# Lamotrigine (Lamictal) the mood stabilizee for depression



## bazinga (Jun 9, 2010)

Just putting it out there that some people may want to give Lamotrigine the mood stabilizer a try if their meds are failing. Perhaps a combo like lamotrigine + sertraline. I used to take lamotrigine with prozac but Ive quit prozac and I still feel good.

I am bipolar and I imagine most of the people having success with lamotrigine for depression are bipolar. I wouldnt doubt if non-bipolar folks have had success as well. I went through a hell of a lot of depressive cycles and lamotrigine put a stop to that years ago.

If your other meds are failing and you are desperate, it wouldnt hurt to try Lamotrigine. Its affordable and Ive had no side effects in my experience. You may encounter a few but theyre not that bad compared to many antidepressants.


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## istayhome (Apr 4, 2012)

Yep, after about 20 different antidepressants - all to no avail. It was the mild Lamictal that had a major effect. Best drug I have taken to date I think. I guess I have bipolar but I am so far to the depressed end of the spectrum I thought I just had MDD for years, so I never got proper treatment,


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## TyrosineKinase (Jan 20, 2010)

I would have to agree with this. I was put on lamictal for migraine prevention and my neurologist mentioned it may help depression. It took a while to kick in but I did notice a little bit of a benefit. I wouldn't say it helped my depression to a great degree, but it was a hell of a lot better than the dozen plus reuptake inhibitors I have tried. Though I took it as mono therapy and not along with a reiptake inhibitor at the time. Maybe it would have helped but I doubt it considering simply increasing the amount of a given neurotransmitter in the synapse doesn't seem to increase binding probability, in my brain at least.


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## Mr Bacon (Mar 10, 2012)

What's with lamotrigine and the depression spectrum exactly? A bunch of people have been praising it on this forum. How is it any better than Depakote or lithium for instance? Aren't all mood stabilizers more or less equal?

I don't know much about these meds, a little explanation would be welcomed!


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## bazinga (Jun 9, 2010)

Lamotrigine is generally accepted to be a member of the sodium channel blocking class of antiepileptic drugs, but it could have additional actions inasmuch as it has a broader spectrum of action than other sodium channel antiepileptic drugs such as phenytoin and carbamazepine and is effective in the treatment of the depressed phase of bipolar disorder, whereas other sodium channel blocking antiepileptic drugs are not. In addition, lamotrigine shares few side-effects with other, unrelated anticonvulsants known to inhibit sodium channels, which further emphasizes its unique properties.


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## istayhome (Apr 4, 2012)

Mr Bacon said:


> What's with lamotrigine and the depression spectrum exactly? A bunch of people have been praising it on this forum. How is it any better than Depakote or lithium for instance? Aren't all mood stabilizers more or less equal?
> 
> I don't know much about these meds, a little explanation would be welcomed!


http://www.crazymeds.us/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Meds/Lamictal

The best answer to your question, and most honest, I discussed this with my p-doc in depth. But the best answer is that we don't know for sure, the fact is that it works damn good.


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## BladeRunnerB26354 (Apr 12, 2012)

Lamictal sounds very interesting and something I will discuss with my doc.

Istay - in retrospect, did you have any clues you had bipolar? I wonder if my treatment resistant Dysthymia could be bipolar


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## bazinga (Jun 9, 2010)

Do you experience cycles of depression that last a prolonged period of time? Or do you cycle rapidly between feeling good or normal and depression for no known reason. I cycle between crippling depression and feeling good which last about 1-2 months inbetween. Happens like clockwork. Do you experience bad mood swings for no reason at all, feel highly agitated, experience racing thoughts?

One of my clues aside from mood swings/agitation/racing thoughts was the ineffectiveness of ssri and antipsychotics. I would still cycle between normal and depressed every 1-2 months. It didnt matter what medications I was taking. One ssri even gave me mania for 3 weeks straight (my first experience with ssri before I knew about bipolar). I had other clues as well. For example, speaking gibberish repetitively and rapidly and clang associations when my mind races.

Your doctor/therapist/psych would know best.


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## istayhome (Apr 4, 2012)

It took me a while to really think that Bibpolar was a serious option. The hints had been there for decades but I didn't put it together. The first piece of evidence is that my mother father and one brother are definitely bipolar, all pretty classic examples. M other two brother may have bipolar as well. Also an aunt and a grand mother are definitely bipolar.

Sorry, my computer just crashed so I will finish and post asap.


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## bazinga (Jun 9, 2010)

I really think my mother is bipolar. She doesnt see a psych but she has been on antidepressants for 30 or so years. Took her a while to get stable but she still experiences wild mood swings and some depression for no reason.

