Posted by azalea on October 3, 2008, at 13:40:42
In reply to What does Depakote ER do to Stimulants?, posted by qbsbrown on October 3, 2008, at 0:24:44
From the study below, it appears that Depakote (valproate) may have more of a canceling-out effect on stimulants than Lithium. Keep in mind this is only one study. If the combo of Depakote + Dexedrine is working for you, stick with it.
European Neuropsychopharmacology. 2005 Dec;15(6):633-9.
Valproate attenuates dextroamphetamine-induced subjective changes more than lithium.
Willson MC, Bell EC, Dave S, Asghar SJ, McGrath BM, Silverstone PH.
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Dextroamphetamine administration in healthy controls produces a range of subjective and physiological effects, which have been likened to those occurring during mania. However, it is uncertain if these can be attenuated by lithium since conflicting results have been reported. To date there have been no previous studies examining the effects of valproate on dextroamphetamine-induced mood and physiological changes. The current study was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, study in which volunteers received either 1000 mg sodium valproate (n=12), 900 mg lithium (n=9), or placebo (n=12) pre-treatment for 14 days. Subjective and physiological measures were then obtained prior to administration of a 25 mg dose of dextroamphetamine, and at two time points after administration. Differences in the response to dextroamphetamine were assessed between the three treatment groups. The results of this study show that pre-treatment with lithium only significantly attenuated dextroamphetamine-induced change in happiness, while valproate pre-treatment significantly attenuated the effects of dextroamphetamine on happiness, energy, alertness and on the diastolic blood pressure. These results suggest that lithium and valproate do not have the same mechanism of action on dextroamphetamine-induced changes, and this finding may relate to differences in their mechanism of action in mood disorders.
> For me it seems to wean out the racing thoughts, that are part of my BPII/ADHD
>
> Does the Depakote lessen the effect of the Dexedrine?
>
> The only articles I could find on treating bipolar and adhd, it seemed that Depakote was the BP med of choice along with a stimulant (only one i could find was adderall, but assumed all the same).
>
> Although my Lexapro is allowing me to be much more personable and sociable, is causing too much mood instability.
>
> Regards,
>
> Brian
poster:azalea
thread:854600
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20080926/msgs/855537.html