![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by markwell on May 4, 2011, at 17:18:05
I just started 100mgs of provigil added to my 600mgs of tegretol. I wasn't doing well on the tegretol and the provigil (just started today) seems to make me more depressed. It's supposed to have some antidepressant factor so how long before I should know if its a no go. I can feel this bad without any drugs so I just want to say to my doctor "I've tried enough". I have a bipolar diagnosis so my doctor worries about me going manic. Any suggestions? I've tried all the ssri's and ap's are off the table for me.
Posted by SLS on May 4, 2011, at 19:31:02
In reply to starting provigil, posted by markwell on May 4, 2011, at 17:18:05
> I just started 100mgs of provigil added to my 600mgs of tegretol. I wasn't doing well on the tegretol and the provigil (just started today) seems to make me more depressed. It's supposed to have some antidepressant factor so how long before I should know if its a no go. I can feel this bad without any drugs so I just want to say to my doctor "I've tried enough". I have a bipolar diagnosis so my doctor worries about me going manic. Any suggestions? I've tried all the ssri's and ap's are off the table for me.
Provigil worsened my depression, too. I stopped taking it before two weeks had expired.
What additional information can you provide to aid others in offering suggestions?
- Scott
Posted by markwell on May 4, 2011, at 20:42:13
In reply to Re: starting provigil » markwell, posted by SLS on May 4, 2011, at 19:31:02
I don't know what else I can add. I've had a short trial of lithium, my pdoc wants to head there if Tegretol fails. Depression is dominant. The 2 manic episodes I had were when I was on an antidepressant. My depression symptoms are, no zest for life. I have absolutely no energy, I have to rally myself to take a shower. I struggle through a day of work and sit in the lounge chair the rest of the night or lay in bed. Maybe my pdoc thought of provigil because my wife complains to him of my sitting in a chair for the entire night after supper. I was on paxil for ten or so yrs but battling racing thoughts at higher therapeutic dose (20mg). I had some stress in my life 2 yrs ago and a manic episode occured. I was put on Seroquel for 4or 5 months but it didn't help much with depression and I was a complete zombie. Went through a severe depression trying to get back on paxil but it wouldn't work again. Last summer after attempts with various ssri's and even lamictal with no depression reief I tried zoloft and a week on zoloft and I could feel the depression lift. My wife thought I was becoming manic again and sure enough about 3 weeks into the zoloft and I had another full blown manic episode landed me in the hospital. I was put on Geodon which seemed to help for awhile until I developed this extreme facial tic (td). My doctor said no more ap's, we tried lamictal, I couldn't sleep at all on that. Now my trial with Tegretol, and now Tegretol and provigil. Maybe I'll have to go alternative but my doctor doesn't support that. Don't know what to do!
Posted by bleauberry on May 6, 2011, at 16:43:03
In reply to starting provigil, posted by markwell on May 4, 2011, at 17:18:05
I had that happen with me. Provigil has an immediate goodness on the first day....if it is going to work....which fades and then weeks later turns out to be a true antidepressant effect. But as with any psychoactive substance it can provoke the exact opposite.
Most of the stimulants do that to me, except for Ritalin. Weird though, because I was on Provigils's parent Adrafanil for several years and it was good. But now if I try it I get very depressed rather quickly and it doesn't let up until about a day after I stop taking it. I don't need to be more depressed thank you.
In my way of thinking it is the natural body's way of saying the particular med is a bad one at this point in time. Frequently people can feel a little worse when starting an antidepressant....stated clearly on every prescription bottle....but when it is profound I think that is a different game altogether.
I guess I'll never know if the meds I had to abandon almost immediately would have every worked. I guess it doesn't matter, because there is no way I could have made it through the kind of depression they created. If that was some kind of necessary step to get to the other side, forget it, count me out. I don't know if your kind of med-induced depression is like that or not.
Posted by markwell on May 6, 2011, at 17:23:03
In reply to Re: starting provigil, posted by bleauberry on May 6, 2011, at 16:43:03
Thanks blueberry, it's been 3 days and I'm not getting any sleep and the depression is awful. I called my pdoc and he wants me to quarter the pill. I was hoping he would tell me to get off. I just don't like the whole mix I'm on. I'll keep you posted
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.