[Sarahag1616]

I've been suffering from deep bouts of depression and paranoia for about six months. My GP put me on prozac but it didn't help. I have recently started seeing a psychiatrist and they feel I am leaning more towards bi polar and took me off of prozac and have started me on Lamotrigine 25 mg and titrating up every week under their supervision. Anybody have expierence on this drug? It's my third day and all morning I was extremely fatigued and "spacey" with depression. It's early afternoon and I have snapped out of it for the most part. Icalled my pdoc and she said this is normal and to start taking it before I go to bed. Please only positive feedback. I'm a worry wart and a hypochondriac and anything negative I will just feed into. Success stories, encouragement for this new diagnosis. It's been a very rough six months and I just want to feel better. I'm happy I started seeing a psychiatrist.

[ilanagrey]

From what I've seen on the board, a good chunk of people (including me) are on Lamotrigine. It's a good drug. It comes in generic which is a big help. It's my pdoc's #1 mood stabilizer. I never had any noticable side effects from it. For me, it helps with mania a lot, but it doesn't help with depression. Your mileage can and will vary.

[PinkFlamingoFlapper]

Sarahag, first off - kudos to you for seeking help!!! I've been on Lamictal (lamotrigne) for a number of years. It has been a godsend! I am a writer and artist, and lamictal has allowed me to maintain my creativity. I still have highs and lows, but they're not as high or as low. Feeling loopy at first is very normal. As your chemistry gets used to the Lamictal and begins integrating it, you will see a marked difference. Lamictal is not a fast-acting drug, but it is a med for the long term. I hope all goes well for you!

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

[Sarahag1616]

Thanks! I finally decided that it was time to get help. My parents agree. I'm twenty five year old. Have always been self sufficient, full time good job and in school and live by myself. I've been under the are of my parents for two months now (still maintaining job and house) but they can see a difference in my mental health. I'm definitely agreeing with this diagnosis because one day ill be fine and ill snap into super depression and paranoid thoughts and just snap right back out. I really like my two doctors I saw on Monday and felt comfortable with them and luckily I live in town where university of Virginia is so I trust the medical staff there.

[Nessa213]

I'm on it and also have good experiences with it so far. It does take a fairly long time to start working. (I didn't notice any significant difference until about 6 or 7 weeks after starting it.)

From what I understand, as long as you start at the small doses and titrate up slowly you're unlikely to see many negative side effects.

I'm on it, been on 25mg for almost 2 weeks, increasing to 50mg today. I guess I have noticed a slight decreased in my mood lability but I am definitely still having pretty low low's, they have just been a little less low and a little more spaced out. We'll see as the dose goes up. Good luck to you!

[Victoria'smom]

I've been on lamictal for just under 3 years, my husband has been on it longer and my son has been on it for 3 - ish months. All of us only see the memory issue as a side effect.

[Nessa213]

Originally Posted by Miguel'smom

I've been on lamictal for just under 3 years, my husband has been on it longer and my son has been on it for 3 - ish months. All of us only see the memory issue as a side effect.

Ah yes... the memory issue.

I forgot about that part.

[cool09]

I've been on all sorts of doses (up to 600 mg - very high) since 2003. Never had any side effects and no response, as well. (Mixed manic)

[Sarahag1616]

Originally Posted by PumpkinEater

I'm on it, been on 25mg for almost 2 weeks, increasing to 50mg today. I guess I have noticed a slight decreased in my mood lability but I am definitely still having pretty low low's, they have just been a little less low and a little more spaced out. We'll see as the dose goes up. Good luck to you!

Well I guess we're in the same boat! Keep me posted on your progress! Good luck to you as well.

[A Red Panda]

I've done 6 days on 12.5mg, 7 days on 25mg, and am on day 3 of 37.5mg (I've opted to slow my titration down, as pdoc was gonna have me to 25mg for two weeks and I decided I'd rather have it be slower). I haven't had any side-effects yet - although I haven't been sure if I had a cold or if they've been side-effects. Either way, it's really only lasted a few days. I had a few days wehre I was utterly exhausted. I've been feeling fairly low the whole time, but then, I'm not exactly up to a helpful dose.

[thorindreamer]

Originally Posted by Sarahag1616

I've been suffering from deep bouts of depression and paranoia for about six months. My GP put me on prozac but it didn't help. I have recently started seeing a psychiatrist and they feel I am leaning more towards bi polar and took me off of prozac and have started me on Lamotrigine 25 mg and titrating up every week under their supervision. Anybody have expierence on this drug? It's my third day and all morning I was extremely fatigued and "spacey" with depression. It's early afternoon and I have snapped out of it for the most part. Icalled my pdoc and she said this is normal and to start taking it before I go to bed. Please only positive feedback. I'm a worry wart and a hypochondriac and anything negative I will just feed into. Success stories, encouragement for this new diagnosis. It's been a very rough six months and I just want to feel better. I'm happy I started seeing a psychiatrist.

