Mood stabilisers - experiences and thoughts?

[hk1993x]

Hi everyone.

I am currently on 60mg fluoxetine and I am still under the care of the mental health team. I have a diagnosis of anxiety, OCD, ADHD and depression 🫠 how fun eh?!

I'm curious though, I was getting treatment for the ADHD but apparently that can increase anxiety so I had to stop it.

I spoke to my nurse the other day and said I don't feel like I have the "happy" emotion naturally. I told them I used to take cocodomol for my sciatica and it gave me a feeling like I was on top of the world, I wasn't out of it or anything but it gave me like the drive to be productive and fun etc.

I currently feel the last few years I have drifted between feeling anxious and feeling numb. Like where is the happiness chemical that is supposed to make me actually excited?

Sorry for the long post. I was just curious if anyone who has had a mood stabiliser has taken it with fluoxetine. What was your experience? I think this is something I am going to discuss with my psychiatrist.

Thanks for reading if you got this far! 🩷

I think I take one - Lamotrigine? I know it's normally used in bipolar (which I don't have) but my psychiatrist said there was some emerging evidence about how it could help antidepressants work better even if you don't have bipolar. For me, the main benefit is that I tend not to experience extreme levels of emotion and things are a bit more predictable. I take it alongside trazodone. I wouldn't say it's been life changing but I do think it helps a little bit.

Thanks for replying! I will definitely have the discussion with my psychiatrist, I just feel constantly "meh" if that even is an emotion or extreme anxiety. I just feel like im lacking the happy fun emotion 🥹

I know exactly what you mean about 'meh'. When my psychiatrist asks how I am, the only answer I can generally give is to shrug. I wouldn't say lamotrigine has made that much better but I'm happy to sacrifice some of the highs in order not to have the crushing lows.

When it comes to combining mood stabilizers with fluoxetine, it's essential to have an open dialogue with your healthcare team to ensure the best possible outcomes and minimize any potential interactions or side effects. Remember, finding the right balance may take time, but with patience and communication, you can work towards finding a treatment plan that helps you feel more like yourself again.