Depakote With Lithium Posts

Depakote With Lithium Resource

Depakote With Lithium Resource in Questions

What is your experience with Lithium or Depakote? Im about to go onto either Lithium or Depakote for the treatment of bipolar disorder type II, and was wondering what to expect? Ive been on venlafaxine for the last 8 months or so, and have had other antidepressants also, but the lithium/depakote is to help with my hypomanic episodes... Also- as another question, did it seem to "numb" you out so that all other emotions seemed flat as well?

Tanya F replied: "im on depakote and it really helps me hun"

Jarrid replied: "I'm on 450mg of lithium twice a day, and it helps me lots. It calms me down, so I'm not so racy. Hope that helps."

Crue-K replied: "I have been on lithium 1000mg or 17 years, it is the one medication that has always worked and never had ill effects. My other meds are seroquel xl and lamotrigine."

J G replied: "Lithium i couldn't tolerate being on......but that proably included many factors as it was when i was starting to go into denial about bipolar and didn't want to be on meds, and my stupid boss at the time would never let me leave work to get bloodwork done when the only clinic i could go to was only open when i worked, so never got at theraputic levels. Depakote almost completely levels me out. Side effects with depakote suck....especially first going on it....for me mostly tremors which tapered off after a short time and GI issues, which I have found probiotic suppliments and eating enough fiber was enough to straighten it out......but for me they are worth dealing with for the benifit Add: No depakote does not numb me out at all. I can not remeber if the lithium did for me or not.....i was just a mess the short time that i was on it."

TBIRD replied: "I fully sympathize with your problem and concern. My wife suffers from a very debilitating form Bipolar and the lithium (150mg) is essential in controlling the manic phase of this condition. Nine years ago my wife (before we met) spent eighteen months in hospital and underwent almost forty ECT treatments, this was an indication of how bad the condition had become. So,from ballet to being a successful artist hasn't been an easy journey. Strictly adhering to the medication ( Abilify,Oroxine and Lithium ) plus maintaining the minerals she was deficient in mostly keep things on an even keel.We had the privilege met with Prof Bill Walsh and Dr. Landhurst at a seminar on mental health In Brisbane and gained a great deal of knowledge on the subject and the management of the condition. Lithium is a naturally occurring salt compound so don't have any concerns about taking it in the dose prescribed by your Doctor. The very wishes for your future."

Scott replied: "In contrast to most of these posts, I had HORRIBLE experiences with Depakote. For starters, it was ineffective in treating my bipolar. It seemed to have the opposite effect, actually. The side effects are very steep. There's a term coined for those on Depakote: Depakote cravings. Yeah that was lame. But anyway, a major, common side effect of Depakote (and I believe Lithium) is a severe craving for food nearly all of the time. I was a very skinny, even bony person before Depakote. Within months, I was gaining weight, unhealthy weight, at a extreme rate. Soon I had 'Depakote boobs', or man boobs. There are much more effective (in my experience at least) mood stabilizers out there that will not ruin your self esteem or create more mania. I'm personally on Lamictal and Geodon, which turned my life around and made me the wonderful person I am today. -Scott"

Reverend Godless replied: "I was on Depakote for 10 years, 1000mg a day. It worked well (I am an epileptic as well), but the side effects were hepatotoxic, so I had to discontinue the medication. As for the medication "numbing" me out, well, all psych meds do that, so it's to be expected as a side effect. I do know with lithium, it is important to increase your fluid intake because the medication can become toxic in your blood stream without proper fluid intake, so please make sure you do that. Of course, as with all psych meds, you have to watch for extrapyrimidal side effects: pill rolling, uncontrollable movements, diaphoresis, parkinsonian symptoms, and high temp, rigid muscles, and high blood pressure (which is a medical emergency) On reference to another answer, I've heard people praise Lamictal to the stars with how well it works, so I tried it myself. And it did work well...very little side effects, didn't mess with my concentration, helped my mood swings. Then three weeks later, I developed a high fever, swollen glands, and a peeling skin rash...Stevens-Johnson Syndrome. So really, as you know, meds are like a trial and error effect, unfortunately. I hope the Depakote and Lithium work well for you :)"

* ADRIAN * replied: "Depakote is great for me. I'm on it for mood stabilizing most likely. I have schizophrenia and have had absolutely no side effects best to my knowledge. I've been on it for over a year. It's a big gray pill (the generic is white) and I see no reasons not to get on it. Lithium, I've never been on. I've heard it's a very strong drug and can be used for deep depression. Otherwise, I know nothing of the drug. edit: I'm also an epileptic and I'm on Geodon also. Before that, I was on Gabepentin and that worked wonders. But you aren't talking about those meds."

