the weakest AD

[adel_ezz]

Hi
I am new here. I am bipolar most probably. I am fine right now on antipsychotics only (atypical which can function as MS almost) and doing well, except a week ago i started to decline a little. I am working right now so i fear to quit my job which i found after painstaking efforts. I took lexapro/cipralex. it's ok and am fine except that it gave me tremors for a few mins in the last 2 nights which i am worried about. I know there exist many AD: SSRI, SNRI, Mao(old) stimulants, tricyclics. The only one i tried before is the last one and had bad memories about (the one responsible for being BP now !!), now i am on this SSRI, i hear effexor is also weak and well tolerated by BP, also welbutrin.
my QUESTION sometimes it isn't severe depression, but i need a small something to elevate me a while without taking the risk of driving me manic. So what is the SLIGHTEST and WEAKEST AD ever ? (forget about the ineffiicient omega 3) to just rise me without undue complications
thanks
ezz

[LeftCoastChick]

Advocate is right

I get shaky on any med that I take for the first few days, I just chalk it up to my brain is trying to get used to it. Cipralex is darned good, in my opinion, AND I don't see a lot of advertising about that drug here, so I prefer taking those, it's not pushed on the doctors by the Drug companies.

Then only med that changed my moods for the worse was Valproic acid, I think it's called Depakote in other countries. My mood changed rapidly and not for the better for the last 2 weeks and I got really bad shakes, I saw my pdoc on Tuesday and dropped my dosage dose down from 500mgs to 125mgs, and the change is drastic. I was soooo angry at everything, I just wasn't myself and it took a friend to tell me that there was something really wrong with me. I thought I was going to end in the hospital. I took it my anger out on a few innocent bystanderes even here.

You're lucky in British Columbia, there is an automatic system so you can't what we call doctor hopping. If you don't like what one says, then you go to the other.We also have a system called pharmacare, which they can look up all the meds they you are taking, I so glad for that, because I was so space out when I went into hospital in July.

ADVO has helped a ton of people and in my first few weeks, between him and a few other people I don't think I would have made it through. Now I get to help others, my belief is return twofold (which means basically give back twice the charity you've been given) and it's something that crosses all religous beliefs I think.(though not used as often :)  )

[adel_ezz]

how kind of you ILADVOCATE, i never thought i would get a response from you in this forum. in fact this is the 1st time i post here, i discovered it by mere chance. your answer is so definitive. in fact yesterday night i phoned my 2 pdocs (none of them know that i am with another one) and both didn't seem to be alarmed and asked me to keep going, i happen to be just fine on it.
since thanks
i really don't know what to do without you. You know, charity in all religions is not restricted to paying money to the poor but also to give help and advice to people in need. May God rewards you. you are too kind.
Don't regret that you are helping people, provided it doesn't cause you any problem of any kind
ezz

[ILADVOCATE]

If you are fine except for mild tremors then I would suggest staying on the specific anti-depressent. They can cause temporary movement disorders which can easily be mitigated with a side effect pill but cannot cause long term movement disorders. That would not be something to be concerned about. As long as an anti-depressent isn't making you manic if you need it as an adjunct to the mood stabilizer that's fine but if it did occur Wellbutrin is the least likely to cause that effect. If what you are on is working then I'd stay on it. If not then that generally would be the first choice not as an anti-depressent in general but when used in people with bipolar as an adjunct to a mood stabilizer.