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Ativan and depakote er

Ok I saw my new dr today and he is going to help me get off benzos after all these years.But he prescribed depakote er 750mg and i feltso hopeful  then i went online and read where they dhouldnt be taking together,but the pharmist didnt tell me thatjust wondering anyone esle been on these two meds
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Avatar universal
They are safe to take together.  If he is wheening you off of the benzo's then you should only be on them for about 5 days for the detox.
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Avatar universal
I dont know why he put me on depakote i thought it was to help my anxiety and depression and his plan if for me to get offf ativan after being on benzos 20 years,..he didnt give me ataper schedule though he said to take my ativan only when i need it and i have always taking it onschedule
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480448 tn?1426948538
"If he is wheening you off of the benzo's then you should only be on them for about 5 days for the detox. "

That is actually incorrect, ESPECIALLY in this case.  Hazyworld (aka "msanxiety") has a very complex history of taking benzos for a very long time, with many cross-tolerance issues.  ANYONE who has been on a benzo long-term should be advised to taper very gradually to minimize severity of withdrawals.  An "appropriate" taper plan could be several months long, if not longer.  

Hazyworld, have you looked into a psychiatric medication manager like Ryan suggested?  That really needs to be your next step.  With all of the issues you have had, you need a specialist who is going to proceed in the right direction.  You have been battling these same issues for years, you should realize by now that this isn't as easy as a simple taper plan, which would maybe apply to other people.  Your case just simply isn't like others....I urge you to re-read Ryan's post to you about finding a psych med manager, and why it is important that you do so.

In my personal opinion, Depakote is not the answer, and now you've just added yet another med to the mix instead of pursuing the recommended taper plan from Ryan with your doctor.  On top of that, instead of directing questions about these meds to your doctor, or Pharmacist, who know your uniqure history, you continue to come here, when the advice we can give you is not going to be tailored to your complex and unique situation.  I sincerely wish you would heed ryan's advice and seek out the help that you need.  An online forum isn't the appropriate venue to be dealing with these onging, chronic and complicated medication issues.
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Avatar universal
well we dont have the kind of dr ryan is talking about I guess this new pshychitrist knows what he is doing..he took my history,I was just reading where deapkote increases the effects of benzos so I was worried but this drs plan is to get me off the benzos...they are what is making me sick....Im sorry you make me feel like a complete hopeless mess and you dont know me at all..so maybe you r right i shouldnt come here asking advise...I will get well and you make me so upset making me feel like I cant get well unless I do as Ryan says and as you say you guys arent Drs/
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Avatar universal
thanks now im really scared..i stopped the klonopin the day the dr told me to,i gave the bottle to my hubby.........i was able to take only 2 ativan yesterday.Im feeling better,Ryan Im not a nut im a person who has been on benzos for 20 years.Do you ever read any posts from benzo budddies and again may I ask your qualifcations as to offer such advice? I talked to several drs about depakote and they say its used for other things than what u listed,I myself was on it from 2000 to 2006 whne i was on xanax and did quite well......im not gonna just stop the ativan but i am going to get off...thanks
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Avatar universal
But i would like to see the kind of dr u r talking about closest big city to me is reno,nevada
Helpful - 0
370181 tn?1595629445
Please contact the University of Nevada, Reno and ask for the Psychology Dept. Request to speak to Dr.Patrick Ghezzi. He is a personal friend of mine from way back in high school. His main involvement is running the Autism Program, but he will be able to help you connect with the person who CAN help you.
Tell him Linda sent you.
I wish you will
Peace
Greenlydia  
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Avatar universal
Thank you I called there earlier today and they are not taking any more new patients. But I will try I doubt if they will put me thru to him.
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370181 tn?1595629445
So even if they aren't taking new patients, call them back and ask them for referrals to someone else! They were remiss in not doing that in the first place.
Shame on them.
GL
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Avatar universal
I called the unr of medicine maybe you meant the college..but the unr for meds isnt taking new patients...i also found info online that says depakote is often used to get people off benzos..so  that made me feel better as Ryan scared me to death...i was told only to listen to people in the medical profession as far as meds are concerned but i wll try to get ahold of your friend and i called the oncall dr and he said i might want to do my taper more slow than what i have done since coming from my drs vist
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Avatar universal
thank you i guess i am wondering what these kind of drs can do that a good pshychtrist cant do? I will try to contacct him and tell him about my benzo addiction....what do these kind of drs do?
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Avatar universal
Oh my GOSH i looked at his videos when i was commited to the State of nevada mental Hospital in may 07 he was the evaulating dr that i saw,,.,,,,here i am today worse than i was then...........so tell me what would he do to help me now..back then hen put me on prozac and no benzo and sent me on to the next level of the pshy ward..i was impressed//haha i spent two weeks there and came out on ativan and cymbalta and risperdal.I have never been the same since..He really seemed like quack...running arounf hair never combed i dont know about him/
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Avatar universal
I called his office he does not deal with getting people off benzos and the dr  they suggested is out of west hills hospitla and he does a 3 day detox....wow i dont want that,i think my dr...who the lady knew is the best bet for me.....my dr works out of westhills hospital also...so I dont know where else to turn other than do as my dr says
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Avatar universal
Ok i called west hills where they do the impatinet detox in 3 days...the lady feels i should at least try what my dr is saying..if not i could go in to impatient adn be off in maybe 3 days or a bit more...i dont know what you wanted me to tell dr mind office about me?
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Avatar universal
and what would he be able to do for me and what would  i tell him
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Avatar universal
I sent him a message..Which video are u talking about
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480448 tn?1426948538
I know there is a lot of conflicting information out there, and it can be frightening and confusing.  Honestly, until you get a second opinion, I would not start the Depakote.  Ryan's info was accurate and while I know that Depakote HAS been used in the past, if a person experiences problems, they are pretty significant, and you don't want to add on to your problems at this point.  If after you've received an additional assessment and Depakote is recommended, you can consider it then.  Try to resist the urge to search the web for info...there is a lot of misinformation out there, and all it will do is confuse and scare you more.

