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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Dinah on February 16, 2004, at 10:41:59
I went off my Depakote because I just can't stay awake. I'm falling asleep every time I sit down and am not actively doing something. And at times I just have to crawl in bed and sleep no matter what obligations I have. But I was too unstable without it and had to go back on.
I have a pdoc appointment today. If I go in and suggest Straterra, is he going to think I'm a drug seeker?
My only meds are 250 mg Depakote (and I can't go lower than 125 on that without unpleasant consequences) and 1-1 1/2 mg Klonopin per day (and no way do I want to lose that) along with the occasional Risperdal (maybe one a month) at .125 mg? Could be wrong on the dose. The very smallest size.
Posted by Dinah on February 16, 2004, at 10:50:17
In reply to Can't stay awake - Pdoc appt today, posted by Dinah on February 16, 2004, at 10:41:59
My neurologist wants to have me take a sleep test for narcolepsy. I don't really think I have this, but she says if I do the answer would be Straterra or Provigil?
I also have a hair trigger tendency to get overstimulated, so that drugs that affect norepinephrine are like poison to me.
Posted by Dinah on February 16, 2004, at 11:00:44
In reply to Re: More information, posted by Dinah on February 16, 2004, at 10:50:17
I see Straterra works directly on norepinephrine. Egads! What was my neurologist thinking!
That leaves Provigil.
Posted by Sebastian on February 16, 2004, at 12:00:05
In reply to Can't stay awake - Pdoc appt today, posted by Dinah on February 16, 2004, at 10:41:59
Can you take a stimulant with the other meds to wake up. I do, I take wellbutrin with zyprexa, the wellbutrin wakes me.
Posted by Dinah on February 16, 2004, at 12:07:46
In reply to Re: Can't stay awake - Pdoc appt today, posted by Sebastian on February 16, 2004, at 12:00:05
I can't take Wellbutrin because of the norepinephrine side effects. But from what I can see, Provigil doesn't have any. I've got a note on the name so I'll remember it. The worst he'll say is no. I don't think he'll pull my Klonopin or anything.
The idea of a stimulant of any sort scares me, but the sleepiness is getting dangerous in traffic. Not to mention the affect on my ability to work and be a good wife and mom.
Posted by utopizen on February 16, 2004, at 15:22:53
In reply to Can't stay awake - Pdoc appt today, posted by Dinah on February 16, 2004, at 10:41:59
How do you know, or your neurologist know, that it's narcolepsy?
It could be sleep apnea. I got diagnosed with it after complaining of extreme sleepiness. It was borderline, but they treated it anyway. That doesn't involve drugs, just an air pressurizer machine.
It could be Restless Leg Syndrome, or a number of other things you have no clue you do. When you have arousals at night, you don't recall them; they're too short to do that. I never knew I had apnea. I'm skrony and lanky and all that!
Posted by Dinah on February 16, 2004, at 16:38:20
In reply to Re: Can't stay awake - Pdoc appt today, posted by utopizen on February 16, 2004, at 15:22:53
Sleep apnea is always a possibility. The neurologist wanted to rule out narcolepsy because the sleep attacks are sudden, and often related to emotional upset. There is daytime sleepiness in addition to that.
Sounds like it won't make much difference though. My pdoc said that even provigil effects NE somewhere down the line. And given my poor reaction to anything stimulating, there's nothing that is given for narcolepsy that he would recommend I try.
Oh well.
Posted by Bill LL on February 17, 2004, at 8:11:20
In reply to Eeek! Never mind Straterra. How about Provigil?, posted by Dinah on February 16, 2004, at 11:00:44
Don't worry about what it works on. Straterra makes a lot of people feel calm. Wellbutrin tends to cause more jitteriness in high doses.
Provigil gives energy and has no side effects for most people. It tends not to work however if taken with Celexa (and I guess that means with Lexapro as well).
Straterra is good for ADD.
> I see Straterra works directly on norepinephrine. Egads! What was my neurologist thinking!
>
> That leaves Provigil.
Posted by Dinah on February 18, 2004, at 10:42:50
In reply to Re: Eeek! Never mind Straterra. How about Provigil?, posted by Bill LL on February 17, 2004, at 8:11:20
It's getting ridiculous. If he advises against Provigil and Straterra, I'm going to have to halve the Depakote.
This is the end of the thread.
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