i was told that antidepressants and medication for adhd may counteract each other, is this true?
Q: do depakote and adderall counteract each other?
Answers (4)
4/25/08 9:27pm
George
Depakote is often prescribed to treat bipolar disorder. For more information on drug interactions with depakote:
It does not list adderall as a possible interaction problem. However, if you have concerns, you should speak with your physician about this.
Eileen
4/26/08 7:05pm
Hey George,
To Eileen's excellent response I will add my personal experiences.
Depakote is an anticonvulsant commonly used to treat bipolar disorder and other conditions. Adderall is a stimulant used to treat AD/HD.
When I was treated for bipolar disorder and AD/HD in the early 90's, I took Tegretol, another anticonvulsant used to treat bipolar disorder, with Ritalin for 4 years with no problem. However, when I took Lithium briefly, for two months, with Ritalin, the Ritalin didn't work. Ritalin is another type of stimulant.
So, in answer to your question, response to medication combinations is individual. You are the best judge of whether or not one drug is countering the benefits of another drug.
In my case, Tegretol did not counter the effects of the Ritalin, but Lithium did.
For more information about medications, go to http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/, click on "Drugs and Supplements" and use the search engine to look up information on medications and nutritional supplements.
There are also other websites that provide information on medication. Just type the medication - (be sure to use the correct spelling) - into any search engine and read.
As you read through this type of information, print out any information that you don't understand or have questions about so you can discuss it with your doctor. It's helpful if you show the doctor a print out of what you read.
Your doctor is your treatment partner. He or she will work with you in finding a medication or combination that works best for you. If not, find another doctor.
There's a lot of good doctors our there. I have always been fortunate in that not only would my psychiatrists answer all my questions, they sometimes gave me information from their professional libraries to read.
Grandma Lise
9/23/08 12:47am
Yes but who cares! Unless you ride the bus i wouldn't take Depakote. I wont drive on most meds uless i had a stimulant!
2/21/10 5:56pm
Can I get an answer?
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thank you my son takes adderal and seroquel he has adhd and bi-polar. just got letter from doctor who he saw for a seizure he recentley had, and found epakote in his blood test. thank you again.