Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 8771

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Borderline personality: serzone + what?

Posted by Deb on July 16, 1999, at 10:46:19

My daughter is a diagnosed borderline personality, and has been taking serzone for several weeks now. I didn't have much hope, but amazingly, she says she feels a lot better. However, she and I both think she needs something to level out her moods and help control her rages, which are frightening to behold. She refuses to consider lithium, why I don't know. Just put her foot down about that. (She's 23) She has been cutting herself and trying various other methods of mutilation and suicide attempts since high school, when I dragged her into therapy. She's an adult now and I can't drag her anywhere, but she at least recognizes that she needs some more help with the mood swings and rages. Anyone have any idea of such a drug that would augment her serzone? She really thinks this med is helping her and wants to stay on it, but just needs a little something else maybe. Any information would be appreciated and looked into. Thanks, Deb

 

Re: Borderline personality: serzone + what?

Posted by andrewb on July 16, 1999, at 12:22:21

In reply to Borderline personality: serzone + what?, posted by Deb on July 16, 1999, at 10:46:19

> My daughter is a diagnosed borderline personality, and has been taking serzone for several weeks now. I didn't have much hope, but amazingly, she says she feels a lot better. However, she and I both think she needs something to level out her moods and help control her rages, which are frightening to behold. She refuses to consider lithium, why I don't know. Just put her foot down about that. (She's 23) She has been cutting herself and trying various other methods of mutilation and suicide attempts since high school, when I dragged her into therapy. She's an adult now and I can't drag her anywhere, but she at least recognizes that she needs some more help with the mood swings and rages. Anyone have any idea of such a drug that would augment her serzone? She really thinks this med is helping her and wants to stay on it, but just needs a little something else maybe. Any information would be appreciated and looked into. Thanks, Deb

naltrexone maybe? search the tips page under the keyword 'naltrexone'. you'll come up with some pages that may be of interest to you.
Best wishes.

 

Re: Borderline personality: serzone + what?

Posted by vms on July 16, 1999, at 20:34:48

In reply to Borderline personality: serzone + what?, posted by Deb on July 16, 1999, at 10:46:19

> Does she have bipolar features? The moods are up and down, so mood disorder is a real possibility.. There's a whole bunch of anticonvulsants that may work better than lithuim, such as Depakote, Gabapentin and Lamotrigine. Many of the drugs cause weight gain, is this what she is afraid of? Does she have a psychiatrist she can depend on? Good luck...My daughter is a diagnosed borderline personality, and has been taking serzone for several weeks now. I didn't have much hope, but amazingly, she says she feels a lot better. However, she and I both think she needs something to level out her moods and help control her rages, which are frightening to behold. She refuses to consider lithium, why I don't know. Just put her foot down about that. (She's 23) She has been cutting herself and trying various other methods of mutilation and suicide attempts since high school, when I dragged her into therapy. She's an adult now and I can't drag her anywhere, but she at least recognizes that she needs some more help with the mood swings and rages. Anyone have any idea of such a drug that would augment her serzone? She really thinks this med is helping her and wants to stay on it, but just needs a little something else maybe. Any information would be appreciated and looked into. Thanks, Deb

 

Re: Borderline personality: serzone + what?

Posted by Elizabeth on July 16, 1999, at 20:46:04

In reply to Re: Borderline personality: serzone + what?, posted by andrewb on July 16, 1999, at 12:22:21

Naltrexone may work for dissociative episodes, I don't think it will help with the rages. Two things sometimes help with rage or anger attacks: anticonvulsants (valproate (Depakote), carbamazepine (Tegretol), lamotrigine (Lamictal), etc.) and antidepressants (SSRIs (Prozac, etc.) and MAOIs (Nardil, etc.) mainly). Sometimes stimulants can work also, just as they do in ADHD. People with BPD and ADHD say that these drugs help them to be less over-reactive to things that make them angry or frustrated.

Benzodiazepines (Xanax in particular) should probably be avoided, as should tricyclic antidepressants.

BTW, what specifically does your daughter feel the Serzone has been helping with? SSRIs (Prozac, etc.) and Effexor seem to be more common treatments for BPD.

Good luck to you and to her...it's a hard condition to deal with. Having a supportive family makes it easier for her, though, no doubt.

 

Re: Borderline personality: serzone + what?

