Author: tearj3rker
Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2012 12:01 am
I’ve found that while I’m on mood-stabilisers, I’m much more sensitive to other medication and drugs affecting my memory, even drugs that normally wouldn’t. Suboxone is one of them.
That being said this is all self-reporting so it’s hardly scientific fact. Many people don’t feel mood-stabilisers affect their memory. Though one of the things I’ve found mood-stabilisers hit first is insight, which is why when lithium goes to toxic levels people don’t recognise the fact they’ve gone toxic, even though all their clothes are on inside-out and they’re trying to get entry into a house they haven’t lived in for 10 years.
The only way you could tell whether depakote is causing your problems is, like hatmaker said, by trial and error. I always found that my Sub metabolism was sped up while I was on epilim to the point where I’d be getting withdrawals leading into my next dose even on high doses. Then add an SNRI on top of that, and I’d be able to use on Sub with relative ease.
Valproic acid (depakote) induces CYP3A4, the enzyme that metabolises buprenorphine. Basically it speeds up the metabolism. Have you tried lithium? I’ve found it to cause no interactions.
If your problems keep persisting it may be worthwhile looking into other pharmacotherapies for addiction – naltrexone / methadone.
