Sodium Valproate for depression and anxiety?

[ravenia]

Been to a new psychiatrist yesterday to come off the (terrible) combination of meds I've been on for years. In a 20 minute appointment, he was adamant I am either autistic or have schizoid personality disorder. He didn't listen or ask about current symptoms.

He said he was prescribing sertraline... then I get home and see that the epilim he prescribed is sodium valproate, an epilepsy drug??

At this point I am confused!! Stopping the meds anyway and heading to gp this afternoon to see if there is anything she's comfortable prescribing long term.

Is there anything else I should be doing? Very much inclined to not go back to this guy!

Epilim has been linked to birth defects, did he talk to you about contraception?

I’d check anyway though, sertraline and epilim are totally different!!

Sorry to have just said that so bluntly, please don’t worry too much. But if you have a different prescription to what you thought was being prescribed I wouldn’t take it and would check back with him and if it is not a mistake ask him to explain. If your not happy then I’d see if you could see someone else.

I'm actually asexual so he may have thought there was no need for contraception.

I'm very much not convinced and actually don't want to go back. Seeing my gp later today for a second opinion.

My therapist called to check too and he told her it's a mood stabilizer... not convinced. I don't have bipolar disorder. Plus it's reported weight gain worries me terribly, I have a history of anorexia and became suicidal on paroxetine purely because of the amount of weight it made me gain

It is a mood stabiliser, and can be helpful for treatment resistant depression.

Weight gain can happen with almost all ADs, but SV is unlikely to cause significant gain.

Suicidal thoughts are a reported side effect of paroxetine.

What meds are you currently on?

@CorrBlimeyGG

It is a mood stabiliser, and can be helpful for treatment resistant depression.

Weight gain can happen with almost all ADs, but SV is unlikely to cause significant gain.

Suicidal thoughts are a reported side effect of paroxetine.

What meds are you currently on?

I am currently withdrawing from deanxit (flupentixol/melitracen), amirol (amitryptiline) and valdoxan (agomelatine).

GP has suggested sertraline as an alternative, and given me a supply of xanax to get through what will otherwise be 2 weeks of hell.

My therapist is going to kill me for this, but I am not going back to the psychiatrist. I left his office in tears, but I feel so much more hopeful after seeing my GP. And the more I read about it, the more convinced I am that I'm not schizoid. I was just very anxious (literally frozen with it) and caught off guard by his abrupt manner.