Jenny S replied: "lithium messed with my thyroid, big time. depakote, I slept better than I have in years, but yes, it made me all together flat."

Pico replied: "I take 900mg of Lithium to 'enhance' my antidepressants. It actually works for that. Also, I'm a bit suicidal and Lithium is an 'anti suicide' drug. I am a little numb these days but I'm on 6 meds so I don't know which one is doing it. I started Lithium the same time I started Prozac and Seroquel. One of those makes me a bit flat."

Tina N replied: "I started taking lithium on Thursday for Bipolar, it took it drus for three days and got so deathly sick I had to stop taking it. I should have been in the hospital, but didn't know it. I had serious side affects almost immediately. They included: delusional thoughts, no sleep, could not eat or drink without throwing up, severe panics attacks. This medicine did the opposite for me. Very scary stuff. My advice, if you start getting sick to your stomach and can't sleep immediately contact your doctor and stop taking it. Don't wait three days like I did."

Bryan replied: "My friend’s doctor had prescribed two small doses of lithium every day for her bi polar problem. It works well. From what I hear from her, detox sessions, Yoga and other wellness programs plus the serene locale that she stayed in during treatment hastened her recovery process."

What's the difference between Depakote and Lithium? I have Bipolar 2 and recently I've been having a lot of mood change problems so my doctors are talking about taking me off all of my meds and putting me on all new ones. Currently I am on Depakote (1000mg), Sertraline(200mg), Seroquel(100mg) and Topamax(200mg). They've talked about putting me on Lithium to replace the Depakote, but that makes me nervous because I've heard Lithium makes you a zombie. Can people share their personal experiences with Lithium? I would really appreciate it.

riptide_71 replied: "I have been on Lithium for over 10 years. I think it is a wonder drug. It helps control my mood swings. At first, I was thirsty all the time, had to pee all the time, gained some weight, but eventually those side effects went away. Now, I just have some acne which I treat with Clearasil. At first, it messed up my stomach, but my doctor changed to extended release and I have no problem. Plus I take it at night when I eat. It does not make me a zombie. I have been on it along time, so it made my thyroid stop working slighlty. To fix that, they put me on synethic thyroid hormones. BUt that is no big deal...many women are hypothyroid. I have my blood tested every three months to make sure that I am in the theurapeutic range. I have never had a problem with toxicity and never been poisoned. It works well for alot of people."

doug k replied: "To answer your question: Lithium is a basic element that has good results with mood stabilization in many people. Depakote is a drug developed as an anti-convulsant that is often used as a mood stabilizer. (It is also used for some people to treat migraine headaches) Finding the right drug or mix of drugs that help a person with a mind illness is a process. Some people are lucky and the doc gets it right the first time. For most of us, it is a long process of trial and error to find out what works. Be thankful that you have a doc who is willing to try something different when it is apparent that the current program isn't working. We each respond differently to different medications. I didn't became a zombie on lithium, but I did experience other undesirable side effects (tremors, intensinal upset). I gained a lot of weight on Depakote. I "zombied" on Topamax. The point is, different things work for different people. I wish you the best. Work with your doc's and they WILL find something that works for you."

Asian Beauty <3 replied: "I've been taking lithium for 6 months now. Although everyones reaction to meds are different, i had a slight loss in appetite and im very sensative to meds but i didnt have problems with lithium. My doctor explained that Lithium is used to stabilize the depression part of bipolar disorder and depakote is more for the rapid cycling. I am starting depakote with my Lithium to bring me out of rapid mood changes because the lithium wasnt enough to stablize me a lone. i take 900mg lithium, and will take 250mg and then 500mg in a week of depakote. i take seroquel too. i'm not a zombie and i dont feel over medicated as i have often worried about because of the high mg's so far its been fine for me."

I know Lithium and Depakote can make you gain weight, but how? I have been taking 600 mg of Lithium and 500 mg of Depakote now for a few months. I have been exercising and eating healthy now for a while and I don't feel that I'm losing the weight that I should be. I'm wondering if it's bc/these meds have affected my metabolism or something else, besides increasing my apetite.

Sarah W replied: "Essentially when you take these types of medications they change your brain chemistry, and can change how your persecption of things. Your brain may be thinking that's in in starvation mode, meaning you're not getting enough to eat, so it's trying to hold onto every calorie it can. Even if you ARE getting enough to eat, because your internal "wiring" has been altered, your brain is getting a false sense of reality. Another option too may be that you're retaining water. I'm not sure why humans retain water, except in an example when you consume too much salt, you body needs to flush it out by holding more water. If you're staying at a stable weight, or have gain less than 10 lbs, i wouldn't worry about it. If it bothers you or you're gaining a lot of weight, definately talk to your doctor because the medication you're on may be the wrong one for you. Good luck!"

