[fer111]

Hi guys - I would greatly appreciate opinions.
My psych told me that if I go off Lithium, lamictal is the alternative.
Im actually not bipolar but im told i am at risk with a family history of it.
What are the opinions on Lithium vs. Lamictal?
I hate Lithium - I lack emotions and excitement and I am generally sluggish.

My main concern is the ability to sleep- for six months I have been on Lithium and Mirtazipine.
Have made a step down from 1000 to 800 for Lithium. I have been sleeping OK
with both these meds - Im told it may be the Mirtazipine .

Final question - has anyone gone off (safely ) all meds and then returned to a normal sleep pattern?

[*Beth*]

You're not bipolar, so what are you being treated for...do you have symptoms? Lithium is used to treat mania. If you don't have mania, it's no wonder you feel sluggish on lithium.

Lamictal is generally very well tolerated and has very few side effects. I find it to be a good med. If my dose is too high I feel "flat."

I cannot sleep without taking a sleeping aid - but then I have BD.

[wolftrap]

Lithium is used to treat mania, so if you don't have the symptoms you shouldn't be taking it. The side effects you describe suggest so, especially because that is a large dose you are taking. Lamictal is used primarily to treat bipolar depression. It is generally not very effective for clinical depression. If you don't have BP I am surprised your doc put you on either of them. For sleep I take Seroquel, but like Lith and Lam, it has it's own specialty which is treating psychosis. It calms my brain down so I can sleep. Regular sleeping aids never worked. I could never go off of my meds and sleep - but that's because I have bipolar.

You didn't mention your diagnosis - just because you have a family history of BP doesn't necessarily mean that you have bipolar, and these strong meds are not preventative, they are used to treat symptoms that are already present.

[Soupe du jour]

I would be quite inclined to recommend Lamictal over Lithium, especially if you might not have bipolar disorder. From my experience and observations of others', Lamictal is far "friendlier" than Lithium.

[wolftrap]

So....let me clarify and expand on my post....first, if you don't have bipolar symptoms, you should not be taking any medications used to treat bipolar. Second, there are a myriad of genes that need to be present to have bipolar (I'm a geek and read as many medical papers as I can). Even if you had all the genes (which you may not have, even if bp runs in your family), these genes may not have all of the genetic markers needed to express bipolar. Third, it is an accepted fact for those who study bipolar that you must experience a triggering event (such as a loss or a trauma) to trigger the genes to express bipolar as symptoms. If your doctor doesn't know these things, and is obviously treating you for bipolar even though you don't have the symptoms, I would seriously consider finding another doctor.

[*Beth*]

Sometimes mood stabilizers are prescribed for emotional dysregulation disorders that are not bipolar disorder.

[wolftrap]

Yes, good point Beth. There are many types of mood disorders. As the disclaimer goes, and I should have prefaced my post, am not a doctor!

[busymomof5]

I’m pretty well-versed on bipolar and I don’t think this is completely accurate. Bipolar disorder is polygenic and the small number of genes have overlap with genes for schizophrenia. If you have all genes, it would likely be expressed. You don’t need an outside trigger although this kicks it off for some. This does make for some promising molecular therapeutics in the future.

Originally Posted by wolftrap

So....let me clarify and expand on my post....first, if you don't have bipolar symptoms, you should not be taking any medications used to treat bipolar. Second, there are a myriad of genes that need to be present to have bipolar (I'm a geek and read as many medical papers as I can). Even if you had all the genes (which you may not have, even if bp runs in your family), these genes may not have all of the genetic markers needed to express bipolar. Third, it is an accepted fact for those who study bipolar that you must experience a triggering event (such as a loss or a trauma) to trigger the genes to express bipolar as symptoms. If your doctor doesn't know these things, and is obviously treating you for bipolar even though you don't have the symptoms, I would seriously consider finding another doctor.

[MickeyCheeky]

i can't comment on this as i have never tried those meds, but i do Hope and Pray that you will be able to find the best meds combination possible for you! Definitely try your Best. You've got this! SEnding many safe, warm hugs to BOTH you, @fer111, your Family, your FriEnds and ALL of your Loved Ones! Keep fighting and keep rocking NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, OK?!