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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Cybele on September 7, 2005, at 19:57:50
I've been on Lamictal for 3.5 weeks now. I am currently on 50mg, but start a week of 75mg on Friday. I have been dx with BP-III (basically, dysthymia with one episode of AD-induced hypomania 10 years ago and currently double depression). My PDOC thinks Lamictal will be perfect for me. My main depressive symptoms are difficulty concentrating, low energy, and just feeling flat and uninterested in things. He also prescribed Klonopin, which I've only take a couple times. It makes me sleepy.
Here's my problem. The AD effect of Lamictal is not working yet, but I started becoming easily angered by my kids. I'm not normally like this at all. I usually keep a sense of humor about things. Lately I will go from OK to angry and yelling in about 2 seconds, mostly when they (ages 6 and 8) ignore me.
For example, tonight I let my 8-year old play on the computer until 7:15 as long as he finished his whomework and ate his dinner first, which he did. I told him that at 7:15 he and his brother would need to take a shower. At 7:00 I gave him a 15 minute warning. At 7:10 I gave him a warning that he had only 5 more minutes on the computer. I gave him a 1 minute warning at 7:14. I asked him to log off and power down at 7:15. He started arguing with me that I wasn't being fair, etc. etc. I restated the terms of our agreement. He sulked and got off the computer and went and turned on the TV. I told him that it was shower time, not TV time, and he argued with me that he never gets to watch TV. I just lost it and starting yelling at him. My hubby got the boys in the shower and left to go work out, giving me a big hug. I reached for a glass to pour some water for myself and thought better of putting glass in my hand because I felt like dashing it against the wall. I got a bottle of water instead, and hurtled that against the wall.
My children are not in any danger, other than being upset because their mother yelled at them. I hate that I yelled at them, because I know how damaging that can be to kids to be yelled at. But I just felt so much anger at being ignored over and over.
Will Lamictal do that to a person? Or could it just be a sign of being in a major depression for 2 months and feeling stress from everything that is not getting done in my life? I just took a Klonopin and sat down to post this. Now I'm off to get the kids to bed. Deep breaths...!
Any Lamictal success stories? My older half-sister is on 200mg Lamictal for BP-I, and feels that it has helped her a lot. Her psych. problems have been much worse than mine over teh years, but she is doing fine now.
Posted by mogger on September 7, 2005, at 20:42:42
In reply to Lamictal and Anger, posted by Cybele on September 7, 2005, at 19:57:50
I think I was irritable for a little while when I initially went on Lamictal, have you asked your Dr. about it? I remember being pretty angry until I started to benefit from it. Lamictal is a fantastic drug for me, the only one that has really worked.
mogger
Posted by theo on September 7, 2005, at 23:23:27
In reply to Lamictal and Anger, posted by Cybele on September 7, 2005, at 19:57:50
Yes, Lamictal caused me anger and anxiety with each dose increase.
Posted by Cybele on September 8, 2005, at 0:09:07
In reply to Re: Lamictal and Anger » Cybele, posted by theo on September 7, 2005, at 23:23:27
> Yes, Lamictal caused me anger and anxiety with each dose increase.
Did it get better?
Posted by Cybele on September 8, 2005, at 0:10:58
In reply to Re: Lamictal and Anger, posted by mogger on September 7, 2005, at 20:42:42
> I think I was irritable for a little while when I initially went on Lamictal, have you asked your Dr. about it? I remember being pretty angry until I started to benefit from it. Lamictal is a fantastic drug for me, the only one that has really worked.
Mogger, on my second visit he asked if I had taken any of the Klonopin, and I said, "No, I didn't felt I needed it." He said, "You should take it. It's a good medication to go with Lamictal." I think it was a subtle way of warning me perhaps? I will ring his office tomorrow.