Keep trying to get a hold of the doctor ryan recommended and just give it a try....have an open mind.  Look at it this way...what you've tried thus far hasn't worked well, so you have nothing to lose!  Also, you can't always judge a book by its cover.  Appearances certainly are a big factor in our inital impression of a person...but don't let that cause you to form a concrete opinion of someone (ie, the doctor) before you are able to evaluate the other aspects of a person.

You asked what you should say...simply briefly tell your story...that you suffer with severe, debilitating anxiety and have a history of long term benzo dependence.  That you have tried "XYZ" and instead of being better, you are significantly worse.

Have you tried CBT ("cognitive behavioral therapy")?

Good luck.
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Avatar universal
i started the depakote the night i got hoe frommy drs so too late for that im in therapy,and the lady at the detox hospitla where dr vinners sec told me to call said i would do best to doas my dr prescribed
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Avatar universal
Hi I have been doing pretty well but the dr said to cut my depakote back one pill last ngiht and im more anxious this aftrnoon..maybe to rapid a drop in the benzos I see dr again tommorow..Im kind scared.
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Avatar universal
Ryan, you've got me scared, too.  I've been on klonopin for more years than I can remember.  I've never had to increase my dose; in fact I decreased it by half when I was on Paxil to reduce sedation, and nothing happened.  When the Paxil creamed me when I went off it, I upped the klonopin back to the original 1mg twice a day, and no psychiatrist has wanted me to come off it.  I'm not sure it's ever done all that much, and after the permanent reaction to Paxil withdrawal they sure haven't wanted to take me off that, too; in fact one suggested I go up on the dosage, but I didn't.  Now my new psychiatrist is suggesting I go on either Neurontin/Gabapentin or Depakote, and I can't believe she's forgotten I'm still on Klonopin.  I didn't want to do it and upped my Celexa instead for the time being to 40mg to give it a longer shot, but my fear is that the Gabapentin works on GABA and the Klonopin works on GABA, and that worries me, and now you say the Depakote isn't a good idea if you're on Klonopin.  I haven't been able to see a psychopharmacologist; my insurance doesn't cover them, and the ones I contacted didn't want to see me -- don't know if it was because I have no job or insurance for them or because they just didn't want to get involved with someone who's already had a bad experience with meds, but my knowledge is that psychopharmacologists aren't trained any differently than any other psychiatrist, they just join an association and pay dues to it.  What do you think?
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Avatar universal
Hi, I just wanted to let you know that Depakote was the only thing I could use to get off of Ativan. I took 4mg daily of Ativan for a year, and the depakote worked brilliantely.  It totally calmed me down, and I did a very slow wean off the Ativan cutting the dose weekly by only .25mg.  THen I did a slow wean off the Depakote. That was 10 years ago, and was only on 20mg Celexa for depression. Well, I thought maybe I could do a slow wean recently off the Celexa. Didnt go well, and the anxiety mixed with racing thoughts and insomnia did me in. I immediately went back up to 30mg of Celexa and 500 of Depakote. Within 3-4 days was feeling better, now 2 weeks later I feel great.
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