Posted by Luka62 on January 24, 2003, at 0:12:06
In reply to Re: What's Best?, posted by hildi on January 23, 2003, at 22:27:55
I am currently on Lamictal, for past 17months. I was on Neurontin for about 4 or 5 years, and took it up until this past July. My diagnosis is Bipolar as well as PTSD. I had also been on Depakote and Lithium.(neither or which helped my severe and frequent mood swings.)
When I started on Lamictal after my Psych. doc sent me to a psychopharmacologist for a consult, I asked to be taken off the Neurontin, at least to see if I could do okay on just the Lamictal and an antidepressant, she refused. Eventually with my therapist's support I decided to change doctors and go off the neurontin. I have been stable since going off it like you wouldn't believe. I've not been in the hospital for 1 1/2 years ( an honest to God record for me. Hadn't been out that length of time in 13 years.!!)My mood swings are no where near like they were, it's so undescribable.
But what is very interesting to me is my teen son was on Neurontin too, and after 1 year of him seeing a psyciatrist I really didn't feel confident in, I switched him also to a doc who immediately took him off the neurontin. It changed things for him dramatically too, it's almost scary. As weird as it may sound, it has me wondering if the neurontin wasn't Contributing to my situation, and my son's as well!! AFter his med was switched, he no longer experienced the sometimes psychotic symptoms and strange thought processes.! (He is also bipolar, and adhd, and his med regimen now seems to be quite effective.)I don't know if our experiences are unusual or rare, or what, but either the Lamictal is the first med in 15 years to really help me, or the neurontin was actually making things a lot worse.
My current doc told me that unlike Neurotin or Depakote, Lamictal also helps the depression As Well as the manic episodes.
poster:Luka62
thread:136539
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030119/msgs/137279.html