Dee Posted May 2, 2006 Share Posted May 2, 2006 It looks like I will be taken off devalproate on wed. I'm having some bizarro symptoms including lymphedema, swollen and painful breasts (no perverts this is NOT a bonus side effect) and groin (ya weird), severe back pain and overall body pain. Basically in 4 weeks I have become a 93 year old woman. PDOC ran every possible test and I am in great hands. In 15 years he has been prescribing devalproate he has see some bad reactions and certianly worse reactions, but mine is a freaky weird one. We are waiting for test results to make sure there is not an underlying physical condition to blame. If nothing shows up we will have to chaulk it up to freaky rare side effects and move on the the next drug. It's a shame, because I do feel some mood stabolizing effect and may have been effective as part of the final cocktail. Back to the lab!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemonflavor Posted May 2, 2006 Share Posted May 2, 2006 Sorry to hear that. I hope you can get on something else quickly. Keep us updated. Maybe you could join the circus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NARS Posted May 2, 2006 Share Posted May 2, 2006 I don't know about lymphadema, but swollen and painful breasts and general edema, believe it or not, are definite possibilities for women. This is because Depakote can cause hormonal weirdness (more estrogen, less estrogen, more progesterone, less progesterone, insulin oddness, etc.). And hormonal weirdness can cause headaches, edema, swollen breasts, achiness, fatigue...general badness. There's at least one reputable study out there that shows a strong links between polycystic ovarian disorder (PCOS) and Depakote. What does this have to do with devalproate? Well, the drugs are very closely related, although their side effects can vary some. If you're having these problems, my uneducated guess would be that other forms of the drug may have the same effect. Don't be discouraged, though. There are lots of meds to try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glen Posted May 2, 2006 Share Posted May 2, 2006 Dee, were you a rapid cycler only while on a AD? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dee Posted May 2, 2006 Author Share Posted May 2, 2006 Ya that is true, in my case however my hormones have been checked and they are normal. Joining the circus sounds kind of fun. I could be the girl with the giant armpits Lemon. Ahahaha! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dee Posted May 3, 2006 Author Share Posted May 3, 2006 Dee, were you a rapid cycler only while on a AD? Hi Glen, Yes I was ultra rapid cycling on effexor. None of that now that I am off it though. I went in to UHN today and since the lymphatic weirdness is still going on, they are going to switch me to lithium monday. They got back all of my test results and nothing is out of whack hormonally, thyroid-wise or blood cell wise. That leaves only the devalproate to blame. I'm fine with the switch because I think the devalproate is doing something mood-wise, but I am far from stable and I feel it should be better to outweigh the side-effects. I have alot of iritability and anxiety and had to get a script for sleeping. I'm hoping my body will find lithium more agreeable. Dee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celestia Posted May 4, 2006 Share Posted May 4, 2006 Ya that is true, in my case however my hormones have been checked and they are normal. Joining the circus sounds kind of fun. I could be the girl with the giant armpits Lemon. Ahahaha!Hey girl, glad to see you're still plugging away in spite of all the sucky side effects of the last month or so. I need to catch up...Been in my own funk... Hugs, S9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dee Posted May 4, 2006 Author Share Posted May 4, 2006 Hey S9, I have to find your thread. I've been thinking about you and the surgery. I hope you are doing well. xox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glen Posted May 4, 2006 Share Posted May 4, 2006 Hi Glen, Yes I was ultra rapid cycling on effexor. None of that now that I am off it though. I went in to UHN today and since the lymphatic weirdness is still going on, they are going to switch me to lithium monday. They got back all of my test results and nothing is out of whack hormonally, thyroid-wise or blood cell wise. That leaves only the devalproate to blame. I'm fine with the switch because I think the devalproate is doing something mood-wise, but I am far from stable and I feel it should be better to outweigh the side-effects. I have alot of iritability and anxiety and had to get a script for sleeping. I'm hoping my body will find lithium more agreeable. Dee I think that is one of the major mistakes that is made in diagnosing sub-types of BD. I have seen, in a loved one, ultra rapid cycling (>20 times per day). The cycling only started after the SSRI was introduced (previously solidly manic). As it turned out they responded wonderfully to Li and the discontinuation of SSRIs. Wellbutrin is now the only AD. Best of luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.