Depression/mental illness runs in both sides of my family


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## BladeRunnerB26354 (Apr 12, 2012)

bazinga said:


> Do you experience cycles of depression that last a prolonged period of time? Or do you cycle rapidly between feeling good or normal and depression for no known reason. I cycle between crippling depression and feeling good which last about 1-2 months inbetween. Happens like clockwork. Do you experience bad mood swings for no reason at all, feel highly agitated, experience racing thoughts?
> 
> One of my clues aside from mood swings/agitation/racing thoughts was the ineffectiveness of ssri and antipsychotics. I would still cycle between normal and depressed every 1-2 months. It didnt matter what medications I was taking. One ssri even gave me mania for 3 weeks straight (my first experience with ssri before I knew about bipolar). I had other clues as well. For example, speaking gibberish repetitively and rapidly and clang associations when my mind races.
> 
> Your doctor/therapist/psych would know best.


My own perspective is that I have dysthymia - chronic, long term low mood which dips into MDD every now and then, and that I'm very sensitive to outside events and stimulus - sometimes that means feeling great, more often it means feeling worse.

My last few GFs have thought I was bippolar though, so that's an outside perspective, because I have a lot of mood swings.

I have got brief spells of hypomania from a lot of the SSRIs that I've tried, mainly in the first week or two, usually for a few hours each morning I felt GREAT then it wears off to very low mood by lunchtime.

Thanks for your posts guys


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## bazinga (Jun 9, 2010)

What are your sleep patterns like? Do you feel tired when you don't sleep much especially for an extended period of time (days/weeks). A lot of bipolar people, including myself, sometimes will sleep very little and feel just fine. I'd go days sleeping 2-3 hours a night and not feel tired.


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## BladeRunnerB26354 (Apr 12, 2012)

bazinga said:


> What are your sleep patterns like? Do you feel tired when you don't sleep much especially for an extended period of time (days/weeks). A lot of bipolar people, including myself, sometimes will sleep very little and feel just fine. I'd go days sleeping 2-3 hours a night and not feel tired.


Ah no, I need lots of sleep. I have a great deal of lethargy and that's worse unless I get 9 hours sleep a night and I often need to sleep after work/ during the day too


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## Mr Bacon (Mar 10, 2012)

BladeRunnerB26354 said:


> My own perspective is that I have dysthymia - chronic, long term low mood which dips into MDD every now and then, and that I'm very sensitive to outside events and stimulus - sometimes that means feeling great, more often it means feeling worse.
> 
> My last few GFs have thought I was bippolar though, so that's an outside perspective, because I have a lot of mood swings.
> 
> ...


Interesting. We have very similar symptoms, from the looks of it.


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## bazinga (Jun 9, 2010)

Still think it would be a good idea for some to try Lamotrigine if they're having serious problems with their meds like bad depression. It's worth a shot.


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## gilmourr (Nov 17, 2011)

How much would you suggest to augment with zoloft (like 150 mg).

Did you say it works on anxiety too? I can't see why it wouldn't if it works on GABA, but if it works on depression that would be enough for now. Major depression is the worst.


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## bazinga (Jun 9, 2010)

Dosage varies from person to person but I imagine somewhere between 100-200 mg. You may not need 200mg though.

If it helps your depression it will probably help depression-related anxiety. I know my anxiety went down a lot when I got stabilized.

* 11. What is the usual final dose of lamotrigine? 
When used as an antidepressant or as a mood-stabilizing agent the final dose of lamotrigine is most often between 100 and 200 mg/day.

http://www.psycom.net/depression.central.lamotrigine.html

*


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## gilmourr (Nov 17, 2011)

Should I get one of those starter kits? I'm not sure if my GP would know about them, he might just give me a dose. But I think most people say that starter kits prove to have less side effects as you slowly build it up.


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## bazinga (Jun 9, 2010)

Your doc should know enough about lamotrigine's side effects to help you safely titrate. He might want to start you off with 50mg pills that you can break in half. Increments of about 25mg should be safe.

I've never experienced side effects unlike with antidepressants and also neurontin. You might, but I doubt they will be bad. If you can handle antidepressants then you should be able to handle Lamotrigine (my guess).


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## billyho (Apr 12, 2010)

BladeRunnerB26354 said:


> Ah no, I need lots of sleep. I have a great deal of lethargy and that's worse unless I get 9 hours sleep a night and I often need to sleep after work/ during the day too


I too have just started titrating up on the lamictal train, currently at 50mg and will probably stay there for longer than two weeks.

But.. BladeRunner, I am exactly like you with the sleep thing. You may want to talk to your doc about having a sleep study.. I just had one and it was positive for sleep apnea.


