lamictal revisited

[adel_ezz]

Again Pls
sometimes i post for a medical opinion and my letter does not get a response because it asks for a medical help which is inappropriate here. So i am rephrasing my questions

1. has anyone got manic from lamictal/lamotrigine, if yes how?
2. Does anyone use an antidepressant with lamictal
3. Did lamictal remove the bipolar depression for you/ i.e. did you REALLY feel the change
4. At what stage of dosage did you start to feel the change
5. Has anyone used paxil with lamictal with no problem

urgent pls
many many thanks
ezz

[adel_ezz]

what you said is enough for me. thanks
incidentally lamictal doesn't help in mania. I am not worried about that, I am worried whether it can drive people manic. apparently it doesn't as IL said except in very huge doses. Mainly it's an MS. I am contented of what you stated that it helps in depression or rapid cycling.
thanks

[blacksoul004]

i am also on lamictal. yes i have noticed that i seem to be very manic dispite being on this drug. i did realy feel a change when it comes to depression. and it also took care of my rapid cycaling for the most part.

Heidi

[Narnia41]

Yes Cipralex gave me mixed episodes too, I had to stop taking it.  I doubt that the Lamictal has caused that to happen with you.

I've never had a blood test with Tegretol since I started it 2 years ago...but my doc is sending me for my first one next week as I keep developing bruises on my skin!!  It seems to me that the USA are so far ahead of the rest of the world with Psychiatry.

Good luck with the Lamictal, and like ILAD says be patient and give it time.
If you give up engineering for psychiatry perhaps you can advise us all :-)

[adel_ezz]

thanks Narnia
tegretol is still used in UK along with the other commonwealth countries not in the USA only rarely because of interactivity.
lamictal i use for BP depression but because i used a cipralex for a while yesterday i had a mixed states. So i am confused whether it's from the AD or lamictal. I guess from the AD. I had stopped it 2 days ago.
with lamictal contrary to tegretol for whichg you need regular blood tests it doesn't so it's safer i suppose. besides tegretol-lithium-valporate (depakine) are mainly the 3 classical ones good for mania, lamictal is only from 2003 and widely spread in the USA. Tegretol users the older/safer school of pdocs like in egypt like it. I had headaches from it. it's cousin trileptal doesn't need blood tests but weaker.
there is a good site which ILADVOCATE recommends depression central google it and everything is there.
it seems i shall give up engineering soon for psychiatry
ezz

[Narnia41]

Hi adel

I think you've asked some really good questions, and I'd also be interested in some answers as I would like to try Lamictal also.  Unfortunately I cannot answer your questions as I've no experience with it, but I've only ever heard good reports of Lamictal.

I understand your confusion about the anti-depressant issue as I take Cymbalta with a mood stabilizer Tegretol, yet I don't see the point of the anti depressant as I think it causes my mixed episodes.  I recently came off the Cymbalta to see how I'd go but it made me physically ill so I went back on it at a low dose as the withdrawal was so bad.

I think it's all trial and error with these drugs, hope you get the right meds and dosage working soon.

[adel_ezz]

Thank you IL. I am already aware of your experience but forgot to write except ILADVOCATE for a reply. i thought i would be rude.

Sorry to have wasted your time once more
thanks
ezz

[ILADVOCATE]

As I stated it worked fine for me on both mania and depression. I was stable at 325 mg. for close to ten years. It did at the end worsen mania but that's an extremely high dose. But in the meantime it was working well the whole time on both manic and depression. As for mood stabilizers it is typical to change after a decade for some people at least. It does happen every now and then. I think what's going on is you haven't built up to a clinical dose and you are still experiencing mania. That's typical and it will take a while. Don't confuse that for Lamictal worsening mania. If at a full dose the mania starts to get worse speak to your psychiatrist about it then. Remember Lamictal is a first line FDA approved mood stabilizer. If the potential of worsening mania at a higher dose were that much of concern it wouldn't have gotten through the studies and been approved for this purpose. Relax and give it some time....