Question Title: Concerned daughter-in-law

My mother-in-law has been diagnosed manic-depressive and schizophrenia. This has been an ongoing battle for 30 years - long before I ever knew her. I feel for her because I feel she has no quality of life. She is 68 years old and is almost helpless. She doesn't drive, doesn't cook, doesn't clean, has difficulty walking - she barely functions. In my observations there are many individuals with bipolar disorder that function quite well. They manage their homes, jobs, and families - maybe with difficulty but at least they function. My mother-in-law takes a lot of medication. (Depakote 1 250mg in the morning and 2 250mg at night, K-DUR 1 2x day, Lopressor 25mg/day, Furosemide 40mg/day, Cogentin 1mg at bedtime, and Risperdal 1mg in the am and 2mg at bedtime). I wonder if some of her inabilities are due to an overdose of a drug or some of the drugs not mixing. She is a heavy smoker (3 pks/day) and drinks about 3 liters of diet coke/day. She has been diagnosed in the past with high blood pressure and some doctor along the way (not a cardiologist) said she has some congestive heart failure. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Val,

I can understand your concerns about your mother-in-law's struggle with psychiatric and medical problems. I am not aware of any significant drug interactions between Depakote, Risperdal, Cogentin, K-Dur, Lopressor, and Furosemide. Without evaluating your mother-in-law, it is difficult to comment on whether some of her difficulties are caused by excessive medication. You may find it helpful to discuss your concerns with her treating physician/psychiatrist, with her permission. It may help to clarify her diagnosis as patients do not suffer from manic-depression (bipolar disorder) AND schizophrenia. With a firm diagnosis, other treatment options can be explored.

This response is provided for general information only. Always consult your physician for any health concerns.