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## BladeRunnerB26354 (Apr 12, 2012)

billyho said:


> I too have just started titrating up on the lamictal train, currently at 50mg and will probably stay there for longer than two weeks.
> 
> But.. BladeRunner, I am exactly like you with the sleep thing. You may want to talk to your doc about having a sleep study.. I just had one and it was positive for sleep apnea.


A sleep study sounds interesting. What did it involve for you and for how long? What equipment did they hook you up to?


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## billyho (Apr 12, 2010)

BladeRunnerB26354 said:


> A sleep study sounds interesting. What did it involve for you and for how long? What equipment did they hook you up to?


I was hooked up to a bunch of ekg leads, chest, legs, face and scalp.. kinda icky actually!! Also to a heart rate monitor i believe and also to a pulse oximeter. I was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea and narcolepsy which they think is a result of the apnea. Need to go back for a 2nd study to try out a cpap machine so they can get the correct oxygen flow. It's kinda weird, they have a night vision camera on you as you sleep.. forgot to mention, it was overnight in a hospital room that looks like a hotel room.


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## bazinga (Jun 9, 2010)

BladeRunnerB26354 said:


> Ah no, I need lots of sleep. I have a great deal of lethargy and that's worse unless I get 9 hours sleep a night and I often need to sleep after work/ during the day too


Lacking those sleep patterns doesn't necessarily indicate that you aren't bipolar. Also, having those sleep patterns doesn't necessarily mean you are bipolar. I guess the need for sleep is different for everyone. For example, if you only cycle between feeling normal and depressed, you may go from sleeping regularly to oversleeping.

Your psych would probably know best.


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## BladeRunnerB26354 (Apr 12, 2012)

billyho said:


> I was hooked up to a bunch of ekg leads, chest, legs, face and scalp.. kinda icky actually!! Also to a heart rate monitor i believe and also to a pulse oximeter. I was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea and narcolepsy which they think is a result of the apnea. Need to go back for a 2nd study to try out a cpap machine so they can get the correct oxygen flow. It's kinda weird, they have a night vision camera on you as you sleep.. forgot to mention, it was overnight in a hospital room that looks like a hotel room.





bazinga said:


> Lacking those sleep patterns doesn't necessarily indicate that you aren't bipolar. Also, having those sleep patterns doesn't necessarily mean you are bipolar. I guess the need for sleep is different for everyone. For example, if you only cycle between feeling normal and depressed, you may go from sleeping regularly to oversleeping.
> 
> Your psych would probably know best.


Good stuff guys, I will look into the sleep apnea investigation and yes I need to see a Psych asap.

The last 2 years my mental health has been put on the back burner due to work and study pressures, so I've just been under the care of my GP, whose options and knowledge are of course limited.

I'm going to fix this in the NY


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## Monroee (Aug 26, 2009)

Lamictal is the only drug that I really tend to praise most of the time. I'm Bipolar, I've been on it for going on 3 years now (I did start and stop it briefly a few times), and it's always worked really well on stabilizing most of my mood, especially the depression. (It also gave the positive side effect of helping with SA.) It was the one drug that I can say I never got a side effect from. I would recommend it too, for people that feel an SSRI isn't working for their depression. I mean, I wouldn't know for sure, since I'm BP and it's meant for BP depression, but still. 

I've never been able to be on it by itself though, I need an anti-psychotic paired with it.


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## bazinga (Jun 9, 2010)

Monroee said:


> Lamictal is the only drug that I really tend to praise most of the time. I'm Bipolar, I've been on it for going on 3 years now (I did start and stop it briefly a few times), and it's always worked really well on stabilizing most of my mood, especially the depression. (It also gave the positive side effect of helping with SA.) It was the one drug that I can say I never got a side effect from. I would recommend it too, for people that feel an SSRI isn't working for their depression. I mean, I wouldn't know for sure, since I'm BP and it's meant for BP depression, but still.
> 
> I've never been able to be on it by itself though, I need an anti-psychotic paired with it.


Lamotrigine has kept me out of depression for a few years now and has greatly reduced my anxiety as a result.

I also take mood stabilizer + antipsych. The lamotrigine stops the depression. I find I don't need an SSRI anymore.


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## Monroee (Aug 26, 2009)

bazinga said:


> I also take mood stabilizer + antipsych. The lamotrigine stops the depression. I find I don't need an SSRI anymore.


Just curious, were you able to be on a SSRI? I simply couldn't tolerate them, even in combinations. Before my diagnosis, I was always on a SSRI/lamictal/AP combination, and I still was always unstable. Once they figured out I was BP, they gave me a new AP, dropped the SSRI, and then it worked wonders. So I wonder if the SSRI was making me worse, I was rapid cycling a lot on them.


