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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 12 of 12. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by rjlockhart04-08 on April 4, 2012, at 13:55:27
I'm on 50mg right now and really not much has happened from it. How exactly does this stuff work?? and at 400mg does it provide any anxiety relief or what effects does it provide??
Posted by Tomatheus on April 4, 2012, at 19:35:14
In reply to How exactly does Lamictal work?, posted by rjlockhart04-08 on April 4, 2012, at 13:55:27
From the book "Essential Psychopharmacology of Depression and Bipolar Disorder," by Stephen M. Stahl (pp. 135-136):
"[Lamotrigine] is postulated to inhibit sodium channels and to inhibit the release of glutamate. Numerous reports suggest that lamotrigine is not only able to stabilize bipolar manic and mixed episodes but it may also be useful for the depressive episodes of this disorder."
The book that I quoted was published in 2000, so more may now be known about Lamictal's (lamotrigine's) mechanisms of action than what I quoted above.
Tomatheus
Posted by bleauberry on April 5, 2012, at 5:29:52
In reply to How exactly does Lamictal work?, posted by rjlockhart04-08 on April 4, 2012, at 13:55:27
Nobody knows exactly how lamictal works. Same with most meds. We have identified some of the crude generalized mechanisms, but that is not helpful. It does not explain why one person might feel better, another feel worse, another feel nothing. I like armchair quarterbacking, but honestly all the knowledge we have of our meds (which is practically nill) is of little use. Only a personal trial tells us what we need to know. I guess basiclaly we could say lamictal somehow smooths out electrical signals, thus useful sometimes for seizures. How that ties into depression, when we can't even explain why depression is, well that's a mystery we can only hypothesize about. Lamictal does have some sort of mechanism on dopamine and serotonin, but when it is helpful to someone I would guess it is a combination of multiple mechanisms not any single mechanism.
Posted by SLS on April 5, 2012, at 6:28:38
In reply to How exactly does Lamictal work?, posted by rjlockhart04-08 on April 4, 2012, at 13:55:27
> I'm on 50mg right now and really not much has happened from it. How exactly does this stuff work?? and at 400mg does it provide any anxiety relief or what effects does it provide??
>For what it's worth, I developed a silly theory of how Lamictal might help depression. It involves lowering glutamate in the thalamus and increasing dopamine in the nucleus accumbens via disinhibition.
- Scott
Posted by Christ_empowered on April 5, 2012, at 13:12:40
In reply to Re: How exactly does Lamictal work? » rjlockhart04-08, posted by SLS on April 5, 2012, at 6:28:38
400 is usually the max. I think some people go higher w/specialists. Someone on here posted about being a rapid metabolizer, so they did blood levels and went higher. That was obviously just to get normal blood levels, though.
When I was briefly on Lamictal, I felt an improvement in mood at 100. Actually, the lift was nice, looking back. At 200 it was more like a non-sedating, relatively cognitive "clean" mood stabilizer. Less agitation, less intense hallucination (I took it with Abilify), less intense depression, less intense anxiety. Just took things down a couple notches, which is about what you'd expect from an anticonvulsant, I guess.
I'd watch out for cognitive issues at 400. Not that it always happens, of course, but I've read a good bit about it happening. A relative of mine takes 400 and when she's tired, she now has trouble finding words. That's about the extent of her lamictal-induced cognitive problems. Relatively minor, given how much relief she gets from the medication (and considering that's the only noticeable side effect).
What are you taking now?
Posted by ron1953 on April 6, 2012, at 11:51:36
In reply to Re: How exactly does Lamictal work?, posted by Christ_empowered on April 5, 2012, at 13:12:40
I don't know how it works, and I'd bet that like with most other psychotropic drugs, the "experts" don't know either - they just have guesses.
Lamictal didn't help me in any way but did give a side-effect that was rather strange and pretty scary - I lost my sense of taste. It took weeks after discontinuation for things to return to normal. That was my final foray into meds - I figure if a pill can cause me to lose my sense of taste, what the heck else is it doing to me. And when I reported the problem to the prescribing doc, he wasn't concerned and recommended I continue taking Lamictal. Needless to say, I stopped the Lamictal and the doc.
Posted by Phillipa on April 6, 2012, at 12:26:19
In reply to Re: How exactly does Lamictal work?, posted by ron1953 on April 6, 2012, at 11:51:36
Well that is interesting as lost taste and smell 9 years ago an infection control doc thought it was from biaxin xl which for chronic lymes. If you google meds taste in listed in a lot of them aversion usually Lamictal caused constant flow of saliva had a cup under my mouth as had to spit constantly and this at 50mg I wonder how many others had had strange side effects from meds. Think will start a thread on this topic. Ron seriously you were soooo lucky to have your taste return as this is the most devastating thing I've ever experienced Phillipa
Posted by sleepygirl2 on April 6, 2012, at 20:26:11
In reply to Re: How exactly does Lamictal work?, posted by ron1953 on April 6, 2012, at 11:51:36
Oh yeah.... No taste?
No big deal!! Keep taking it....sure.
That's crazy.
Posted by rjlockhart04-08 on April 7, 2012, at 20:51:25
In reply to Re: How exactly does Lamictal work?, posted by Christ_empowered on April 5, 2012, at 13:12:40
My meds:
Nuvigil 250mg
Prozac 60mg
Lamictal 50mg
Clonodine .1mg x 3
[never taken anymore due to depression it causes]
Zyprexa 20mg
which is in the process of being removed when the Lamictal is increased and lowering me off it.thanks bunches everyone:)
Posted by Christ_empowered on April 8, 2012, at 11:53:15
In reply to Re: How exactly does Lamictal work?, posted by rjlockhart04-08 on April 7, 2012, at 20:51:25
I think that's a lot of meds. BUT I will say at least you're in the process of dropping the zyprexa. No sense in taking a neuroleptic w/o the presence of a severe mood disorder and/or a psycohtic disorder.
Posted by Jeroen on April 13, 2012, at 14:24:10
In reply to How exactly does Lamictal work?, posted by rjlockhart04-08 on April 4, 2012, at 13:55:27
Lamictal is experimental schizo pill that caused brain damage in me, tardive psychosis!!!!!!!!!
Posted by huxley on April 17, 2012, at 5:54:20
In reply to How exactly does Lamictal work?, posted by rjlockhart04-08 on April 4, 2012, at 13:55:27
Your guess is as good as anyone elses.
This is the end of the thread.
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