Bipolar Support Group

I've been on Depakote a week now. Well, tonight will be night 7. I know its probably too soon to really see a difference. How long does it usually take for depakote to start working? For the most part I have been sleeping better this week. But I think part of that is related to my sinsuses starting to feel better. I also think the chantix/depakote combination makes me a little tired at night. Friay night, I didn't sleep very well at all. I had heartburn because the pizza we had for dinner had way too much sauce on it. (ugh) and I let myself get mad about something which got the racing thoughts going. Apparently, if I get pissed off the racing thoughts get going uncontrollably.

I had originally went to bed around 930pm Friday night. and I know I fell asleep for a little while. Hubby had told me he was going to finish watching something on TV and then he'd be in bed. So I was waiting for him to come to bed, and I fell asleep waiting, and I ended up having a really ... not bad, but WEIRD dream (these chantix dreams are soooo screwed up), and it woke me up. So I got up, and it was a little after 11. I came out in the living room and he was playing the PS3, and I was just like "what are you doing?!" and I got mad about that. and I went back to bed. and then sister in law (who came over last Saturday and was only supposed to be here 3-4 days, but didn't leave until yday morning) went outside in the middle of the street to talk to someone in a LOUDass car and turned the porch light on, REALLY pissed me off) I grabbed my cell and started texting hubby about it (the only way we have been able to privately communicate the past week with sister in law here) and then he was like "come out here" so I came out of the bedroom and I was like "I'm coming out here alright! I'm turning the porch light off! and I'm locking the f'n door!" turns out she left with whoever was in the loud car..... but the whole thing got me so worked up. I didn't finally fall asleep till around 3am, and that was after taking some Nyquil.

Then yday morning at like 630am, father in law called about something..so the phone woke me up. and I could hear sister in law on the porch. So hubby went and let her in (what a surprise for her.. the only computer she could get on, and I blocked facebook and put time restrictions so it couldn't even get online till 10am.... what was she to do while she waited for father in law to come pick her up.. hahaha.. yes, I'm mean!)

She pissed me and hubby both off on Friday too. Because she was outside on the porch talking to the guy across the street. and he gave her a beer. and she was telling him ALL kinds of bullshit. She was saying she does all the cooking and cleaning at her dad's house and she does everything her dad asks/tells her to do. and that she never asks her dad for anything. She got a 2nd beer from him. then ASKED him for a third beer. He gave her money too!!! (no idea how much) WHAT THE HELL?!

Okay.. I have gotten WAY off subject. I just needed to vent about that crap. I am so glad she's gone. She was supposed to be here like 3-4 days cuz she lives with father in law and hubby's stepmom. Hubby's stepmom had surgery and they didn't want her home alone cuz they don't trust her (neither do we... or anyone else, to my knowledge) Well 3-4 days turned into a full week. The whole week she was here, she took trash out twice and did dishes once. NOTHING else. She didn't help with Easter dinner. She didn't help with dishes on Easter. Didn't even help put food away.. nothing. She came Saturday... Tuesday was the first day she did anything. I am just soooo glad she's gone. and even hubby says she won't be coming back over anymore. She got mad we wouldn't give her any klonopins.. hello???? OUR medicine, not hers. A commercial came on tv for cymbalta and she was trying to tell me her doc took her off xanax and put her on cymbalta. umm... one is for anxiety and one is mostly for depression or mild anxiety. if her doc took her off xanax its because she abuses it. she asked us for money to go buy some diet pills. I bought a bottle of Mike's Hard Lemonade at the gas station. I hardly ever drink. I bought it Friday night... and had planned on drinking some this weekend, and I never did open it. I still have half a bottle of mudslide in the fridge that I bought on New Years. She got mad cuz I wouldn't let her have any of that (mudslide) Then she asked who's beer (the lemonade) and hubby told her it was mine and she got mad cuz she couldn't have any of that. That bottle will last me forever cuz I hardly ever drink... and when I do drink, I just have *a* drink. I don't drink to get drunk or anything. I just have a drink to relax or whatever.

Okay.. sorry, still venting.

My original question is... how long for this Depakote to work? I'm on 500mg. Hubby takes Depakote too and he said it took about a week for him to notice a difference. But I'm pretty sure he started on 750mg. He's on 1000mg now. I am imagining we're going to have to up my dose since I usually require higher dosages of meds. My doc just likes to start me off low. I've been taking the 500mg depakote, the .5mg chantix, 200mg topamax, 2 klonopin, and my prevacid at night..oh..and singulair (lovely allergies have me sneezing like a crazy woman). I started taking my adderall again. and for the most part, I feel like I'm doing better..... compared to, say, a month ago. Or even 2 weeks ago. But I'm just not where I want to be, if that makes sense. I don't feel as good as I did when I was on seroquel. I've also been writing again, which I think is helping. I've missed my writing

sorry most of this was off subject!

I'm glad you got all that off your chest. I always feel better after I vent a little. It sounds like your sister in law is a real jewel. I'm sorry you had to put up with all that. At least you have your house back to just you and your husband now.

It took me a two to three weeks before I saw a big difference when I started on Depakote (I take the generic Divalproex). I think my dose my need to be upped because if I miss one dose EVERYONE can tell a difference in me. (I take 750mg)

Vent all you want. Your sister in-law doesn't sound like a very good person at all. How old is she? I'm sorry that she is the way she is. I don't take Depakote, but I wanted to support you. I hope you feel better now that she is gone and you are more at peace. I'm sure a weight is lifted off your shoulders now. You have your house back again. This is great. Hope the Depakote starts working for you soon!

If I were you i would not worry about how long it take Depakote to work, i would be more concerned about starting two medications at the same time. Obviously you are needing a moodstablizer to replace your Lithium for your overall mood, so you need to start medications separately. To be honest with you I got extremely mentally ill on Chantax i needed to stop taking it immediately i no longer knew myself i turned soooo weird on it, there's a warning for people who have a history of depression to be very careful taking this med, i think they even say to not take it.

My advice for you is to start one med, then wait for several weeks before starting another.

I started taking Depakote along with alot of other new meds (a whole new med change) mid Jan. and my Depakote was one of them, the dosage needed upping from 500 to 750 then now 100 took over a 2 month period to find the right dosage so it can take time, i'm finally feeling better these past 3 weeks less rapid cycling my moods are now more even-keel. Please reconsider Chantix, you are risking you mental stability, i know quiting smoking is important but thre are other ways to do it, i smoke and i know its a horrible addiction and i realize Chantix is successful for many but many have also become very mentally ill on it too, i've read up and done research and its horrible the effects it had on making people ill. Take care and all the best.

It took about two weeks for me to notice a difference on Depakote. I am very glad that you got your sister in law out of your house, that just sounds like a lot of drama that you don't need right now. Feel free to vent as much as you want to when you need to.