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## istayhome (Apr 4, 2012)

Monroee said:


> Just curious, were you able to be on a SSRI? I simply couldn't tolerate them, even in combinations. Before my diagnosis, I was always on a SSRI/lamictal/AP combination, and I still was always unstable. Once they figured out I was BP, they gave me a new AP, dropped the SSRI, and then it worked wonders. So I wonder if the SSRI was making me worse, I was rapid cycling a lot on them.


Yes I've heard from several p-docs that many people with bipolar who take an SSRI, the SSRI tends to makes them (more) manic/cause them to cycle, whatever. That was certainly my experience. Every single SSRI/SNRI made me hypomanic or rapid cycling. It wasn't until I got on Lamictal that it all went away and my depression got better. I wish that more psychiatrists would try giving Lamictal to patients who respond poorly to SSRI's. Just as a Unipolar AD it seems to work very well and it's side-effect profile is far better than any AD I have ever taken.


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## bazinga (Jun 9, 2010)

I had been taking SSRI for about 4-5 years.
Lexapro, the first SSRI I've ever tried, gave me mania for about 3 weeks so I stopped.
Prozac, Sertraline, and Cymbalta did nothing. Antipsych's were added. Geodon did nothing. Abilify and Saphris stopped racing thoughts and paranoia but didn't stop the depressive cycles. I was going through cycles every 1-2 months no matter which meds I was taking. Eventually, Lamotrigine was added. After that, my mood swings and agitation stopped. The depression stopped.

I stayed on SSRI for a long time and it never helped. I just kept taking them. But after getting on Lamotrigine, I found that I no longer needed SSRI. The primary reason I was still on SSRI was because it's almost impossible to come off them after 4+ years. The withdrawals are brutal. Lamotrigine kept me out of depression, so I was able to stop the SSRI with no added depression. I've been doing really well for maybe 4-5 weeks now without SSRI.


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## bazinga (Jun 9, 2010)

istayhome said:


> I wish that more psychiatrists would try giving Lamictal to patients who respond poorly to SSRI's. Just as a Unipolar AD it seems to work very well and it's side-effect profile is far better than any AD I have ever taken.


I wish more people knew about Lamictal so if they're running out of options, they can try it.


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## gilmourr (Nov 17, 2011)

bazinga said:


> I wish more people knew about Lamictal so if they're running out of options, they can try it.


If it works . What I'm hoping is that it just DOESN'T increase anxiety.

I've read quite a few things now that some people experience remission of depression but it makes them more anxious than they were in the first place.

Right now I could use anything helping.

The first good sign is (it might not be the lamictal, it might be nardil coming out of my system) but I was able to get to sleep last night at 2:30 AM instead of 7 am for like the first night in about 14 days. Even though I only got 3 hours of sleep, I needed no sleep aid. I'll take as many small victories as I can.


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## bazinga (Jun 9, 2010)

loanqotr said:


> I thought I just had MDD for years, so I never got proper treatment


I thought I had just depression and anxiety a long time


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## gilmourr (Nov 17, 2011)

Hey Bazinga do you remember, or did you record when you felt enough of a kick from lamictal to go back to doing normal things? (whether it may be going out with friends, getting a job, sports, just normal behaviors for you).

If you could tell me how long it took to feel 50% better (depression) and how long it took you to start noticing behavioral changes I'd appreciate it.

You're lucky that you didn't get these headaches. They aren't migraines, but they're dull/achy and they go on for a long time.


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## bazinga (Jun 9, 2010)

I don't remember. I don't keep track of days.

I would have started the zoloft first and wait a while to get stable before starting anything else. You might confuse the side effects of the two because they can have similar side effects. Starting two meds at once sounds like double the trouble.


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## gilmourr (Nov 17, 2011)

bazinga said:


> I don't remember. I don't keep track of days.
> 
> I would have started the zoloft first and wait a while to get stable before starting anything else. You might confuse the side effects of the two because they can have similar side effects. Starting two meds at once sounds like double the trouble.


Can't really do that because I'm not sure if it works anymore. Last time I tried it at 50 mg for 3 weeks, and 100 mg for 1 week and I was majorly depressed the entire time off Nardil. It was so bad that I had to go back on Nardil because I couldn't wait another day for an AD effect. Now see, I'm not sure if I just didn't wait long enough or if the dose was too small.

I can't survive 8 weeks without something else working. So that's why I HAD to start lamictal first. It SHOULD prevent suicidal depressed lows so that I can at least wait to trial a drug.

I'm thinking of using Lamictal alone until I get up until 150 mg... but I'm hesitant because with less serotonin I'm cold as hell and I really doubt I can get by with just using Lamictal (slash achieve remission).

I'm actually thinking currently about using zoloft in the meantime and then going back to Nardil (in 3 months) WITH lamictal but using Nardil @ 30 mg.

