Posted by MM on August 6, 2001, at 3:07:25
What are mood stabilizers supposed to feel like? How do you know if one is working? How do you know if you're on the wrong one?
I just started depakote ER 500mg a few days ago (friday night), so maybe I'll figure this out once I've been on it for a couple weeks, but so far I've been kind of irritable (like a few minutes of feeling semi-intense anger), have been confused, kind of slow/sluggish/dull, my sleep isn't very restful and it's almost like someone took a giant sponge and soaked up all my feelings (numb, flat) but I'm left with what seems like more depression (the same feeling I had before I tried SSRI's (like a slower paced depression than after I tried them, if that makes any sense (mixed episode?)). Does it get any better? If it doesn't, should I switch, or is this just what a mood stabilizer does (which is what I'm guessing)? It couldn't be the 10mg paxil could it?
So far I guess I can tolerate this, but it's not great. I had a shaking episode tonight (like a panic attack, from a stressful situation popping up) and I haven't had one in a few months at least. That seems odd because this combo's main purpose is for anxiety.Anyway sorry for such a long post. Thanks in advance for any replies.
poster:MM
thread:73741
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010804/msgs/73741.html