Depakote

If that is how they are prescribed.

However if the prescription says to take one at a time, it isn't.

Any Dose

Every psychiatrist is different, just as every patient is different so the session will vary according to the personalities involved. Usually the first session is just for you and your doctor to get aquainted and for him/ her to get some background as to your condition, familiy history, physical health, and any medications you may be taking. You will probably spend a good portion of your first session just filling out paper work. I know it seems scary, but i promise you it's not. The hard part is getting through the front door. After that, you are on a very long road in the right direction toward a happier life. Don't be afraid to ask questions and just be yourself. My old psychologist once told me that on the day of a first session they're just about as nervous as we are. Remember they are just people, and people who want to help.

I am not a doctor! Always consult your own physician and psychiatrist before modifying any medications that you take. Further, I have no idea about the possible interactions and side-effects of the ADD medication that you are taking. Please keep this in mind. Are you taking Depacote / Lithium / Lamictal to treat bipolar disorder? If so, you should definitely look at http://www.bipolarworld.net/. It is a great resource for possible treatments for bipolar and bipolar combinations. I have a friend who suffers from bipolar, and together, we have been trying to come up with a combination of meds that will control the symptoms with the least number of side-effects. Why did you stop taking / not try Depacote and Lithium? Weight gain is a common side-effect for both. If that is a reason, then you may want to look into treating the weight-gain with Glucophage. It's a drug for diabetes, but new studies show that it can effectively control weight-gain with Depacote. Also, the weight-gain with depacote can also be reduced in some patients when put on a slow release formula. A "half" alternative to Depacote is Depakene. Although they technically are the same mood-stabilizer, they are delivered differently, and many people report vastly different side-effects when taking one or the other. Unfortunately, they are often refered to as the same drug, and your physician or psych (or even the pharmacy) may switch you back and forth, causing all sorts of problems. They really should be treated as separate drugs. But whatever problems you had with Depacote may not show up with Depakene. I probably would not want to mess around with seizures, but at what rate were you increasing the lamictal? With lamictal, most side-effects will go away on their own with patience and a low dose increase. The current recommendation is to start at 12.5mg and increase by 12.5mg each week. If a side-effect occurs, go back down to the previous dose and wait for the side-effect to disappear. Then go up slowly. If you have problems with lamictal, you can cut the increase by half again. Start at about 6mg and go up in steps of 6mg. I don't know how well this works for seizures, but it works for most other side effects of lamictal, including the rash. (Of course, if you get a rash, see a physician immediately). But from what I understand, Lamictal is a great drug for treating mood disorders, but because of the death rash, most psychs will take you off of it at the first signs of a problem, when lowering the dose and waiting can often clear up the problem. Having said that, there are two more drugs that you can use for mood stabilization. Trileptal is the first. It is better for treating bipolar manic states rather than depressed states. The occurance of side-effects is quite low, but it packs less of a punch. Normally, you have to combine a more powerful mood-stabilizer with Trileptal for it to be effective. But on the positive side, the more powerful mood-stabilizer can usually be given at a lower dose, thus decreasing its side-effects. The second is tegratol. Tegratol is a more powerful version of Trileptal, but with the power comes more side-effects. I haven't done much research into Tegratol, but it is another drug that you should consider. Oh, one other mood-disorder treatment that you may consider is thyroid hormone treatments. If you have not have your thyroid checked, you should, as an under-active or over-active thyroid can cause mood-disorders. But even if your thyroid checks out normal and your thyroid hormone levels are normal, some experiements are being done supplementing these hormones to control mood. This is a much less researched path, but initial results are promising. IF YOU are looking for other seizure meds; you may want to ask you doctor about the following: Dilantin; Klonopin; Valium; Phenobarbital; Neurontin. Good Luck

Unusual movement (especially of the face or tongue).

• Constipation.

• Dry mouth.

• Rash.

• Loss of strength.

• Extreme tiredness.

• Water retention leading to swelling of the hands, ankles or feet.

• In the early stages of treatment, some people may feel dizzy or faint (with a slow heart rate), especially when getting up from a lying

or sitting position. This will usually pass on its own but if it does not, tell your doctor.

