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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by sac on July 30, 2004, at 6:16:24
Does anyone else experience increasing obsessions, ruminations with Lamictal?? This is my 3rd re-try with it (currently on 25mgs) and I've been on it in the past as high as 200mgs. I find that I tend to have periods of anxiety and tend to obsess about things much more with the Lam. However, the other AED's I've tried like Depakote tend to make me more depressed. I have bipolar II and my main problem is chronic depression. I'm ready to throw the towel in again with this Lamictal. Any insights? Thanks -Stacey
Posted by griswald on July 30, 2004, at 12:00:24
In reply to Lamictal and increased obsessions, ruminations, posted by sac on July 30, 2004, at 6:16:24
That's exactly what it does to me. I tend to obsess about one bad thing until another bad thing happens, then I obsess about that. Also I find I have a lower frustration tolerance with it. It also makes me want to move around - I can't sit still. But the other AED's have done nothing for my depression whereas Lamictal really works. I've found when I take it with a small amount of Paxil these side effects are diminished. My main problem right now is depression too. I stay with the lamictal because, for me, there is nothing else that comes close to treating my bipolar depression without making me cycle.
Posted by sac on July 30, 2004, at 13:09:07
In reply to Re: Lamictal and increased obsessions, ruminations, posted by griswald on July 30, 2004, at 12:00:24
Thanks for your reply. At least I am not imagining this. What dose are you currently at? I've been on Lam in that past as high as 200 mgs. and while it does keep the major depressive episodes from recurring, I tend to feel left in a sort of low grade depression or somewhat dysphoric mood. I'm also on 20 mgs. Prozac, and 75 mgs. bupropion. I don't know if I can deal with the obsessing though. I don't have that problem except on Lamictal. Do you notice any difference in the evening on Lamictal? For me, evenings are the worst..I become anxious, dysphoric, and obsess. Don't know if I can deal with this.
> That's exactly what it does to me. I tend to obsess about one bad thing until another bad thing happens, then I obsess about that. Also I find I have a lower frustration tolerance with it. It also makes me want to move around - I can't sit still. But the other AED's have done nothing for my depression whereas Lamictal really works. I've found when I take it with a small amount of Paxil these side effects are diminished. My main problem right now is depression too. I stay with the lamictal because, for me, there is nothing else that comes close to treating my bipolar depression without making me cycle.
Posted by griswald on July 30, 2004, at 13:25:25
In reply to Re: Lamictal and increased obsessions, ruminations, posted by sac on July 30, 2004, at 13:09:07
> Thanks for your reply. At least I am not imagining this. What dose are you currently at? I've been on Lam in that past as high as 200 mgs. and while it does keep the major depressive episodes from recurring, I tend to feel left in a sort of low grade depression or somewhat dysphoric mood. I'm also on 20 mgs. Prozac, and 75 mgs. bupropion. I don't know if I can deal with the obsessing though. I don't have that problem except on Lamictal. Do you notice any difference in the evening on Lamictal? For me, evenings are the worst..I become anxious, dysphoric, and obsess. Don't know if I can deal with this.
>
>
> I have been as high as 100mg, but for me it's only tolerable at 25mg. I would really like to go down to 12.5, but the depression/rapid cycling comes back. Evenings are DEFINATELY the worst for me. I don't need to exercise any more because I pace a mile before I go to sleep! Slight exageration, but still. I too feel that, while it stops the horrible suicidal depressions, it leaves me feeling slightly depressed. When I took the Wellbutrin, the dysphoria went away but the anxiety and jumpiness got slightly worse. The best I've felt in years was when I took Wellbutrin and Paxil together, but it gave me such horrible insomnia that I started cycling again. I would really like to stop Lamictal. People don't realize how debilitating the obsessions/ruminations are.
Posted by theo on July 31, 2004, at 17:21:11
In reply to Lamictal and increased obsessions, ruminations, posted by sac on July 30, 2004, at 6:16:24
I'm on my 14th day of 75mg of Lamictal and supposed to go up to 100mg tonight. Today I feel so depressed I feel like crying, and have also had racing thoughts. Is increasing the dose going to make it worse?
I had my hopes set high for Lamictal but maybe it's not for me. My pdoc thinks I'm BPII and says my high anxiety is my "mania" coming out.
I've always been anxiety/deprssion and if I'm BPII so be it, but I have not had much luck with mood stabizers and I sometimes wonder about my pdoc, whenever I tell her something about side effects like this she says there is no way it could be from the Lamictal.
Any input?
