I was on that combination back in 1998. I gained a 100lbs. One of the side effect of depakote is hair lose. I was on Paxil from Jan. 1997-Aug. 2000. Paxil was a nightmare to withdraw from. Even doing it slowly. For a week and a half, I had static in my ear, sensitivity to light and sound. After I got over the worse of the withdraw, I saw on 20/20 about people having hard time getting off medications. I was on Depakote from March 1998-Sept. 1999. After I got off those medication I lost weight. I could finally walk more then a block without my ankles turning, which was painful. Medications can slow down the metabolism. No way will I ever go on medication that cause me to gain weight.

Doctors/psychiatrist does not tell you about withdrawels, side effects, etc. How can they diagnose or make judgment on a person in 10 min? You can't know fully what is going on in ten minutes. "Oh your moods seem elivated today, you should go on a mood stabilizor".

I had a fun....NOT, on an anti-psychotic medication that I shouldn't be put on the first place. Interestingly it was the number one on the list in my abnormal textbook. Fluphenazine HCl (Permitil, Prolixin), which is a high potency. I ended up in the emergency room for three hours getting cogentin. The ER doctor know immedently know what was wrong, Dystonic Drug Reaction. This scared me.
I started out with my tongue swelling up had a hard time talking. Neck spasms. Things progressively got worst by the time I was in the ER (Feburary 27, 2002) waiting for the doctor, my tongue was felt like it was being pulled on and down hard on my bottom tooth. My whole entire body was spasming. I recieved medication (Cogentin) by IV every half an hour for three hours. Then I was allowed to go home. For three days I was not allowed to drive and had to take over the counter Benadryl to make sure I do not have a relapse.


I found Willbutrin to intensify everything. (Feb. 20, 2002-May 2006). I didn't realize that the medication intensifies everything until I got off of it.

Now I am only taking an anxiety medication as needed. I endured enough on medication. Caused more trauma then did good for me. I spent 10 years of my life overmedicated. Now I am doing the hard work that I need to do to move towards recovery, that I should have done 10 years ago if I had the proper help.