[ChangingMyMind]

A 4th doctor has suggested I take Lamictal for my depression. At this point I give in... If 4 different professionals suggest this med then I suppose I should give it a go. This last doc took time to get to know me, she seems very knowledgeable and I just get a sense of calm and trust with her so I am inclined to go with her recommendation.

First she suggested Lithium but I have heard too many horror stories. Many people have reported in favor of Lamictal so I was more comfortable with that. Although if anybody likes Lithium over Lamictal let me know! I am open to hearing all sides!

So to my question and I am sorry if it has been asked before! What do I look for when it comes to "the rash" SJS? Is it a fever and flu like symptoms or blisters or itching or a rash or?? And are there different rashes to look for or is it just SJS to be concerned about (aside from an allergic reaction of course)?

[ChangingMyMind]

One other question, if you had side effects on Lamictal what we're they and at what dose? I am starting low at 10mg. I'm very sensitive to medicine so doc wants me to feel comfortable.

[manxcatwoman]

A few yrs. ago I asked my psychiatrist if it might help me to take lamictal along with my antidepressants. He started me out with 25mg twice a day and increased to eventually 200 mg and it's helped. Note that not everyone should take that high of a dose. Some people would probably feel extremely zoned out and that's not good. I have very wild mood swings due to a borderline personality disorder. So the dosage has to be right for individuals and there are other things that need to be taken into consideration like what antidepressants do you take and why you take them, etc. ..if you're even taking them. Sometimes Lamictal might help someone enough not to need anything else. So everybody needs to find the right fit that only a dr. can help you with. The average medical drs. shouldn't be the ones to make those decisions. Only a psychiatrist should be prescribing antidepressants and other meds like it, IMO. But of course there are some lousy psychs out there who overprescribe.

I don't have any serious side effects but I have some body acne which is bothersome but it's not the kind of serious rash people can sometimes get. The best thing is that like any other meds, you have to keep up with med checkups if possible.

[ChangingMyMind]

Thanks for your response!

I am not on any other psych meds at all. Antidepressants work just fine for me but after 11 years on Celexa I had added side effects and it became to be too much so they took me off it. My life has been a nightmare since then. I have tried many antidepressants but they all give me a rash/itching or too many side effects.

I do not have mood swings really but I am irritable with the depression and have a lot of physical symptoms from the depression.

All doctors that have suggested Lamictal have been psych docs besides one. So three pdocs suggest I take Lamictal or a mood stabilizer but none of them have mentioned bipolar until the doctor today. Which I think is odd becuse I've never been manic or even hypomanic. I just have depression and anxiety and it's not cyclical it's always there.

Not sure I believe I am bipolar becuse I've never had any symptoms of bipolar unless there is something I'm missing... She mentioned something about bipolar depression.. Guess I'll have to do some research on that.

[LastQuestion]

Originally Posted by ChangingMyMind

Thanks for your response!

I am not on any other psych meds at all. Antidepressants work just fine for me but after 11 years on Celexa I had added side effects and it became to be too much so they took me off it. My life has been a nightmare since then. I have tried many antidepressants but they all give me a rash/itching or too many side effects.

I do not have mood swings really but I am irritable with the depression and have a lot of physical symptoms from the depression.

All doctors that have suggested Lamictal have been psych docs besides one. So three pdocs suggest I take Lamictal or a mood stabilizer but none of them have mentioned bipolar until the doctor today. Which I think is odd becuse I've never been manic or even hypomanic. I just have depression and anxiety and it's not cyclical it's always there.

Not sure I believe I am bipolar becuse I've never had any symptoms of bipolar unless there is something I'm missing... She mentioned something about bipolar depression.. Guess I'll have to do some research on that.

When I stopped taking Mirtazapine I went into withdrawal from it. Withdrawal symptoms can vary person to person a great deal, mine included: depression, insomnia, fatigue, body aches, inflammation, suicidal ideation, and more.

Withdrawal can take months, as the body has to readjust to no longer having the substance it had developed dependance upon. I have found I no longer need an AD for depression, feel far less depressed than I did on Mirtazapine.

One of the reasons your pdocs may be suggesting a mood stabilizer is that they may help address some withdrawal symptoms - my pdoc increased my dose of lamotrigine for my withdrawal. If you are in withdrawal I'd recommend trying supplements before lamotrigine. I've been using Sensoril, L-Theanine, N-Acetylcysteine, Magnesium, and Melatonin as needed. L-Taurine might help with going to sleep if you need it. I also have a strict diet, do my best to get sleep, meditate, and exercise regularly.

Talk to a pdoc about the supplements, some of them interact strongly with psychotropics, which can be good or bad depending on one's needs.

[ChangingMyMind]

How many months do you think it takes to get over withdrawal? Since I was on Celexa for 11 years I am guessing my withdrawal would be longer but I just don't know what would be the expected timeframe. I've been off Celexa since 1/22/14, so it's been 9 months, seems like a long time for withdrawal but I did try several antidepressants after going off Celexa, around 8 (nearly all of them) from Feb - July, then I did TMS from July to September and since then I've been feeling ok mentally most of the time but my body just aches, I'm tired, have chills (no fever), GI issues, and no energy/fatigue (I can sleep for 14 hours or more no problem). Could it be withdrawal still? I will definitely look into the supplements you suggest. I definitely prefer supplements to an Rx any day. Especially since I am so sensitive to medicine.