Hello! I've just recently had a bipolar diagnosis and been started on lamotrigine too. Currently at 100mg after 6 weeks and honestly don't feel much different... if maybe only a tiny bit emotionally numbed. When I say tiny, I mean really tiny... Hoping it gets better );

Well done so much for finally seeing a psychiatrist!! It's so scary and a huge step, you should be really proud.

Maybe you're getting fatigued symptoms from a placebo effect if you identify as a real worry wart? I'm a worrier too, and I know as soon as I start a new med I can make up all sorts of symptoms that I relate to the medication! Just a thought!

I look forward to hearing about your success, we can fight it!

[Lillyleaf]

Hey!

I'm Lilly, nice to meet you. I'm bipolar and I've been on 200mg of lamotrigine. It's vary helpful for me. It's the first drug that has helped rather then hurt me. I agree it doesn't help with my mood all that much, and it gives me memory problems, but it really is the first thing that has helped =)

I hope that you figure things out.

best for luck!

Lillyleaf

[Sarahag1616]

Thanks everybody for the feed back. I've been on a low all week (not the worst I've ever had) I'm just bottomed out with NO energy. It sucks because I work at night (6 pm to 4 am) and have been for four years but just getting the motivation to get up and go to work in the evening has been damn near impossible (I bartend, what a wonderful job for somebody that has anxiety, panic disorder, and bi polar with depression) I know I need to find something else that allows better hours and not as crazy but unfortunately my bills dictate my current income (really awesome stressor) I'm really trying to be kind to myself and realize I'm doing a damn good job given the circumstance. Unfortunately with me it's "all or nothing" and I don't give myself credit or personal time to myself for enjoyable things. Haven't taken a day off in over two years!!

[weatherninja]

Hey Sarah:

I've also got the bipolar diagnosis and was on Lamictal/lamitrogine for a while. I had to drop it because it was making me very aggressive and angry (which is very very unlike me!) Sounds like no one else really had that experience here, but I still wanted to share it with you just in case. It really rocked my world, in a good way, when I found out those sort of specific mood changes were legit side effects. Under my doc's care, I shifted off of it.

Hang in there!

[SingDanceRunLife]

When I was first diagnosed, Lamotrigine is what I was first put on. I remember that it worked some, but I had horrible headaches. But about 2 weeks in, my best friend told me that we were hanging out more then than before because I was less of a b!tch (meaning I was less irritable). Unfortunately, when I got to about 100mg, I got a rash. It wasn't THE RASH, but it covered most of my body and was completely unbearable so I was taken off it per my request. Pdoc thought I should give it more of a chance, but I said no way! But the good part of the story is that it DID take effect quickly in me. I will say that, and if the rash hadn't been so bad (the headaches went away after a week or so), I would have held out to see its full effects...but I was scratching all day every day and couldn't take it.

[BipolaRNurse]

Lamictal was the first drug I was put on after my bipolar diagnosis in March 2012. I've found it more helpful for depression than mania; in fact, with only two notable (and brief) exceptions I haven't had a depressive episode in a year-and-a-half.

At first when I was titrating up, I got headaches for a day or so and was pretty sleepy, but all that went away fairly quickly as the dosage increased. The only problem I've noticed with Lamictal is that it does nothing for my mania, at least not that I know of. But then, I'm not about to experiment with any of my meds to find out whether or not an individual drug works.....

[Sarahag1616]

Thanks everybody. My pdoc almost prescribed me .25 mg of seroquel on an as needed basis for anxiety/mania/paranoia and racing thoughts. Haven't tried it yet because I'm so nervous about taking it. I know it make you really sleepy. Hopefully that will be a good drug for me as well.

[Sarahag1616]

Originally Posted by Sarahag1616

Thanks everybody. My pdoc almost prescribed me .25 mg of seroquel on an as needed basis for anxiety/mania/paranoia and racing thoughts. Haven't tried it yet because I'm so nervous about taking it. I know it make you really sleepy. Hopefully that will be a good drug for me as well.

*also prescribed me

[SingDanceRunLife]

Originally Posted by Sarahag1616

Thanks everybody. My pdoc almost prescribed me .25 mg of seroquel on an as needed basis for anxiety/mania/paranoia and racing thoughts. Haven't tried it yet because I'm so nervous about taking it. I know it make you really sleepy. Hopefully that will be a good drug for me as well.

