Posted by Emme on October 5, 2001, at 21:47:42
In reply to Re: Started Geodon, off Zyprexa--scott » Emme, posted by SLS on October 3, 2001, at 13:12:04
Hi Scott,
> I am so frustrated for you. What dosage did you start with? You aren't taking Depakote, are you? What did the rash look like?I started at 12.5 mg for the first two weeks, and then up by 12.5 mg approximately every week. No depakote. The rash was small, just a red, splotchy discoloration with no textural changes - the skin felt totally smooth. It was on my midriff, so it wasn't a sunburn, and there was no other obvious cause.
> I'll be very interested to see how things turn out for you. Gabitril is on my list of things to try.At the moment I'm not feeling optimistic about it. At least not for me. It's doesn't seem too heavy on side effects. But I am still pretty depressed at 12 mg. Kinda miserable actually. I'll see my doctor next week. Back to strategizing. You might want to keep it on your list though. As I said, it doesn't seem too bad in side effects. At first I thought it was a little activating, now I'm a little bit tired, so it's hard to figure out what it's doing to my energy, if anything. But otherwise, it seems on the benign side. So give it a shot and see if it has beneficial effects for you.
> I have bipolar disorder, but it doesn't fit well into either bipolar I or bipolar II. I have been in a constant state of depression for over 20 years. It probably started around age 10, but became severe rather suddenly at age 17. I have little or no physical or mental energy, am slow-thinking, have poor concentration and memory, have no motivation to do get up out of a chair, and I experience no enjoyment (anhedonia). This state has been uninterrupted except for one 6 month period resulting from a combination of antidepressants (Parnate + desipramine), and several 3-day "blips" during various antidepressant trials.
You are quite a survivor to have endured 20 years of depression. Everyone on this board seems very feisty. So many folks have suffered so long and are so tenacious about fighting their illness. I think the lack of physical or mental energy is especially hard for me. Not being able to get things done worsens my sense of lost time and failure, and feeds back into the depression. But I am very sensitive to meds, so finding drugs that keep my anxiety at bay without sapping my energy is tough. I think I was pretty lucky in some ways though. Although there were signs of anxiety and depression going as far back as high school, and which have certainly interfered with my life, I was able to function well for a long time. I didn't get really sick until 1998. I feel very battered by the last few years in particular. But I also know that with less luck, I could have been much sicker much earlier. (Am I making sense?)
> I think the identity of the bipolar spectrum is still evolving.I guess it would be strange if the science of psychiatry weren't continually evolving, just like any other science.
> Oh, but I babble...Well, it is called "Psycho Babble"!
Emme
poster:Emme
thread:79801
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010927/msgs/80397.html