[matty1988]

So I recently have seen my pdoc and we discussed my depression. We talked about different medications and adding more CBT. He said I could try either Seroquel or Lamictal, which I wanted to research a bit more before I decided. So for those of you who have taken these for bipolar depression, which would you recommend for someone currently stuck in a bad depressive episode, and also for prophylactic treatment? Thank you!

[xRavenx]

I take both together, and I find them to be helpful. My episodes would be longer and more severe, if I were not taking Seroquel and Lamictal. I think they are best combined for me, but it depends on how you tolerate the meds. Seroquel I found a little harder to tolerate in the beginning, because it can be very sedating and powerful and at low doses used off-label for sleep. We adjust the dose according to how I am doing. It's anywhere between 300 mg up to 800 mg. I'm on the lowest dose I've been on in a while, since I tolerate it better. It has a calming effect and helps with racing thoughts/works as an anti-manic.

Lamictal, I take 400 mg daily (200 AM, 200 PM) and notice no significant side effects. It is not sedating in the way Seroquel is. It helps with depression and mood stabilization. Be careful for the rash though. I didn't get it, but some people do during the early stages of getting used to the meds and need to go to the ER immediately.

[Guiness187055]

I take both together. The lamictal helps with my depression it's a great mood stabilizer for me. I take 200mg of seroquel at night to sleep.

[SorryShaped]

Here's the full rundown

Morning:
200 lamictal xr
200 tegretol xr
Multivitamin
125 levothyroxine

Night:
200 lamictal xr
200 tegretol xr
Multivitamin
5mg melatonin
600 mg Seroquel immediate release (sleep)

Started lamictal 12 years ago. It reduced things going too far either way by only some. Was switched to xr last year. Night and day difference. Still had a few rough bits, but the wonderful people here at PC helped me through. The dosing hasn't changed in 9+ years but was switched to xr.
Started tegretol a little over a year ago. It slowed the depression some, giving me more if a heads-up when it was coming. The dose has been adjusted twice and was switched to xr in August.
I don't see any of these keeping my depressive episodes away. I still have them. There are points where I get low, but I don't think it's as low as before. I've not attempted since starting tegretol. I've been safer with lamictal going to xr, only a few days did I really consider it when I was hurting in every way possible, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

[tsrc78]

I’m currently taking 200 mg of Lamictal twice a day, and I’ve taken Lamictal together with Seroquel in the recent past. I’ve found Lamictal to be more helpful for me during depression episodes, although not as much during mixed episodes, which I seem to get a lot now. I honestly can’t remember how well Seroquel was for me regarding depression, since I took it during mixed/manic episodes, but it was very good for giving me deep, restful sleep, which I needed at the time. Lamictal is a commonly prescribed mood stabilizer to decrease your time spent in depression episodes, although I have read about people who have found Seroquel very helpful for depression as well. I just tend to respond better to mood stabilizers than antipsychotics, everyone is different.

[annielovesbacon]

I've never taken Seroquel, so I can't speak for that. But my bipolar definitely trends toward depression, and taking Lamictal noticeably improved my mood. My doctor was going to bring me up to 200mg/day, but by 100mg I was already feeling much better, so that's what I take now. It's comforting to know that if I start feeling worse, I can increase to 200mg.

[Pookyl]

I’ve taken both. Seroquel works well for me. Lamictal totally ineffective in my case.

[bioChE]

I’ve taken both. Seroquel is a bear due to the sedation. Lamictal works for my depression with no noticeable side effects.

[LadyShadow]

I took Lamictal a long time ago. Didn't do a damn thing for me. Seroquel however, changed my life completely. It's a miracle drug for me.

But be warned, I am taking only 50mg which the second to least amount you can take. I think in higher doses it can make you incredibly sleepy all day. So I have heard anyway.

I take both. A small dose of Lamictal and a medium dose of Seroquel XR, plus a large dose of Tegretol XR.

For me, both at low to medium doses are side effect friendly. Seroquel regular at medium doses makes me hungry, and if taken during the day, drowsy.

At higher doses, Lamictal gave me some mild cognitive impairment and was TOO activating, but only because I'm sensitive to antidepressants. Yes, I know Lamictal is not an antidepressant, but a moodstabilizer, but it acts a little like an antidepressant for me, but not as destabilizing. For me, it never worked well as a prophylactic.

Seroquel XR (or Seroquel) is helpful for my depression, anxiety, and mania. They have always helped with my sleep. I find Seroquel XR more weight friendly, except at high doses. Both can give a morning fatigue "hangover" if taken too late or in too high of a dose than you currently need. Regular Seroquel put me to sleep faster than Seroquel XR, but that, to me, is its only advantage over Seroquel XR.

As a person with bipolar 1 who is sensitive to Lamictal's activating qualities, Seroquel or Seroquel XR would be my first choice if I had to take only one. I think those with depression as a major problem, with mania far less an issue, Lamictal might be a good first choice.

For depression I'd go with Lamictal. Seroquel did wonders for my psychosis but nothing for mania or depression. Lamictal is pretty well known for helping with bipolar depression, and while I was on it I did pretty well. Hope whatever you try works.

[Zigy]

I'm on 300mg of Lamictal for few weeks now and I'm depressed like &$%#! Last week even my anxiety kicked in with ful power.

Your milage ay vary.

[HCGW112010]

i would not go with seroquel because once you hit max does if it does not work you have to start all over again. I have met many people who used it and did not have good things to say. for me it made me very tired so i had to take it at night.

lamictal i still take and i think this help tremendously with my mood disorder because it stabilizes my mood for me.

i would recommend Latuda because it specifically for bipolar depression

[SorryShaped]

I've tried Latuda and do my best to forget about it. It helps a lot of people. That's great. It gave me the dangerous side effects.
Those it works for get a total win, if they can afford it too

[emgreen]

Your shrink was thinking about seroquel for depression? It's an anti-psychotic which, for me, was pretty sedating...& made me fat. It really messes with your appetite & it seems counter-indicated for depression (I'm no doc!) I'm on 400mg of lamictal a day as a mood stabilizer. I think it's fools gold to try to isolate only one med as being a magic bullet if one is on a mixed med cocktail, as I am. Who knows what individual med works for depression, which mixture of meds is effective, if any? I did find CBT to be very helpful, though...I'd dive in to that! Good luck!

[sugahorse1]

Is the Lamictal giving you guys brain fog/cognitive impairment? At what dose did it become noticable?

[SorryShaped]

Originally Posted by sugahorse1

Is the Lamictal giving you guys brain fog/cognitive impairment? At what dose did it become noticable?

TBH I don't remember if it ever did. Seroquel does at times and really did in the beginning

[99fairies]

Lamictal pretty much saved my life. I still get depressed but it does not last long at all.

[raspberrytorte]

Seroquel turned me into a grumpy, bottles of jam eating zombie.

No complaints about Lamictal.

[Pheasant11]

I had the terrible fuzz in my head from seroquel. I also put on 60(!) pounds. I’m on lamictal now and notice a great improvement in the length and severity of my depressive episodes.