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Re: Lamictal (lamotrigine) and how do you get there?

Posted by Flipsactown on December 5, 2003, at 11:40:34

In reply to Lamictal (lamotrigine) and how do you get there?, posted by zenhussy on December 2, 2003, at 23:34:51

I am currently on 300mgs of lamictal, along with 100mgs prozac and 90mgs of remeron, and I am depression free. I was diagnosed with clinical depression (unipolar, no mania) over 12 years ago after I suffered chronic low back pain from a traffic accident. I have been on ADs even since and have tried elavil, effexor, celexa, paxil, wellbutrin, etc. These were either ineffective or I was unable to tolerate the S/E's.

Because of the Steven-Johnson syndrome, in which one can suffer from a rare but sometimes fatal rash, pdoc's prescribe lamictal on low dosages and titrate slowly. I started on 25mgs and with much patience, in my 6th week I was up to 200mgs and experienced dramatic lifting of depression. The only other time I experienced dramatic results was when I first took prozac over 12 years ago. As you probably have read in this forum or others online, prozac along with other A/D's lose their effectiveness or "poops out" after long term use.

Research has shown that lamictal is an effective med in treating both bipolar and unipolar depression when taken with other A/Ds. Also, in the higher dosages 300 to 500mgs, lamictal is effective on its own as an A/D. I have had no noticeable S/E from lamictal other then a slight headache in the first week.

Bottomline, in my experience, with some patience, lamictal has been effective in treating unipolar depression when taken with other A/Ds. Eventually, my goal is to be on only lamictal. Time will tell. Hope this info has been helpful to you.

Flipsactown


Okay folks,
>
> How does one get to target dosage for supplemental depression usage of Lamictal?
>
> It is incredibly slow in tritration and just what is the target dosage for adjunct med. therapy with mood stabilizers for treatment resistant depression?
>
> I guess the cocktail is necessary for serious responses to this inquiry:
>
> 300 mg Wellbutrin XL
> 60 mg buspirone (Buspar)
> 1 mg clonazepam (Klonopin)
> and now 25 mg Lamictal (lamotrigine) after two weeks at 12.5 mg/day
> .5 mg alprazolam(Xanax) as needed for anxiety and panic (approx. 2-4x/wk)
>
> There are a couple of other regular things that go along with that cocktail but I don't think they are relevant to this at this time.
>
> Thanks if anyone has any advice.
>
> I've read the archives on lamotrigine but wonder if anyone currently reading has personal experience to offer using this for adjunct unipolar depression therapy. It isn’t likely that I will be dropping the wellbutrin anytime soon from this jolly little med mix I have going.
>
> zenhussy
>
> Brief rundown of symptoms: PTSD with heavy dissociation when confronting the issues surrounding the traumas, depressive episodes with lack of sense of future, very sudden sucidal thoughts beginning in October of this year with the setting of a death date in my mind for early next year, robotic feeling of going through the motions of life while not really experiencing it.
>


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poster:Flipsactown thread:286102
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20031202/msgs/286824.html