starpirate555 Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 hi guys, i want to know what drug is the best replacement for lithium. im going to see my psychiatrist this thursday and im not sure which drug she is going to give me. you see i was on lithium for 20 years for bipolar I disorder and i ran into a kidney problem. i have studied the drugs a little and they all have side effects i dont like. but on the bright side lamictal is weight neutral. the 3 drugs are: tegretol, depakote and lamictal that my psychiatrist has picked for the replacements. please give me in your opinion the closet match to lithium as far as mood stabilization. thanks a bunch. lithium 1200mg abilify 15mg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savannah Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 (edited) I tried depakote and, while it worked, had horrible side effects. I stable hands, diarrhea and constant feeling like I was going to vomit. Also extreme fatigue. I have taken lamictal for years and love it. It takes a slow titration and can be activating as the dose is increase. Love it. Edited August 10, 2014 by Savannah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shesellsseashells Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 I took Depakote at one point and was pretty stable. I didn't have side effects that I can remember. I was on Lamictal along with Lithium but really only got the full impact of the Lamictal when I increased from 200 mg to 400 mg eight months ago (I was no longer taking Lithium at that time). It helped my AD to work. I had some short-term memory problems with Lamictal as well as trouble word-searching, but those side effects have gone away in recent months. I feel the medication has helped me. I hope whichever med you and your pdoc choose helps you, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpladybug Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 I think you are going to have to try them and see how they work for you. Everyone's body reacts differently. If you tend toward a lot of depression you might try Lamictal first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazystuff Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 I was on Lithium for 3 years, and never had a huge manic episode, but was always depressed, caused weight gain, and I am pretty sure it was a controlled mania. I used to paint rooms once a week, up till 3am and lived off little sleep, lots more, but long story. I too also wondered if I had stayed on that Lithium if it would give me kidney problems, interesting. I have taken literally everything. Never taken tegretol. Can't tell you anything about that. I have taken Depakote, major weight gain, sluggish, sleepy, absolutely no way to exercise. And Lamictal did nothing for me, seriously, I wondered if it was even working. Be very careful that you titrate off Lithium in a good way, because when I quit it cold turkey, I ended up in the hospital with bad mania. In all my years of taking drugs, and you can ask me about any of them, I suggest Latuda. There is no deep fog that comes over you like some of these drugs. It's a short acting antipsychotic. I do know a friend who is Type 2 who takes 20mg. I am type 1 and take 40mg with 600mg of Seroquel. Since it's short acting, it doesn't zone you out. Just a suggestion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 Lamictal is great for bipolar depression. Some atypical antipsychotics such as Seroquel, Latuda and Abilify (to name a couple) have antidepressant effects and stabilize mood as well. I'm moving this to the Anti-Convulsants board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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