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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by roo on February 16, 2001, at 10:51:55
Does anyone take a just a mood stabilizer and not an
Antidepressant along with it? If so, how does that
work for them? My psychiatrist thinks I have cyclical
depression. Right now I'm on a combo of prozac and
neurotin. She thinks if we can get the neurotin to
the right dose, I may eventually be able to wean off
the antidepressant and just take the neurotin for mood
stabilizing.
Posted by Lin on February 16, 2001, at 11:00:45
In reply to Anyone out there on mood stablilizers only?, posted by roo on February 16, 2001, at 10:51:55
Roo,
I am on a Neurontin and lithium and zyprexa (sometimes), without any added antidepressant for the depression. I am bipolar I, though, so this might be a different story from your type of depression. My bipolar is not in remission, i.e. I continue to cycle and have problems mainly with depression. When I add a AD, I tend to get manic. Recently, I was in a severe depressive episode and I increased my lithium and it pretty much did the trick. When I added the neurontin, my depression lifted even more. I think that mood stabilizers alone can work for some people, but not all. My brother is bipolar I and needs an antidepressant with his lithium to function. Also, I don't know if I would be doing better with an antidepressant than I am now; I am still slightly depressed and have a lot of problems with anxiety (the zyprexa helps). How much neurontin are you on?> Does anyone take a just a mood stabilizer and not an
> Antidepressant along with it? If so, how does that
> work for them? My psychiatrist thinks I have cyclical
> depression. Right now I'm on a combo of prozac and
> neurotin. She thinks if we can get the neurotin to
> the right dose, I may eventually be able to wean off
> the antidepressant and just take the neurotin for mood
> stabilizing.
Posted by ms. b. on February 16, 2001, at 11:33:39
In reply to Anyone out there on mood stablilizers only?, posted by roo on February 16, 2001, at 10:51:55
Roo,
My boyfriend (bipolar II) takes only neurontin, in the mid-range dose, somewhere around 3000 mg per day. Wish they would make big horse pills, rather than having to take 4 or 5 pills per dose, 3 times a day. However, he likes the fact that it has a short half-life, so there are benefits.You are on prozac for its AD qualities, I guess? Are you having any side-effects, and is that why you want to discontinue? What does your pdoc mean by cyclical depression? There's probably nothing really wrong with taking the prozac, and it, too has a short half-life. In fact, I think my boyfriend would benefit from taking prozac, even a little, when he's in his depressed phases of his BP. But he is a rapid-cycler, and the ADs sometime initiate mania, and the hypomanic phases are hell (like right now, when I've been dumped after a two-year relationship). I also wonder whether just the neurontin alone, in either phase, is the best med for him.
But you are unipolar I guess, so, maybe you can taper the prozac sometime soon and see. Most of us end up doing cocktails of some sort. I'm unipolar, tapering effexor (I'm almost done, yea!), on 200 mg of wellbutrin (really helping), and 600 mg neurontin, too, at bedtime, to chase the bad dreams away...
Good luck, and write again,
B.
> Does anyone take a just a mood stabilizer and not an
> Antidepressant along with it? If so, how does that
> work for them? My psychiatrist thinks I have cyclical
> depression. Right now I'm on a combo of prozac and
> neurotin. She thinks if we can get the neurotin to
> the right dose, I may eventually be able to wean off
> the antidepressant and just take the neurotin for mood
> stabilizing.
Posted by roo on February 16, 2001, at 14:20:27
In reply to Re: Anyone out there on mood stablilizers only?, posted by Lin on February 16, 2001, at 11:00:45
I'm on 1800 mg's of neurotin. I was taking less,
but I seem to adjust to it really quickly and need
more...when it's working, it does a great job for
my anxiety though.
Posted by roo on February 16, 2001, at 14:25:47
In reply to Re: Anyone out there on mood stablilizers only? » roo, posted by ms. b. on February 16, 2001, at 11:33:39
Hi!Yeah, I want to quit the prozac b/c of sexual side
effects (i've tried wellbutrin and serzone and they
make me really anxious and angry). Cyclical depression
is basically having a pattern of bad and good days, only
it's not so drastic like bipolars. I don't get manic,
or suicidal. I have about half good days and half bad
days per month. I'm starting to chart my moods and see
if my menstrual cycle fits in there anywhere. I'm having
my hormone levels checked too.
