Depression - Lamictal

[smallworld]

EB, ADs certainly have the potential to do that. But we don't think that's happened with my daughter A. When we tried to wean her from Lexapro a while back, she started to become depressed. So we think it's still working.

[crazymama30]

Flutter, this is for info only, I don't know how effective it is, but I know that small doses of abilify are supposed to be a good add on for treatement resistant depression. A gal I work worth (who has a major gfg) took it and it was great for her.

Maybe seeing a pdoc would be a good idea, if you can find a good one.

[Dammit Janet]

I do think seeing a pdoc is in order. I also think that medications can peter out after a time. Our chemicals can adjust to them and they stop working as well. My topamax/lamictal combo worked well for me for years but then suddenly I needed to add a very small dose of seroquel to it for some strange reason. I really wasnt happy about that but it has worked.

[totoro]

H-
I forgot to add that I did have the side effects when I did the bumps but they went away after a a week of so. Now they happen just once in awhile.
I haven't bumped up in a long time though.

I was one of those that also had horrible stomach pains when I started Lamictal and was told that never happens! LOL
Well it did with me! I was on the couch for almost 2 weeks but I made it through it and now no problem.

[emotionallybankrupt]

I'd definitely go with a pdoc. I've been too messed up before by the non-specialists. I hope you can find a good one, Heather. I've been lucky on that.

I've heard the same thing about the abilify. Don't know personally anybody who's done it though.

My thinking about the lexapro was just wondering if it's still helping you at all, since you are still having so much trouble at max dose after being on it for years. That would be hard for you to find out, though, without a trial reduction and risk of a harder fall that you're already feeling. I guess the good part, if you have to do that, is that lexapro is probably the one that would give you the quickest message among SSRI's.

My pdoc's approach is to add on if getting some good results but just need more. Change if no positive results. I've talked to other people whose docs just add, add, add--and I actually think a lot of docs in my area do that. That's where the tangled mess comes in, and I can't figure out why they do that.

I hope you can find some relief soon.

[smallworld]

One other thought: A's pdoc just started her on Deplin, a concentrated form of folate that augments the work of antidepressants (Lamictal can deplete folate). You can read about it here:

www.deplin.com

[smallworld]

I have three children who take Lamictal so I have watched its effects since 2006. My sense about it is that it is not great at treating deep bone-crushing depression. It seems good for treating mood instability that lies on the depressive end, emotional reactivity and anxiety somewhat.

[flutterby]

I really thinkg that if it wasn't for the extenuating circumstances, i.e., my physical health, Lexapro would be working fine for me. If it wasn't working, and only 100mg Lamictal, I'd be in very bad shape right now.

Actually, it's the combination of Lexapro and Aygestin (synthetic progestin that I take for endometriosis) that really did the trick. There is such a hormonal aspect to my depression. After my heart attack and angioplasty, and me doped up on Dilaudid, I made sure to let my cardiologists know that whatever meds they give me better work with those two because I wasn't changing them.

Lamictal has been used off label for years for treatment resistant depression. I can't remember for certain, but I think it's usually used in conjunction with an AD.

100mg worked. Now it's not. I'm going to try the 25mg bump again - only do it at night this time.

SW - thanks for the info on Deplin. I'm going to talk to my doctor about it.

Thank you for the info and concern, ladies. I really just don't want to add another frimpin' doctor to my list. And from the way things are going with GFG2 and pdocs, I have no faith in the ones around here.

[smallworld]

Heather, one more thought (if you can stand it): The 25 mg Lamictal pill can easily be cut in half with a pill splitter. We have sometimes done dose increases in 12.5 mg increments. You could do that, too, to minimize side effects. Since A had such a difficult time with her last 25 mg increase, I'm going to suggest that to her pdoc the next time we need to increase her Lamictal.

And you're right, Lamictal is used to augment ADs for treatment-resistant depression.

Hugs.