HELP: Gen-Divalproex

I have been diagnosed Bi-polar, though none of my friends, family or coworkers think this is accurate. It is the 5 doctor who has confirmed the diagnoses.

I was prescribed Lithium; and had Lithium Toxicity.

Obviously I stopped taking it, but that day my psychiatrist puts me on Gen-Divalproex which is an anti seizure drug. It appears to have the same side effects as Lithium, and appears similar to it considering it's Sodium base. So, how do I know that the same thing isn't going to happen?

My other concern is, I only experience hypomania, and not full on mania (which doesn't cause any problems) why am I being treated for mania?

First off I'd like to say WELCOME to the forums.
I wish I could answer your questions but I know nothing about Gen-Divalproex.
Did you ask these questions of your PDOC?
If you're really concerned about your reaction to the new drug it warrants a phone call to your PDOC and a nice discussion. As for why you are being treated for mania...hypomania and mania are the same thing just at different levels. I believe the same treatment applies for both just in different doses. As for your hypomania not causing any problems... are you sure? Mania or even hypomania. effects lives more than people may think. I'd ask your PDOC that one too.
Remember. They are there to help you and the more informed you are the easier it will be for you to help with your own treatment.

Okay, psycho.. I've been on Depakote, the branded divalproex for several years and when the generic came out a few moths ago, then I started taking THAT My doc told me why and how that med was prob'ly better for me and every time she's made some tweak to my regimen, I've profited... SO..Obviously anyone w/any sense is FIRST going to tell you to go along w/the dr. unless you have reasons not to. I think the depakote (divalproex) probably saved my life when I was unmistakably crazy. As SOON as I got kinda stable I started hearing from friends and family that I was fine".. that I shouldn't be taking those meds..They were wrong and I found out HOW wrong when after a year of having the big ups and downs leveld out, I went off the meds ( consulted w/my dr and eased off, safely).
Lotsof stuff I *COULD tell you about this stuff, but there's a huge gap in YOUR story.. How did you get thru' 5 docs in the first place? You MUST have been presenting -something- pretty interesting.
Google up CrazyMeds.. read as much as you can stand.. there's some good stuff there, not JUST the best source of drugs info I've found.

Thanks for the welcome//Thanks for the reference.

My psychiatrist still wants to try this, and is hoping the same reaction doesn't occur. If it does obviously, I'll be taken off it. He's only leaving 2 weeks in between appointments this time, instead of 3 weeks like normal.

As for the doctors who have diagnosed me;
I saw a psychiatrist when I was 12, he was the first. My GP confirmed that diagnoses a few years later. I saw a school counselor at University who referred me again, who also confirmed the diagnoses. My GP retired, and I got a new one. HE also confirmed the diagnosis and sent me to my current psychiatrist who once again confirmed the diagnoses. That's 5.

The first three I felt I couldn't rely on. I had a rough childhood and very rough teenage years. There was too many possibilities of what was causing my issues/moods---drugs, alcohol, abuse, deaths of friends etc... I preferred to be in denial about what was going on with my brain; despite everything else going on around me.

I have an outstanding academic record. Have always been studious, agreeable, cooperative, punctual, straight A student - right from Kindergarten, through University. I have never been fired, written up, or had a complaint at ANY job I have had. I have a tendency to excel and be promoted.

I told my mother I was diagnosed bipolar, and she thought I was joking. She said she knew I had a messed up adolescence but thought the "craziness" had ended (I moved out when I was 15(from my mothers)/Father left when I was 10) I told my dad, and he said that it didn't make sense, and basically agreed with my mother.

After seeing my current psych and being prescribed Lithium, I had to tell my manager (as I am a forklift operator) and he was confused as all holy hell. He said I was nothing but a bright, cheerful, enthusiastic person and that I was the best hire he had ever made.

I've had 5 bad days at work in an entire year.

I have answered my psychiatrists questions honestly and he thinks I'm bipolar? Should I have disagreed with him? When he said I would benefit from medication, I was willing to try? I'm confused.

Maybe I have missed this...how long have you been on the divalproex?

I'm on it and its really taken awhile to adjust to it. I took it kind of graduated (I started with one pill, then took 2, now I'm up to 3). I was told I could take as much as 4 pills when its all said and done (I'm a big girl). Whenever I started and increased the dosage, I got really sick, but I'm feeling better.

As for the treatment...the same part of your brain is going to be responsible for both. Hypomania is still mania, just not as severe. It is sometimes hard to recognize it as such because in all honesty you just feel pretty darn good. Be patient. If you have any questions try writing them down and asking your doctor either on the phone or the next visit.

So many times patients are afraid to ask about their treatment because they think their doctor knows best, but your concerns can sometimes help them to better diagnose you.

As far as the right diagnosis. Who knows...so many mental illnesses present with similar symptoms. These symptoms can be so similar that it is hard to differentiate between different diagnoses. Luckily, most of the time if the symptoms are similar, then the treatment can be similar. So even if your doctor doesn't have it 100% correct on paper, chances are he is atleast in the right category of medication.

The only time this isn't the case is with depression and bipolar. Anti-depressants are BAD for bipolars.

Psychositic-
I have had a couple of experiences simaliar to you because I had a lot of people tell me I was not bipolar and did not need meds. I also did a great job of keeping it together in public so few people saw my struggles. I did miss a lot of work, but I was a star at my job and continured to be promoted and praised for my work.

