Posted by JohnL on February 19, 2000, at 4:24:40
In reply to HELP!!!, posted by julepp on February 18, 2000, at 9:09:15
It's not uncommon for a drug to destabilize. Were you doing well with Adderall at one time? If so, then you may need to take something to restabilize it. If not, then it may be the wrong drug altogether. If it never did well with you, trying 2 or 3 others within the same class would make sense at this point. Though they are all similar, they are also quite different. A patient will usually respond much better to one over the others.
If the Adderall worked well at one point, the two most straightforward approaches to restore stability are, first, add a low dose antipsychotic (may have to briefly try two or three to discover a favorite); and second, add a chemical/electrical stabilizer like Lithium, Tegretal, or Depakote. Newer ones like Lamictal or Neurontin are fine choices too.
Sometimes a stimulant will overcompensate NE/dopamine in parts of the brain where it isn't needed, while normalizing other parts where it is needed. A small dose antipsychotic will counter the overcompensation in certain parts of the brain. A stimulant with an antipsychotic or a mood stabilizer can be a wonderful combination.
On the other hand, if the Adderall never worked well anyway, then it makes sense to try 2 or 3 other stimulants instead, before considering other options. Trials can be done in time frames of 1 week each for quick exploration.
poster:JohnL
thread:22238
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000209/msgs/22419.html