Posted by Deb on July 19, 1999, at 0:20:49

In reply to Re: Borderline personality: serzone + what?, posted by Elizabeth on July 16, 1999, at 23:32:54

> Naltrexone may work for dissociative episodes, I don't think it will help with the rages. Two things sometimes help with rage or anger attacks: anticonvulsants (valproate (Depakote), carbamazepine (Tegretol), lamotrigine (Lamictal), etc.) and antidepressants (SSRIs (Prozac, etc.) and MAOIs (Nardil, etc.) mainly). Sometimes stimulants can work also, just as they do in ADHD. People with BPD and ADHD say that these drugs help them to be less over-reactive to things that make them angry or frustrated.
>
> Benzodiazepines (Xanax in particular) should probably be avoided, as should tricyclic antidepressants.
>
> BTW, what specifically does your daughter feel the Serzone has been helping with? SSRIs (Prozac, etc.) and Effexor seem to be more common treatments for BPD.
>
> Good luck to you and to her...it's a hard condition to deal with. Having a supportive family makes it easier for her, though, no doubt.

Thanks, Elizabeth. We've tried to be as supportive as possible since we learned her diagnosis, but my psych. tells me this disorder is not only difficult to live with, but to treat as well. She says the serzone keeps her "low" periods less severe than before. Yes, she has also been diagnosed with bipolar tendencies, and we're looking for a med to supplement the serzone which would curb the "high" times. She will spend all her paycheck in one day and give away anything she has just because she thinks someone wants it. She always regrets her impulsive actions later, but by then the harm is done; and dwelling on it just helps bring on a low mood. I've already gotten some leads from these posts that I am following up, and I want to thank you all for your support and just listening. This is a bright, witty young womam with her whole life in front of her. Sure would like to make it as "normal" for her as possible. Again, thanks you all so much.

 

Re: Borderline personality: serzone + what?

Posted by Elizabeth on July 19, 1999, at 23:49:19

In reply to Re: Borderline personality: serzone + what?, posted by Deb on July 19, 1999, at 0:20:49

> Thanks, Elizabeth. We've tried to be as supportive as possible since we learned her diagnosis, but my psych. tells me this disorder is not only difficult to live with, but to treat as well.

Well, don't use the diagnosis *against* her, but if it helps you to understand her better, that's good. It's hard to treat but supposedly a modified form of cognitive-behavioral therapy has worked well.

>She says the serzone keeps her "low" periods less severe than before. Yes, she has also been diagnosed with bipolar tendencies, and we're looking for a med to supplement the serzone which would curb the "high" times. She will spend all her paycheck in one day and give away anything she has just because she thinks someone wants it. She always regrets her impulsive actions later, but by then the harm is done; and dwelling on it just helps bring on a low mood.

It does sound like one of the anti-manic drugs might be something to consider. Most of these are anticonvulsants like Depakote, Tegretol, and Lamictal; lithium carbonate might work too, although the anticonvulsants are probably better tolerated.

Depakote in particular has shown promise for reducing rage episodes. I think that the anger is perhaps another manifestation of impulsivity.

Out of curiosity, had she tried other antidepressants before the Serzone?

>I've already gotten some leads from these posts that I am following up, and I want to thank you all for your support and just listening. This is a bright, witty young womam with her whole life in front of her. Sure would like to make it as "normal" for her as possible. Again, thanks you all so much.

The fact that she's smart and motivated will definitely work in her favor! Best of luck to your family.

 

Re: Borderline personality: serzone + what?

Posted by stefano on July 21, 1999, at 13:03:02

In reply to Borderline personality: serzone + what?, posted by Deb on July 16, 1999, at 10:46:19

I take Ritalin-SR with Serzone before breakfast and Serzone alone in the evening. My pets have stopped cringing and my friends have stopped ducking. I was the last to recognize the change. Good luck. BPD without effective therapy is high amp pain.

 

Thanks to all of you

Posted by Deb on July 21, 1999, at 16:06:25

In reply to Re: Borderline personality: serzone + what?, posted by stefano on July 21, 1999, at 13:03:02

> I take Ritalin-SR with Serzone before breakfast and Serzone alone in the evening. My pets have stopped cringing and my friends have stopped ducking. I was the last to recognize the change. Good luck. BPD without effective therapy is high amp pain.

I have read through all the answers to my post, and want to thank you guys. Now I have a list of suggestions and questions for my daughter to take with her on her next visit to the doc. She and I are both hopeful for the first time in a long time. Elizabeth especially, thank you for your thoughtful response. I look forward to being able to help one of you someday. Deb.

 

best wishes to Deb

Posted by Elizabeth on July 23, 1999, at 11:15:01

In reply to Thanks to all of you, posted by Deb on July 21, 1999, at 16:06:25

> I have read through all the answers to my post, and want to thank you guys. Now I have a list of suggestions and questions for my daughter to take with her on her next visit to the doc. She and I are both hopeful for the first time in a long time. Elizabeth especially, thank you for your thoughtful response. I look forward to being able to help one of you someday. Deb.

Hey, no problem. Let us know what she ends up deciding on - whatever it is, I hope it does the trick!


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