Medication Combo Issues

[Oniliscious]

Hi Everyone,

Quick Timeline: In 2009, I was initially diagnosed with MDD, ADHD and also had anxiety issues. Then in 2012, I was re-diagnosed with Bipolar I Disorder, accompanied with ADHD and still have anxiety issues but with no official diagnosis for the anxiety. However, I do take anti-anxiety meds. My medication cocktail entails Abilify 10mg, Adderall 20 mg, Ativan .5mg and Lamictal 200mg and I take everything in the morning.

However, I truly believe that there is something very wrong with this med combination and that I have the wrong diagnosis. Some days, I may feel somewhat energetic and can start my tasks but then the energy disappears midday. Most days, I feel fatigued, miserable, a loss of concentration, tired and even become depressive sometimes. With these particular days (even right now), I just do nothing all day... which all happened... today.

I think that the Abilify/Lamictal combo is a no-go. Secondly, the Adderall is ineffective probably because all of the other medications cancel the hell out of it. Thirdly, I do not think that I have Bipolar Disorder. I think that I have MDD for sure, hence why I think that the Lamictal is a no-go even by itself. I've even tried supplements - 5 Hour Energies, Vitamin B12, Fish Oil, Vitamin D, etc... not all during the same time period. But of course, they still don't help.

Oh, and trust me, I've told my pdoc about all of this, but he doesn't have much to say except to go up on the Abilify - part of what makes me feel tired and miserable...smh.

Does anyone have ANY insight? I'd like to know what others think about this issue...

[Indigo 'n dye]

I cannot comment on your med combo, however I wanted to welcome you to Crazy Boards and say I look forward to getting to know you.

[jt07]

How long have you been taking the meds in your cocktail?

[melissaw72]

Can you get a second opinion from another pdoc (psychiatrist)?  Sometimes a fresh look on things is good to know.

 

Welcome to CB

[Oniliscious]

Aww, thanks for welcoming me!! I've been taking Abilify for 3 years going on 4, Lamictal - 1 year, Adderall - 2 years and Ativan - 3 months. And as for a second opinion, I set up an appointment with a different pdoc just yesterday for late May.

So, we'll see how it aaalll goes.

Thanks for all of your responses so far! People comment quick!

[Horizons]

Is there a reason you have to take all your meds in the morning? If the Abilify makes you tired and unmotivated, perhaps taking it in the evening would work out better for you.

 

I'm glad you made an appointment with another pdoc. The fact you're not feeling good matters much more than your diagnosis, and that's what your pdoc should be trying to treat.

 

Good luck at your appointment. I hope you find a combo that works better for you.

[Oniliscious]

So I went to my pdoc, but he felt too afraid to adjust my meds considering that I have only a week of school left. Understood. I did ask him if I could maybe add a medication on rather than to taper down on one of them. So, I asked him what meds I could try, and I also mentioned how he used to prescribe me Wellbutrin for depression. I also know that Wellbutrin is a stimulant which could maybe/possibly substitute for the Adderall, because I've been dying to get off of it. But I am no doctor, right? It's practically a theory to me... but it turns out that my pdoc doesn't even have any idea either! Prior to this whole appointment, I did research on the interactions between Wellbutrin and Adderall and apparently if taken together, they can cause seizures. So, in a way I knew that if anything, they could not be taken together. And the moment my pdoc prescribed me the Wellbutrin, I knew that this man didn't know what the hell that he was doing... He didn't tell me this - I did the research - AND he asked me how much Wellbutrin I'd like to be prescribed! what the heck, I'm not a doctor, YOU'RE my doctor, so you should know. Lol, wow...

The next day, I decided to skip my Adderall to see what the Wellbutrin would feel like. THEM SH*TS KNOCKED ME OFF MY FEET! I could not function at all! Clearly, CLEARLY, I need a second opinion, because my doc has no clue about how meds work with one another. Either that or something else. I'm not sure. That prescription can get lost in my box of other useless meds... LOL.

Instead, I switched the times that I take the Abilify and the Lamictal. I take them at night now and I actually feel better, if not, wired. The first night, I did not sleep at all... I still take Adderall in the AM, same time. It's okay I suppose. Better than the Welly!

[crtclms]

Because a combo *can* cause seizures doesn't mean it will. Welcome to the exciting world of psycho-pharmacology. There are lots of trade-offs to be made.

And I'm moving this to cocktails.