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Meds w/no side effects?

Diagnosed w/bipolar within the past year and doc has me on 1500mg depakote and 300mg seroquel -- I'd say they give me 80% relief from my symptoms, I don't feel 100% well.  But I feel like I'm in a fog all the time, I sleep 10-12 hrs. a night and when I wake up I just don't want to get out of bed and he gave me provigil to help me stay awake during the day.  Also, I've gained 20 lbs!  I asked for different meds but he doesn't want to try anything else which may not work as well as the depakote and seroquel.  Am I doomed to feel like this the rest of my life, or should I insist on trying some different meds, knowing I may have to try several of them before I find anything that helps my symptoms.  Also, the darn meds cost so much -- I do have health insurance but it only covers part of the cost.
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Avatar universal
thanks for the comments.  I will check into the meds at Walmart, I had heard they have a list of generics.  The news on depakote does not sound good, it seems like all of the meds that give relief also cause the weight gain.  What a bummer, as if we don't have enough problems to deal with.  I will have to think about what to do next.  Thanks for your support.
Helpful - 0
209384 tn?1231168306
DLA
Wal-Mart now has a lot of meds for $4.  Also all the big places like Sam's and CostCo (?) have really good deals on meds.  Shop around and compare prices.  It's really worth the time.  You might also check into your state and mental illnesses and see if they won't give you some kind of help with the cost.  Most states have good mental health programs now.
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422216 tn?1203212806
I'm no dr but I was on depakote for over a year.  I gained 60 lbs and lost a lot of sexual ability.  I forced my dr to give me something that would work as well but without so many bad side effects.  He put me on a few different things but I only stuck with what worked.  I ended up getting diabetes & high BP from the meds I took but the relief was almost worth it.  ALL psychotropic drugs have side effects but it's a matter of do the pros outweigh the cons.  If you're unhappy with the side effects you're getting now, tell your dr that his help will be apreciated but not neccessary if he wont help.  Second opinions are great devices for getting what you need out of a dr.  Try a new set of meds and if you don't get the results you're looking for, try something else.  It's all about what works for YOU, not him.    Shane
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