AudreyMarlene replied: "Weight gain is a frequent side effect associated with lithium and depakote use. I suggest speaking to the prescribing doctor to see if there are some alternatives you can try. If this is for bipolar disorder there are other mood stabilizers that are available without the weight gain. Lamictal is a good mood stabilizer that doesn't make you gain weight. So just speak to you doctor, he/she would know best. Best of luck to you."

quagmire1 replied: "yes they reduce your thyroid function which affects your metabolism, therefore making you gain weight."

Any suggestions for countering lithium and depakote-induced weight gain? I eat very little as it is and my diet is healthy, yet I still gain weight. It's enough to cause depression in and of itself. Topamax helped for awhile, but now it's to the point where the only dosage that will help will also make me so stupid (ie cognitive side effects) that I might as well not get out of bed in the morning.

shaneris5 replied: "Have you tried Lamictal? ~~~ You can eat a LOT, yet still lose weight, and have a LITTLE of your favorites every day, to prevent cravings, by consuming mostly low energy foods, such as cucumber, tomato, capsicum/bell peppers, celery, onion slices pickled in vinegar, grated carrot, cabbage, spinach, asparagus, watercress, alfalfa, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, capers, a few olives, etc., with some lean protein, to delay the emptying of your stomach. Have a large glass of water 20 mns before eating. If you don't drink enough water, you won't lose weight as quickly! One of the tips I got through is to stir half a teaspoonful of hot paprika, or chilli powder, into a glass of water, and drink it just before eating, and you will eat less, as a result. Section 56, at (also see section 10, on bipolar disorder) addresses eating disorders. If you are one of the 40% of people who are fairly suggestible, you may wish to consider professional hypnotherapy, or: View: ALTERNATIVE HEALTH - HYPNOTISM FOR WEIGHT LOSS in section 81, at ezy build. TRY: Weight Loss Hypnosis FREE, at or enter: "weight loss" in the searchbar, at (a choice of many), or: Weight Reduction (ISBN: 1-933154-16-0 (ISBN: 1-933154-17-9) A weight reduction hypnotherapy tape or CD with suggestions for eating healthy food, and with a focus on eating less. This hypnotherapy audio tape or CD will help empower you with the desire to make better food choices. By Jef Gazley, M.S., LMFT, Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist"

YA Junkie replied: "I am sure the first answerer had good intentions, but I would not recommend lamictal with regard to weight loss. In most cases, it is considered a weight-neutral drug, although it can sometimes cause people to gain weight (but not as much as lithium or depakote). See the following link. To be fair, lamictal occasionally causes weight loss. These opposite side effects are not unusual in the wild, wacky world of psych meds. I take lamictal as a back-up drug for major depression. Initially, I gained weight with lamictal. However, I had success with the alternative health remedy below. I CANNOT offer you any guarantees, but what helped me lose about 20 pounds in 3 months is an old, very inexpensive natural remedy that might sound very strange to you. Put 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar (ACV) and 1 tablespoon of honey in 8 ounces of warm water and drink this mixture. Do this two (or possibly three) times a day. It may take a while to get used to the taste. If you really don‘t like the taste, add extra honey. Use Bragg's ACV or other brands from a health food store, not stuff you buy in a regular grocery store. Also avoid the ACV capsules sold in grocery stories and drug stores. They are a waste of money. As I said, the ACV did work for me. For the 3 to 4 weeks, I don't think I lost an ounce, but maybe my metabolism was speeding up. In the second and third month, the weight started to come off. ACV has been used for hundreds of years for a variety of health issues, so this is not the latest fad diet. If you want more info, google “apple cider vinegar health benefits.” Finally, talk to your doctor about your weight gain issues on your current meds. In some cases, MDs can prescribe meds that may help you lose weight. Finally, I assume you are bipolar from your meds. From a support group I attend, I have heard that lamictal with abilify can be useful for bipolar disorder. Actually, this combo helped me with unipolar depression. It might be worth a try if your shrink agrees."

Is anyone taking lithium and depakote at the same time? I just started on this combo last week and when I wake up in the morning I feel like crap. I get headaches, my stomach hurts and I am soooooo tired. The depakote is supposed to knock me out a night but it really doesnt kick in till much later on. IS THERE A COMBO OUT THERE THAT WORKS?!!!!! JEEEEZ

Random replied: "Drugs such as these can have serious effects on your mental and physical health which can be long lasting. The fall out of self medication could range from feeling sleepy all day to major mood swings that can have a serious impact on unexpected aspects of your personal/professional life. DO NOT SELF MEDICATE See a psychiatrist at the earliest."

