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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 KarenRB53 on March 14, 2004, at 18:20:48
I'm having no luck with any antidepressants and I was wondering if anyone uses just lamictal for atypical or unipolar depression?
Posted by metalflipflop on March 14, 2004, at 23:30:01
In reply to Lamictal for atypical depression, posted by KarenRB53 on March 14, 2004, at 18:20:48
i take 300mg of lamictal with celexa 30mg and cytomel 12.5mcg. i am not bipolar, just have had ever-more-quickly recurring boughts of more and more severe depression (maybe this new 'bipolar 3' dx?). i added the lamictal to boost celexa which was only partially effective, and it really pulled me out of the blackness. my triple combo has great synergy, i haven't felt this good in years--awful, in a way, b/c college is rushing by and i had no idea what it was like to really want to be living in it.
so yes, i recommend it! if the ssri's don't pack enough punch alone for you, adding lamictal may address that as well as add another mechanism of ad action.
-liz
Posted by Sad Panda on March 15, 2004, at 8:42:59
In reply to Lamictal for atypical depression, posted by KarenRB53 on March 14, 2004, at 18:23:12
> I have had no luck with antidepressants and was wondering if anyone has used Lamictal by itself for atypical or unipolar depression? Thanks, Karen
>
>What meds have you tried & what are your symptoms?
Cheers,
Panda.
Posted by KarenRB53 on March 15, 2004, at 11:11:49
In reply to Re: Lamictal for atypical depression » KarenRB53, posted by Sad Panda on March 15, 2004, at 8:42:59
I have tried most of them. Paxil,Wellbutrin,Luvox,Lexapro,Celexa,Serzone. The only one that worked very well was Prozac and I was on that for about 4yrs, but then it stopped working. Currently I am on EffexorXR, but I can't tolerate the side effects above 37.5mg., so the doctor wants me to come off that. He is inclined to try me back on Prozac as its been just about a year since I've been on it. I have to be careful too, as I have high blood pressure,high cholesterol and am type 2 diabetic. What a mess,eh? Karen
Posted by DepNYer on March 15, 2004, at 16:01:19
In reply to Re: Lamictal for atypical depression, posted by metalflipflop on March 14, 2004, at 23:30:01
I have TR unipolar depression and use 400 mg of Lamictal to augment Remeron 45 mg, and imipramine 300 mg. I've found it to make a tremendous difference, and fairly tolerable as far as side effects. I also take klonopin for anxiety, and noticed that the Lamictal seemed to augment it's anti-anxiety effects, allowing me to substantially reduce the dose of K. I do think it can be a good drug in the right setting, and I would recommend it as an augmentation agent.
Posted by Tony P on March 17, 2004, at 3:15:40
In reply to Re: Lamictal for atypical depression, posted by DepNYer on March 15, 2004, at 16:01:19
> I have TR unipolar depression and use 400 mg of Lamictal to augment Remeron 45 mg, and imipramine 300 mg. I've found it to make a tremendous difference, and fairly tolerable as far as side effects. I also take klonopin for anxiety, and noticed that the Lamictal seemed to augment it's anti-anxiety effects, allowing me to substantially reduce the dose of K. I do think it can be a good drug in the right setting, and I would recommend it as an augmentation agent.
Agreed. Although Lamictal is currently officially only recommended for Bipolar, I am primarily depressed (possibly BP3 - hypomanic only on some ADs) and am finding it helpful. My pdoc uses it for both BP and straight depression, and also says it has anti-anxiety effects.
I am currently taking quite a lot of klonopin (4mg/day) and feeling a bit overmedicated (concentration/memory problems), so maybe I can reduce it as I ramp up on Lamictal. I did experience at least one major anxiety attack when my Lamictal went from 50 to 100 mg/day (that's how I got on the klonopin), but my impression is that the dose-increase anxiety (if you get it at all) is only temporary. I haven't really noticed it with smaller increments of Lamictal (200->250->300).
Tony P
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