Thinking about asking pdoc to lower my Risperdal dose and raising Depakote dose

Medications
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Now that I’m back up on the Risperdal dose I’m noticing that my cognition is slowed and blunted compared to 3mg.
She also gave me the option to remain at 3mg of Risperdal and raise my Depakote dose, I’m currently at 1000mg a day.
Like a dummy I chose to raise the Risperdal dose.
I’m pretty sure that a slight bump up on my Depakote dose would be less impactful on my cognition than remaining at 4mg of Risperdal
When I see her in 2 weeks I’ll discuss about going up on the Depakote dose instead

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Which would you choose?
  • Raise Depakote dose
  • Raise Risperdal dose
0 voters
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@Vertigo

I think irritability is mood, but I believe the max dose of Depakote is 1,000mg. I’m surprised she would prescribe more than max dose.

Edit: for mania, the max dose is 60mg per kg of body weight. So if you weigh 100kgx60mg=6,000mg

Yeah, 1,000mg is not max dose for mania.

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Yeah I’m pretty sure that a typical normal higher dose of Depakote is somewhere around 3000mg @Catman

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But I forgot that there is an interaction between Lamictal and Depakote where Depakote can raise Lamictal blood levels
I’m also taking Lamictal

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@Vertigo

Years ago I took Depakote (now take Lamictal), and I was told that the rule of thumb is to take your body weight in pounds and add a 0. So if you weigh 250 lbs, you should take 2,500mg

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I weigh 176 pounds so that would be 1760mg? @Catman?

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@Vertigo
Yes.

That’s what I was told by a psychiatrist many years ago.

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The highest Depakote dose I’ve been on was 2500mg years ago

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@Vertigo

You need to talk to your psychiatrist because it’s becoming clear to me that I have no idea what I’m talking about. :upside_down_face:

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You also have to realize that med changes don’t make things “right” immediately. You have to give things a chance to work (or not work). Didn’t you just ask to increase your Abilify to stay on the lower Risperdal dose? I don’t know…I’m terrible for giving things a chance to work before changing things up…

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No thank you @Catman
You’ve been very helpful

@WhiteRaven
No my pdoc didn’t raise the Abilify dose

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im on similar medicine to u. 3mg paliperidone and 15mg abilify.

did she not wanna raise the abilify?

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She mentioned it but it wasn’t her first choice.
In the start of taking Abilify I become manic but I may try it out later @irrelevant

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@irrelevant Im going to ask her to raise my Abilify dose to 5mg and lower my Risperdal dose back down to 3mg
I’m going to give it a go
This was her suggestion
I’m going to attempt these changes after I come back from vacation

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That might work out good. Id be worried if you were lowering both, but raising one while lowering the other might help you a lot.

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Yeah it’s worth a try
Thanks @TheCanuk!

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I feel the same way idk what to say and I don’t wanna steer @Vertigo in the wrong direction I’m worried to do this poll if I give the wrong answer and he does what I recommend I’ll feel terrible

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I’m really biased and like depakote.

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Frankly @Vertigo I don’t think we should be dictating to your doctor what meds to prescribe, what to raise, what to lower and by how much! That’s your doctor’s job. Let him or her figure it out. That’s what they go to medical school for. I get so tired of people on this website thinking they know better than their doctor’s.