This from manufacturer

Not really, no.

Some common side effects reported with this medicine include: * Drowsiness, * headache, * ataxia, * vertigo, * fatigue, * diplopia, * dizziness, * nausea, * vomiting, * allergic skin reactions, * edema, * fluid retention, * dry mouth, * leucopenia, * eosinophilia. * Rarely, serious hematologic, hepatic, cardiovascular and dermatologic reactions * Tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to Epival or any other drugs. * Talk with your physician or pharmacist if you are taking other medications. * tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications you are taking, especially other seizure medications, acetaminophen (Tylenol), astemizole (Hismanal), clarithromycin (Biaxin), danazol (Danocrine), diltiazem (Cardiazem), doxycycline (Vibramycin), erythromycin, haloperidol (Haldol), isoniazid (INH), lithium, medications for colds or allergies such as chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton), medications for depression such as amitriptyline (Elavil) and fluoxetine (Prozac), oral contraceptives, propoxyphene (Darvon), sedatives such as phenobarbital, terfenadine (Seldane), theophylline (Theo-Dur), verapamil (Calan), and vitamins. Carbamazepine affects the action of other medications, and many medications can affect the action of Epival. Tell your doctor and pharmacist everything you are taking. * do not take Epival liquid at the same time as any other liquid medications. * tell your doctor if you have or have ever had heart, kidney, or liver disease; glaucoma; high blood pressure; or a history of blood clots or blood disorders. * tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while taking Epival, call your doctor immediately. Epival may harm the fetus. * if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are taking carbamazepine. * you should know that this drug may make you drowsy. Do not drive a car or operate machinery until you know how this drug affects you. * remember that alcohol can add to the drowsiness caused by this drug. * plan to avoid unnecessary or prolonged exposure to sunlight and to wear protective clothing, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Epival may make your skin sensitive to sunlight. Seek medical attention immediately. For non emergencies, contact your local or regional poison control center. Take your next dose as soon as you remember. If it is time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one. Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of the reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom). Throw away any medication that is outdated or no longer needed. Talk to your pharmacist about the proper disposal of your medication. 200 mg tablets, 100 mg and 200 mg Chewtabs, 200 mg and 400 mg CR (controlled-release) tablets, 100 mg/5mL oral suspension. The above is quoted from the website linked below.

Purple urine can be a symptom of a condition called porphyria, not aware of a medication that side effect.

The drug Depokote is a serious drug and as you know you must work closely with your doctor. You just don't stop it! If you are unhappy with the side effects then please talk to your doctor and see what other alternative medications there are. Your doctor should be giving you a blood work-up every so often to check for this drug entering the liver, etc., and this is why YOU SHOULD NOT STOP THIS DRUG ON YOUR OWN! You could possible have seizures.

tiger top

Vistaril does not have an addiction potential

Liver

is it safe to take 2 xanex pills along with valproic acid ( neighbor to depakote) and Lexapro?

Karen

NO!

These things don't usually exist on their own.

PTSD symptoms are often found in combination with other conditions. So it is quite common to find someone with PTSD who also has Bipolar or even a personality disorder.

Bipolar disorder can be either manic or depressive and medication is often the first choice to treat it. Specific meds are used to control the mood swing element and mood stabilizers are usually used to help the depression. Prozac (fluoxetine) is often prescribed for the more impulsive and depressive symptoms but there are a range of drugs used for bipolar disorder, anti psychotics and mood stabilizers such as Lamotrigine.

Bi-monthly is recommended to check liver functions. Which can be damaged from the depakote

No

yes!

I am not sure, I am trying to figure it out. I take 2000mg of it for BPD.

1 pill by mouth, taken twice a day

yes

Yes, this is a dangerous combination of drugs to take. You should consult your physician before taking any mixture of medications.

I don't think anyone should make a medical decision based on what they read on the net without thoroughly discussing it with their doctor, but I will share my experience. I have taken wellbutrin every morning and depakote every evening for about five years. before i found this combination with my doctor, I could not hold a job or even stay in school. Now I have a master's degree and I am in law school. I give a lot of credit to having discovered the right combination of psychotropics FOR ME.