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Severe Alcoholic. On Zyprexa. Having ADHD With Narcolepsy. What About Lamictal Vs. Zyprexa?

Posted on Wed, 3 Jul 2013

Question: I have a female friend who is a severe alcoholic. Currently, she has been off alcohol for about a month. She is now on zyprexa 5 mg. The results are mixed. I am a physician, but not a psychiatrist. My impression is that she is primarily a very severe ADHD with narcolepsy. She is also definitely bipolar. I am thinking that Adderal or Rittilin would be a good add on. What do you think about Lamictal vs. Zyprexa???

Answered by Dr. Dr.Nehal (5 hours later)

Hi,
Thanks for using healthcare magic.

I have gone through your friend's history provided by you. Please revert to me about symptoms she have and duration of symptoms.

Lack of concentration, hyperactivity or sleep disturbances , either decreased or rarely increased might be symptoms of alcohol withdrawal if the symptoms appear after omission of alcohol.

Mood disturbanes may be either seperate illness or may be due to alcohol withdrawal.
Drugs like methylphenidate may help in ADHD but it may worsen bipolar mood disorder.

So you should take her to psychiatrist for expert evaluation and treatment. Doctor may rule out personalty disorder. I hope you must have rule out physical causes like thyroid disturbances or vitamine B12 deficiency etc.

I hope I have addressed your concern.

Feel free to revert to me in case if you have further query.

Thanks.

Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar