![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by wildcat86 on May 28, 2005, at 20:53:10
I'm so disappointed...lamictal was working great for me and I've tried so many other meds for my depression that ended up not working. I very slowly over two months time got to 100mg and have been at that dosage for two weeks. All of a sudden I started feeling itchy on my scalp, ears, chest. Two days later I have a rash on my stomach, back and down both hips. Of course, I immediately stopped lamictal and took benedryl for my allergies and the itching. What are the side-effects of stopping lamictal, other than the rash going away and the depression returning? Also, I've tried Paxil, Effexor, Wellbutrin and Zoloft...they didn't work.
Please help! My pdoc had me try lamictal because nothing else has worked....I'm going on 5 years of taking and trying new meds for depression.
Thanks for your reply!
Posted by Phillipa on May 28, 2005, at 21:50:06
In reply to Lamictal - got the rash - Now what?, posted by wildcat86 on May 28, 2005, at 20:53:10
Gosh I'm sorry. I'm sure a lot of experts will help you out. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by Maxime on May 28, 2005, at 21:56:16
In reply to Re: Lamictal - got the rash - Now what? » wildcat86, posted by Phillipa on May 28, 2005, at 21:50:06
Stop the med NOW. If the rash gets worse go to the ER. Call you PDOC Monday morning. The Lamictal is nothing to mess with. I am sorry this happened to you.
Maxime
Posted by yxibow on May 29, 2005, at 1:05:45
In reply to Lamictal - got the rash - Now what?, posted by wildcat86 on May 28, 2005, at 20:53:10
> I'm so disappointed...lamictal was working great for me and I've tried so many other meds for my depression that ended up not working. I very slowly over two months time got to 100mg and have been at that dosage for two weeks. All of a sudden I started feeling itchy on my scalp, ears, chest. Two days later I have a rash on my stomach, back and down both hips. Of course, I immediately stopped lamictal and took benedryl for my allergies and the itching.
Definately see (your) (a) doctor for the rash -- probably need steroidal creams to fight it; hydrocortisone OTC might be a stopgap but not a substitute for a doctor.
Have you tried Depakote before as an augmentation? Might give that a whirl. Didn't say what kind of depression, but I'm assuming some form of unipolar or dysthymia. Also could try this or others in combination with Cymbalta (duloxetine), although you did mention you tried Effexor, which is somewhat but not completely similar.You also haven't exhausted the complete spectrum of SSRIs -- there is Luvox, Celexa, Lexapro, Prozac, and Anafranil (pseudo SSRI, a tricyclic), not to mention the tricyclics themselves.
Last ditch would be an MAOI but I would never go there until you've tried the entire laundry list I've mentioned and I'm sure your doctor has others I've forgotten.
Hang in there, there are other solutions.
Posted by BIGDaddyachmed69 on May 29, 2005, at 8:57:05
In reply to Lamictal - got the rash - Now what?, posted by wildcat86 on May 28, 2005, at 20:53:10
> I'm so disappointed...lamictal was working great for me and I've tried so many other meds for my depression that ended up not working. I very slowly over two months time got to 100mg and have been at that dosage for two weeks. All of a sudden I started feeling itchy on my scalp, ears, chest. Two days later I have a rash on my stomach, back and down both hips. Of course, I immediately stopped lamictal and took benedryl for my allergies and the itching. What are the side-effects of stopping lamictal, other than the rash going away and the depression returning? Also, I've tried Paxil, Effexor, Wellbutrin and Zoloft...they didn't work.
>
> Please help! My pdoc had me try lamictal because nothing else has worked....I'm going on 5 years of taking and trying new meds for depression.
>
> Thanks for your reply!I have treatment-resistant depression too, and prescribing Lamictal in addition to Paxil was a good move on the part of my doctor. Then one night my mom came home from work and found me on drugs, and called 911. Their doctor told me that the Lamictal wasn't working, and then decided to take me off of Paxil too. He added Depakote...Lamictal was much better for my depression. I would try augmenting an SSRI with lithium, which we did before I went on Lamictal. Lithium by itself might not do it, but the combination of the two was enough to keep me from relapsing into a deep depression.
Posted by wildcat86 on June 2, 2005, at 20:25:40
In reply to Re: Lamictal - got the rash - Now what?, posted by yxibow on May 29, 2005, at 1:05:45
> > I'm so disappointed...lamictal was working great for me and I've tried so many other meds for my depression that ended up not working. I very slowly over two months time got to 100mg and have been at that dosage for two weeks. All of a sudden I started feeling itchy on my scalp, ears, chest. Two days later I have a rash on my stomach, back and down both hips. Of course, I immediately stopped lamictal and took benedryl for my allergies and the itching.
>
>
> Definately see (your) (a) doctor for the rash -- probably need steroidal creams to fight it; hydrocortisone OTC might be a stopgap but not a substitute for a doctor.
>
>
> Have you tried Depakote before as an augmentation? Might give that a whirl. Didn't say what kind of depression, but I'm assuming some form of unipolar or dysthymia. Also could try this or others in combination with Cymbalta (duloxetine), although you did mention you tried Effexor, which is somewhat but not completely similar.
>
> You also haven't exhausted the complete spectrum of SSRIs -- there is Luvox, Celexa, Lexapro, Prozac, and Anafranil (pseudo SSRI, a tricyclic), not to mention the tricyclics themselves.
>
> Last ditch would be an MAOI but I would never go there until you've tried the entire laundry list I've mentioned and I'm sure your doctor has others I've forgotten.
>
> Hang in there, there are other solutions.The rash is gone...YEA! Looks like my pdoc is going to have me try Sinequan. I have never even heard of this drug. I'll take my first dose tomorrow night since it's supposed to make you drowsy.
So what is the biggests difference between the SSRIs and the tricyclics?
Posted by Phillipa on June 2, 2005, at 20:42:08
In reply to Sinequan? This is my next step... » yxibow, posted by wildcat86 on June 2, 2005, at 20:25:40
From what I understand they are much older, more side effects, cheaper, more wt gain. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by yxibow on June 3, 2005, at 2:52:06
In reply to Sinequan? This is my next step... » yxibow, posted by wildcat86 on June 2, 2005, at 20:25:40
>
> So what is the biggests difference between the SSRIs and the tricyclics?Well, the tricyclics started with Tofranil (imipramine) in 1958; while they're older, they've also had many more patient-years of experience than SSRIs so the "bugs" are known. That being said.. yes, weight gain is possible, but equally possible on Paxil.
The major side effect is sedation (I know, I tried Sinequan for sleep), which I believe reduces over time. The first dose may knock you off your feet, I would try it over a weekend. On the other hand, you might not experience that kind of drowsiness, everyone is different, but its certainly good for insomniacs.
Plenty of people still take imipramine for depression when other medicines aren't effective. If you have allergies, Sinequan is a plus, it is a very good antihistamine too.
If one doesn't work, there are about 9 of them out there, 5 or 6 in common use, clomipramine (Anafranil) is very similar to an SSRI, and Amoxapine is somewhat similar to Symbyax (antidepressant + antipsychotic).
Best wishes
Posted by 4WD on June 3, 2005, at 22:51:40
In reply to Sinequan? This is my next step... » yxibow, posted by wildcat86 on June 2, 2005, at 20:25:40
>
> The rash is gone...YEA! Looks like my pdoc is going to have me try Sinequan. I have never even heard of this drug. I'll take my first dose tomorrow night since it's supposed to make you drowsy.
>
> So what is the biggests difference between the SSRIs and the tricyclics?Hi. Sinequan is the first AD I was ever on (in 1986). My experience wasn't a good one but everyone is different so it may be great for you. What I experienced was a total screwup of my perceptions. I would put some rice in a pan to cook and I wouldn't be able to tell if it was a lot of rice or a little. I would run bathwater and put my hand in to test the temperature and not be able to tell if it was too hot or too cold. I could follow sentences people on television said, but I couldn't make sense of them. If someone left a room and shut the door behind them, I couldn't tell if they shut the door because they were mad (did they slam it or just shut it?) I would be sitting, thinking I was supposed to be doing something, I'd look around to try and get a clue what it was I was supposed to be doing, and realize I was sitting in my car at a red light and it had turned green and people were honking. It was weird.
I took it about three weeks before deciding this couldn't be right. So if you start noticing this kind of thing, call your doc right away! I don't think this is a typical reaction, just want you to be on guard.
Marsha
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.