Cheers,
Cybele
Posted by mogger on September 8, 2005, at 0:52:14
In reply to Re: Lamictal and Anger » mogger, posted by Cybele on September 8, 2005, at 0:10:58
Now it doesn't make me angry, just going up on it did and then the anger subsided. Now I would be happy to eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Posted by theo on September 8, 2005, at 23:11:32
In reply to Re: Lamictal and Anger » theo, posted by Cybele on September 8, 2005, at 0:09:07
> > Yes, Lamictal caused me anger and anxiety with each dose increase.
>
> Did it get better?
>
>After each dose increase after a few days the anger and anxiety would die down, I would feel an improvement for a week or so, it would poop out, then it would be time to increase the dose again. It was a viscious cycle. When I did finally reach 150mg, the side effects (cognitive, headache, agitation) were so bad I stopped. I think Lamictal is a descent mood stabalizer, but an over rated antidepressant.
Posted by Cybele on September 9, 2005, at 7:59:32
In reply to Re: Lamictal and Anger » Cybele, posted by theo on September 8, 2005, at 23:11:32
> After each dose increase after a few days the anger and anxiety would die down, I would feel an improvement for a week or so, it would poop out, then it would be time to increase the dose again. It was a viscious cycle. When I did finally reach 150mg, the side effects (cognitive, headache, agitation) were so bad I stopped. I think Lamictal is a descent mood stabalizer, but an over rated antidepressant.
>
>Just started a week of 75mg today. So far I am feeling no better, and am getting so behind on schoolwork, work obligations, housework, family obligations, etc.
My depression is "like" ADD but with a general feeling of being flat and uninterested in things. When not depressed I am the total opposite of an ADD individual. I have had these cyclical depressions (every 2-3 years, except when pregnant or nursing, oddly enough) since I was 13. Most I was able to handle with exercise and life changes, but we have had a lot of stressful life changes the last 3 years (several job losses for hubby, moving to a new state, loss of my mother). I tanked about two years ago, got better, and then tanked again a year ago. Here are the meds I've tried over the years:
Paxil for 6 weeks 10 years ago, felt worse day by day and was almost incapacitated after 6 weeks. Could not focus on work/reading/serious TV shows at all. Played Minesweeper a lot.
Wellbutrin after the Paxil. Experienced a hypomania which helped me get my life back on track, decide to quit my job, move to another state, and generallly start a new life.
Wellbutrin off and on over the next 7 tears, mostly for the side-effects near the beginning (helped me get back on a diet, gave me an energy boost). After a point, unable to take Wellbutrin at all due to REM disturbance that made me practically narcoleptic.
Effexor (75 mg) for 5 months. Gained 20 pounds despite eating the same (No!!!) and felt better, but was also doing killer spinning classes 3x a week and Elliptical trainer 2x a week. Suspect exercise helped more than Effexor. Had no problems with Effexor withdrawal. Still ahve not been able to lose that 20 lbs.
I've posted on this board off and on for the last 4 or 5 years.
Posted by Sebastian on September 9, 2005, at 12:47:57
In reply to Lamictal and Anger, posted by Cybele on September 7, 2005, at 19:57:50
I'm starting to think so. I had a spells of anger when I was taking the lamictal. I never thought it was the lamictal till you mentioned it. I stoped taking the lamictal and slowly the anger has been going away.
Posted by Cybele on September 9, 2005, at 13:57:29
In reply to Re: Lamictal and Anger, posted by Sebastian on September 9, 2005, at 12:47:57
> I'm starting to think so. I had a spells of anger when I was taking the lamictal. I never thought it was the lamictal till you mentioned it. I stoped taking the lamictal and slowly the anger has been going away.
I'll probably get in to see my PDOC this week. I am really interested in the stress cortisol reaction, and I know my depression is so bad this time because I went thru an extended period of high cortisol levels due to life stress right before becoming depressed. I was overeating a lot back then. I think I might need some adrenal testing or something? I read something about CRH receptor antagonists possibly helping with this sort of depression.
This is the end of the thread.
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