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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by bleauberry on June 20, 2008, at 19:01:35
OK, so except for a couple antidepressants from other countries, the only one I haven't tried in USA is effexor. I think I've pretty much made the rounds in the whole reuptake inhibition game and it just isn't my game. As I always say to others, but don't acknowledge very well myself, when the logical doesn't work, look elsewhere.
Sooo...lamictal is high on my list. Bipolar? Maybe, maybe not. No doc can agree. As familiar as I am with diagnosis, I have a hard time making the call. No matter, lamictal has merits one way or the other.
I tried lamictal a few years ago. I remember an almost immediate boost in mood that within a week turned into a severe depression worthy of being hospitalized (though I wasn't). I quickly got off it. Don't remember the days after stopping. That's what I'm here to ask about.
If anyone has stopped lamictal due to any adverse effect, was there a period of worsened depression shortly after stopping it? I expect that would happen. With me, even when a drug has me more depressed than I started, when I withdraw it there is a period of 2 to 5 days of yet even worse depression, as if I thought it couldn't get any worse. And then I bounce back to my baseline which is far better than either on the drug or withdrawing from it. As long as I know it is coming, I can get through it. Been there done that plenty of times.
I am just trying to cover my bases. If I get side effects...insomnia, anxiety, memory, tiredness, whatever...ok, not cause to stop. But if worsened depression happens, I have to stop. And if that happened, I want to know how others felt after they stopped it.
Posted by dbc on June 20, 2008, at 21:38:14
In reply to Lamictal Adverse Effects..Stopping More Depressed?, posted by bleauberry on June 20, 2008, at 19:01:35
>If I get side effects...insomnia, anxiety, memory, tiredness,<
You should add being extremely wired to that list because uhh i got every single one of those, oh and headache. Im still on it at 300mg.
Really i never got a side effect at a steady dose. Its just getting to a useful dose thats the big problem.
Posted by Phillipa on June 21, 2008, at 11:15:11
In reply to Re: Lamictal Adverse Effects..Stopping More Depres, posted by dbc on June 20, 2008, at 21:38:14
How high will the dose be as at 50mg just stopped it nothing. No withdrawal. Blueberry good luck you are such a great asset here. What happened with the supplements? Any you're still on? Thanks Phillipa
Posted by Mike_Cohen_2 on June 21, 2008, at 20:38:21
In reply to Re: Lamictal Adverse Effects..Stopping More Depres, posted by Phillipa on June 21, 2008, at 11:15:11
I dropped down from 200mg to 100mg basically overnight and had no problems or side effects. I stayed on that dose for about two weeks, then cut it to 50mg. Within 24 hours, I started getting the worst fatigue I've ever had. Nothing different about meds or that day, but I couldn't keep my eyes open and did notice and increase in anxiety, not depression though. Late in the day I took another 25mg and found myself having trouble sleeping all night, which I never have. I always sleep like a baby. Like you, I have the questionable BP II, I never really bought into it, but Dr. Phelps at psycheducation seemed to really like this med if you had it. I did notice the boost you spoke of in the beginning, but that quickly wore off. Since, I don't feel any benefit from it, I decided to get off of it. I'm still at the 75mg day #2, and today I had some of the worst anxiety I've had in a long long time. I had to double up on the benzos which I havn't done in a long long time. Even with the sedation which I normally don't get on my regular regimen, I still felt very anxious, despite the extra benzos. Very strange to be tired to the point of needing a nap and feeling anxious at the same time. This is new for me. Again, the Lamictal is the only thing I've played with over the last two days. Oddly enough, the only thing I've been able to find is that others have experienced the fatigue I felt yesterday, when I didn't double up on the benzos. Apparantly, Lamictal does have some potency to it that gives you some type of energy, i.e. it's stimulating in some sort of way. I'm just realizing it now, but still getting off it.
This is the end of the thread.
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