Posted by Emme on March 27, 2002, at 12:46:12
In reply to Re: Lamictal beneficiaries- Emme. . ., posted by Bekka H. on March 26, 2002, at 23:09:19
Hi Bekka
Thanks for the good wishes. I'm doing my best to take it in stride. At the moment, the only sensible medication change is to increase the lamictal a bit and try to deal with what's triggering the stress. I'd hoped I'd have better resilience, but I don't just yet.
Phase shifts and circadian rhythms, etc., huh? Well, I'm a night owl by temperament and so's my brother. I'm with you on the up late sleep late thing. Lamictal distrubs my sleep and causes me to wake up earlier, which is a good thing. But I've had to add the dash of seroquel to help get sounder sleep and make sure I get enough hours. I find myself very reluctant to go to sleep at night at all, unless I fall asleep reading, and then wake up a little while later and turn the light off (guess I could put it on a timer). This is a weird psychological thing. I think I'm afraid of lying awake and then thinking sad thoughts or worrying. So I'd rather just drift off in the middle of a page. Which I suppose isn't such a terrible thing for the time being as long as I get in enough sleep and feel okay in the morning.
I didn't used to have SAD, but since having problems with my mood disorder, I notice it worsens in winter. Interesting you mention a bipolar connection as my doctor thinks I'm BPII. I really hate getting up in the dark, I feel better if it's light when I get up. I haven't yet been on a therapeutic dose of Lamictal through a winter to tell if it will help with SAD type problems.
You're smart to ask lots of questions. I hope Lamictal helps you. It's a good drug for a lot of people.
Take care,
Emme> Hi Emme,
>
> Thanks so much for your reply. I'm sorry to hear that you are feeling depressed again. I know what you mean about taking on too much before you're ready.
>
> I also have a problem with phase shifts (I want to stay up late and get up late, especially in the cold weather!). Did you notice any change in circadian rhythms on Lamictal? One of the reasons I ask is that, even though I have unipolar depression, I have read in several places that some doctors think that patients who have Seasonal Affective Disorder might actually have a variant of Bipolar II. So, if Lamictal helps bipolar patients, I wondered whether it would help the seasonal variations.
>
> I hope that your "environmental factors" cease to be a stressor for you.
>
> Thanks again for your help.
>
> Bekka
poster:Emme
thread:99911
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020327/msgs/100575.html