Bipolar Disorder Support Group

Bipolar disorder is not just a single disorder, but a category of mood disorders marked by periods of abnormally high energy and euphoria, often accompanied by bouts of clinical depression. This is the place to talk about your experience with bipolar disorder, learn from others' experiences, and find support.

8,884 Members
129,554 Posts
1 Online
Mental Health
/ Bipolar Disorder Support Group

"magic" pills

StuckAtHome
StuckAtHome
I took my new medication (depakote) last night and I just can't believe the difference. I never realized just how tense I was all the time, or how disconnected my thoughts were. I realized last night after I took my medication though. I'm not tense and sore all over. I can think straight (although a little slower than usual). And I feel calm. They may say there are no "magic" pills, but now that I'm on something that worked so well after the first pill I don't know if I agree with that. I wasn't expecting the first medication to work at all much less after the first pill. Has anyone else ever had this happen? It is such a relief to feel emotionally stable and not have to measure my every thought to see if it is "reasonable".
deleted_user
deleted_user
Make sure you take at least 4 mg of Folic Acid with it. Good luck!
StuckAtHome
StuckAtHome
I trust the advice I get in here but I was wondering why I should take folic acid with it. Does it make it work better or does the medicine mess with how well your body processes it so you need more?
StuckAtHome
StuckAtHome
Hmmmmm. I looked it up and I guess I should be taking folic acid with it and I should avoid taking asprin. I asked both the doctor and the pharmacist about "things I should know" and this never came up. Does anyone know if there is anything else that I should know about depakote? Thanks for the advice solongago. :-)
deleted_user
deleted_user
So glad you're feeling better. When I first started seeing the pdoc and she was trying to get me on meds, I kept stalling. She gave me all these videos and brochures to read and finally I agreed. At my next visit, I said I was a fraud and a placebo would have worked too because the vids said may take 6 months to work. I immediately felt better (like you). Pdoc said I wasn't a fraud, on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being best, my serotonin level was around -7 (no kidding) and we still had a long way to go to get me to 10.

Well, 14 years later and the docs put me on Zyprexa for the bipolar. Again, miracle drug, Stopped the mind racing and kept me much calmer and stabilized me. Worked right away too.

So yes these drugs can be miracles. The only problems are when your body gets used to the dose and you have to increase or it stops working.

Hopefully, this will work for a long time and you'll be "normal" haha
Hugs Christine
deleted_user
deleted_user
That's wonderful news!
deleted_user
deleted_user
StuckAtHOme and ckaye, I had the same experience with Prozac the first time I took it. I had done the research and knew it should take weeks to build up in my system, but I felt amazingly better within three days. The doctor was the one who said it must be a placebo effect.

I disagreed with the doc. If I could've had a placebo effect, you'd think prayers and meditation and all would've worked.
nobody666
nobody666
only two draw backs to depakote I have personally experienced. WEIGHT GAIN (LOTS OF WEIGHT) possible pancriatitus (diabetes) both gone when I stopped depakote. found my magic pills in abilify and lamictal