Posted by karen m. on July 31, 2004, at 18:04:25
In reply to Re: Lamictal and increased obsessions, ruminations, posted by theo on July 31, 2004, at 17:21:11
if there is one thing i could tell you about lamictal it would be to hang in there with it. you know how long it took to get your dosage where it is now. i know it felt like forever to me. i often felt like giving up on it because i was so irritable plus just didn't feel like i was getting any benefits from it (with the exception of keeping me from falling into what i fondly refer to as the pit).
now that i am finally at the dosage appropriate for me, 300 mg. i can say it was worth the wait. i haven't been at 300 mg long enough to say this will be a long term great drug, but so far, so good.
you don't really know what dose is appropriate for you until you get there. does that make sense. obviously you need to say at some point this isn't working. i'm no doctor but i wouldn't say where you are now is that point. don't throw the baby out with the bath water as they say.
Posted by sac on August 1, 2004, at 7:01:27
In reply to Re: Lamictal and increased obsessions, ruminations, posted by theo on July 31, 2004, at 17:21:11
It's possible that when you hit 100mgs. you might feel some relief. I found all 3 times I started Lamictal that I felt worse when I was titrating up at 25 to 50 to 75. I've been on as high as 200 mgs. for 1 year. I did get mood stabilization from it but I did have to stop because of increased anxiety/agitation. At one time I stayed at 150 for a while. Currently, I'm undecided as to whether I want to start it again. I'm afraid of feeling worse and I tend to be more obsessive on the Lamictal. That's just my experience you may find that it works once you hit 100. Good luck.
> I'm on my 14th day of 75mg of Lamictal and supposed to go up to 100mg tonight. Today I feel so depressed I feel like crying, and have also had racing thoughts. Is increasing the dose going to make it worse?
>
> I had my hopes set high for Lamictal but maybe it's not for me. My pdoc thinks I'm BPII and says my high anxiety is my "mania" coming out.
>
> I've always been anxiety/deprssion and if I'm BPII so be it, but I have not had much luck with mood stabizers and I sometimes wonder about my pdoc, whenever I tell her something about side effects like this she says there is no way it could be from the Lamictal.
>
> Any input?
Posted by WAKI on August 3, 2004, at 2:49:10
In reply to Lamictal and increased obsessions, ruminations, posted by sac on July 30, 2004, at 6:16:24
I have been on 400 mg of lamictal for about 2 years now.
It appears to keep me from bottoming out emotionally and fatigue wise. Or it appears to boost anything else i take.
At one time it was the only thing I could take that was helping so we kept me on it.
I believe i don't need it now but have developed a dependency for it. If i decrease by 100 mg, in 1 weeks time I start to bottom out. If i stop cold turkey I bottom out.
I honestly don't know how to get off this stuff, so i could see if i need it or not.
Posted by sac on August 4, 2004, at 10:04:15
In reply to Re: Lamictal and increased obsessions, ruminations, posted by WAKI on August 3, 2004, at 2:49:10
If you really want to try to get off, you have to reduce VERY slowly. Decreasing by 100 mgs. at one go is too fast for Lamictal. From my own experience, it is much like AD's in the sense that you should really taper carefully to avoid a withdrawal syndrome. When I was reducing from 200mgs. I went by 25 mgs. per week which meant alot of splitting of tablets. This took time but was a successful eventually. If I tried to rush the taper down, I really felt it with a real bad depression plus electrical like shocks in my head. Just take it very slow and you should be succesful.
> I have been on 400 mg of lamictal for about 2 years now.
>
> It appears to keep me from bottoming out emotionally and fatigue wise. Or it appears to boost anything else i take.
>
> At one time it was the only thing I could take that was helping so we kept me on it.
>
> I believe i don't need it now but have developed a dependency for it. If i decrease by 100 mg, in 1 weeks time I start to bottom out. If i stop cold turkey I bottom out.
>
> I honestly don't know how to get off this stuff, so i could see if i need it or not.
Posted by Tendency on August 5, 2004, at 13:10:06
In reply to Re: Lamictal and increased obsessions, ruminations » WAKI, posted by sac on August 4, 2004, at 10:04:15
Just wanted to share my experiences. I found I needed to start lamictal at a very low dose (6.25mg) and take it at night. Higher doses felt like a bad acid trip.
Anyway, stayed at 6.25 for a week, then up to 12.5 for a week. About 1/2 way through the first week and through 2nd week I was hit with paralyzing depression, probably some of the worst I've been through.
3 days ago I upped dose to 25mg (12.5 in morning and evening) and at end of first day depression totally lifted and has stayed that way (only day 3 at this dose, but I'll take it!). Mood seems to be stable as well.
Makes me wonder if they start people out at way to high a dose of this med...
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