lilcrazy Posted August 24, 2014 Share Posted August 24, 2014 Let me start out by saying that I will be seeing my pdoc on Tuesday and will ask her this and will not do anythjng with meds until I talk to her. I am just curious. I have only been on 1000 mg of Depakote for only 1 week. Never have taken this before but my husband and I have decided that it would be best if I not take it. I am wondering if I will have to wean off it since it's only been a week and if I do will the weaning process be easier than someone who has been on it for months? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flash Posted August 24, 2014 Share Posted August 24, 2014 (edited) Why do you suddenly not want it? Side effects? As for stopping, if you've only ever been on the one dose, stopping it shouldn't ordinarily be a problem. But I knew someone who had to slowly keep cutting his Paxil dose to ever more minuscule amounts. I think he actually had to get it in liquid form at one point. Took him months to get off it. I was two doses above starting and quit cold turkey. Didn't have any problems. I only later found out you're not supposed to do that. So everyone is different. Edited August 24, 2014 by Flash Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt07 Posted August 24, 2014 Share Posted August 24, 2014 Stopping an anticonvulsant cold turkey can be dangerous even if you've only been on it a week. Your doctor is the best one to advise you on the best way to stop it. I'm also interested in why you want to discontinue it after just one week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Always Unstable Posted August 24, 2014 Share Posted August 24, 2014 I have recently just started depakote also. My doctor started me on depakote er 500 my once a day to see how it goes. Like everyone else....why do you want to stop it? The first week I was on it I didn't like it at all, it made me really, really tired and I also thought I might like to try something else. After that first week though the tiredness went away and now I really like it. But, everyone's different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilcrazy Posted August 24, 2014 Author Share Posted August 24, 2014 (edited) I am wanting to stop it bc my hashimotos thyroid disease is causing all these bi polar symptoms. I was just recently hospitalized for bipolar and they put me on depakote so that being said my thyroid levels are whacked out right now causing this. I just don't want to be on another medicine. And I am worried about side effects and the liver and pancreas damage that can be done. I am also on saphris and Wellbutrin. Edited August 24, 2014 by lilcrazy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rachael Posted August 24, 2014 Share Posted August 24, 2014 As others have said, going off Depakote cold turkey is not a wise thing to do. It is a ant-convulsant, there can be serious problems. I have gone off it cold turkey and while I didn't have any of the most serious problems this can cause, it was incredibly unpleasant: tremors, trouble sleeping, anxiety, and it triggered mania. I would wait for your doctors appointment. Another things about Depakote: it will take a bit to work. Also, you have only been on it for a week, so I guess a week ago you thought you needed it to control bipolar symptoms and they weren't caused by your thyroid? What changed in this short time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilcrazy Posted August 24, 2014 Author Share Posted August 24, 2014 To be honest I have no clue if I am truly bipolar and the thyroid problem just exaggerates it. I just don't like taking medicine. I need to get out of that frame of mind. I am on two mods stabilizers right now and an antidepressant. Is that too much or is it normal for bipolar patients to be on more than one mood stabilizer? Thanks for listening to me rant:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt07 Posted August 24, 2014 Share Posted August 24, 2014 Is that too much or is it normal for bipolar patients to be on more than one mood stabilizer? I am a firm believer in taking however many meds are necessary to control your symptoms and no fewer and no more. This is my personal and non-medical opinion, but I don't think that taking 3 meds is excessive for bipolar patients. A lot of bipolar patients on this site take the same or more. I have treatment-resistant depression, and you can see in my signature that I am on quite a cocktail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilcrazy Posted August 24, 2014 Author Share Posted August 24, 2014 (edited) Is that too much or is it normal for bipolar patients to be on more than one mood stabilizer? I am a firm believer in taking however many meds are necessary to control your symptoms and no fewer and no more. This is my personal and non-medical opinion, but I don't think that taking 3 meds is excessive for bipolar patients. A lot of bipolar patients on this site take the same or more. I have treatment-resistant depression, and you can see in my signature that I am on quite a cocktail. Thank you, not that I want you guys on more medicines or anything lol.. It just makes me feel better knowing this is normal. This bipolar stuff is all new to me whether it be from thyroid or not I do have the symptoms and have been for a very long time now. Doctor calls it medical induced bipolar. I am 32 and can look back to when I was a teenager of the different episodes I would have so something is definitely wrong. Edited August 24, 2014 by lilcrazy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt07 Posted August 24, 2014 Share Posted August 24, 2014 (edited) I forgot to mention ... don't be too concerned over the effect of Depakote on your liver. Your doctor should be doing regular blood tests to monitor you and will find any problems before they occur. Many, many people