Quote:
Originally Posted by sui generis
I've been on it for around 3 months (omg wow so I've only been officially Dx'd for 3 months aha.....) and titrating was a bit difficult but I did feel it working. Once I got to 200 mg I felt a lot better, more calm and peaceful which for me is an ideal mood state. Also I got my emotions back, I could cry again and I felt a sadness that was normal sadness (like not depressed) and a happiness that was normal (not the fake happiness I experience with hypomania).
However since I've been back at uni I've been quite up and down, my mood changes every day it's very frustrating. Soooo I have no idea if lamictal just stopped working or I'm just not trying hard to regulate my emotions?? I think the stress of going back to uni has triggered something but I'm not quite sure *what*. When I was depressed I took a break from uni so I was in a very calm environment for months then I recovered, back to uni and BAM.
The only side effects I got was insomnia when I took them in the morning (not at night), some acne that seems to have gone away, and I've noticed some short term memory problems recently? They're not so bad that I'm willing to change meds but I'm going to keep a watch on that.
Actually, if anyone has some recommendations for an anti-depressant to go along with lamictal I would appreciate it haha.
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Thanks for sharing... I'm hoping I start noticing a difference when I get closer to the therapeutic dose. It's such a slow titration schedule. I love that you felt you got your emotions back... I'm so hoping I can find mine again too. I miss true feeling and despise this emptiness. I'm on day #2 of it, and I'm experiencing insomnia. I don't know if it's from the Lamictal or not, because I have had insomnia a few times in the past two weeks, but I'm not ruling it out as a possibility. I also took it in the morning.
Sorry to hear the stress from school is affecting you. Is 200mg the final dose for you? Are you taking anything else? You asked about any antidepressants... the only one I'd recommend is Wellbutrin, and my pdoc said that "it's the only antidepressant someone with bipolar should take." I've had horrible reactions to any SSRI/SNRI I've tried in the past, so I definitely wouldn't recommend you even try any of those. Wellbutrin has helped me get out of the near-constant suicidal ideation end of depression, so for that I'm thankful. Helped me feel "up" for a few weeks after starting and then increasing dosage, but that eventually went away.
Getting used to a new environment is stressful, even on medication. I find university super stimulating, sometimes overstimulating... there's so much going on, so much to do, so much activity, so many people around, and almost all of them look so freakishly happy. Drives me nuts when I'm depressed/aggravated. :P I find it slowly gets more bearable as the semester goes on. I'm dreading starting school again in a week and a half... even though I'm excited it's my last one, I'm terrified too.
I'd be concerned about the short term memory loss too. My PTSD and depression does that enough for me, so I don't need any more piled on. Hopefully that goes away for you real soon, or maybe it's just because of stress right now. In any case, take care and keep on keeping on!