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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by maryhelen on February 11, 2004, at 1:49:44
Hi everyone:
I was just wondering if many here have used Lamitcal just on its own and not to augment another medication, with good results? Is it only effective if you are on another med, and if so what type of medication is best with it.
Thanks,
maryhelen
Posted by Althea8869 on February 11, 2004, at 17:03:34
In reply to Lamitcal as monotherapy, posted by maryhelen on February 11, 2004, at 1:49:44
Maryhelen, for what its worth, my stepmother, who has suffered her whole life with depression and recently lost her son in, was given lamictal a few months ago and she says that it has been nothing short of a miracle. She has tried, at one point or another, everything that is out there, with mixed success. My dad says the difference he has seen in her, compared to the last 20 odd years, is truly unbelievable. For her particular biochemistry, lamictal, by itself, has worked a miracle.
Unfortunatley as we all know, that is no predictor of success for others, or of continued success, but I hoped it might raise your spirirts.
Posted by maryhelen on February 11, 2004, at 20:18:52
In reply to Re: Lamitcal as monotherapy, posted by Althea8869 on February 11, 2004, at 17:03:34
Hi Althea:
Thank you for answering my post. Like your stepmother and so many of us here, I have tried just about everything out there. I am feeling very discouraged and hopeless. I am seeing my psychiatrist tomorrow.
I am now up to 100 mg. of Lamitcal. I just stopped taking Nardil a few weeks ago. I also took Lamitcal last spring with Parnate and it worked, but only for a few months, not to be discouraging. I thought that Lamitcal was always used as an augmentor. However, if all of those other drugs have not worked for me, I would like to try Lamitcal alone. Maybe without the other chemicals in my brain, it may work better alone. I don't know if that makes any sense, but I am going to ask my pdoc about it tomorrow. I am not bi polar, I have major, treatment resistant depression.
I feel so very hopeless. I do realize that what works for one may not work for another. I am very happy for your stepmother and your dad.
You have raised my spirits. Thank you. I hope I will be as succcessful as your stepmother by trying Lamitcal on its own.
maryhelen
Posted by Althea8869 on February 11, 2004, at 23:47:49
In reply to Re: Lamitcal as monotherapy...Althea, posted by maryhelen on February 11, 2004, at 20:18:52
Maryhelen - Just wanted to wish you good luck on this. I know hopelessness very well - and unfortunately I think he knows me. I have a real good family friend, who by chance happens to be a professor of Neuropharmacology at Harvard - ive mentioned some of his thoughts in other posts, i wont get into all of it, but one thing he has said is that when people cycle from anti-depressant to antidepressant, the neurochemical structure of the brain changes, not permanently he believes, but temporarily, before ultimately returning to a 'steady-state' - in many cases, with the depression still active. Each of these meds activates a different system, utilizing some of the same neurochemicals, but other new ones as well. Unless the system has reached a steady state, the effects of the drug are going to be more varied. Some meds that dont work at all by themselves will often work as an adjunct to something else because it becomes more active in the already influenced environment than it does at steady state. I think this is why people often find a lack of success when they quickly switch from med to med every two months. It is argued by many that the opposite is true as well. Each persons 'steady state' is going to be different to some degree, so the baseline that clinical trials are taken from could be very similar or rather varied. What is interesting to me, in the reading that I have done is how Lamictal(for depression) seems to do little for people just entering the meds game(although its unlikely to be prescribed at that point), but it seems to be very successful for people who, like you and my stepmother, just seem to have a different 'steady-state' than others. No better-no worse, just different, although the general symptoms may be very similar.
Im sorry to carry on a bit, but i guess this was my way of saying that I think you should be hopeful (if for no other reason than because it beats the hell out of expecting failure.)
Good luck to you Maryhelen. Please let us know how you are doing.
PS (I do tend to carry on a bit, dont I?) First dont be discouraged if nothing happens in the short term - for my stepmother, she had no response(just some minor side effects) for three weeks and then within 24-48 hours after that she noticed dramatic changes. The other thing is - make sure you are supplementing well with things like magnesium, selenium, CDP, DHEA, DHA & EPA & DL-PEA especially, the amino acids and the B-complexes, inositol powder is excellent,Trimethyl Glycine is very useful. The guy that I was speaking of earlier listed these for me(must admit I didnt really stuck to it very long). In many cases he wont prescribe any meds to patients until theyve been on a specific supplement regimen for a couple of weeks prior to starting any psych meds. They wont cure the depression in that time (though in some cases they will provide some improvement of symptoms), but they will create a better environment for any medication to work in. Dont go nuts on them though, just the basics like some of the ones I mentioned, and ALWAYS make sure your doctor knows you will be taking them.
OK, all done - didnt realize it was nearly 1!
Take care
Posted by HenryO on February 12, 2004, at 2:13:30
In reply to Re: Lamitcal as monotherapy...Althea, posted by Althea8869 on February 11, 2004, at 23:47:49
Yes, I take Lamictal only. Now some days I take Concerta. Some days I take Klonopin too. I do that when I have very bad days. But those are short acting drugs and I don't need them half the time. Without Lamictal I am in severe pain. I'm not on any other long acting drugs that need to build up in the body. Does that speak to your question? By the way I love Lamictal. It is weight and sex nuetral. It has been working great for about a year and a half. It beats the pants off my old cocktail.
Posted by ann72 on February 13, 2004, at 13:56:28
In reply to Re: Lamitcal as monotherapy...Althea, posted by HenryO on February 12, 2004, at 2:13:30
Henry, I think you responded to my post also. I have recently added lamitcal to my effexor. Its only been 3 wks, so I need more time- but it did lift me out of a major depressive episode i was going thru for about a month. The effexor alone didnt do anything for my depression. I wonder if I even need it..I guess I need to talk to my pdoc about that in a few weeks..
Ann
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