take Depakote without any horrible side effects at all. Edit: I am moving this to the Anticonvulsants/Mood Stablizers board since this is really a med question. Edited August 24, 2014 by jt07 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilcrazy Posted August 25, 2014 Author Share Posted August 25, 2014 I forgot to mention ... don't be too concerned over the effect of Depakote on your liver. Your doctor should be doing regular blood tests to monitor you and will find any problems before they occur. Many, many people take Depakote without any horrible side effects at all. Edit: I am moving this to the Anticonvulsants/Mood Stablizers board since this is really a med question. Yes they did say we will monitor the levels so that makes me feel better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dianthus Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 I've been taking Depakote for a few years and you need to give it a few weeks to see how it will work. You also can't stop it cold turkey because it can cause seizures.No matter where your symptoms are from, they need to be controlled. Depakote can be a really effective med. It's really helped me a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilcrazy Posted August 25, 2014 Author Share Posted August 25, 2014 I've been taking Depakote for a few years and you need to give it a few weeks to see how it will work. You also can't stop it cold turkey because it can cause seizures. No matter where your symptoms are from, they need to be controlled. Depakote can be a really effective med. It's really helped me a lot. Ok I will give it some time. Just wondering if I really need to be on two mood stabilizers. I like taking the least amount of meds as possible bc I have thyroid issues as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 Is that too much or is it normal for bipolar patients to be on more than one mood stabilizer? I am a firm believer in taking however many meds are necessary to control your symptoms and no fewer and no more. This is my personal and non-medical opinion, but I don't think that taking 3 meds is excessive for bipolar patients. A lot of bipolar patients on this site take the same or more. I have treatment-resistant depression, and you can see in my signature that I am on quite a cocktail. Like jt, I also believe taking however many meds is necessary to control symptoms. I am on a lot of meds right now (see sig), and have tried going off of one at a time, but each time symptoms come back/I get worse and I end up going back on the med again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dianthus Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 I've been taking Depakote for a few years and you need to give it a few weeks to see how it will work. You also can't stop it cold turkey because it can cause seizures.No matter where your symptoms are from, they need to be controlled. Depakote can be a really effective med. It's really helped me a lot.Ok I will give it some time. Just wondering if I really need to be on two mood stabilizers. I like taking the least amount of meds as possible bc I have thyroid issues as well.A lot of people need two mood stabilizers-- it's not uncommon. If Saphris isn't controlling your symptoms, something has to change, right? The other option is to stay on the meds that weren't working completely and be symptomatic. Depakote may or may not work for you, but it's worth trying.Depakote doesn't affect your thyroid-- you do need bloodwork for your liver and blood levels, but that's about it. I think adequately treating all of your illnesses is probably in your best interest. I have multiple physical health problems but I treat them all adequately so I can function. I'm just not seeing why having thyroid disease has much bearing on treating your bipolar symptoms no matter the cause-- maybe you can explain that so we understand better.At any rate, I wish you luck with everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilcrazy Posted August 25, 2014 Author Share Posted August 25, 2014 I've been taking Depakote for a few years and you need to give it a few weeks to see how it will work. You also can't stop it cold turkey because it can cause seizures. No matter where your symptoms are from, they need to be controlled. Depakote can be a really effective med. It's really helped me a lot. Ok I will give it some time. Just wondering if I really need to be on two mood stabilizers. I like taking the least amount of meds as possible bc I have thyroid issues as well. A lot of people need two mood stabilizers-- it's not uncommon. If Saphris isn't controlling your symptoms, something has to change, right? The other option is to stay on the meds that weren't working completely and be symptomatic. Depakote may or may not work for you, but it's worth trying. Depakote doesn't affect your thyroid-- you do need bloodwork for your liver and blood levels, but that's about it. I think adequately treating all of your illnesses is probably in your best interest. I have multiple physical health problems but I treat them all adequately so I can function. I'm just not seeing why having thyroid disease has much bearing on treating your bipolar symptoms no matter the cause-- maybe you can explain that so we understand better. At any rate, I wish you luck with everything. My psychiatrist has diagnosed me with medical induced bipolar from hashimotos thyroid disease. Hashimotos is an autoimmune disease. When my levels are hyper with thyroid I seem to get more of the mania and when they are hypo I seem to get more of the depression. There is tons of research showing the two are connected.i need to try to get my thyroid in line for the bipolar meds to work correctly. I have been trying to but thyroid is hard to regulate, well mine is anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts