[annielovesbacon]

Hi all,
I started taking Lamictal about a week ago. For the past week I've also been deeply depressed (my baseline is moderately depressed) and even dreaming of suicide (though not seriously contemplating it).
I'm curious if this could be a side effect of the medicine or is it just coinciding with a low mood?

[BatsBelfry]

Do you have a history of suicidal thoughts prior to this medication?

[annielovesbacon]

Originally Posted by BatsBelfry

Do you have a history of suicidal thoughts prior to this medication?

Yes I do. Also I should note because I didn't say before, that I am only on 25mg of Lamictal.

[emgreen]

That's a migty small dose...I'm on 400mg & have never had SI due to meds that I'm aware of. I know people always get nervous when they start Lamictal...Because of the titration bit & the EXTREMELY rare risk of rash. I hope you feel better soon!

[Crypts_Of_The_Mind]

Here is a list of all side effects

https://www.rxlist.com/lamictal-drug.htm#side_effects

Your doctor will be the one who can answer such a question best. In fact, if you are suicidal he/she should know, especially as you begin a new medication, regardless of the medication or dose.

I have found Lamictal to be activating for me in the past. When depressed, it did pull me out of the depression, but not at 25 mg. The lowest helpful dose for me was 75 mg. At 25 mg it was still like not having taken it at all.

I did have a period when I was suicidal on Lamictal and Abilify, but only after both giving me weeks of delightful stability, followed by elated hypomania, and then eventually full blown mania with mixed features. It was the mania with mixed features that made me a risk to myself. Not pure depression. At that time I was on 300 mg of Lamictal and I forget how much Abilify. I think Abilify was also activating for me.

[annielovesbacon]

Thank you everyone. I think the lamictal just coincided with a low mood, today I actually felt much better. I am on a tiny dose right now since I just started, I won't be on a therapeutic dose for several more weeks.

[BipolaRNurse]

I had some trouble on Lamictal initially. I was depressed but going along OK, or so I thought. Then one night early in treatment, it hit me all at once: suicidal ideation. I remember texting my oldest daughter in the middle of the night that I was going to OD on Ativan. I spent the rest of it crying on the phone with the suicide hotline volunteer. Somehow I got past it, but it never occurred to me that the medication could have caused it, and I never reported it to my pdoc. Anyway, the depression got better as the dose went up, and I've done fine with it ever since. I did have a bad episode that landed me in the hospital, but I've been on 400 mg since 2014 and I've had only brief, minor depressions in the winter months (I get hypomanic in the spring and summer). So I think it works just fine.

[ComfortablyNumb5]

I tried lamictal twice. The first time, at the starting dose of 25mg, I flew into a violent mixed state. I said and did a lot of messed up things. Ruined relationships etc. all in the span of a week so I quit.

Then a few years later I tried it again and I’m still on it at 400mg. My baseline is a mild depression as well and even with lamictal and Wellbutrin, I’m still down all the time. I just learned to accept it I guess. I don’t know. Maybe you’ll get better at a higher dose but keep an eye on your moods and talk to pdoc.