Because frankly, nardil kicks *** when it works. It's the first drug that ever regulated my sleep properly (waking up at 7 AM with ease) and provided me with a chance.


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## bazinga (Jun 9, 2010)

Well you could get by with 5htp or l-tryptophan supplements possibly. 5htp helped me tremendously coming off of Prozac. It'll at least let you avoid the nasty withdrawals if you decide to get off of Zoloft.

My plan to get off SSRI is kind of failing. I thought I didn't need them but I am second guessing. I might try Luvox for ocd before starting Anafranil. I think an antidepressant, lamotrigine, and AP works best for me.

Why did you stop Nardil? Also, you are not having good experience with Zoloft or something? It'll probably take a while to get the full effects. But why stop Nardil and take Zoloft if you intend to return to Nardil?


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## bazinga (Jun 9, 2010)

I imagine you are going through some Nardil withdrawals. I have no idea what that's like but it's probably making Zoloft seem less effective. How long were you on Nardil and how long have you been off of it?

I took SSRI for about 4-5 years and I just quit 5 weeks ago. I'm taking 5htp to help sleep, but I still fill pretty crappy (mostly physically), especially when the 5htp wears off since I only take it once a day.


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## gilmourr (Nov 17, 2011)

bazinga said:


> Well you could get by with 5htp or l-tryptophan supplements possibly. 5htp helped me tremendously coming off of Prozac. It'll at least let you avoid the nasty withdrawals if you decide to get off of Zoloft.
> 
> My plan to get off SSRI is kind of failing. I thought I didn't need them but I am second guessing. I think I want to try Luvox for ocd before starting Anafranil.
> 
> Why did you stop Nardil? Also, you are not having good experience with Zoloft or something? It'll probably take a while to get the full effects. But why stop Nardil and take Zoloft if you intend to return to Nardil?


No, I have yet to add Zoloft. But the thing is there are a few caveats as to starting Zoloft alongside Lamictal atm.

1) I don't know what Lamictals side effects are (for future drug augmentation)

2) I don't know what Lamictal will do by itself for me (what if I just have a drug in my rotation because I THINK it's doing something but it isn't? Less drugs = better)

3) If I add Zoloft and my depression goes away, it doesn't mean zoloft helped (because last time it didn't work. Granted it was only 4 weeks and an average of 75 mg). Which in that case I may be using zoloft for no reason at all and thus adding side effect with no efficacy.

I want to get back to living my life normally ASAP, but if I want to beat this I need to know what everything in my drug regime is doing.

I'm thinking that I'll try to work my way up to 150 mg without Zoloft first. I really don't know if it's possible because on day 15 of no Nardil I am hit REALLY hard with depression. So we'll know if lamictal is doing something by that date. That's in 6 days btw.

** And I'm not a big fan of 5HTP. Stays in your peripheral system (I remember keh saying this) and doesn't cross the BBB. The warmth definitely comes by reaching 5HT receptors for temperature. Which requires it to hit your CNS


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## bazinga (Jun 9, 2010)

Oh I thought you already started the Zoloft the other day. I'm guessing that most people take Lamotrigine along with an antidepressant unless they can't take antidepressants. I've been taking Lamotrigine + AD for about 2.5 years. I stopped the Prozac to see if I actually needed it. I had problems cycling in and out of depression every 1-2 months with all the AD and AP's I've tried. I was put on Lamotrigine and the depression went away. I don't remember how long it took. I think it was pretty quickly but I may have been coming out of a depressive cycle. But considering my experiences with AD's alone and without Lamotrigine, I've been wondering if I actually need Prozac. I'm doubting myself now. Mentally I feel fine, but physically I feel like crap like I'm still experiencing some withdrawals. The biggest problem is lack of sleep.


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## gilmourr (Nov 17, 2011)

bazinga said:


> Oh I thought you already started the Zoloft the other day.


I used 50 mg yesterday but I obviously should've waited longer being off the MAOI because it gave me what appeared to be mild SS.

I think I wrote that my eyes didn't dilate, but then that came after I posted. So what happened in total was..

- Eyes dilated, probably double in size, but not entirely black
- Very restless (I think it's the first time I ever had to use meditation not to jump out of a window)
- High level of anxiety that caused me to start dry heaving
- And my stomach was upset and growling like crazy which never happens (which I think is because of the GI carrying a lot of serotonin).

But yeah, mild if anything, I didn't have a fever. But it was 4 hours of being really uncomfortable.

EDIT: This was also the shortest transition from MAOI to SSRI I've done yet (8 days). Got away with 10-11 days last time


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## bazinga (Jun 9, 2010)

Why did you stop Nardil?


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## gilmourr (Nov 17, 2011)

bazinga said:


> Why did you stop Nardil?