I have been diagnosed for 4 years now. I can't offer any advice on the med you are taking except to say that I take a different anti convulsant, Lamictal, and it has been my life saver.

I also was under the impression that all I ever had was hypo manias, but I recently saw a doc who is also a professor of psychiatry at Harvard. She told me that if I have ever had one major mania then I am type I. We tend to think of bipolar as real nut jobs in society so it is hard to accept that I have ever had a major mania, but I have, it looked like heavy drinking, making a snap decision to divorce, chopping my hair off, dating several different guys, and needing less sleep. I chalked that up to dealing with a divorce, but it was a major mania now that I look at it.

So my advice is keep examining your past behavior because it is possible the manias have been more serious then you think. I was pretty upset when this dr. told me I was type I instead of type II. But she said, there really is no differrence, same treatment, they both have to be treated for a lifetime.

Hang in there, and keep asking questions.

You sound a lot like where I was when I first got diagnosed during an extremely chaotic episode that led to extreme sleep deprivation.

It may be a little like when my dad was diagnosed with diabeties. He was not severe enough to require insulin and was able to control it through lifestyle changes of exercise and diet.

Why does the doctor think that you need medication? How bad were those 5 days? Do you become suicidal? Were they 5 days in a row or spread out over the entire year? I personally feel that my life would have been much better if doctors would have started with lifestyle changes first and only added medication if necessary. For me, their cures have been worse than the ill that I started with. I know that some people need medication but that doesn't mean that it is the best route for everyone.

My psych thinks I need medication to "stabilize my mood". The 5 bad days were spread out over the year; they were caused by conflicts at work. I've never come to work in a bad mood, but I've left 5 times in one. I think that's reasonable. I was never suicidal because of it. I asked my psych if he thought I needed to be on meds and he said yes. He also said that I was really controlling, so I wasn't terribly inclined to ask more questions. Which is stupid, I know.

I felt like I wanted to die when I spent a week by myself on Christmas, when my dad called me Christmas morning to uninvite me to dinner, because everyone was having such a good time, he didn't want me to feel awkward.

And yeah I see your point about mania. My ex girlfriend is rapid cycle bipolar, and I saw her mania all the time, as well as the depression. I just couldnt even remotely relate to that. I've never made poor/rash/impulsive choices because of it.

Don't get me wrong, sometimes I feel like I'm totally insane; it just doesn't get expressed. I keep denying myself of thinking about it because I feel like I'm over analyzing. I just have to keep it together, what else am I going to do?

Had I been asked years ago if i was bipolar my answer would have been a resounding NO!. I didn't see the mania as being over the top or the depression as being all that unusual. My reactions, to me, were logical consequences of the circumstances at the time. Looking back now it was oh so obvious.
Had anyone asked my husband back then he'd have nodded his head off but my mom and dad would have just said i was a cry baby or "moody" or something.
What I'm trying to say is that sometimes we don't see the problem and others may not see it either. I was manic for years and didn't know it but when i got on the right meds and learned other tricks of the trade to help me I became "normal" in my husbands eyes for the first time in my life. Even my mom and dad saw the change and had to admit that I am like a new person.
I'm not saying that you are bipolar but it might be an idea to sound out some trusted people. You don't have to say anything about being bipolar.
Just make a game of it.
"If you could chose 3 words to describe me what would they be?" Stuff like that.
You can learn a lot from those answers.
If the words are things like "Stable, calm and relaxed" I think you need to talk with that doc again. LOL
Good luck

The fact that your Dad doesn't believe that you have a mood disorder and yet uninvites you to a family function seems a little contradictory to me. Is it because of the usual awkward step family situation or have you been hypomanic under the stress of family situations in the past and made him or others feel uncomfortable?

I think it's because of the awkward step family situation. I'm consistently quiet around my father, always have been. I hold some resentment and anger towards him; for a lot of reasons. I have 3 older sisters, and my brother died of Leukemia at the age of 9; and my father was an abusive pedophile. You can put two and two together on that one, and imagine that it's hard for me to communicate, trust or love my father - as much as he's changed over the past few years. The situation is almost too complicated to explain who talks to whom anymore.

People often describe me as stable, strong and logical; and people usually come to me for advice. I don't know.

Part of me doesn't want to admit that I have BPD or I'd let it be an excuse for my actions. How exactly do you determine what normal behavior is or what a normal reaction to a situation is - and how do you know if it's bad enough to need medication?

Considering everything you have to cope with it sounds like you are doing great to me. My philosphy is - "If it aint broke, then don's fix it, if it is broke, then don't use a wrecking ball if all you need is a hammer."

Have you spent any real time with a TDOC? Maybe they can shed light on the problem. They can evaluate you and get in touch with the med pusher.
Just one visit won't work though. It takes a while for a tdoc to get to really know you.
They might also be able to help with the past issues you have.
You might just have PTSD.
Sorry "just have" is the wrong way to say that but I don't know how else to say it.
PTSD can rear it's ugly head in many ways, some might be mistaken for a manic or depressive episode.
I wish you all the best.
Just my two cents worth.

I was diagnosed with PTSD when I was kicked in the face 9 nine times, and had damage to my visual cortex (which caused optical headaches).

Then about 4 years ago, I was raped and had episodes after that where I would panic, have flash backs and completely lose it.

Both of those stopped about 2 years ago; and my "moods" have remained the same in comparison.