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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
[email protected]Shown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by b0rderline86 on April 9, 2007, at 0:06:50
Just letting everyone know that my anxiety, sleeping problems, mood swings, agression, black and white thinking and mixed states are all improving after initiating low dose Tegretol. expecting it to improve more as dose increases. keep u all posted. who else has had luck on carbemazapine?
Posted by Colleen D. on April 9, 2007, at 19:32:59
In reply to Improving on Carbemazapine, posted by b0rderline86 on April 9, 2007, at 0:06:50
Hi!
I haven't tried Carbemazapine but I do think I have Borderline Personality Disorder. Your immediate success sounds very encouraging and I hope it continues for you! Can you tell me what other meds you have tried and how they worked and/or fell short of your expectations? Also, do you have a problem with bingeing on food and or drink? I really have put on some pounds since 2002 - is Carbemazapine weight neutral? Thanks for any info you can give. I have just begun researching BPD and doing a lot of reading and soul-searching. Any other things help you beside meds?
Thanks,
Colleen
(currently dx'ed with MDD, OCD, and GAD, taking Zoloft and clonazepam, seeing new therapist on 4/13)
Posted by Colleen D. on April 9, 2007, at 19:40:25
In reply to Improving on Carbemazapine, posted by b0rderline86 on April 9, 2007, at 0:06:50
I also have a problem with mood swings, black and white thinking, implusive acts (promiscuous sex in my young adulthood), gambling, skin-picking (self-injury???) and drug abuse...I can't seem to quit marijuana and I've read that marijuana and its potential for creating paranoia can be very counterproductive for BPDers. Any thoughts or comments?
Thanks again,
Colleen
Posted by b0rderline86 on April 9, 2007, at 21:47:52
In reply to Re: Improving on Carbemazapine - p.s......... » b0rderline86, posted by Colleen D. on April 9, 2007, at 19:40:25
Carbamazapine has certainly helped me for what u are describing, i am also on lexapro and small doses of largactil for anxiety. Interesting u should bring this topic up, as before i was put on these meds i was smoking marijuana and getting great paranoia and anxiety not just from its immediate effects but from its day after effects especially. i went into a detox centre to quit marijuana and valium because they were both working against my higher goal of feeling better. last weekend during a night out on the town, i managed to get in on the pass around of a joint, the effects were spectacular and i had an indepth non anxiety provoking(unusual) conversation with someone i didnt know. within 30 minutes, we had left the club and i was extremely paranoid about what i was saying and kept asking my friends if i was being a jerk, i was still however being extremely sociable.
Also on the weekend, i babysat my neighbours cat for a bud of weed (lol) and me and my partner smoked the entire thing, i was quite comfortable but still had slight paranoia, the next day my anxiety was through the roof. dont even want to explain it, but i didnt want to be seen or heard by anyone.
The moral of my story is ocasional indulgence can be quite fun, but repeated use especially for BPD's is a big no no. i couldnt think of anything worse, and i have used large quantities of ecstasy. weed just works completely different and leaves a certain form of anxiety thats just so different.
My advice is, stop smoking weed.
My current problem is drinking :D
Posted by b0rderline86 on April 9, 2007, at 22:03:40
In reply to Re: Improving on Carbemazapine » b0rderline86, posted by Colleen D. on April 9, 2007, at 19:32:59
Hi, yeah i am quite suprised by my 'so quick' response to just about each drug i have tried lately. (i am on a high dose of Lexapro, responded within 2 weeks and low doses of as needed largactil for night time agitation and anxiety) before this point no meds were working for me, its as if everything just pulled together at once.
One major thing i want to say before i start talking about previous medication is that the most long term releif i got was therapy. In australia its called Cognitive Analytical Therapy, which is different to CBT and more like DBT. I did 30 sessions of this at 1 week intervals and learnt more about myself and how my complex personality structure works in unhelpful and sometiems helpful ways. Each session was testing but overall in the long run i can understand myself a hell of a lot more.
As far as previous medications i have tried most SSRI's with no response or too many side effect, i have also tried(as far as anti depressants) efexor(increased anxiety), mirtazapine (over eating) and moclobemide (no effect).As far as mood stabilizers i have only tried lithium, which made me feel slightly manic(strange huh). As far as anti psychotics i have tried seroquel (too sedating), zyprexa (worked great except for over eating and too expensive) and pericyazine (did nothing). All of the above anti psychotics were in low doses.