It stopped working for the first time ever, but I think it's because I became partially resistant to it after going off of it and restarting it after only a 15 day break.

Also I had weird side effects at my therepeutic dose that I've never had (45 mg). I'm not sure if this was caused by my 4 times over the max B6 levels that destroy nardil. Because it can take 60 days for elevated B6 tissue to reduce to a normal range.

Basically, this last trial of Nardil was nothing like it was the first two times and it was either because

- It doesn't work anymore
- I developed a short term resistance after going off and on quickly
- B6 destroyed Nardil, which it can do this at high B6 levels. Mine were 360 
nmol/L in a range of 25-95 nmol/L

If I were to re trial it I would use 30 mg for 8 weeks and see if that's enough, if it isn't try 45 mg again. If it doesn't work, I know that I'm officially now unresponsive to Nardil.

But like I said, I'm not going to be trying this until I've given my body a 3 month break from Nardil. Because the time between my first and second trial was 4 months. Both times it stopped working was because I went to 75 mg which was too high, then the second time 60 mg was too high.


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## gilmourr (Nov 17, 2011)

Bazinga, were you the one that said you are having nightmares?

The last 2 nights I've been having more nightmarish dreams using lamictal.

They aren't hell-ish, but they're not a good time at all.

For instance, I just dreamt about some druggies bashing my face in.


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## riptide991 (Feb 1, 2012)

I had a weird dream last night where I was banging this chick in the woods and then I saw a paparazzi trying to take photos so the chick turned into a car and I started driving away but the paparazzi was chasing me and then all of a sudden as I was turning I realized I'm on a bicycle. Freaking crazy stuff lol.


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## bazinga (Jun 9, 2010)

Yeah I had a dream last night that some people tried to kill me. They tried to shoot me, came after me with a knife, and they kidnapped a mother and a child. Also, a dude got shot in the face and was laying dead in the street with his sunglasses half hanging off while crowds of people were walking by.

Just a typical dream.


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## gilmourr (Nov 17, 2011)

bazinga said:


> Yeah I had a dream last night that some people tried to kill me. They tried to shoot me, came after me with a knife, and they kidnapped a mother and a child. Also, a dude got shot in the face and was laying dead in the street with his sunglasses half hanging off while crowds of people were walking by.
> 
> Just a typical dream.


This is why I like Nardil. You do not dream.


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## bazinga (Jun 9, 2010)

I don't it think it has anything to do with medications. This **** started this summer when I got really sick. It never stopped.


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## Jawi96 (May 15, 2012)

Lamictal isn't fun at all. it takes away every inkling of happy in every aspect of you. you talk a bit better but everything is flat and dull and smiling hurts. that on ton of itching and occasional loss of depth perception


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## riptide991 (Feb 1, 2012)

Jawi96 said:


> Lamictal isn't fun at all. it takes away every inkling of happy in every aspect of you. you talk a bit better but everything is flat and dull and smiling hurts. that on ton of itching and occasional loss of depth perception


I have been reading a lot of anecdotal experiences of people getting anhedonia/numbness on lamictal. I seriously read so much in the recent days that it's no longer a med I will even try.


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## Jawi96 (May 15, 2012)

kehcorpz said:


> I have been reading a lot of anecdotal experiences of people getting anhedonia/numbness on lamictal. I seriously read so much in the recent days that it's no longer a med I will even try.


it's still WAAY better than all na-tu-rale. if im normally 5% witty, 100% being me in 2007; now w/ lamictal would be maybe 40% but VERY BITTER and robot-ey. like.. feel bad>bring self down>receive compliment>make sarcastic comeback? then, cold spaghetti alone, but that one's optional



kehcorpz said:


> anhedonia


thank you. google was no help at all!


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## bazinga (Jun 9, 2010)

In the past few years I've thought my depression went away. But when I look more closely...I haven't listened to music in years. I haven't watched a movie or tv in ages. I haven't played a game in at least 1 year. These are things.I used to really enjoy doing. Its like I have lost interest in everything.

The only thing that seems different compares to when I used to get depressed is I don't sleep much anymore. I used to oversleep and spend the rest of the time trying to sleep.

Medication has made me functional but I have lost interest in everything. I wish just a plain ol ssri would work.


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## bazinga (Jun 9, 2010)

Depression used to debilitate me, now I'm actually somewhat functional with lamotrigine where ssri and antipsychotics couldn't touch the depression. Maybe I am still depressed but.its nothing compared to how I used to be before lamotrigine.


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## Jawi96 (May 15, 2012)

bazinga said:


> In the past few years I've thought my depression went away. But when I look more closely...I haven't listened to music in years. I haven't watched a movie or tv in ages. I haven't played a game in at least 1 year. These are things.I used to really enjoy doing. Its like I have lost interest in everything.
> 
> The only thing that seems different compares to when I used to get depressed is I don't sleep much anymore. I used to oversleep and spend the rest of the time sleeping.
> 
> Medication has made me functional but I have lost interest in everything. I wish just a plain ol ssri would work.


