[Ashdene]

Went to my pdoc today, and we came to the conclusion that epilim was not for me. If it was going to make me fat i just wasn't going to be able to force it down my throat.

So he said he wanted to put me on Trileptal, 300mg at night for the first week and then 300mg both morning and evening. He said i would most probibly feel it for the first week - which now i am not sure what that entirely means!

But going through peoples post, and not many people have much to say about it, or at lest anything good?

Has anyone got any expierences with it? Does it work? How horrid is it? I am a little nervous. Please somebody give me some info or expierences! Why is there nobody talkingabout it?

love Ashdene
xox

[beetle]

I don't remember anything horrible about it. I think I started at a lower dose than you are...hard to remember. It just didn't seem to work for me but I don't think I had horrible side effects. That probably doesn't help you much.

[nalgas]

If I'm remembering right, I started at the same dose and increased it on the same schedule as you. I don't know about "feeling it" for the first week. I didn't notice a whole lot until I got over 600 mg/day. It did help somewhat at 600, but it was fairly subtle for me. It didn't make a big enough difference for me to stay on it, because I had to raise it high enough that I started having more side effects than it was doing good (mostly just forgetting words and stuff like that). Out of a couple dozen things I've tried, it's one of only a couple that helped me and that I tried more than once (I went back on it again for a couple months a year or two later after the first trial, because it was and still is one of very few things that made a positive difference for me), even if it didn't end up being the magical right one for me in the end.

[miab]

The impression (rightly or wrongly) that I've gotten over my years on CB is that trileptal isn't one of the most common meds prescribed for BP in the US and Canada, and since the membership here is predominantly north American, that's probably why you haven't seen a lot of posts about it.

I think I was on it for a little over a year before it stopped working at the highest dose I could take. The main thing I remember about starting it is that it was incredibly sedating for the first week or so. So it's good that your doc has you only taking it at night initially. Once I'd reached a therapeutic dose (I think it was 1200mg) there were very few side effects. When that dose stopped working and pdoc tried to increase it, I couldn't function because of unbelievable dizziness. When it works, it works well, though not as monotherapy, but I'm assuming this is just a substitution for the epilim and you'll still be taking the other meds.

So from my own experience (you know we're all different blah blah) I'd say expect to be groggy/sedated when you start up with it and plan your nights accordingly. If you have to be up for work at a godawful hour, make sure you take your meds and get into bed earlier. And hang in there - the start up effects shouldn't last past the first couple of weeks. Honestly, if you're looking for a stabiliser with a relatively low side effect profile, this is the one to go for. Good luck!

M xo

[Ashdene]

thanx guys!
Not so worried now, few!

Oh and Miab, thanx for reminding we live on the other side of the earth! Always forget that. Will definately take it early, say now cause you know i always get up early! Still taking my other meds, so hopefully this will do the trick finally! Actually feeling much better about it then the epilim.
I'll let you know if i survive tonight, i hate feeling over drugged!

thanx guys
Night
xoxo

[crazyleila]

Ashdene, on 22 October 2009 - 01:17 PM, said:

thanx guys!
Not so worried now, few!

Oh and Miab, thanx for reminding we live on the other side of the earth! Always forget that. Will definately take it early, say now cause you know i always get up early! Still taking my other meds, so hopefully this will do the trick finally! Actually feeling much better about it then the epilim.
I'll let you know if i survive tonight, i hate feeling over drugged!

thanx guys
Night
xoxo

I had some severe side effects, though I was only on it for 2 weeks. My head was so dizzy I couldn't even walk through my house without running into walls. I certainly could not drive. It wasn't like vertigo, it was more of a "way too drunk" feeling where your head just feels like a fishbowl with the water sloshing around. Just as I was about to call my pdoc and say that I need off of it, I developed hives all over my body (allergic reaction) and had to stop it anyway. I didn't notice any affect on my mood, but I was on it such a short time that doesn't necessarily mean anything.

[eldorado]

I liked it but had to get off of it due to sodium issues. The stuff will make you thirsty and leech sodium and chloride (salt) out of you system. I'm talking about craving for potato chips, pretzells, chicken soup, any thing with lots of salt. I finally wound up with water toxification, a combination of too much liquid and too little sodium. It put me in the hospital. With out the salt to make the nerves conduct electricity, I was suffering all sorts of low sodium issues. Just watch your liquid and sodium levels. Blood tests will reveal if there is a sodium issue and you can feel it, like being drunk or having vertigo.