[DDubzzz]

Hi I've recently started a new med as my doc is suspicious of bi polar (not the fun hypo manic flavor never) no no the anxiety ridden panic and housebound kind of anxiety then crash then anxiety then crash.
I'm curious because from what I've read it's an uppity med and with my crippling issues I can't afford the cost of it...if it's not going to do back flips and perform miracles.
I'm currently taking
Gabapentin 1800 mg a day in 3 doses 3 months
Clonazepam 1.5 mg a day in 3 doses (two years)
And now Lamictal slowly increasing dose over every two weeks.
25 mg to start everyday then onto 50 then 100-300 is our target dose.

Any positive feedback? I haven't read much in the way that it can help my worst issue which is he anxiety. It's debilitating my life. I suffered PTSD from loss of a child. Mental downward spiral since. I've tried all anti depressants and noooooo thank you for that crazy train. Nightmare!
Ok thoughts? Love it? Leave it?

Thanks D

DDubzzz

[vans1974]

I'm on 600mg but don't think it does much, but what does help manage my daily mood swings is an AAP, I love Latuda! Also, I swear by Nefazodone for MDD, anxiety and PTSd...beat of luck and I hope it helps you!!

[DDubzzz]

What is EDD (sorry)

DDubzzz

[raestan92]

Ugly for me but everyone is different. I tried this medication on two different occasions (years in between). It intensifies my mood swings instead of helping. Hope it does better for you.

[archipelago]

I have used Lamictal in the past as an activating agent that helped with depression. It helped but I was taking other things so I can say precisely. I also have PTSD. Sorry to hear of your loss. Lamictal did not affect my anxiety which some of the meds do. It's not really a mood stabilizer in the sense of what might be needed for bipolar so from what I understand it is not effective for that use. I took it for vegetative depression as an augmenting agent and it did help. I tried it again recently but found other things to take, like Provigil and Wellbutrin that increased my energy without stirring anxiety. Then I removed other augmentations and stuck with that.

[Mikeyboy]

I tried lamictal and had to go off of it due to intolerable side-effects(not surprising, I don't seem to handle meds very well), however I know that it has been a great drug for many others, including several family members.

[DDubzzz]

I'm praying this works and Wellbutrin is that an SSRI OR a mood stabilizer that HELPS w anxiety? Sorry so SOO many questions thanks for taking your time to offer your input means alot

DDubzzz

[archipelago]

Wellbutrin is an anti-depressant that is not an SSRI; it has more stimulant-like properties. It has luckily not produced anxiety in me though it does make others "wired." Provigil is a stimulant but not an amphetamine. I'm using it for excessive daytime fatigue related to depression. It is not approved for this use though there is research showing that it is effective for this purpose. It is a narcolepsy drug that has been used with military pilots who were sleep-deprived to enable them to concentrate, be alert, and focussed on flights. For me it produces a calm but alert state and provides much more energy. It doesn't have any effect on my anxiety. For anxiety I take Klonopin. It has the longest half-life and seems to agree with me and not over sedate me.

[ChangingMyMind]

Wellbutrin is an atypical antidepressant that works on dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. It's not like typical antidepressants. Different from the SSRIs but it's not a mood stabilizer. I haven't taken it long enough to know if it affects my anxiety but it is activating so it's possible it can increase anxiety. It did not trigger any anxiety within a few days of taking it and if I were to get anxiety it would happen after the first dose. Too bad it gives me itching/rash. I think it would have been a good drug for me.

Lamictal on the other hand, I was too scared to take it since I get loads of side effects from most drugs. Just watch it for a rash that is the big issue with Lamictal. Check with your doctor but I think if you get a rash you have to stop taking the med ASAP.

Sent using Tapatalk

[DDubzzz]

Oh yes the rash I'm a bit worried of that

DDubzzz

[DDubzzz]

I'm not apostle girl for meds either as so the side effects cripple my mind in a panicky frenzy. Not where I need to be.