Also what kind of diet do you follow?

Does Lamictal have bad withdrawal like antidepressants?

[Altered Moment]

Lamictal: Miraculous? Not Quite | Psych Central Professional
published 2013

I am confused as to how they came up with bipolar for a dx. There is bi polar I and bi polar II. bi polar depression is just the depression phase as far as I know. I am also confused as to why it would be prescribed alone. Maybe because of your reaction to AD's. Lamictal has a low side effect profile. Not sure about withdrawal. Like with all of them it should be done slowly. 50% per week reduction I read but that is pretty fast really.

You may or may not have been having withdrawal from celexa. Not everyone gets it. Hard to know.

SSRI Discontinuation or Withdrawal Syndrome | Psych Central

[ChangingMyMind]

Hey Zinco, that's the thing I don't understand a bipolar dx either which she didn't outright say she just hinted to it. She said it's because I have physical symptoms. But that happens with depression alone so I don't get it and antidepressants work well for me. I think the main reason she wants me to try Lamictal or Lithium she suggested Lithium! But I quickly said I would rather Lamictal if I am going to take a mood stabilizer... Was becuse she thinks it will "mellow" my mind enough to calm down the itchy reaction I've been having to so many medicines. Then, now that I think about it more I think she plans to reintroduce antidepressants but I am not sure and I definitely don't want to be on two meds when one works fine for me.

Mainly I'm just afraid of the side effects of Lamictal, since I get side effects to all meds, why take the risk if I don't have to? I really don't believe I'm bipolar.. If I were I'd gladly take the risk but I have no signs of mood swings or manic behavior. Oh now I remember she was also focusing on the fact that I get irritable and agitated sometimes... Suggesting this can mean I have undiagnosed bipolar. I still don't get that because depression causes irritability.... I feel like she's just trying to get me on a mood stabilizer becuse that's her preferred line of treatment. And if I thought I could just take a mood stabilizer and it would fix my depression I'd do it but everything I read is to the contrary. Everything I read says Lamictal can be used as an agmenter to antidepressants if people do not respond well with antidepressants alone.

[Altered Moment]

That is what I thought. Lamictal and Lithium have had success as augmenters to anti depressants. I think some people have said on this board that Lamictal alone can help depression but I don't remember any links. I do believe the side effect profile is low. the rash thing you want to watch out for for sure. Maybe ask the pdoc to back up her reasoning. What evidence is there?

There is an ongoing clinical trial on it but no results yet.

Lamotrigine Alone Compared to Lamotrigine Plus Antidepressant for the Treatment of Bipolar II Depression - Full Text View - ClinicalTrials.gov

[ChangingMyMind]

Yeah, I will ask her more about it on Thursday when I see her. I already told her I'm not taking the Lamictal at this point because of the reasons I've already stated here. She already said we can discuss further. So at least she's open and has put me in the driver's seat.

[LastQuestion]

People on forums have reported having withdrawal symptoms for over a year. It really does vary. Things like good diet, exercise, sleep, and some supplements promote neuroplasticity and healing in general. As to my diet I stick to brown rice, quinoa, vegatables, fruits, nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts), and sources of lean protein.

I honestly eat basically the same thing every day as I then do not have to exert any effort finding something to eat. Specifically, breakfast is oatmeal with cinnamon, walnuts, honey, frozen berries or peaches, and protein isolates to drink. Lunch is brown rice with some soup I cook about once a week (basically whatever vegatables I feel like eating (lots of green ones) with spices, almonds, walnuts, and egg whites simmered for ~8 min). I store the cooked soup and brown rice (with cinnamon mixed in it) ready to eat in the fridge. Dish a portion, heat in microwave, and eat. Dinner is quinoa, with vegatables spiced and sautéed in coconut oil, with a lean protein source. I have some fresh fruit, nuts, or real fruit juice as snacks or with meals. I'm also fond of Greek yogurt.

The withdrawal I've been experiencing since April has been brutal and eating like this has made it easier to cope as there's far less stress involved. It also has the benefit of providing all of my nutritional needs. I supplement some vitamins and minerals based upon the level of stress and instability I'm experiencing. High levels of psychological and physiological stress tend to deplete them faster than normal, quite often faster than is practical to make up for. It's best to get them all from food for many reasons, but I also have been experiencing GI issues, and this affects how well I can absorb nutrients from foods.

[ChangingMyMind]

Thank you for the information. I never thought withdrawal could last so long!

The food you eat seems easy enough to stick to. I pretty much eat similar foods. Though I do eat pasta. I make sure it's brown though. Thanks for the ideas it helps. I notice when I eat outside of my normal regiment I have more GI issues. So I am trying to stick to foods that do not irritate my GI tract.

I will ask about the supplements you mentioned. I notice Sensoril has aswaganda in it which has caused me to itch / get a rash (like many meds right now) so I would be hesitant to try that right now but I could try the others.

I love to exercise and it's probably the thing I miss the most about not being depressed. The depression makes me so tired and weak that I can't really work out. If I do workout I have more body aches and pain the next day and it actually makes my mood worse... Likely cause I'm in so much pain. I do try to walk the dog 2-3 times a day to get in some exercise. If I don't walk the dog my spouse does.. So no worries the dog gets his exercise in

I'm finding lately that I want to do things again but my body holds me back with pain and severe GI problems.