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Mental Health  (Expert Forum)
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Biploar on drugs
Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD) , bipolar disorder , dementia , electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) , learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) , panic , personality disorders, phobias , post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) , schizophrenia , stress , transitions, and work problems.

Biploar on drugs

by Tara, Nov 09, 1999 12:00AM
hello. i was diagnoised as having depression and was on zoloft for 4 months. it left me with a false self of confidence, feeling that nothing mattered, unemotional and a 20lb weight gain.i thought i was happy on it, but i wasn't. i also had night sweats and major hypo manic episodes beyond normal. plus major alcohol binges. it did cure my bulimia though. my doctor now has me on depakote, starting slowly until i reach 1025mg per day. i have now been dianoised as bipolar which i agree i have been since childhood. zoloft cured my depression, now i need something to mellow me out for anxiety/manic episodes. how well does depakote and xanax or valium mix together? my friend has passed me a coulple of each to mellow me out. i'm also on allegra, zocor, triphasil and xenical and vitamins. any info on this conbo would be great. my doctor doesn't believe in prescribing valium/xanax or other potentilly addictive drugs. i'm now a light drinker after starting depakote, i can't handle very much over 2 glasses of wine. which is great for my alcohol problem.i prefer to be mellow since zoloft sent me into a mnic rage. no illegal drug use.

by HFHS MD-JM, Nov 10, 1999 12:00AM
Tara,

    Xanax and Valium are anti-anxiety medications that have a high abuse potential and are generally used only for limited amounts of time.  These and other prescription medications should never be taken without the supervision of a physician as they can be dangerous.  
    Depakote is the most important medication if you have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder as it helps to stabilize your mood.  I strongly suggest you discuss this with your psychiatrist. I also recommend that you stop drinking as this interferes with the efficacy of your medications.  As for drug interactions you can consult your pharmacist who can run this combination of medications through their drug interactions computer program.
     This information is intended for educational purposes only.  Consult your personal physician for specific health concerns.

Sincerely,

HFHS MD-JM

Keywords:  Bipolar disorder, Depakote
Member Comments (1)

by april, Nov 12, 1999 12:00AM
I suffer from panic disorders and life and death issues. Anytime I meet someone new i think back to unpleasant situations and think our friendship will not work out.
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