Are There Any Mood Stabilizers That Aren't Horrible??? - Bipolar Disorder Message Board

fineanddandy · 09-18-2007, 02:32 AM

I am serious. Every mood stabilizer seems to have horrible side effects. Are there any that are easier to tolerate than others???

So far, I have tried:
1) Depakote - gained 30 pounds in a month
2) Seroquel - causes daytime grogginess, elevated heart rate, acid reflux at night, and heavy snoring (which probably means sleep apnea but I've refused a sleep study).

I've looked them all up and they all seem to have intolerable side effects. Are there any that work for you that you can tolerate???

I really appreciate the help!
Thanks In Advance

goody2shuz · 09-18-2007, 06:22 AM

Hi FineandDandy.....my daughter is on Lamictal and that works out well for her. It is not only weight neutral but has a GREAT profile when it comes to side effects. Only thing is it has to be titrated up slowly due to a bad rash associated with giving it too quickly and may take time before it really starts to work. IT is also great in terms of addressing the depressive side of BP and is used to treat people with Major Depression as well. My daughter had more depressive symptoms that when treated with just an antidepressant alone triggered hypomania.

She is on the Seroquel as well (which by the way is an antipsychotic used for mania) which works well in combination with the Lamictal. IN time I am hoping that we can get her off the Seroquel and that the Lamictal will work on it's own.

Hope that you find the med that works good for you.

~ Goody

fineanddandy · 09-18-2007, 08:47 AM

The bad rash thing scares me although I guess the risk of developing it is pretty small. Lamactil isn't too sedating then? It'd be really nice to be able to t-h-i-n-k!

tsohl · 09-18-2007, 09:12 AM

My son takes lamictal, lithium and tegretol, and works in the area of mathematics and statistics so he can't afford to be brain-drousy. Sometimes you need to take something for awhile to let your body adjust to the changes. If he had stopped taking any of his meds at the beginning due to side effects, he would not be on anything and his life would be a MESS.

Sometimes you have to figure out if the side effects from medications are better or worse than the "side effects" that result from unmedicated bipolar disorder.

Tsohl

fineanddandy · 09-18-2007, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Sometimes you have to figure out if the side effects from medications are better or worse than the "side effects" that result from unmedicated bipolar disorder.

Oh yeah, I got that. I've been on Seroquel for about 4 years now. I'm just wondering if there is something else I could take that would be more tolerable.