daisy131864 Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 i'm ASSUMING i'm bipolar 1 but have not asked my dr for an outright diagnosis. I just started lamictal and am titrating down on abilify due to side effects. what are other options for mood stabilizers besides lithium and aap's? is there anything? i'm mainly concerned about weight gain and diabetes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpladybug Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 depakote....but some people gain a lot of weight on that tegretol, trileptal, probably others lithium is weight neutral for many people have you tried it??? you might like it my brain loves Lithium Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt07 Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 I am not Bipolar I, but I take carbamazepine (Tegretol) which, as bpladybug has pointed out, is often used as a mood stabilizer. It works great for me and is the bedrock of my cocktail. I have not gained weight due to the carbamazepine and have lost a significant amount of weight a few years ago while on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crtclms Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 Depakote, Tegretol, Tri-leptal are the other big ones. A few people respond to topamax and gabapentin, but they actually aren't considered effective. But some people on the boards (including me) responded. I don't know, is Lyrica used as a mood stabilizer? But you are getting ahead of yourself. Even the meds with the worst reputations for weight gain may not affect you that way. You can't preemptively eliminate meds for fear of potential side-effects. Lamictal is considered weight neutral, and it has been for me. I've lost weight on Lithium, which is known for weight gain. I have lost HUGE amounts of weight on Depakote, which is infamous for weight gain. And then I gained it all back, also while on Depakote. It just isn't that predictable when it comes to each individual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gizmo Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 Remember the golden rule of medications: all medications have side effects; not all side effects will apply towards me. You have to try meds before you judge them. I've been on pound-packers (depakote) and not gained weight, and I've been on diabetes -scare drugs and have a perfect glucose level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubblegirl Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 oxcarbazepine (trileptal) has worked to keep my mania down, although I still have mixed episodes; and I'm not so sure that it doesn't make my depression worse. i was on lamictal for about a year and had cognitive and psychotic issues with it, however I have read many positive comments about lamictal on this and other sites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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