Med change...

Patients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and with Depersonalization Disorder have also responded well to lamotrigine ( Lamictal) therapy.

I'll be starting on Lamictal tomorrow. I know it is used in other disorders like bipolar, but is anyone here on it specifically for PTSD?

Thanks,

Petunia

I haven't tried it but am curious to hear your experiences eventually with it. We have plenty of flashlights and life jackets and umbrellas and music and jokes to help you along.

((((((((((Petunia))))))))))

Okay...I start tomorrow and see pdoc in three weeks. I sure hope it helps with the depersonalization...I gotta drive. It's part of my job.

I hope they work soon.

Hope so too. (((((((((((Petunia))))))))))))

Hey tunua, hope it works too. Can you tell me about depersonalization disorder? what is it and how does it present?

Hi Wisewoman,

I have chronic depersonalization disorder that shows up when I am highly stressed. It's a very scary feeling,(a form of dissociation) as if you are sitting in the back seat of the car watching yourself drive. Sometimes it manifests itself in distorted body images like my hands will become huge and there is no convincing me that they aren't. I am always amazed that the other person can't see how one ankle is three times the size of the other one. Or sometimes the outside world doesn't seem real, and there is a film of Saran Wrap between me and reality. But mostly it's me who feels made of plastic. It's like you are the shadow to yourself.

Symptoms of Depersonalization Disorder:

Loss or change of feeling in body parts:

A feeling of numbness in one or more body parts. Loss of sensation, as though the body part does not belong or has become detached from the rest of the body. There might be little response to pain or other sensations, a defense that would be healthy and useful during an accident or life-threatening situation, but unhealthy and harmful during everyday life.

Distorted perceptions of your body:

A sense that parts of the body are changing in size or shape, or that your body is shrinking. A feeling that certain body parts do not seem to belong or appear fake or plastic. There might be a sense that specific body parts have been transplanted from other areas or even from other people.

Invisibility:

You may feel invisible or transparent, and that others are not able to see you. You may feel as though you blend in with the environment, or are moving at a different speed than those around you.

Not recognizing yourself in the mirror or in photographs:
Being unable to recognize yourself or feeling unfamiliar with the person looking back at you when you look into a mirror. Feeling that your reflection belongs to someone else, or to you at a different age than you are now.

Detachment from your emotions:

A lack of emotional response or an inability to feel certain emotions is not uncommon. You may feel cut off from your emotions or unable to access them at the appropriate times. There may be a sense that your feelings are dulled or flat, or that they are stored away somewhere deep inside of you. Many people these days feel the need to push their emotions aside when at work, just as they feel it necessary to leave their "work self" at the office before going home in the evening. If you are suffering from depersonalization you might feel that your emotions are no longer within reach, and do not return even when you want or need them to.

Feelings of unreality or of being a robot:

A sense that you are functioning automatically or on auto-pilot, or that something or someone else is controlling your thoughts, feelings, or actions. Many people experience a feeling of being unreal, or like an actor in a movie. You may have the thought that you are just "going through the motions" of life, or that there is no emotional connection to your actions and no thought behind anything you do.

Floating or out-of-body experiences:

You may feel as though you are hovering over your body or outside of yourself. You may have the experience of watching yourself from a distance, or of standing on the sidelines commenting on or even criticizing your own performance.

Petunia, do you mind if I print this out and show it to my T? This is exactly how I feel sometimes, and I haven't been able to put it into words this well.
I read this post and it explains the way I feel exactly.

Print away my love!

Thank you

how is Lamictal supposed to help your PTSD or depersonalization symptoms? did your doc specifically say?

Hi Jennie,

I will try to remember all she said OR what I heard.

Because PTSD has a lot of mood cycling similarities to Bipolar Disorder and Lamictal works well as a mood stabilizer, it should help diminish the depersonalization I get when I have a PTSD flare-up.

Once mood stability is achieved, the depersonalization should settle down.

Or something like that. I could be wrong, though. That's the best I can remember.

Petunia

I think it's very interesting docs prescribe various drug classes for the treatment of PTSD. It very important to understand which symptoms docs are treating when prescribing a particular drug.

I'm assumming your doc is prescribing Lamictal for your "depression" symptoms of PTSD.

I doubt any medication will treat your intrusive "dissociative" symptoms of PTSD, including depersonalization. Dissociative symptoms usually diminish over time, through therapy and support, and non-avoidance of past reminders.

My point is . . . try to understand exactly what/which symptom(s) your doc is prescribing the meds for. No drug will cure PTSD.

I've had docs who prescribe meds "for PTSD", and it is fine. They might then go on to say it is specifically for nightmares or other aspects of PTSD, they might not. We all do the best we can.

Some folks have found relief of dissociative symptoms with medications.

Petunia's initial post in this thread is fine, and any of us who have support to offer as she starts this new med can do so. We can agree to disagree on terminology and the science of it all, what matters is mutual support here.



Sarah

6. People with what sorts of psychiatric disorders are candidates for treatment with lamotrigine? (Lamictal)

It is too early to be very specific about which mood disorders are most likely to respond to treatment with lamotrigine. Patients with hard-to-treat bipolar syndromes and with schizoaffective disorder have been treated more often than patients with "treatment-resistant" unipolar disorders. Some people with such hard to treat unipolar depressions have been treated with good results. Some patients diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, a disorder that many psychiatrists believe is a variant of Bipolar Disorder, have responded to treatment with lamotrigine.

Patients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and with Depersonalization Disorder have also responded well to lamotrigine therapy.

http://www.psycom.net/depression.cen...motrigine.html

i read that same article when i first read your post (((((((((((((((petunia)))))))))))))))) i'm excited for your hope of relief.

((((((((((Petunia)))))))))))

Thanks for including more info too, it actually is something I'm going to consider for myself also.

Good luck be with you as you go on this, hope it will be a good fit.

Sarah

Thanks, everyone.

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
Petunia said:
responded well to lamotrigine therapy. [/b]

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

that phrase "responded well" is very vague . . . what does that mean? what responds? those are just questions for your doc to answer.

(((((((((((((((((Petunia)))))))))))))))))))

meds can't hurt to try.

Let's focus on mutual support here.

(((((Petunia)))))
Hoping this works for you...

Petunia, i fully support what your doc is doing. i am taking lamictal, wellbutrin, prozac and cytomel. i am confident that she knew what she was doing when she prescribed those drugs. they are helping me and hey!! that's what i'm after. she could prescribe potatoes for weight control and if it worked, i'd eat them. what i'm saying, as if you don't know, is that most of us are willing to do what works.

i say go, girl, go!! i'll be with you all the way. you might have a few headaches from the lamic, but i've had no other side effects.

So it might technically be off-label use, meh, so what? Antidepressants are used to treat pain and help people stop smoking too. If an anti-convulsant/bipolar med relieves the unwanted symptoms, more power to you and your smart doc!

I'm of the belief that if you want a medication to work and believe it will help, you're one step ahead of the game than if you were pessimistic and expected it not to do anything.

Thanks everyone for your support.

I really, really appreciate it!

{{{{Petunia}}}}

I hope it works well for you.