Seroquel is great. I take 200mg at night (and I'm guessing you mean 25mg, not .25mg). I will probably have to increase for sleep purposes mainly, but for me, it's always been a great drug. Not very many side effects, and pretty effective. It is in second place in terms of effectiveness out of all the drugs I've taken, and the number 1 is Zyprexa, however, it made me gain a bunch of weight really quickly, so that is now only a med for very desperate times.

[Sarahag1616]

Is it effective as in it helps with more of the weird paranoia/anxiety and depression aspect? I'm just afraid to take it during the day and fall asleep doing something!!

[ultramar]

Lamictal has been a godsend to me. 150 mg for about 5 years now, I don't remember ever having side effects, and I haven't had a major depression since (which is pretty miraculous).

Does not help me with mania. I take 200mg Seroquel at night and 100mg in the morning. More when needed, when I have an episode, and it's gone up pretty high, and then afterwards, down 50mg per week, which leads to tons of oversleeping at that point. The side effects are terrible. The whole idea of 'needing' it is a big issue for me, and it's something I've dealt with in therapy off and on. I do need it, though. I've tried to get off it three times now and no dice, not going to try that again.

[SingDanceRunLife]

Originally Posted by Sarahag1616

Is it effective as in it helps with more of the weird paranoia/anxiety and depression aspect? I'm just afraid to take it during the day and fall asleep doing something!!

It helps with both depression and mania for me. Not so much with anxiety. But I sometimes take 50mg during the day and it doesn't make me sleep. Try it and see how you feel.

[BPinCali]

I've been on lamictal for almost ten years. It saved my butt. I'd been on Depakote, which had worked for a few years, but then stopped working and had all kinds of side affects. I'd been on lithium for 5 years until I suddenly had problems with toxicity and started to go off the rails. Lamictal helps keep my highs and lows closer to normal. Only down side is that if I miss a dose, I really start to feel off and having brain zaps within 12 hours. That doesn't happen with any of my other meds. Good luck.

[Pheonixed]

Originally Posted by ilanagrey

From what I've seen on the board, a good chunk of people (including me) are on Lamotrigine. It's a good drug. It comes in generic which is a big help. It's my pdoc's #1 mood stabilizer. I never had any noticable side effects from it. For me, it helps with mania a lot, but it doesn't help with depression. Your mileage can and will vary.

Hi, I'm brand new to this, or any bipolar forum.. I am however fairly versed in both the emotional and pharmaceutical aspects of this afflictions.

Ilanagrey, your post particularity caught me with reference to lamotrigine as depression. Everyone not only has their own mixed bag of markers and consequently different pharmaceuticals should be used to help as best as possibility to lessen or eliminate the additional behaviours, feelings besides the 'basic' bipolarity.

(Note: focussing solely on my response concerning lamotrigine, skip down till the paragraph that that's with the stars. The in between is there for some context of part of my 'story' and may likely be useful for someone)

That said! I just turned 28. I've suffered from severe depression since I was 13, though showing symptoms as early as age 10. Pharmaceuticals were the enemy for many reasons but my aversion turned to pure hatred after my older brother of 2 years killed himself as a consequence of accurate. A drug meant to help people/adolescence with acne. He was my and in many ways still is my best friend. In dealing with my IMENSE grief, my own desires to end my life, my two best friends, both not promoters of medications, one who was a psychology major, knew I needed to be treated. I cried the first time I took celexa, the recommended antidepressants after my GP confirmed I'd been living an endless cycling of depressive ellbutrine helped even more but then my underlying bipolar affliction could then be properly seen. I'd had it all those years of depression, the depression was just so much stronger. I have been a pharmaceutical processing plant of a fair amount of variations in my desperate search stability.

**Getting to the point to lamotrigine: my official diagnosis is bi-polar 2, leaning towards episodes of depression. As my psychiatrist told me and through my pwn research, it is the only bipolar 2 variation that leans towards depression and is the most difficult to medicate. I've been on 40mgs of lamotrigine for a while now. I was safely monitored and dosage increased by 25 mg increments. For anyone with bipolar who suffers from depression a fair amount, lamotrigine is what I know is the go to drug. It's meant to stop a person from sinking too low.

I have had no negative side effects, minus the very unfortunate glitch of missing a few days of my dosing (not done on purpose, I'm extremely responsible with my mess). The 400 mg drop in my system cause what seemed like street drug 'junkies' withdrawal symptoms, even after going right back on the med when I realized something wasn't right and 'oh crap' I screwed up my meds. It took a month of feeling HORRIBLE to feel 'normal' again. I share this as a warning? testament? As to just how powerful this drug is.

I could go on but I'll leave it at that.