Posted by Joe Bloe on March 10, 2007, at 1:50:39
I started Lamictal 3 weeks ago. I was prescribed 25 mgs a day to augment 20 mgs prozac and 20 mg adderall xr. After 4 or 5 days at 25 mgs, I was unable to function because of serious cognitive side effects. But I felt as if my depression was totally gone.
I decided to cut back to 12.5 mgs Lamictal a day and I now alternate days at 12.5 and 25 mgs. I also take it at night. I added 300 mgs supplementary choline to the regimen to mitigate cognitive SE's.
I also made the decision to end my 4 plus years with Prozac. It really wasn't doing much for me anymore and I am tired of feeling blunted, asexual, and I am also tired of the cognitive side effects which this gives me - such as poor memory. I just feel that this med has run its course. I plan to not mess with the Adderall for the time being. Something should be constant with this big change taking place.
I am now on week 4 of what I hope is a SSRI withdrawal. I am down to 5 mgs Prozac a day after reducing it to 15 mgs and then 10 mgs in weeks 1 through 3. I have some Benadryl ready in case I feel any withdrawal symptoms in the coming weeks and I am also ready to apply the "flex" plan advocated by SLS a few years ago - i.e. take a small dose of Prozac as necessary to aid withdrawal. I tried to withdraw from Prozac a couple of times before and failed. The withdrawal syndrome was too extreme. I feel determined this time to try to live without it.
This is where the Lamictal comes into play. With my current regimen, I am finding my memory return and the cognitive SEs seem to be diminishing for the most part. I almost feel as if the particular SE's caused by Prozac are diminishing. Also, the cognitive SE's caused by the SSRI and Lamictal appear to be an equal tradeoff, even though they have different manifestations.
Questions:
Can a small dose of Lamictal be used, not to augment, but to replace a SSRI in therapy for MDD/possible BP 2?
Also, does it seem possible that, because I am taking Lamictal, I might not experience the same unbearable withdrawal syndrome from Prozac that I did in the past?
poster:Joe Bloe
thread:739722
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070308/msgs/739722.html