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Lamictal - New Attempt

Posted by fattoush on April 28, 2009, at 8:21:50

Hey Guys,
I have been severely depressed for years but the last four or five years have been the worst. I've been hospitalized twive. I had ECT, but a short course, and I find myself in the same place as before my ECT (see my blog: fattoush.wordpress.com). I have learned that I cannot do anti-depressants, nor augment anything with activating drugs. I cannot do AAPs either. I get dysphoric mania from anything but mood stabiliziers.
The only thing I can tolerate and see some results from at this point is low-dose Lithium (450 mgs). It shuts the suicidal ideation up. I can't go higher, though, without too much fatigue, tremors, chills, and other side effects I forget.
I had tried Lamictal last year, titrating it up very slow, 12.5 mgs every two weeks. At 50mgs I had already sensed a slight lift. At 75 mgs, I felt a sense of calm I never got on anything, like everything was manageable. The problem was the side effects soon became intolerable. The most important one was a headache around the clock that nothing would relieve. Also, I had severe hair loss. I had twitching, very clear to people. I could not find my words, annoyingly too often, and words are my thing. I had awful acne all over my face, black yucky acne. I had insomina. I gained weight. Well, that's what I remember. I had ended up going up to 100 mgs and stayed there for a month, despite the side effects. Then, I decided I couldn't take the headache anymore and titrated down.
Some people have told me that if I had stayed on it longer, the side effects including the headache -- the worst -- would have gone away.
I am very depressed, lethargic, despondent, and entertaining Lamictal again.
Anyone had unpleasant side effects that disappeared or got much more tolerable eventually?


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poster:fattoush thread:893239
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090426/msgs/893239.html