Which Mood Stabilisers Have You Trialled? How Has Your Body Responded?

Which mood stablisers have you trialled?

Anticonvulsants:
Valproic Acid (Depakote/Epilim)
Lamotrigine (Lamictal)
Carbamazapine (Tegretol)
Oxcarbazapine (Trileptal)

Antipsychotics:
Risperidone (Risperdal)
Olanzapine (Zyprexa)
Quetiapine (Seroquel)
Ziparasidone (Zeldex)
Aripiprazole (Abilify)
Amisulpride
Chlorpromazine (Largactil)
Asenapine (Saphris)

Miscellaneous:
Lithium
Gabapentin (Neurontin)
Topiramte (Topamax)
Omega 3
Other

Which mood stablisers did you have a reaction to or could not metabolise?

Which mood stablisers did your body accept but gave you side effects?

Which mood stablisers are you on now, and what dose?

I have trialled (that I remember)
Valproic Acid (Depakote/Epilim) - reaction, couldn't metabolise
Carbamazapine (Tegretol) - can't metabolise over 100mg
Lithium
Olanzapine (Zyprexa) - reaction
Quetiapine (Seroquel) - side effect - impaired motor function and cognition, appetite increase, flatulence
Omega 3 - side effect - massive weight gain

One's I am yet to trial
Lamotrigine (Lamictal)
Oxcarbazapine (Trileptal)
Risperidone (Risperdal)
Ziparasidone (Zeldex)
Aripiprazole (Abilify)
Amisulpride
Chlorpromazine (Largactil)
Asenapine (Saphris) (Although I think it is only for bp1 not bp2???)
Gabapentin (Neurontin)
Topiramte (Topamax)
Other

I'm on Tegretol 100mg, Seroquel 100mg... and going to have another trial on a lower dose, "different" Lithium.

Whaddabout YOU?

*Edit: I keep adding mood stablisers you come up with, which changes the numbering a bit - so I've done away with the numbering :) It might be worth noting if we are bipolar 1, 2 or cyclothymic, if we don't have it in our signature - I'm bp2

Post Edited (living well) : 7/27/2011 5:09:32 PM (GMT-6)

My vote went wrong. The most valuable one to me is Lithium, with Lamictal being close second.

I've been on
1, 2, 5, 8, 10, 14

i wanted to vote for the 2 meds that i'm presently on: carbamezipine XR 1200mgs daily
seroquel XR 800mgs daily

but i did try lithium but ended up having diabetus incibidus as a side effect and had to stop.

Yup - that's right. :)

The omega 3 did NOTHING. NOTHING. (Can I say that again?)

I have been on Lamictal from the start. First we added Geodon (anti-psychotic) and then exchanged that for Abilify. The Geodon made me dopey and I think it added to the anhedonia I experienced upon starting mood stabilizers. The Lamictal-Abilify combo has really worked well for me... no side effects at all. I have seasonal affective disorder and Vitamin D3 cleared that right up. So that base is covered, my mood is pretty stable and has been for a while.

However insomnia is terrible for me. I am lucky if I get 4 hours straight. I generally sleep 3 or 4 hours, get up for a little while, then sleep again for 1 to 3 hours. Then no more sleep possible for the night. I am exhausted much of the time. We have tried: respirdol(I think... it started with an "R"), chloral hydrate, lunests, ambien, ativan and I may have left out one or two, as well as melatonin. None has made any dent in my premature awakening.

I didn't know how to vote, since I take both Lamictal and Abilify and, right now, Lunesta. As well, I take Ativan as needed, and Provigil for energy/depression/curbing appetite. I look at my list and feel a little dismayed at the number of powerful medications I take. But I remind myself that those medications rescued me from the hell of almost constant depression.

I feel bad when I read of the long struggles with finding the right medication others have gone through/are going through.