DDubzzz

[DDubzzz]

Oops edit..- a POSTER girl

DDubzzz

[Mikeyboy]

Originally Posted by DDubzzz

I'm not apostle girl for meds either as so the side effects cripple my mind in a panicky frenzy. Not where I need to be.

DDubzzz

I can understand that. I don't experience anxiety often, but when I do it comes on very strongly, and I had a couple anxiety/panic attacks while I was taking it because I started to feel itchy(was it just my anxiety about it making me feel itchy, or actually the medicine? Who knows) and I was worried about the rash. But my anxiety led me to do some research, and it's really very highly unlikely you'll get "the rash". Just try to remember it's very rare, and if you notice something call the doc immediately. My itchiness subsided after a few days. Like I said, I had side effects(other than the itchiness) that didn't sit well with me, but I know this drug has been a wonder drug for a great many people, including close family members.

[DDubzzz]

Thank you Mikey Boy. How do I include your response in my post? Again I'm new here learning the ropes! I'm giving this med a shot. Hoping this works!!! I love my gabapentin spesh for sleep. It works like nothing else I've tried for my insomnia. Seroquel? Kept me awake. Remeron? Kept me awake clonazepam works but I prefer not to take that every night just for sleep as I need it during the day when my anxiety is boss. Gabapentin is the first med to help with overall anxiety and the sleep is unreal. Best sleep I've ever had and for a chronic insomniac that's a very big deal. Thanks for your encouragement Mikey

[vans1974]

Originally Posted by DDubzzz

Hi I've recently started a new med as my doc is suspicious of bi polar (not the fun hypo manic flavor never) no no the anxiety ridden panic and housebound kind of anxiety then crash then anxiety then crash.
I'm curious because from what I've read it's an uppity med and with my crippling issues I can't afford the cost of it...if it's not going to do back flips and perform miracles.
I'm currently taking
Gabapentin 1800 mg a day in 3 doses 3 months
Clonazepam 1.5 mg a day in 3 doses (two years)
And now Lamictal slowly increasing dose over every two weeks.
25 mg to start everyday then onto 50 then 100-300 is our target dose.

Any positive feedback? I haven't read much in the way that it can help my worst issue which is he anxiety. It's debilitating my life. I suffered PTSD from loss of a child. Mental downward spiral since. I've tried all anti depressants and noooooo thank you for that crazy train. Nightmare!
Ok thoughts? Love it? Leave it?

Thanks D

DDubzzz

Hi, I was just reading over your post, and for anxiety, the best anti-depressant by far is Nefazodone. It obviously is very effective for depression as well! Research shows it helps greatly for OCD, and PTSD, it focuses more on serotonin, and is an SARI not an SSRI. I wouldn't recommend Wellbutrin at all if you have anxiety, since it typically causes anxiety, nervousness and insomnia. I'd also, just talk to a pharanscist to verify it! Good luck!

[Mikeyboy]

Originally Posted by DDubzzz

Thank you Mikey Boy. How do I include your response in my post? Again I'm new here learning the ropes! I'm giving this med a shot. Hoping this works!!! I love my gabapentin spesh for sleep. It works like nothing else I've tried for my insomnia. Seroquel? Kept me awake. Remeron? Kept me awake clonazepam works but I prefer not to take that every night just for sleep as I need it during the day when my anxiety is boss. Gabapentin is the first med to help with overall anxiety and the sleep is unreal. Best sleep I've ever had and for a chronic insomniac that's a very big deal. Thanks for your encouragement Mikey

On the bottom right side, in the corner of whatever post you wish to quote, there should be a little button that says "Reply", and you just need to click on that to reply directly to a specific post.

Anyway, good luck with lamictal, hope it works for you. Keep us updated on your progress.