Prozac actually doesn't have a short half life, it
has a pretty long one. Usually when I go off it, it
takes about a month or so to get out of my system
(and to begin having good sex again, which is a long
wait).
I'm really hoping that I will eventually be able to
go off ad's...mainly b/c of sexual side effects. I
haven't had a sex drive for about 2 years, and sex is
really important to me.
Posted by ms. b. on February 17, 2001, at 0:08:47
In reply to Re: Anyone out there on mood stablilizers only?, posted by roo on February 16, 2001, at 14:25:47
Hi again Roo,
I guess the thing I've heard about Prozac is that if you want to switch, it's the best one to get off of quickly, and you can pretty much switch right away, but I only know that from my therapist telling me, I'm not an expert on meds.
I was on Zoloft for about 4 years, initially because my periods were bothering me a lot, spent 3 weeks out of 4 each month being an angry, crazy bitch, yelling at my daughter for no reason, etc. The GYN tried me on progesterone (suppositories, I told him they didn't exactly suit my lifestyle!), then a different oral contraceptive, which I didn't like, and then he tried me on the Zoloft. What a blessing! I felt so much better, pretty much right away. I've heard from other people who were on it that they've tolerated it well. And during that whole time, I never - not ever - had any sexual side effects. I was always interested in having it (sex), never had any anorgasmia, in fact was able to continue as I always had with multiple orgasms, etc. And I know what you mean, sex is very important to me, too! That's *one* of the reasons I'm a little nuts now since Bipolar Boyfriend from Hell called it quits on our relationship... Sex is an important part of life, for god's sake... I do feel for you on that. So I don't think you should have to put up with those kinds of side effects, there are so many meds you could try, Zoloft being one I would personally recommend...
Do you have a relatively stable relationship, & a partner who is supportive of you on this? Does he(she) understand the problems with the meds? It's important that you don't feel to blame for any of this... It must be very frustrating.
You could try just getting off the prozac and only doing the neurontin for a while, and then adding the AD if you and your doc thought it was necessary to keep the depression away.
Let me know how it works out for you,
B.> Hi!
>
> Yeah, I want to quit the prozac b/c of sexual side
> effects (i've tried wellbutrin and serzone and they
> make me really anxious and angry). Cyclical depression
> is basically having a pattern of bad and good days, only
> it's not so drastic like bipolars. I don't get manic,
> or suicidal. I have about half good days and half bad
> days per month. I'm starting to chart my moods and see
> if my menstrual cycle fits in there anywhere. I'm having
> my hormone levels checked too.
> Prozac actually doesn't have a short half life, it
> has a pretty long one. Usually when I go off it, it
> takes about a month or so to get out of my system
> (and to begin having good sex again, which is a long
> wait).
> I'm really hoping that I will eventually be able to
> go off ad's...mainly b/c of sexual side effects. I
> haven't had a sex drive for about 2 years, and sex is
> really important to me.
Posted by roo on February 17, 2001, at 13:05:15
In reply to Re:mood stablilizers only? + Prozac, posted by ms. b. on February 17, 2001, at 0:08:47
Yeah, ms. b, I'm glad you can relate! My boyfriend
is very supportive and kind and understanding about
this issue. I am basically the frustrated one. Plus
I think it makes him sad that he knows I'm not satisfied.
Although he dosen't take it personally and knows it's
the meds....
Maybe I will try going off the prozac and continuing
the neurotin, and then if my depression gets worse, just
trying another antidepressant....thanks for your response...
Ruth
ps. how did the progesterone effect you? I've heard
some women get sexual side effects with progesterone
(which is strange b/c I thought it was supposed to
improve sexual desire)
Posted by phillybob on February 20, 2001, at 22:07:32
In reply to Anyone out there on mood stablilizers only?, posted by roo on February 16, 2001, at 10:51:55
I've been just usin' topiramate (topamax) ... you can check out my story in this thread ... http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20001231/msgs/51269.html
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