Lamictal experience?

[SeekingAfrica]

What is your experience with it? I am most interested in how long it takes for it to really start helping your mood?
I am generally on SNRI(effexor xr generic version), but due to life changes I got really depressed lately, to the point of wanting to self harm and feeling like nothing will ever get better. My doc added lamictal to the mix, 3x25mg daily. The first day was bad. I did okay during the day, but woke up to throw up during the first night. I'm having my next session next week to talk about how it's going. This morning I fell asleep for 30min mid-morning which could be from the meds or maybe from being depressed, not sure.
I'm just wondering how long it might take before it starts helping.

 

[somerandomguy]

I was on Lamictal until I got a rash from it, then switched over to Tegretol. Both are mood stabilizers that were created to be anti-seizure meds. I haven't mixed them with any other medication. My pdoc built me up slowly to my current dose (200 mg/day) over the course of a few months and I was just starting to feel an effect on Lamictal when I got the rash - so maybe three months.

 

[SeekingAfrica]

I was on Lamictal until I got a rash from it, then switched over to Tegretol. Both are mood stabilizers that were created to be anti-seizure meds. I haven't mixed them with any other medication. My pdoc built me up slowly to my current dose (200 mg/day) over the course of a few months and I was just starting to feel an effect on Lamictal when I got the rash - so maybe three months.

That seems like forever right now. 3 months. Logically I know I'll make it somehow, but every day is hard right now, so 3 months sound like eternity. Thanks for the info though, appreciated.

 

[somerandomguy]

I wish I had something better to say, but hang in there. Do you have anything you're looking forward to in the future?

 

[SeekingAfrica]

I wish I had something better to say, but hang in there. Do you have anything you're looking forward to in the future?

Not really. I like my ballet classes, they usually relax me and help me feel better. But I'm in the red zone as far as what I need, so the things that usually help me are not enough. I did talk to crisis line today. I don't think they had anything helpful to say, but at least I got through a bit more time.
I am planning to try to review my goals today, to remember what I'm fighting for. To do like a personal audit with myself, kind of where am I in terms of life and what I want to do. And take actions so in 3 months or 6 months or a year I am not in the same place. I may not have the energy to do it today but it is something I want to do. I'm turning 30 really soon and that adds another level of depression to what I already feel, not feeling accomplished and all that. A year seems like impossibly long time, but I know it passes anyway, so...
I just feel...powerless, you know? Like I am trying to extract energy from anything just to keep going while really, I am just depleated.
I've been meaning to start mental health blog for a while and if I were able to, I think that would be something to look forward to. But I've been meaning to do it for a long while so I am not sure I trust myself. All I can say is I'm trying.

 

[somerandomguy]

Try not to get down on yourself. Sometimes trying is all you can do, and that's OK. And 30 is still pretty young - you still have plenty of time for doing things. This is just your time to try to get better. The fact that you're working on that is a huge accomplishment in itself.

 

[EveHarrington]

You taper up like a turtle so it may take time to feel effects. This is one med that cannot have a fast taper.

 

[SeekingAfrica]

You taper up like a turtle so it may take time to feel effects. This is one med that cannot have a fast taper.

I wonder why my doc chose that one than. I need to trust it was for a reason. But things are so hard right now.

 

[EveHarrington]

I wonder why my doc chose that one than.

Most likely because it works on depression. I’m not sure if any other mood stabilizers are known for helping depression. I take trileptal and it’s known for helping the manic side, but I don’t experience mania.

 

[Fadeaway]

I wasn't on it for long. I was pout on doxipin at the same time, so it is hard to say if the side effects where from on or the other. The rash though is very scary. I had it drilled into my head to do a full body scan daily. I advise you to do the same.

 

[SeekingAfrica]

I wasn't on it for long. The rash though is very scary. I had it drilled into my head to do a full body scan daily. I advise you to do the same.

Noted! Yeah, I looked up some reviews when I started it and saw that the rash was the biggest concern. No rashes so far with me.

Most likely because it works on depression. I’m not sure if any other mood stabilizers are known for helping depression. I take trileptal and it’s known for helping the manic side, but I don’t experience mania.

Yeah, but I am already on SNRI, are these suppose to work both on anxiety and depression? It's just that recent situations made my health drop back to really bad level, so my doc thought I needed something in addition(which I agree with since it was getting pretty bad). I guess everyone is different. No nausea anymore, but I'm getting lots of fatigue and a bad headache today. Though again, the headache can be related to current stress too.

 

[EveHarrington]

Yeah, but I am already on SNRI, are these suppose to work both on anxiety and depression?

I don’t know about lamictal, but I do know that my mood stabilizer works on anxiety. My guess is that your doc thought you needed extra help in addition to your antidepressant.