GEE, you sure sound giddy o_o.

what's the point of being functional if you cant REAP THE SPOILS OF WAR! you know what i mean..


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## bazinga (Jun 9, 2010)

Well its either be mean as fck, mood swinging, agitated, highly depressed, or feel somewhat normal with lamotrigine.


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## Jawi96 (May 15, 2012)

bazinga said:


> Well its either be mean as fck, mood swinging, agitated, highly depressed, or feel somewhat normal with lamotrigine.


well, keep at looking man. ive been on lamictal and it's not near where i wanna be. if it helps (i really just need an excuse to use this) i made my own list of stuff i havent tried yet but totally will before i maybe make a new list of ways to off myself.

mine's:
*(Concord/Link/Gavis) Nardil, Bioperine

(Concord/Link/Gavis) Nardil, Modafinil or Armodanfinil, Bioperine

(Concord/Link/Gavis) Nardil, Remeron, Bioperine

(Concord/Link/Gavis) Nardil, Lamictal, Bioperine

Baclofen, Bioperine

Parnate, Bioperine

Adderall, Bioperine

Lamictal, propranolol and clonidine, Bioperine

Lamictal, wellbutrin, Bioperine*

fun right? get your your own damn list.


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## Jawi96 (May 15, 2012)

don't settle for this, bazinga! i know you're not that kind of woman!


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## riptide991 (Feb 1, 2012)

bazinga said:


> Well its either be mean as fck, mood swinging, agitated, highly depressed, or feel somewhat normal with lamotrigine.


Depression dog understands.


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## riptide991 (Feb 1, 2012)

That meme has been making me laugh so hard I feel like I'm high on weed or something.


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## bazinga (Jun 9, 2010)

I actually like lamotrigine. I changed very much because of it. I can't say what made me lose interest in things its been that way for many years.


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## Jawi96 (May 15, 2012)

yea well, i just don't see myself being the freshest breakdancer in all the land on that stuff.


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## bazinga (Jun 9, 2010)

I'm interested in maybe luvox + lamotrigine or lithium + lamotrigine. Id rather try luvox before anafranil. Anafranil kind of scares me.

I'm going to talk to the doc about my loss of interest in everything. I've noticed it for a while, but I haven't really thought about it until lately. If its a depression its definitely a different kind than I used to experience.


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## gilmourr (Nov 17, 2011)

eep. I hope Lamictal doesn't turn me into a disinterested robot. 

I'll be able to tell for myself in 8 weeks. I can always go off of it. 

I don't think I've ever felt my personality change from any of the medications I've ever been on... Lamictal atm seems like it's not changing me as a person into a robot. But it's definitely keeping the major depression extreme lows away since I've started it.

If there is one personality difference I've noticed it may be that I'm getting irritated more often. It's not a great feeling at all. 

Are mood stabilizers KNOWN to literally dull you out? Or is that just lithium? Quite a few peoples testimonials I've read say that they actually are happy.


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## gilmourr (Nov 17, 2011)

bazinga said:


> I'm interested in maybe luvox + lamotrigine or lithium + lamotrigine. Id rather try luvox before anafranil. Anafranil kind of scares me.
> 
> I'm going to talk to the doc about my loss of interest in everything. I've noticed it for a while, but I haven't really thought about it until lately. If its a depression its definitely a different kind than I used to experience.


I believe what you're having is just residual mild depression. Life is a lot easier, except it's just not complete. When you're entirely out of depression, you're interested in things. Either that or the mood stabilizer is taking away your emotion.


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## Jawi96 (May 15, 2012)

lamictal did have i TINY happiness bump on the first week at starting dose. you know, before it STEALS YOUR SOUL an' all.


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## gilmourr (Nov 17, 2011)

Jawi96 said:


> lamictal did have i TINY happiness bump on the first week at starting dose. you know, before it STEALS YOUR SOUL an' all.


Lol, okay there fear monger. I'll be the one that decides whether it has stolen my soul and my personality. You seem quite intent on bashing this drug without reflecting to think "maybe I was just an outlier?"


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## bazinga (Jun 9, 2010)

I don't really feel like Lamotrigine has numbed or dulled me as these other people are experiencing. It simply let me feel normal when I was an incredibly messed up person.


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## Jawi96 (May 15, 2012)

hey, don't take my word for it, Im an *IDIOT*! plus, trying new stuff is one of the joys of being devoid of all joy! like in a scratchcard way.


