I don't really know where to go. I have been "trying to fix myself" for years. My cycles are pretty much 6 mo of deep depression and then maybe 3-5 weeks of "up."
I feel sad for my kids.
and myself.
I am not able to get myself help. I am trying, but I always stop at some point just out of inability to function cognitively.
I have asked dh to "do it for me." but he doesnt. He may be depressed too.
I dont know how to do this. Its not like "Just call the doctor and get some pills." I am low income so I have to jump through a million hoops and I dont have the energy.
I've only gained 15 ls on depakote and I am going to ask the doc to change me to abilify (do I have it right? not the sleepin one, the bipolar one) I dont want to let it go till I am 100 lbs over this weiht.
And also because my psychosis is the same or worse....probably about the same... as before and I am really sick of seeing things move when they dont really move. Its more of an illusion than a hallucination for me but sometimes scary and totally annoying.
Originally Posted by Satori
I started researching and found the studies. Started giving the 2 together 2x a day and the weight gain stopped and she's even lost 4lbs. Might be something to try
Anybody have any heart trouble on lamictal? I have a benign murmur and infrequent palpitations (both of with my doc knows of). . but after 2 weeks of being on 25mg I'm having tons of palpitations when I even barely exert myself (climb a flight of stairs, for example). I have an appt in the morning with the doc, but wanted to know if this is common or what.
^Wow! I'm glad you're seeing a doctor tomorrow! That sounds scary!
I'm pregnant & the OB I saw briefly (long story) told me to stop taking my Metformin (my fat preventing drug for Seroquel).
I have been an eating machine! I don't know how much I've gained this month, but it is NOTICABLE let me tell you! I just can't stop.
Brandi I totally relate to the "just get out in the yard with the kids, and you'll begin to drop weight." People just don't understand. Even when I explain the weight gain causing medication I feel they are even more put off, as if I'm making excuses when I'm explaining the cause.
Can you see the doctor without making a formal switch? Just getting a second opinion?
Anyway! Staying on 400mg Lamictal & 100mg Seroquel. Apparently some women with PCOS stay on Metformin through their pregnancies to combat the related insulin issues, but now that I've already stopped for a month I'm afraid to just pick it back up. So depressing! At this rate I'm going to have a 100lb pregnancy!
Thanks Carley! Doc decided to have me stop lamictal and we'll try something else. Don't know what yet, though. I'm soooo scared of weight gain since I have PCOS too and am already heavy. FWIW, I did stay on metformin during my pregnancies and it worked out fine. It didn't control the weight gain, but it did regulate my blood sugar levels.
Originally Posted by Carley
Brandi I totally relate to the "just get out in the yard with the kids, and you'll begin to drop weight." People just don't understand. Even when I explain the weight gain causing medication I feel they are even more put off, as if I'm making excuses when I'm explaining the cause.
Can you see the doctor without making a formal switch? Just getting a second opinion?
Yeah, when I talk about the meds, I get *those* nods that say, "yeah, keep telling yourself it's the medication." I saw a PA today who normally sees DD b/c of my blood pressure. She suggested I get on the DASH diet. When I got home and read the info, I found that I'm already doing the majority of it - much healthier than their "suggested" meals. She did say she'd give me a referral to a new pdoc, though, so I'm going to see what he says. She said she's heard my complaints about the state mental health offices before. They're really just overworked, and I know that. Unfortunately it decreases the quality of patient care.
hi, I haven't posted to this thread in awhile. just catching up. I'm currently taking Trileptal, zoloft, adderal, and just added 100mg of seroquel. I used to be on 850 of seroquel at one time, different cocktail altogether though. So, I've been extremely thin the last 9 months or so, like I haven't been this size since I was in high school. It's a good weight for me, if on the slim side. I like it, I'm happy. I'm terrified I'm going to gain a bunch and feel bad about myself. I didn't try to lose the weight in the first place - I've had chronic diarrhea for going on 2 years - perhaps from the Trileptal, perhaps from stress. I just built a house, during which time I had to move out of old house, into a rental, tear down old house, move into new one, then got the guts to move out of town to get away from abuse and then started a new relationship
but it's a healthy one finally. I also had 2 inpatients in that year then 2 after I moved here. I finally loved my cocktail and was feeling better really than I ever had, more alert and capable to be active in my life and play with my kids. Then things started going down again so we added the seroquel about 2-3 weeks ago. (side note - will I ever get a stable cocktail? it's been 5 freakin' years!) So I've noticed after I take my seroquel I feel like eating the entire fridge. I'm trying to keep healthy low calorie but satisfying munchies on hand. What dosages have you all taken and what gain have you attributed to them? Did you notice an *appetite* change at all or strictly weight gain? What kind of things helped you come to peace with the gain?
All I'm taking is Lamictal and a bunch of vitamins and I actually started losing weight albeit very slowly but I'm no longer gaining (22 lbs this year) and I'm down 6 lbs in the 6 weeks I've been on it. Sorry I wasn't much help
It is insanely awesome and pertains to mental health...and also how our conditions can Be aggravated sometimes with life circumstances....and stigma...and on and on....
Originally Posted by transformed
If you haven't seen "The Soloist" you must.
