Posted by Ted on May 29, 2003, at 15:30:08
In reply to Mental fuzziness, posted by LindaAnn on May 29, 2003, at 13:45:26
Hi LindaAnn,
First, welcome. This is (usually) a nice place if you stick around a while. I've been here for 4 years now.
> Right now I am experiencing a lot of mental dizziness and I am trying to keep a chart because I believe it is after I take my AM meds which are Effexor 150mg and Wellbutrin 150mg. First I was having problems with sleeping so doc gave me Xanax and I wake up like a drunkard and if I take during day I feel drunk. My meds for Bi-Polar are Effexor 150mg AM, Wellbutrin 150mg, Depakote 1000 mg p.m., and Trilifaun 8 mg P.M.
You mental fuzziness/confusion is pretty normal. I take depakote, zoloft, and wellbutrin. When I started my meds, it was fully 6 months before I could think clearly, and another 18 months until I felt I was getting back to "normal" whatever that is. I think it is the depakote.
Here are some recommendations that should help:
1. Take half your depakote a lunch-time and the other half at bed-time. Dividing the dose will lessen the side effects, and taking it late will affect your day less as well and help you sleep.
2. Skip the xanax altogether. If you have trouble sleeping, take ambien. It works great with virtually no side effects. Keep the dose low (< 5 mg to start, never more than 10 mg if possible). I find it also helps if I stop taking it for a while (a couple of weeks) then re-start it at a low dose again. It keeps dependence & resistance both under control.
3. Try to take your wellbutrin as early in the day as possible. You can do 2 doses (early am and mid-afternooon). Wellbutrin tends to make sleep difficult in some people, so it will help you be awake in the morning and the relatively early dose in the afternoon shouldn't affect sleep much.
4. I know nothing about trilofan. I thought it was an antipsychotic used only for schizophrenia....??
5. Remember with many meds like xanax and ambien, you don't *have* to take the recommended dose. You can take less if it works. If you ask your doctor, you might get approval for taking a little more if needed also.
> Secondly, how do psychiatrists know whether we need serotonic, norepinephrine or dopemine. How do we know if one med is too much?Try one med. If it doesn't work, try another. If none seem to work, try some combinations. Kinda like throwing darts.
Good luck. I had all the same symptoms as you for many, many months. I still get fatigued easily, but I am coping much better now. Mostly it just takes time to get used to the meds.Ted
poster:Ted
thread:229955
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20030517/msgs/229982.html