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## bazinga (Jun 9, 2010)

When I was going through insane depression SSRI and antipsychs were sort of like someone throwing me a lifevest. Lamotrigine was like someone brought me a boat.

I'm bipolar though, so my experience may differ from others.


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## gilmourr (Nov 17, 2011)

Man, I'm not sure if it's the depression or Lamictal, but I literally can't get to sleep. I always just stay up till the morning and crash at like 9-10 am.

I wish I knew if this would go away. Every med I go on like gives me insomnia. Seriously it's ridic. I started taking my dose @ 10 am now because I was taking it the first 2 days at 8 pm and I thought it was keeping me up. I guess I'll try again at night.


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## whattothink (Jun 2, 2005)

I've been following this thread. I've researched the drug a bit and it seems very promising. I've contemplated bringing this up with my psychiatrist, but the idea of taking an anti-convulsant exclusively for depression is too much of a gamble for me. Maybe if they upgrade me to cyclothymia or bipolar-II.

For now I'll stick with the partially effective Zoloft.


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## billyho (Apr 12, 2010)

*Me too!*



gilmourr said:


> Man, I'm not sure if it's the depression or Lamictal, but I literally can't get to sleep. I always just stay up till the morning and crash at like 9-10 am.
> 
> I wish I knew if this would go away. Every med I go on like gives me insomnia. Seriously it's ridic. I started taking my dose @ 10 am now because I was taking it the first 2 days at 8 pm and I thought it was keeping me up. I guess I'll try again at night.


I've been having this problem also. I was instructed to take my lamictal at night, and can usually fall asleep w 10 mg ambien. since lamictal, it has taken a double dose of ambien, or any combination of ambien, klonopin wafers, norflex (ms relaxer).. it's freaking ridiculous! Friday i went to sleep at 7 am and woke at 330 pm. i have started taking it when i wake up, which is still in the pm. I have an exam on tuesday and am afraid i will oversleep, so much so that i am crashing at someone else's house so they can make sure i wake up in time. ugh, on a positive note, it seems to be working.. we'll see after my exam though.


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## bazinga (Jun 9, 2010)

I guess I lucked out. I never had a sleeping problem starting Lamotrigine (Lamictal).


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## metamorphosis (Dec 18, 2008)

bazinga said:


> Took her a while to get stable but she still experiences wild mood swings and some depression for no reason


Are you sure it's not hormones? My girlfriend has those same issues every month, like clockwork!


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## metamorphosis (Dec 18, 2008)

istayhome said:


> Yes I've heard from several p-docs that many people with bipolar who take an SSRI, the SSRI tends to makes them (more) manic/cause them to cycle, whatever. That was certainly my experience. Every single SSRI/SNRI made me hypomanic or rapid cycling. It wasn't until I got on Lamictal that it all went away and my depression got better. I wish that more psychiatrists would try giving Lamictal to patients who respond poorly to SSRI's. Just as a Unipolar AD it seems to work very well and it's side-effect profile is far better than any AD I have ever taken.


Same issue with myself, I was put on an SSRI and went into a hypomanic state. It is often referred to as Bipolar 3.
http://bipolarworld.net/Phelps/ph_2001/ph190.htm

My pdoc immediately started lamotrigine in addition to the SSRI. It completely stabilized me. Once I titrated up to a good thearpeutic dose.


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## metamorphosis (Dec 18, 2008)

A short rundown on lamotrigine from_ Stahl's Prescribers Guide_:

http://stahlonline.cambridge.org/pr...rapeutics&name=Lamotrigine&title=Therapeutics


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## jim_morrison (Aug 17, 2008)

gilmourr said:


> Man, I'm not sure if it's the depression or Lamictal, but I literally can't get to sleep. I always just stay up till the morning and crash at like 9-10 am.
> 
> I wish I knew if this would go away. Every med I go on like gives me insomnia. Seriously it's ridic. I started taking my dose @ 10 am now because I was taking it the first 2 days at 8 pm and I thought it was keeping me up. I guess I'll try again at night.





billyho said:


> I've been having this problem also. I was instructed to take my lamictal at night, and can usually fall asleep w 10 mg ambien. since lamictal, it has taken a double dose of ambien, or any combination of ambien, klonopin wafers, norflex (ms relaxer).. it's freaking ridiculous! Friday i went to sleep at 7 am and woke at 330 pm. i have started taking it when i wake up, which is still in the pm. I have an exam on tuesday and am afraid i will oversleep, so much so that i am crashing at someone else's house so they can make sure i wake up in time. ugh, on a positive note, it seems to be working.. we'll see after my exam though.


It seems like what you guys are mentioning about Lamictal and insomnia is being echoed in this thread:

http://www.crazymeds.us/CrazyTalk/index.php?/topic/1498-lamictal-and-insomnia/


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