Posted by Debby (64.196.39.146) on May 05, 2000 at 21:18:15:
In Reply to: Re: Depakote SUCKS! posted by laura on March 12, 2000 at 13:28:12:
I am on Depakote & Zoloft for bipolar disorder. Started these at the end of 1999. I can tell a BIG difference! While I was waiting for the first available appointment for a new patient with my psychiatrist, my manic phases began to cycle closer & closer. I would go for as long as 14 days with no more than 2-3 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period. I had to take some unscheduled time off from work because I did not feel it was safe for me to drive in rush hour traffic, plus the irratibility factor with my co-workers!!! I was physically and mentally exhausted. At first, I tried to exercise and keep moving all day to 'wear myself out'. This didn't work at all. I was an emotional wreck. The psychiatrist's office called and offered an earlier appointment due to some cancellations (see...prayers are answered!) and I was given a prescription for trazadone for sleep. She immediately started me on zoloft and depakote. I rarely need the sleeping pills any more.
Now, my manic episodes are mild and very manageable. They only last a few days, and I don't have any major depressions.
Hang in there! Knowing the problem is half the battle. mentalhealth.net has some great info. I took their 'mania quiz' daily to chart my mood swings for my psychiatrist at our first appointment.
Be sure to be open and honest with your doctor. Hopefully, you have a close friend or relative who can help you thru this. My sister and the man who is now my husband (as of yesterday!) have been a big help. My doctor gave me some very good advice...PRAY. I've done a lot of that, begging for help to get thru the tough times. Now, it's pretty much all 'THANK YOU, GOD' because things are so much better. No, life isn't perfect. I'm grateful for a good nights sleep, and a man who loved me enough to stick with me thru some very tough times.
Do you have any other family members with bipolar? My sister is, and we think our mother is, too. I just wonder about the possibility of a study on heredity and bipolar disorder.
you WILL make it thru this!!!