Mood stablizers anyone??

Holly J · Post by **Holly J** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 1:52 pm

Does anyone take a mood stablizer who doesn't have bi-polar?My moods are so up and down and I have depression (never mania, i have panic disorder and major depressive disorder) and wondered if they help for depression and if they can be prescribed to people w/o bi=polar and for people with anxiety and depression? thank you.

epa · Post by **epa** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 2:27 pm

Hello Holly, I take Lamictal (lamotrigine), a mood stabilizer, 300 mg per day. It has virtually no side effects. It has helped me to be more stable; I have the cycles of anxiety and depression with some hypomania. Others have noticed lamotrigine's positive and balancing effect on me as well. I believe this medication is used for many mood disorders. I personally have had many diagnoses to include bipolar, cyclothymia, dysthymia, BPD, PTSD, GAD, panic disorder, agoraphobia, social anxiety... in any case you may want to ask your doctor about this one. Good luck!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 1:41 am

I think that you can, but a doc would know better.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 1:39 am

Holly,

I'm taking Abilify (an atypical anti-psychotic). It's approved for use for treatment resistant depression.

Genie

Craw · Post by **Craw** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 10:57 am

FreetobeGG - Did you get any side effects from Abilify? I just heard of this med and was wondering.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 3:09 pm

how does it work freetobeg?

epa · Post by **epa** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 11:19 pm

Otama & Holly,

Apparently, it does something to dopamine. When I first upped to the 5 mgs from 2.5, I was hypomanic, which was preferable to how I had been feeling. I got so much stuff done! My pdoc upped me to 7.5 so that I would get more sleep, and that's where I noticed I was feeling groggy throughout the day. So I backed down to the 5 mgs, and no hypomania yet. Holly, it's best to ask a doctor how it works because I can't explain it. I just know that it has made a major difference in combination with my Cymbalta.

GG

luckyme · Post by **luckyme** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 11:21 pm

Otama,

No side effects but the grogginess at 7.5 and the initial hypomania at 5. But then again, I believe my pdoc is heading towards a diagnosis of bipolar II for me. Ugh.

Genie