Go_Know_Thyself replied: "No I am not... and I feel very sorry for you that you are. Even if there is a combo out there that works... It will only work for so long... Then you'll have to change them and start all over again with something else. It never ceases to amaze me how these people pushing this garbage never tell anyone that there are better ways. Proven ways to get better. Med's like these destroy your quality of life. It just comes down to it being a matter of whether or not you want to take part in your own recovery... or have some chemical cocktail do all the work for you. God knows the Doctors play very little part and operate just like the medication... With as little effort as possible on their parts decided for them by the private Ins, Medicaid and Medicare guidelines... It's a joke... a few minutes per session, is not anywhere near enough... neither is medication. Find someone else to help you.... Lithium is garbage!"

purplepassion replied: "Were you given those as a sleep aid? That's not what they are generally prescribed for so you may want to explain clearly to the Doctor what your problem is and then he can give you the proper drugs. Work with your Doctor on finding something to help you short-term while you try to get into a natural sleep pattern, So that you won't "need" to be drugged just to sleep. If you are taking them for Bi-Polar there are different choices out there as well (Link 1 is for Bi-Polar Medication info) The other link below will show you the different types of sleep medications available and how they work. (Link 2 ) Good Luck"

daisychain184 replied: "im not on lithium but im on 750mg of depakote, low dose for the moment as ive only just started on it and still being weened off seroxat. I noticed feeling sick and terrible headaches with the depakote and tiredness. All i can say is persivere with it.. d x"

riptide_71 replied: "I take Lithium and Tegretol which is similar. Plus a couple more meds. It takes a long time to find the right combo! Hang in there. Most Bipolar people are on a mix of medications to combat the symptoms. If you just started the meds, give it some time. When I first started I had diarrhea all the time. Eventually my system got used to it. It may take a couple of weeks for the side effects to stop. I even had a hand tremor from the Lithium for weeks and then it just stopped! Also, sometimes taking the extended release verisions of the meds work. Like Eskalith ER for the Lithium. That helped my stomach alot. Hang in there!"

Is anyone on Depakote and Lithium? I know we aren't supposed to play the adjust our meds game, but my doctor has me on 250 mg of Depakote b.i.d., which is just a complete baby dose. My old doctor had me on 500mg b.i.d., but I was trying to cut out the lithium at the time. I need to get my bloodwork done, but right now it's just not happening due to a lot of different factors. I'd like to try going ahead and increasing my Depakote because I know I need to, but he's going to say no without any test results. If it were the lithium I'd go ahead because I've been on it forever, know what my therapeutic range is, and can tell you almost immediately if I start to get toxic. With Depakote I have no clue. So I'm hoping someone takes the two of them together and can give me some idea of what doses you take of each and then I could very carefully titrate from there. (Yes, I'm a bad patient. I always have been.) Thanks for any answers.

vaughn favrua replied: "lithium really didnt effect me at all but the depakote made me paralized. i couldnt get out of bed or even talk fo about a day and a half from the pain i was in from the sied effects from it"

staciabbb replied: "I'm on Depakote and Lithium plus Lamictal. Where I get my blood work done they allow ppl with tests that have a time certain draw to move to the front of the line. I take advantage of that since I don't have time to wait around. I'm usually out w/in 15 minutes. Look into it. If the tests include the full blood panel, you need the tests since both Depakote and Lithium can mess with stuff and you want to know sooner than later. I'm guessing that you already know this. If it's just a Dep level, it depends on where your level was at a 1000mg. If it wasn't high, then, yeh, probably not a big deal. BUT, your relationship with your pdoc is. The other consideration is that you will have to get the tests soon anyway. Is the delay worth the relationship price? I'm not the best at getting tests timely, or following all the rules. I like my pdoc, though, so I try to stay within her latitude bounds. Give some thought to what your pdoc's really are."

I'm taking Lithium and Abilify. I was on Risperdal, before that Depakote. how do i lose the weight i gained? I'm taking Lithium and Abilify for bipolar disorder. Before Abilify i was on Risperdal which messed with my speech. Before Risperdal i was on Depakote which made me gain some weight. Now I look pregnant. How can i lose the 45 pounds ive gained? Im at 158 pounds now.

i3itchOmatiK replied: "Just like yu would when you want to loose weight normally. Abilify and lithium arent really weight gaining medicine. Be sure you drink plenty of low calorie fluids. Keep plenty of healthy sacks around an exercise."

What are the effects of Depakote? Is it anything like lithium? Is it better than Xanax?

nosey girl replied: "no and no"

huggywell replied: "Hi, first it's difficult to say that its better (or worse) than another medication, thats a very subjective thing for each person. The Depakote does a similar job to Lithium but in a different way. The main thing with any of these medications is that they are taken at the right dose at the right times. The following web site may help."