What was the best/worst med for you?