[brookeK]

I am also on Lamictal. Just started last Tuesday. I'm hoping for some positive result. My psych. said there are very little side effects and I asked her if I could expect increase irritability as a side effect. Because in that case I wouldn't take it. She said no. From what I'm reading in your thread, it sounds like it has a lot of side effects... I'm starting to think my psych. has no idea what she is doing

[ChangingMyMind]

Originally Posted by brookeK

I am also on Lamictal. Just started last Tuesday. I'm hoping for some positive result. My psych. said there are very little side effects and I asked her if I could expect increase irritability as a side effect. Because in that case I wouldn't take it. She said no. From what I'm reading in your thread, it sounds like it has a lot of side effects... I'm starting to think my psych. has no idea what she is doing

Every med has some sort of side effect in some people. I have heard many people swear by this drug. They say it's a great augment to depression meds and they have no side effects but some people do have side effects, some even have the rash (SJS). They say SJS is rare but I know somebody who got it and was in the ER... Although I've never heard of somebody getting SJS from an SSRI but it's also listed as a rare side effect of those drugs too. I couldn't bring myself to take it but who knows maybe it would have been great for me.. Maybe not. I can say I had 3 pdocs try to push Lamictal to me recently. Seems doctors like this drug right now. Not sure why... One good thing is it's been around for a long time so many of the side effects are known.

Sent using Tapatalk

[A Red Panda]

I take 175 for lamotrigine (lamictal). I'm also on 25-50 for sertraline (Zoloft). I have bipolar type 2, and I've been on this dosage since about March. So far, while I've had times when the anxiety has gotten ahold of me (whereupon I up my dosage from 25 to 50), I haven't fallen into a depression and I've had one rather mild hypomania.

When I took just 50 of sertraline a year ago.... well, I was off the charts hypomanic. So I know that the Lamictal allows me to use an antidepressant that I otherwise wouldn't be able to.

I haven't had any other side effects from either medication. Well, I've gained some weight since I started meds, but when I started I was left on a reealllly low dosage for a long time and I was in a depression for months (which messes with my eating habits).

[sideblinded]

I don't have bipolar but I don't feel that my moods are stable, either. I seem to get in bad moods quite often. I spiral downward a lot. Either it feels like depression, hostility or impatience. I wonder if lamictal would help this?

MDD
ADHD
GAD

[DDubzzz]

Is it even possible to get any positive effects at such a tiny dose of 25mgs? Or is this a placebo effect I'm feeling?
Side Blinded it may help but getting a doc to write a script for having mood swings may be difficult to obtain. If they suspect bi-polar then yes, or depression?

[sideblinded]

Originally Posted by DDubzzz

Is it even possible to get any positive effects at such a tiny dose of 25mgs? Or is this a placebo effect I'm feeling?
Side Blinded it may help but getting a doc to write a script for having mood swings may be difficult to obtain. If they suspect bi-polar then yes, or depression?

Not sure about the efficacy of 25mg of lamictal because I remember taking it when my pdoc thought I had bipolar and my dose was 100 to 150 mg on average. Every doc wants to titrate a med up and see if smaller doses have an effect.

I have seen that some docs give it to help some depression symptoms. It isn't indicated for depression as it is mainly to stabilize mood but many docs use it off-label and mostly in conjunction with other meds. It might be of use for me but I will ask my pdoc.

Best of luck with your experience with it as your doc may up it when he or she sees if it is helping any.

take care


MDD
ADHD
GAD

[Jamles]

Lamictal is a good drug as long as you can tolerate it.(rash) I was on 300 mgs a day and I felt great. I was originally at 100 mgs a day with no problems.(pdoc) My neurologist had increased to 300 mgs a day to replace my AED. After taking awhile I developed a rash, had to go back on the AED I was on before. But I was able to tolerate 100 mgs.so thats where I am at . I had read if you get a rash that there is a chance that you may have titrated too quickly. A slower titration could help if you have a reaction. Just my experience with this drug. Hope it works out for you.

[Lauliza]

It helped my moods but really slowed me cognitively. So much that it affected work, so not good for me.

[ChangingMyMind]

My new pdoc I just started with reassessed me and said Lamictal was actually not a good choice for me, glad u never took it! Sounds like it's good for some but I am curious if it helps anxiety?

Sent using Tapatalk