After reading the above i am still so suprised that i have responded so well to lexapro, largactil and carbamazepine. The carbamazapine IS weight neutral as far as mood stabilizers go. It also has helped my sleeping majorly, and anxiety. Most behvaioural differences are only showing slight improvement, but a definite improval un such LOW doses.
Borderline personality disorder defenetely can get more releif from medication than the psychiatrists make out, but therapy is almost twice as better. Goodluck.
Posted by Colleen D. on April 9, 2007, at 22:20:07
In reply to Re: Improving on Carbemazapine - p.s......... » Colleen D., posted by b0rderline86 on April 9, 2007, at 21:47:52
Thanks so much for sharing your experience with the marijuana. I have smoked it on and off since high school and now have close friends who smoke often so that is difficult. It seems I can avoid buying it but I can't turn it down when someone has it.
I used to drink heavily during my younger years, self-medicating to relieve anxiety in social situations. My favorite buzz was three beers and a joint. Now I am on my own with children aged 3, 4 and 7 years, so I can only really drink and enjoy it on Saturdays when the children stay with their father. My favorite thing to do on Saturdays is to go to the casino and have a few drinks and my closest friends like to do this as well. I feel guilty for spending money there instead of on the children, but the whole euphoria that goes along with the "outing" is hard to resist. When I win, I feel great. When I lose, I get more depressed and feel terrible about what I've done.
Please keep me posted on how you are doing with your treatment. You can Babble Mail me if you want by clicking on my underlined name in the header of the post. I would certainly like to hear more about your experience with BPD, meds tried, and goals realized. Did you grow up in a dysfunctional family? I think that my mom may be a BPDer too, now that I look back on my childhood.
Take care,
:-) Colleen
Posted by deniseuk190466 on April 10, 2007, at 12:28:25
In reply to Improving on Carbemazapine, posted by b0rderline86 on April 9, 2007, at 0:06:50
Borderline,
What dose of tegretol are you taking?
Denise
Posted by b0rderline86 on April 10, 2007, at 23:14:59
In reply to Re: Improving on Carbemazapine, posted by deniseuk190466 on April 10, 2007, at 12:28:25
> Borderline,
>
> What dose of tegretol are you taking?
>
> Denise100mg twice a day. perhaps the improvement is all in my head? what are your thoughts?
Posted by zero on April 11, 2007, at 10:35:14
In reply to Improving on Carbemazapine, posted by b0rderline86 on April 9, 2007, at 0:06:50
Posted by b0rderline86 on April 16, 2007, at 8:26:25
In reply to Improving on Carbemazapine, posted by b0rderline86 on April 9, 2007, at 0:06:50
> Just letting everyone know that my anxiety, sleeping problems, mood swings, agression, black and white thinking and mixed states are all improving after initiating low dose Tegretol. expecting it to improve more as dose increases. keep u all posted. who else has had luck on carbemazapine?
Sorry to inform u all that altho some symptoms have improved... the drowsiness, sedation, over sleeping and lethargy created by the tegretol is proving too much, its actually makeing me more depressed that the more social activating effects of the lexapro have been ruled out by the tegretol. Going to see my doc for my next option tomorow.
Keep u posted.
Posted by polarbear206 on April 16, 2007, at 11:00:08
In reply to Re: Improving on Carbemazapine - Or not! » b0rderline86, posted by b0rderline86 on April 16, 2007, at 8:26:25
> > Just letting everyone know that my anxiety, sleeping problems, mood swings, agression, black and white thinking and mixed states are all improving after initiating low dose Tegretol. expecting it to improve more as dose increases. keep u all posted. who else has had luck on carbemazapine?
>
> Sorry to inform u all that altho some symptoms have improved... the drowsiness, sedation, over sleeping and lethargy created by the tegretol is proving too much, its actually makeing me more depressed that the more social activating effects of the lexapro have been ruled out by the tegretol. Going to see my doc for my next option tomorow.
> Keep u posted.
Don't give up on the Tegretol yet. You just probably need to fine tune the both of them so they don't cancel each other out, but compliment each other.Polarbear
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