mood stabalizers

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-29-2003
mood stabalizers
24
Sat, 01-07-2006 - 2:32pm

Happy New Year everyone! Hope you are all doing well. I tried to post a while ago, but I think I was having trouble with the new set up.

I was wondering if anyone takes mood stabalizers? I went to a new therapist last week, and he is switching me from Lexapro to Zoloft. He said he might want to also try a small mood stabalizer! After doing research, I learned that they are mostly for bipolar disorder. I have serious GAD, but I know I am not bipolar. Does anyone know if these are used for treatment of anxiety?

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Love, Jolie

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
In reply to: jlvst
Fri, 01-13-2006 - 7:52pm

I can't take SSRI's. I was on Lexapro and I went off the hook, that is where the dx started. I was rapid cycling so fast it was very scary so I stay away from that. The current drugs are working pretty well although I must admit I hate taking them despite the fact that they help.

I have not reached the point where it is a comfort for me to know that it wasn't me. Honestly I was going about my life just fine, yes I had episodes prior to the dx but they were tolerable. The Lexapro changed all of that for me and now it's so much stronger than it used to be. If only the clock could be turned back but since it can't I'm just working on accepting the present which has been no easy task.

My anxiety still runs high, my thoughts alone prove that. I'll see how things continue along but as of right now I'm not happy giving up the xanax. I can go without it for days so I know the addiction factor isn't an issue for me but to not have it in those high anxiety times causes anxiety in itself.

Thanks for your input. I appreciate it.

Danielle

Hugs & Positive Thoughts Always,

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-18-2003
In reply to: jlvst
Sat, 01-14-2006 - 7:25pm

I take Lamictal, Geodon, Seroquel and Ativan. Lamictal (a seizure med and mood stabalizer)doesn't make me feel drugged at all. I sometimes sleep during the day b/c the Geodon makes me tired. Usually the tiredness is supposed to go away in a few weeks. Seroquel is very sedating and usually taken at night. It makes people sleep. Since I've been on it for a while I can stay up a little longer than before.

I've been on neurontin another seizure med and didn't have any side effects from that either.

I've taken lithium which is the major mood srabilizer for a few weeks then quit it b/c I didn't want to believe I am Bipolar. As far as I could tell it was starting to help. I just didn't let the med get into my system and start working well. One bad thing about lithium is constant blood draws to make sure you're at a theraputic not toxic level. Lithium causes a lot of weight gain. Lamictal does not cause any and neurontin causes a very small amount of weight gain.

Depakote is yet another seizure med and a major mood stabilizer. I heard that it works really good, however you gain a lot of weight on this med too.

I hope this was helpful.

Jenn

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iVillage Member
Registered: 05-20-2004
In reply to: jlvst
Mon, 01-16-2006 - 10:14am

I am taking 900mg/day. Does it cause you any memory loss or general loss of direction sometimes? I will get up and go into another room and forgot why I was going and then I forget little things sometimes. Do you have this with the lithium?

Alison

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
In reply to: jlvst
Mon, 01-16-2006 - 3:34pm

Yes, I do have both of those. I was never sure if it was the lithium or the hysterectomy I had just before going on the lithium. I suffered chronic pelvic pain for years and decided that because I was only 27 I was not going to live like that for the rest of my life. I'd had my 2 kids already so getting rid of my parts wasn't a big deal.

Those have been the only 2 very prominent side effects that I've had. On occasion I get dry mouth and if I don't take it properly, food/drink/on time it will make me sick.

Hugs & Positive Thoughts Always,

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