I'm a BP I rapid cycler. It can be exhausting going to those extremes in a short time and bad on my weight. It's like a built-in yoyo diet for me. I take Neurontin and Klonopin these days, but I've tried everything under the sun before I found this combination. The Klonopin is important because a.) i'm an insomniac in general b.) I have mixed states and dysphoric mania before I have this "fun" eurphoric stuff I keep hearing about. Mine is ****, pure and simple. I get agitated and not only am I a
to be around, I've cleared table tops and yelled at the hubby for looking at me the wrong way.
I've taken a more active role in my medication than I use to. I use to let my doctor play Pharmacist with me and dope me up with whatever because I didn't give a flip as long as I was zonked out and not going through depression or mixed states or flying into rages. Bad bad bad way for me to handle it.
Now I know what I want it works for me very well. It has made a tremendous difference in my life to be on the right meds. I can function, for one. That's always a plus
Depakote kinda screwed up my liver and made me gain 50lbs, and ever since Lithium I've had ADD symptoms that were never there before, ever. It makes me crazy to have that because I've been a very sharp, focused person and had no cognitive shortcomings. Now I have to say, when trying to point out an object, "umm umm, uh, that THING over there. You know. The... the... dining.. no.. umm.. kitchen thing... with the dark color and magazines in there. That room over there. COFFEE TABLE! That's it." I can mumble for 5 straight minutes before I can spit out a simple word like that. It's maddening and I do blame Lithium.
I'd be here all night naming off the cocktails I've been on, but unless I'm one margarita short of a fiesta
and need some serious intervention, I refuse to take anything stronger than Neurontin. Benzodiazepines like Klonopin and Valium have always been good friends of mine though, no questions asked.
Ah well, I suppose this was way off from advice on Lamictal. But hey, it can't hurt to have another person to relate to.