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Craig...
My advice is to read about the mood stabilizers very well. For me, I had gone through many anti-depressants, none of which worked and actually triggered mania--this is very common with Anti-depressant medications, until I found that Depakote and Effexor (which is the anti-depressant) were the right combination for me.
I tried Paxil and Wellbutrin without success. That doesn't mean that it doesn't work with others and please, heed the advice of an MD, preferably a psychiatrist in discussing alternatives.
I went to a recent conference where a frightening statistic was revealed regarding the huge percentage of folks who go to regular MDs for their psychiatric medications. Psychiatrists are trained far more in these medicines, which do require monitoring and observations of effects.
Sadly or gladly, from whatever end you are looking at it, there are excellent medication alternatives out there for people with Bi-Polar Disorder. Compliance is an issue for us. Weight gain, sexual manifestations, thinning hair, sleeplessness, or hypersommnia are real. The alternatives, though, are worse. I've been psychiatrically hospitalized twice in 10 years. I never want to go back.
K
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