Posted by SLS on June 26, 2005, at 15:50:51
In reply to Re: Comment 2 question..., posted by willyee on June 26, 2005, at 11:36:51
I am not terribly surprised that Lamictal caused you to become manic. What I am surprised at is that lithium was a necessary catalyst to precipitate the mania. What were your blood levels at the time?
I wouldn't be so surprised that lithium didn't prevent a manic reaction to another drug. Lithium, at bipolar dosages, does very little to treat my mania once it is triggered. But it is quite an enigma that lithium should actually cause the mania. I guess its pro-serotonergic effects play a part in such a reaction.
I am glad you find Neurontin helpful. I believe the drug is currently overlooked by psychiatrists as a reaction to two facts. First, it does not seem to make for a good mood stabilizer as monotherapy. This might make some doctors to view the drug as worthless when it might actually have utility as an adjunct to other mood-stabilizers. Second, there might be some backlash to the media pronouncement any litigation accusing the drug manufacturer promoting it for off-label uses. It seems that the pendulum has swung too far in the opposite direction. At first, it was handed out like candy. Now, it seems unusual that it be used as a mood-stabilizer or an adjunct to antidepressants. I believe that Neurontin is not just an expensive placebo. I hope more work is done to establish the spectrum of therapeutic properties that Neurontin actually possesses.
With Gabitril, did you experience any irritability?
What is your current diagnosis and what medications are you taking now? Are they helping?
Be well.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:519149
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050622/msgs/519331.html