Posted by BarbaraCat on August 31, 2003, at 14:53:27
In reply to Lamictal Survey, posted by Ima on August 31, 2003, at 12:50:17
Ima,
I consider myself a success story. Please take my success and experience as my own, and not necessarily one that will apply to you. If your chemistry and wiring is similar to mine, it will probably work, but it's really still a crap shoot as to what will eventually work and stick. If you don't get a really good response in about 3 weeks at about 50mg, consider supplementing with another mood stabiliser (lithium worked for me). Lamictal on it's own is usually not a good idea for BP's and there might be something going on instead of or in addition to BP. I'm probably not saying anything you don't already know in your sleep, but it's still important to remember.I started Lam 1.5 years ago, about the same time as I started Lithium. I'd heard about this powerful combo in for treatment resistant depression. I turned out to have all signs of BP-I mixed states, but had been treated as having major depression and treated with SSRI's for 20 years, I was increasingly and more rapidly going insane and majorly hit the wall on two occasions requiring hospitalizations which were a joke (I should have had ECT instead of 'a newer and better SSRI - (drum roll) - Celexa! and of course, Craft Hour!). I started feeling amazingly better on this combo. Not to say that I didn't have major setbacks and terrible depressions, but I've never since had another mixed state depression and for that I fall on my knees and give thanks.
I'm current taking 125mg lamicatal, recently up from 75 where I'd been for almost a year, doing reasonably well. I have to take it along with lithium because one doesn't work without the other for controlling my dark despairing agitated depressions. I increased from 75mg, slowly aiming for 150mg because I heard that 150-200 was a good dose for optimum AD response and being under extremely severe stresses with deaths, illnesses, losses and felt I needed extra help causing I was falling into the hole again. I got a little agitation with each weekly 12.5mg increase, but had been through that before and knew it passed.
However, when I got to 150mg I was feeling really zippy and speedy which was OK except for the infernal horrible itch I got that I didn't at first associated with Lamictal until I researched it on the web. I knew about 'the rash' but not the itch. So I backed down to 125mg and have been very stable along with 600mg lithium. Except for an intense hopelessness blip a while back (again, I had huge losses and stresses I was dealing with and wasn't sleeping - terrible for me) I'm feeling pretty darn good. My BS meter is super sensitive these days and my temper sometimes gets the better of me, but after cowering and doubting my feelings for so long, I'm rather happy with this turn of events. Too much crap in this world. Too much rolling over and putting up with it. FOOEY ON THAT! But even with all my meditating and yoga and such, I can be a RAVING BITCH and need to channel it some way.
I'm also seriously pursuing a health regimen with my naturopath and think it's very important to my overall health and sanity to cover all basis - body, mind, spirit. Good luck. - BarbaraCat
> For those who have reported sucess
> taking lamictal,
> are you still on it
> and for how long?
>
> I go to new pdoc this week
> and want to have some ideas worked out.
>
> Thanx
>
>
poster:BarbaraCat
thread:9730
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030828/msgs/255930.html