It is insanely awesome and pertains to mental health...and also how our conditions can Be aggravated sometimes with life circumstances....and stigma...and on and on....
so freaking good.
see it.
I watched this with my hubby last week - so good. Might have made me feel a little more crazy b/c i understood alot of what he was saying but it was good.
I loved the part about him not needing another diagnosis - that the official label wasn't important.
So I am definitely in a down phase right now! I feel like I could sleep forever and my house looks like a disaster!! Of course I slept wrong and now I have a stiff neck. I really need to get a new pillow!
Try Massaging the reflexology point. Its the "neck" that connects the Big toe pad to the foot. Rub hard for a while. Feel for crystaline clicking sounds or feelings. Use lavendar if you have it. No need if you dont. Works awesome. Neck pain is usually stress. "The weight of the world" on your head kwim?
Originally Posted by Peacemamalove
what I would give for a neck massage! I tried convincing my kids that lasted all of 30 seconds!
Any mama's here start things and have trouble finishing them?
Yes I do have lots of trouble, I start lots of things- never finishing, but when I feel good I do as much as I can, and when I don't I try for small victories and allow myself the space I need.
It helps to never totally give in to the bed or the couch. Do one thing that you don't want to do each day. Just one. That's what I do during the bad days. Then I don't have to feel like total crap I can say "Look at you, you really really didn't want to do that and you made yourself anyway." It always feel super good, and usually leads to me being able to do a few more things I didn't want to do, not always but sometimes.
Never ever beat yourself up about what you aren't doing, either do something (anything) or think about something happy. Negative self talk isn't going to make you want to clean or organize or pay the bills, it only sucks the life out of you and makes you hate yourself.
Be gentle when you don't feel well. Gently encourage yourself, do your best. Whatever is is ok, you are good enough right now. Right now!~
Peachsara, anything new with stress, sleep & diet? Are you sure it's the "Crazy" and not you? Hard to keep them seperate when they've been together so long, KWIM?
Porcelain Interior had great suggestions, but I wanted to add that if you find yourself starting & not finishing discretionary things, maybe don't start them in the first place.
I have to stay on top of my schedule to function well - it keeps me focused on exactly what things I need to do to do my job & feel good. I need to break things down for myself in micro form - if I don't write down exactly the things I need to do tomorrow then I'll most likely spend the day scrambling around feeling unproductive & lost. Every night I like to sit & go through the week so I know what's going on & make a micro list for the next day.
I have a calander that I keep to-do's on & a seperate "procrastination list" of things that "need to be done" just not today... or next month... it just makes me feel better to know they're written down, & since they're on a "procrastination list" I don't feel bad about procrastinating them
It also helps me give myself permission to remove things that clearly have NO need of being on my radar.
I've become really aware over the year about what's practical and what's not. Sometimes I make a full schedule just for the hay of seeing if I can do it, but I'm not scheduling breadbaking, canning, learning Chinese & starting a quilt in the same day, or even the same week KWIM?
I know exactly what I'm capable & push that envelope only so far enough to challenge myself & keep myself from being lazy.
So I am gaining 5-10 lbs a mo on Depakote and looking to change....my pdoc ave me a list of meds to research before our next appointment and I'll probably start a thread but want to start here first...
Tell me what you know about these. I am still nursing but she is almost 2 and it is only a few times a day.
-Risperal
-Seroquel
-Lamactal (Nursin? I dont know if I want to risk Stephen Johnsons, do I?)
-Tegiretol (He seems to like this one.)
I have experience gaining 100+lbs with Risperadol. I thought it was notorious for packing it on, but if your psych recommended it it's definitely wise for you to do independant research.
I take 100 mg Seroquel & 400mg Lamictal & am pregnant. I plan to continue while breastfeeding. Lamictal has a pregnancy registry you can look through. To me it doesn't look like much outside the non-Lamictal taking population. I take extra folic acid with it.
I do have weight gain issues with Seroquel, but they are less than Risperadol & Zyprexa (I could gain 3-5lbs/WEEK with that constant out-of-your-mind type hunger/urge to binge - Seroquel is more like an unsatiated appetite, which can be maddening but not as distracting as the former) I take 1000mg MetforminXR, which I thought helped, but I also usually eat a very low carb diet and vigorously exercise 3x/week. Since I've been preggers & not had that motivation, though - holy whoa! I've already gained 10+! Crazy!!! (no pun intended
) So who knows if Metformin alone really makes a huge difference. (oh I'm on a roll!!!
)
So yeah - Seroquel was originally marketed as a no weight gain drug, but alas - it's been proven to cause weight gain as well. Astra Zeneca is in the middle of a class action about it.
Regardless of weight gain (& possible birth defects) the risk/benefit on these is unquestionable for me. I've been stable on these with no faulter. It sounds sick, but weight gain is a more painful concern for me than the possible teterogenic effects. The latter is so rare & I really feel no more probable than the average population. To me it's like chemo. Horrible side effects, but I feel it's the best possible avenue for my survival. What's more is that with these drugs I don't just "survive" I actually thrive. I function well and reliably.
Would you mind posting back after you poke around on these? I'd love to know what you find. I hadn't heard of Tegiretol.
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