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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Christ_empowered on March 17, 2015, at 13:25:30
OK. So I'm taking : 30 abilify, 1200 trileptal, 100 lamictal, and 200 wellbutrin SR. I have 2 PRN meds that I rarely take anymore...100-300mgs neurontin and 2+/- mgs risperdal.
I take lots of supplements. I recently added 5htp but now I'm scared because it seems that lamictal does something to serotonin, so...yeah. serotonin syndrome is not something I'm real eager to experience, lol.
I was thinking about adding Cymbalta. I gain weight during low moods, at least when I'm on Abilify. There's mild psychosis w/ low moods for me, but w/ the Abilify on board its not usually incapacitating.I thought about celexa, but...ssri drugs work for me, but then I feel zombie-fied over the long haul. I thought maybe Cymbalta could cover more ground and maybe be a bit more stimulating (?) .
I can't drop anything. My shrink will not pick 1 anticonvulsant...he seems to think lamictal+trileptal is the golden ticket or something. I think the Abillify dosage is set in stone, pretty much. Wellbutrin was my idea, because I had low mood, fatigue, weight gain, and trouble concentrating (I don't think 2 anticonvulsants really helps with a lot of that, lol).
Wellbutrin works nicely. I'm not real gung ho on going up on the dosage, because 200mgs/day works well with no problems.
A former doc once recommended amoxapine. I was scared because that's like taking a TCA plus an undetermined amount of loxapine, all in one. TCAs work for me, at least Tofranil does, but...wow. They're rough.
I thought maybe go from Abilify--->Seroquel XR, but...at what dosage? My other thought was Abilify---->Symbyax, but I'd want/need metformin to make that happen, and I don't think I'll get it.
Ugh. The more I read about Abilify, the more concerned I am. Turns out...long term, AP dose people experience depression as a side effect. Also, its a good anti-manic, but not so great for depression. Ugh.
My problem with a switch-a-roo is that my (community mental health) doc will probably high dose me :-( I figured that with Symbyax, at least I'd be getting pre-set doses, so that way they won't ramp it up too much.
Mental health is so weird. A former doc wanted me on clozapine. Then PRN haldol with the Abilify (I'm thinking...why do that?). Then amoxapine w/ everything else. I've read that community health docs, more so than other pdocs, tend to rely on AP/AAPs at high(er) doses, for everyone. Ugh.
I *can* tolerate neuroleptics now. I think Orthomolecular helps a lot. But I don't want super high doses. 30mgs/Abilify is about it for me...I mean, when I take an additional risperidone, the next day, I feel a little too calm, and it doesn't seem to do much except tranquilize a bit more.
Blah blah blah...I know its harder to treat low moods than (hypo)mania, agitation, and psychosis, but...I'm just slowed down. I don't think its all drug induced, although I do think the main 3 meds make it worse.
Advice?
Posted by joe f on March 17, 2015, at 19:40:57
In reply to multiple ADs, drug switches, posted by Christ_empowered on March 17, 2015, at 13:25:30
what are you talking about
Posted by Brot on March 17, 2015, at 19:42:40
In reply to multiple ADs, drug switches, posted by Christ_empowered on March 17, 2015, at 13:25:30
well my advice:
stop fiddling around with meds. take them as you take them now and focus on real life issues. get a hobby, go for walks, if you have a smartphone maybe play ingress (a game you play in the real world by walking around)
well just saying
Posted by rjlockhart37 on March 17, 2015, at 22:26:38
In reply to multiple ADs, drug switches, posted by Christ_empowered on March 17, 2015, at 13:25:30
yes....zyprexa i've been a long time, and it does tend to soothe out agitated thoughts, mania, and it calms it down, but if you keep taking it you stay on the calmy dalmy land......and it does tend to make you chemically induced depressed.....at higher doses, because long term use the brain adapts to how the chemicals is designed to alter it
check out depakote, maybe and ask about depakote - vaporic acid family drugs....there vary good in calming, and work on gaba....and if you get depressed, don't take it, take it as needed for mood distubrance and psychosis....acutally to all the AP's, sometimes i don't take zyprexa, but it's a big wam the next morning, im too skiddy.....
but like respirdal could be taken at night as needed, and maybe reduce some of the abilify and bump up the the trileptal, but ask about this :
this is the valporic acid family....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valproic_acid
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_valproate
r
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