Posted by BarbaraCat on October 22, 2002, at 1:39:40
In reply to Re: Remeron - adios. Lamictal hello » BarbaraCat, posted by wcfrench on October 21, 2002, at 22:11:36
Hi Charlie,
Yes Lamictal is a mood stabilizer and was originally for epilepsy. I have been on neurontin and it was pleasant at first but then I didn't notice a thing. I was taking it primarily for fibromyalgia pain but it didn't do squat for it so I weaned off. I'm still taking a small dose of lithium and a pinch of Remeron as well because I'm going to go off slowly, but I plan to just use Lam and a benzo eventually. Lamictal is a very powerful antidepressant, at least for me. I've mainly heard about the AD effect in regards to the depressive end of bipolar, but I believe that Dr. Ivan Goldberg has had good results in unipolar therapy.I also don't know if I'm bipolar II or not, but pretty much diagnosed myself as such with my pdocs concurrence because of my resistant depression and hypomanic episodes. Bipolar has become the malady-du jour and it's a very fuzzy line between it and anxious depression. Even so, I believe my depression is the 'mixed states' category of bipolar where black crashing hopeless depression collides with anxiety and panic disorder. It's always had an electric 'static-y' feel to it, like wiry fear and despondency, and doesn't fit the standard descriptions of major depression. I sometimes get the lovely giddy hypomanias, but mainly the bleak scary crap - not fair! So, I think I'm responding to Lamictal because it acts upon the voltage gates of the neuron, i.e., the electrical system rather than the receptor/chemical end of things. I noticed a difference within 2 days of taking it. I still need an anti-anxiety, however, because stress can override any drug's potential benefit. Hope this helps and ask away. I'll answer as best I can. - BarbaraCat
> Lamictal is a mood stabilizer, right? Have you ever been on Neurontin? Does the Lamictal really make you feel a whole lot better? I took Neurontin and didn't notice too much of a change, but I've heard good things about Lamictal. Of course, I'm not sure if I am bipolar, and I don't think I am. Just wondering if it's typical for people to feel much better depression-wise from the addition of Lamictal.
>
> Thanks,
> Charlie
poster:BarbaraCat
thread:31636
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021019/msgs/124633.html