Posted by dewdropinn on July 27, 2007, at 7:55:41
In reply to Re: Is lamotrigine a hardcore mood stabilizer?? » linkadge, posted by Bonnie_CA on July 26, 2007, at 5:52:43
Lamictal is the gold standard for bipolar 2, but hasn't proven effective for stopping full blown mania -- doesn't mean that it can't be of benefit for severe bipolar, but it's definitely not one of the big guns of mood stabilization -- that honor goes to Depakote and Zyprexa.
The irritability makes me think that there's some low grade akathesia going on -- I'm incredibly sensitive to this as well -- lamictal doesn't cause this problem of me, but lithium and all anti-psychotics do. After lamictal, tegretol and trileptal are my next favorites in the anti-convulsant group -- so long as you've got an antidepressant on board, they can be fantastic and their mood stabilization powers are very dose dependent. Low dose and they aren't remotely hardcore; high dose and they are somewhere in the middle of hardcoredom. I believe they also raise dopamine activity in certain areas of the brain -- and I don't believe they reduce dopamine function in any way -- which would seem to obviate the akathesia issue.
And then there's good old Klonopin -- a low-grade anti-convulsant and the ultimate junior grade mood stabilizer/utility drug of all-time.
Drew
> > The lamotrigine has just made me feel very flat, slightly irritable, and somtimes just plain weird. Not my personal idea of a mood elevator.
> >
> > Sometimes too it causes strong acute anhedonia, like I just want to sit in a chair and stare at the wall for 7 hours after a dose.
> >
> >
> > Linakdge
>
> Funny, that's exactly what Prozac did to me!
>
> Lamictal has worked really well for me, although I can't tell if the anxiety is a side effect of the lamictal or if it's because I need something to help with the anxiety I already had. It does prevent me from getting angry over stupid things, and I don't stay in the wallows of depression for long periods of time. I was depressed the other day, but I got over it in about 12 hours. Wow. I have never lifted that fast before, except into mania. Don't get hypomanic anymore either. Doesn't sound like it's working for you. I know your doc is on vacation, but is it possible to see someone else?
>
> -Bonnie
>
poster:dewdropinn
thread:771149
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070719/msgs/772299.html