Posted 3/21/2007 2:01 AM (GMT 0)
I sure hope neurontin isn't your only stabilizer. I wouldn't trust it alone to keep anyone stable. I mean, it's a great med for what it's approved for- neuropathic pain, and... I dunno what? I've taken it before but couldn't handle it. It just made me feel really sick.
I know that neurontin is popping up as a drug of abuse in some places. Only abuse I could see is how it abuses my stomach. Because of that, it's newer cousin, Lyrica is scheduled, but it makes me super sick as well.
If you can tolerate either of them, Lyrica will probably turn out to be a better mood stabilizer, in my opinion. It's just too early to tell, and there hasn't really been any anecdotal evidence, and with the C5 logo on the bottles, it's less likely docs will prescribe it off label for those uses.
Depakote is usually the next choice after Lithium fails. Neurontin as the second choice makes me think his bipolar must not be very severe- is that correct?
But who knows. I've been on so many meds I have no way to keep track. Depakote, Lithium, Geodon, Seroquel, Risperidone, Zyprexa, Lamictal, Topamax- plus a whole lot more. I know I'm barely scraping the surface, and those are just the bipolar meds. Then there's the ADD stuff- which was really just Concerta and then Adderall, the Anxiety meds, klonopin, valium and ativan, bupropion (yuck yuck yuck yuck yuck!!!!! I hate that garbage!- It caused the worlds worst panic attacks!!)
God, I hate bupropion. I was deer hunting, alone, and just shot a smallish buck. Immediately as I stand up to walk towards the deer, I start floating outside of my body- my heart was racing and I started to get dizzy. For a second everything I was looking at became very distant, stretched out a lot, and then sorta snapped back in place. Then I fainted for a few seconds, felt sorta like Orthostatic Hypotension (blacking out when standing quickly after sitting). Never ever will I take it again. After that happened, I felt really wired, angrily manic in a way, and just out of tody with my body in general.
You'll do well- just make sure that your relationship with your doc is a two way street. Too often people are bullied into taking meds they don't want to take by their doctors.
You should have the right to choose your own medications. My first psychiatrist, whenever we needed to pick something else for me, would give me a list of everything that was used to treat the problem we were dealing with, and then I had complete control over it.
Obviously, with some things like ADD and Panic, you have less say since you're dealing with controlled substances, but you should always have the final say no matter what.