Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 1089100

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Lamictal worsening depression?

Posted by porkpiehat on May 20, 2016, at 10:16:58

For years I was using Lamictal to augment celexa and control the impulsiveness I got on SSRIs. Over the last couple of years I noticed two hours after my morning lamictal I would sink into despair for hours and sometimes a lot of hypervigilant thinking (having unnecessary arguments in my head and lash out at innocent people and things). I would also have a cognitive slowing where I would run out of gas mid-sentence and lose the ability to understand homework and figure problems.

Or sometimes I would feel a little over excited. This I noticed with a change in brand of lamictal.

Now that I'm off the celexa I feel much more calm in my head and it's easier to listen and track through activities without getting lost, sidetracked, frustrated, etc. At first I felt feelings so strongly that I couldn't sit still at times, would masturbate a lot, and cry easily at shows and movies.

That went away and lately I'm left depressed and anxious again. Even when I'm not hopeless and sad I've got no drive to do anything more than come home and watch tv and eat. It's like this "stillness" has gone overboard.

Sometimes I wonder if all of my hobbies and career goals (grad school at 45!) were extensions of hypomania from SSRI and my core unmanic self just wants to watch tv and withdraw.

Sometimes I will feel OK in the morning and then feel undriven and back to my racy, suspicious mind after my morning dose of Lamictal.

So lamictal is either making me worse, or stripping away the mania and busy-ness to reveal a bored, sad, and paranoid man. My diagnosis, which 20 years ago was assumed to be depression and anxiety, seems to teeter now on complex trauma/borderline/BPII.

I think I should either ditch Lamictal altogether or go up to 200mg from 150mgs. I always felt "better" on the higher doses of Lamictal but it was hard to sleep and concentrate and I would get headaches.

I'm trying wellbutrin for the last four days to climb out of the despair and it seems to be working, aside from making me racy brain and heart.

 

Re: Lamictal worsening depression? » porkpiehat

Posted by herpills on May 21, 2016, at 18:47:00

In reply to Lamictal worsening depression?, posted by porkpiehat on May 20, 2016, at 10:16:58

I would try going up to 200mg and then after 3-4 weeks if you're still feeling worse then maybe consider dropping it. What would you try as a replacement?

 

Re: Lamictal worsening depression? » herpills

Posted by porkpiehat on May 21, 2016, at 20:41:50

In reply to Re: Lamictal worsening depression? » porkpiehat, posted by herpills on May 21, 2016, at 18:47:00

Wellbutrin xl 150mg is starting to do good things after five days. I feel less hopeless and fragile. Going to ride this for a while and then if it fails try lamictal 200mg (ER to avoid the ups and downs)

My only worry is the sleep, headache, and concentration stuff. It was definitely worse with an SSRI but it's still there now.

Fingers crossed!

 

Re: Lamictal worsening depression?

Posted by Christ_empowered on May 23, 2016, at 17:18:06

In reply to Re: Lamictal worsening depression? » herpills, posted by porkpiehat on May 21, 2016, at 20:41:50

Wellbutrin has been a godsend for me. I take a high dose (400mgs/day of the SR), and its been great. I don't think its as apathy-inducing as many other options.

I hope things work out for you. Lamictal is very helpful to a lot of people (I take 100mgs/day).

 

Wellbutrin...spoke too soon maybe » Christ_empowered

Posted by porkpiehat on May 24, 2016, at 13:44:29

In reply to Re: Lamictal worsening depression?, posted by Christ_empowered on May 23, 2016, at 17:18:06

So funny (or maybe not so much) today is day 7 and I'm experiencing what happened during previous trials of WB...extreme irritability, taking everything personally. feeling a little like I want to explode

And on top of that I have the sad and hopeless feeling like I did a week ago when I decided to give it a try. Before the aggitated feeling came I thought I was just adjusting to the starting dose and needed to go up more, but NOT if it's going to ramp up the rage and persecution.

I have a vacation with lots of people and diving involved in two days. I'm going to give it another day but I can't be a rageball on vaca. I should be able to stop from 150 with minimal comedown/withdrawl, right?

I really wonder how the lamictal fits into this. I felt this morning like I was just a little stupid (wellbutrin clouds me up a little) but the anger didn't kick in until a couple of hours after the lamictal dose.

 

Re: Wellbutrin...spoke too soon maybe

Posted by Christ_empowered on May 24, 2016, at 15:27:19

In reply to Wellbutrin...spoke too soon maybe » Christ_empowered, posted by porkpiehat on May 24, 2016, at 13:44:29

hmmmm....some people take an SSRI w/Wellbutrin. Just a thought.

 

Re: Wellbutrin...spoke too soon maybe

Posted by Lamdage22 on June 1, 2016, at 8:44:43

In reply to Re: Wellbutrin...spoke too soon maybe, posted by Christ_empowered on May 24, 2016, at 15:27:19

Wellbutrin is pretty good i think if it doesnt cause anxiety in you.

 

Re: Wellbutrin...spoke too soon maybe

Posted by porkpiehat on June 2, 2016, at 21:02:58

In reply to Re: Wellbutrin...spoke too soon maybe, posted by Lamdage22 on June 1, 2016, at 8:44:43

It doesn't mix well with SSRI for me. Angry and strangely depersonalized. I felt more alienated after a week or so.

With just the Lamictal and wellbutrin I felt a definite and fast improvement in mood! I wasn't really feeling anxious from it (unless I didn't take my lamictal, which really stopped it from being edgy and nervous), and it didn't address social anxiety the way an SSRI will. But I was pretty racy in my head and getting quick tempered. I would try to work with clients and I kept getting so caught up in other trains of thought I felt like I was leaving the room.

Today was my first day off it for maybe 10-14 days or so. I was very sad throughout the day but I felt more still and able to maintain conversations and complete dull tasks (re: work) without total distraction. I talked to my mom for an hour without biting her head off which is what was also happening on celexa. I'm thinking this is like a hypomanic reaction to ADs

So now, do I endure another day of sadness and suicidal thinking or take WB and become quick tempered and unable to concentrate at work, yet not depressed?

I'm wondering if a small dose of Latuda would chill out the agitation and help with the social anxiety that WB doesn't. It would be nice to replace the lamictal if it's not working.

I do feel very still on just the lamictal, but I think it puts me in a place where I'm just left with obsessive thinking and no sociability, joy, or interests. meh.


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