Has anyone tried Lamictal for Depression?

[smirkymonkey]

I just went to a new therapist and she put me on Lamictal (I am going up by increments every week - now up to 50mgs) and so far, I don't really feel like it has done anything for me. My moods still go up and down, although I am never manic. I just sometimes (rarely) feel good and positive, but I always sink back into depression and lack of motivation. She has cut my SSRI in half, but I am wondering if it's not such a good idea.

Anyway, does anybody have any experience with this drug and if so, what do you think of it to treat depression? Thanks in advance. :hi:

[Mrs. Ted Nancy]

1. Lamictal

I'm not bi-polar and I take lamictal, the blue pills. My doc has me on a lexapro (20mg)-wellbutrin (200 mg)-lamictal (200mg) cocktail. I had to work up to the higher dosage of the lamictal, but it seems to be ok so far.

Call your doc immediately if you get any sort of rash. I hope it works for you. :hi:

[smirkymonkey]

3. I have been on for 5 weeks and so far no rash.

My doctor is also trying the cocktail w/ zoloft & trazodone. We'll see if any of it works. I kind of wish I didn't need anything, but I don't function well without the extra "help".

[stillcool]

2. I'm taking lamictal...

with Zoloft and Seroquel. I've been taking it for about 6 mos. or so. I was sleeping too much, so I was going to cut back on the Seroquel. Now I'm not sleeping at all, even when taking the full amount of seroquel. So now I'm cutting back on the zoloft. I'm starting to think being half-asleep all the time isn't such a bad thing...

[smirkymonkey]

4. Do you feel like it's helping?

I can't really tell yet. It's hard to know when you are on a few different drugs at the same time. I have only been on it for 5 weeks.

[stillcool]

7. Well, it's not not working..

it was added to control the mood swings without making me feel dead. I am more alert, more awake, but somehow that always seems to mean more agitated. I guess it's more about degrees of well with me, than good or bad, and tweaking is inevitable?

[Forkboy]

5. The friggin Seroquel sucks

It either works way too good or not at all.I've barely slept in weeks,even taking three times the dosage I'm supposed to(supposed to take 200mg a night..I took 600mg last night...nothing).

It also gives me the shakes so bad in the morning that I can barely hold a toothbrush or take a pill without dumping the whole bottle.I'm telling the doc next time that I'm done with it.Why put up with the side effects if it isn't doing a damn thing positive?

[stillcool]

8. I've been on it for a while now...

after a series of other drugs, and it seems to be the one I tolerate the best. The lamictal was supposed to replace the seroquel but that hasn't happened yet. I tried Geodon before the lamictal, and that was ugly. For me, the seroquel deadens me...which I think is the goal...to prevent getting triggered. I can tolerate life being half-asleep, but don't want to...now. The funny thing is when I'm freaking life half-asleep is the preferred way to go.

[Forkboy]

9. That's the trouble with comparing who takes what

We all will react differently to different meds,so it's hard to say what works for one will work for another.

I hate sleeping for 12 hours and still being tired for the first 6 I'm awake.I don't want to live as a zombie,and I hate feeling apathetic about things I know I should care about.That cost me a marriage.

[EFerrari]

14. Ask your doc about Vitamin E for the shaking. n/t

[Forkboy]

15. I will,thanks!

:hi:

[Forkboy]

6. I take it (150mg)

Been on it now for almost a year and I can honestly say it's the only med I take that I think actually does anything.It doesn't help the depression at all though,and I'm not sure it's intended that way.It's more to control the mood swings than anything.I went without for a couple of weeks last month and I've been totally manic sine then (1 to 3 hours of sleep a night...if that).

It does take a long time before you'll notice anything (and when it works you might not notice it all,which means it's doing it's job).

As for the depression,so far I've tried Zoloft,Paxil,Cymbalta,Efexor and Prozac and none them can even touch it.I won't take anymore.It's just something I'll deal with all my life..or I wont.

Give the Lamictal awhile.It's the only med I have anything good to say about.

[smirkymonkey]

10. Thanks for the advice!

I suppose I just have to be patient - my depression is sort of atypical (I'm not chronically depressed, but I am VERY moody, without being really manic. I can feel good for a while, but I am triggered into depression very easily.)

I guess it takes a while to find the right "cocktail" Good luck to you and hang in there!

[smirkymonkey]

19. Mood swings are much better, but depression is a lot worse.

It's more of an agitated depression with that empty pit feeling in the center of your chest - that horrifying feeling like you can't catch your breath and that feeling of impending doom. You just feel like you want a way out. I think I need to get readjusted or something. It's not good. Also, I am itchy all the time.

[Forkboy]

20. If you have any kind of rash you need to stop,quickly.

Call your doctor/psych as soon as you can if you have a rash.It's part of a serious side effect.

If it's just itchiness it may not be what I'm talking about,but any kind of rash you need to mention asap.Either way you should bring it up.

I can't tell what it does to my depression because nothing works on that,but Lamictal isn't really for the depression as much as anxiety.It hasn't been working as good for me lately,but I got other physical health issues that have me anxious,so I attribute it to that.

That's the trouble with all these meds.They're so hit or miss for everyone that no two people seem to react the same.Makes it real tough to get advice that actually applies to you.

[BluePatriot]

11. Oh, MAN, don't get me started

Either I was allergic to it or was never bipolar at all but had thyroid trouble. I finally got a physical when on this stuff -- my hair was falling out, I had tremors, I couldn't think -- and was severely hyperthyroid. I quit taking it (against everyone's advice btw) and became immediately better. The doc wanted me to quit cold turkey but I persisted in getting extra samples to taper off the dosage gradually as I felt that was safer for my system. I found out I had a family history of thyroid problems and could be experiencing the below which in its "swings" is really parallel to Bipolar:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_thyroiditis

Please, PLEASE rule out any physical problems if your doc. has not sent you to get a physical. Get your thyroid, electrolytes checked, try out diet and exercise too. I'm checking on my girl-hormones with the OB-GYN as well. This is not to say depression/bipolar is not a big problem but my questionable diagnosis and experience makes me want to share this story. We have lots of chemicals in our bodies, that, when out of whack, can make us act funny.

*not med. advice, YMMV
**also, I am pro-meds, but not sure I was on the right one or diag. with the right condition! I currently take a nice herbal cocktail which helps with my moods and anxiety.

[Deja Q]

12. It made me depressed. (it was given to me for a form of bipolar disorder...)

I've not been categorized as true bipolar; the shrink isn't sure what, but it is a form of wild mood swing.

[smirkymonkey]

18. I am really depressed and anxious, although my moods are

a lot more stable. However I am also on Topamax and I think the Topamax is helping more w/ the mood swings since they didn't really start evening out until after I went on that. Also, I am really itchy all the time. I wasn't this depressed before I went on Lamictal.

[EFerrari]

13. My doc just put me on it to level out mood.

Only two days in. :shrug:

[GreenPartyVoter]

16. Lamictal helped me sleep. I mean 5 minutes after my head hit the pillow I was out. BUT

just as I reached 100mgs after going up by half a pill every other week, I started to have anxiety issues. And the whole time I was on it I was itchy on every mucous membrane I have. Finally at 100mgs I got a rash on my chest and they yanked me off of it.

But yeah, it was either helping with the depression or making me a bit hypomanic. I wasn't on it long enough to be sure.

[no name no slogan]

17. Started on it in December 2006...

... after my diagnosis was changed from depression to bipolar II. I also cut my Cymbalta (SSRI) from 90mg to 30mg when I started on it, but later ended up back at 60mg Cymbalta because I too got depressed. I'm currently at 200mg Lamictal and have never had side effects from it.