crazymama30
Active Member
Is anyone familiar with this? Sounds like it is a prescription grade supplement, but wondering if anyone has had good luck with it. I have been reading about it and wanted some real world experience
Deplin?
- Thread starter crazymama30
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smallworld
Moderator
My middle daughter's been on Deplin for about a year or so. Deplin is the only form of folate that can cross the blood-brain barrier. Anticonvulsants like Lamictal, which my daughter takes, can decrease folate. Depressed patients with low folate apparently are less likely to respond to treatment and are less likely to achieve remission. Because we were increasing my daughter's Lamictal dose every 6 months or so, my daughter's psychiatrist put her on Deplin to see if it would regulate her mood better. The interesting thing is that we have not had to increase her Lamictal dose since she started Deplin.
I will warn you that our insurance does not cover Deplin because it is considered a "medical food," and it is costly. But my daughter takes 7.5 mg and her psychiatrist writes the rx for 15 mg (which costs the same as the 7.5 mg tablets). So we split the tablets in half and essentially get twice the amount for the same fee. I think we have paid more than $90 for a 30-day supply (which ends up being a 60-day supply when we cut the tablets in half).
I will warn you that our insurance does not cover Deplin because it is considered a "medical food," and it is costly. But my daughter takes 7.5 mg and her psychiatrist writes the rx for 15 mg (which costs the same as the 7.5 mg tablets). So we split the tablets in half and essentially get twice the amount for the same fee. I think we have paid more than $90 for a 30-day supply (which ends up being a 60-day supply when we cut the tablets in half).
crazymama30
Active Member
Small, is there a blood test to check to see if deplin is needed?
smallworld
Moderator
As far as I know, there isn't. I don't believe folate levels in the brain can be measured. One of the other reasons my daughter's psychiatrist started her on it is that her psychiatrist is in a study group, and one of her colleagues has had a lot of good luck wit his patients and Deplin. So he convinced her to try it with her patients.
My daughter had a prescription for this a few years ago from a family practice doctor. We ended up changing doctors and not using it so I don't have personal experience with it. That doctor told me that his patients (mostly adults) either loved it or it did nothing for them. He said he prescribed it for people and their friends would come in and ask for it. He said we should try it and if there was no benefit to just stop it. I can't remember exactly how long he said to try it, but I think it was less than a month because I remember him saying if it didn't work for her, I could take it. He made it seem like it was magic candy he was handing out LOL.
Since it seemed new at the time and with his casual attitude, I was trying to find out more about it before giving it to her. I did end up deciding it would be ok but, for other reasons, we switched doctors. The next doctor had a different plan.
Since it seemed new at the time and with his casual attitude, I was trying to find out more about it before giving it to her. I did end up deciding it would be ok but, for other reasons, we switched doctors. The next doctor had a different plan.
smallworld
Moderator
Hope, we haven't seen any "wow" factor from Deplin. But we haven't seen any negatives from it either. It's been far more subtle for us.
flutterby
Fly away!
I took it for a short bit and it did seem to take the edge off the depression - in addition to lexapro and lamictal - and helped with the fatigue, although not as though I had tons of energy, just took the edge off. I had to stop taking it because studies came out about folate and heart disease and I guess it wasn't good.
