Experience on Quetiapine/ Dpakote/Lamtrising?

[DiagnosisBipolar2]

Hi all,
I am new to the forum and have recently been diagnosed with Bipolar type2. My psychiatrist has told me to research the three aforementioned drugs and see which one I think would suit me.

This all seems a mindfield to me and I would like to know if anyone has any personal experience of using either Quetiapine, Depakote, or lamtrising?

What were the side effects or indeed any long term effects of being on any one of these drugs?

Thanks in advance for any experiences shared.

 

[unlucky]

I've been on quetiapine and it didn't help, but I think the big problem here is your psych asking you to research your own drugs. Is that not what they are there for, to prescribe what they think is best? TBH mine hasn't been right yet and this approach might be better but I still think the money they get paid they shouldn't be asking their patients to do their job!!

 

[intelgal]

I think thats really worrying that they have asked you to research. Especially when your source is the internet that unfortunatly contains biased, unsupported, non evidence based and unsolicited information. I am sure people can give you there experiences when they have taken these drugs but everyone is individual. Everyone can react differently and have different problems.

 

[DiagnosisBipolar2]

Thanks for your replies. I have done lots of research on these tablets myself as I want to be sure of what I am putting into my system. I have access to the Oxford Bodlian library which may be why my psychiatrist (private healthcare) has suggested I do my own research as opposed to just doing as he say's.

I appreciate that everyone's reactions will be different which is why I have asked people to post their experiences of these medications from a personal point of view.

It's all very well reading the research and text books but i'd also like to hear experiences from "real" people actually living life and coping/not coping with it on these medications.

Thanks again in advance.

 

[Dollit]

Different medications do have different effects on different people. I was on Depakote for around a year as part of a clinical trial. Apart from being unsteady on my feet it worked quite well for me but just wasn't enough on it's on. Quetiapine I use as my emergency anti d - it's a sledgehammer effect for me so I only use it when the going is really rough. The other I haven't used.

Often when my Consultant wants to prescribe new medication or change my regime he asks me to research it also - the questions I ask are often different to the ones I would ask without the knowledge. It's also a really good way of developing insight into Bipolar Disorder and being able to be seen as an equal when it comes to treatment. No bad thing at all.

 

[DiagnosisBipolar2]

Different medications do have different effects on different people. I was on Depakote for around a year as part of a clinical trial. Apart from being unsteady on my feet it worked quite well for me but just wasn't enough on it's on. Quetiapine I use as my emergency anti d - it's a sledgehammer effect for me so I only use it when the going is really rough. The other I haven't used.

Often when my Consultant wants to prescribe new medication or change my regime he asks me to research it also - the questions I ask are often different to the ones I would ask without the knowledge. It's also a really good way of developing insight into Bipolar Disorder and being able to be seen as an equal when it comes to treatment. No bad thing at all.

Thanks for that info Dollit.

I am feeling so low today this is a horrid illness. Thank goodness they're are others out there that can understand what each other is going through.

 

[Dollit]

It is horrid and unfortunately it's not something that you really get used to. But you can learn to live with it. Lots of us do that. You've only recently had your diagnosis so everything is very new for you.

When I got my diagnosis (I'm ultradian) it was as though my whole life had been a lie as I've had it since my early teens. I questioned everything. Eventually my current consultant told me to treat it like a bereavement because, in a way, the self you assumed you had has died. It really helped me.

 

[DiagnosisBipolar2]

It is horrid and unfortunately it's not something that you really get used to. But you can learn to live with it. Lots of us do that. You've only recently had your diagnosis so everything is very new for you.

When I got my diagnosis (I'm ultradian) it was as though my whole life had been alive as I've had it since my early teens. I questioned everything. Eventually my current consultant told me to treat it like a bereavement because, in a way, the self you assumed you had has died. It really helped me.

That's a good way of looking at it! I was diagnosed with severe depression about 12 years ago but had never actually been sent to see a psychiatrist! In fairness to the GP's they would only ever see me when I was really at rock bottom so of course they'd assumed depression.

It wasn't till I started self-medicating with alcohol as my moods had got so out of control that we realised something else had been going on.

I am finding this low mood really hard to cope with but hoping things will pick up when we can find the correct balance of medication.

You are right though it's like a bereavement; i'm grieving for the old me (though I suspect looking back at things that happened) the Bi-polar has always been present.