Anyone taken Lamictal/lamotrigine for depression?

[Greg]

Has anyone here tried lamotrigine (Lamictal) for unipolar depression? I'm not expecting it to fix alcohol cravings, but I feel I need something in addition to anti-craving meds since my depression just will not go away. It didn't even ease during 19 months of freedom from alcohol, and it was a big contributor to my recent relapse.

I have tried nearly all conventional antidepressants, and am totally jack of them by now. I have tried asking two doctors for a trial of lamotrigine but all they do is suggest more antidepressants that are virtually identical to ones I have already unsuccessfully tried...I have even been told that Pristiq is "totally new" when it's a metabolite of Effexor, and that Lexapro is completely different to Cipramil...same thing a while ago when I was told to try Avanza/Remeron despite it being almost identical to Tolvon (which hadn't helped me)!!

If anyone has indeed tried Lamictal, do you know of any reliable online sources, so I don't have to listen to any more rubbish about antidepressants from doctors?

Thanks for any help anyone may be able to offer.

P.S. Baclofen has helped me with anxiety, but I'm not sure if it's helping much with depression or motivation/energy to be honest.

[spacebebe01]

Anyone taken Lamictal/lamotrigine for depression?

Hi Greg first I want to say that with not having been on here for months I am surprised that you drank again but then after reading on I am not surprised. I have never heard of Lamictal, but have just googled it and found it to be another anticonvulsant med that is also used in treating bipolar. I have drank again on serveral occassions since last talking to you. Each time getting weeks AF then going on a bender (unintentionally, I was just thinking at the start I will just do it today) lasting a week or two. I also have depression and know this is a major reason for my drinking. I am presently on cipralex but have been on pretty well most of the assortment of ssri's and also keep telling my doctor that none of them work for me but he refuses to look at anything else or refere me to someone who can. I am managing to stay sober at the moment by taking antabuse, which is another thing my doc refuses to prescribe for me, and campral but I am still craving and feeling pretty miserable, I dont think I would be sober right now if it wasnt for the antabuse. Sorry this was a long message to just say "no, I havent tried lamotrigine".

[Greg]

Anyone taken Lamictal/lamotrigine for depression?

spacebebe01;1202741 wrote: Hi Greg first I want to say that with not having been on here for months I am surprised that you drank again but then after reading on I am not surprised. I have never heard of Lamictal, but have just googled it and found it to be another anticonvulsant med that is also used in treating bipolar. I have drank again on serveral occassions since last talking to you. Each time getting weeks AF then going on a bender (unintentionally, I was just thinking at the start I will just do it today) lasting a week or two. I also have depression and know this is a major reason for my drinking. I am presently on cipralex but have been on pretty well most of the assortment of ssri's and also keep telling my doctor that none of them work for me but he refuses to look at anything else or refere me to someone who can. I am managing to stay sober at the moment by taking antabuse, which is another thing my doc refuses to prescribe for me, and campral but I am still craving and feeling pretty miserable, I dont think I would be sober right now if it wasnt for the antabuse. Sorry this was a long message to just say "no, I havent tried lamotrigine".

Hi Spacebebe, sorry to hear of your continued troubles with alcohol. I certainly didn't think I would return to drinking after 19 months off it, but I just became totally demoralised with never-ending depression and having to mentally fight worsening alcohol cravings every single day towards the end. Antabuse has helped me force myself to stay sober, but as you know it doesn't help the cravings. My only long-term success with it has been while taking other drugs to help reduce the cravings, but unfortunately the only one that really worked for me was marijuana, and it ended up causing me a lot of problems of its own. I am one of the few people who has problems with it, even at low doses. I have still been trying high doses of baclofen, but having problems with its side effects so far. Campral did help me somewhat during a period of sobriety years ago.

Doctors drive me insane with their inability to think outside the box when it comes to difficult-to-treat problems. How can these people be technically intelligent and spend years on university education, yet lack all common sense and the ability to consider alternative ideas? I was prescribed one SSRI after the next after the next, despite being unable to tolerate any of them. If one or two SSRIs are not suited to a patient, why would they then try all the others? Same thing with tricyclics, one after the next despite zero percent improvement. When then asked if a MAOI or Lamictal could be tried, they refused, giving no obvious reason...I suspect it is because they simply don't like a patient tactfully suggesting their own idea after all the stuff the doctor has tried didn't work!

Anyway that is my rant for today...I am going to try L-tryptophan+Sudafed+codeine (theoretical increase in serotonin+norepinephrine+dopamine, which MAOI's do) as a way of blasting my depression apart, even if only on a few days each week for the last two drugs...and no I'm not suggesting that anyone else go out and try this. I'm doing it partly to thumb my nose at pompous doctors really, since these things are all legally available without a prescription and there's nothing they can do to stop me!

Edit---I should correct myself for saying only a few people have problems with marijuana, as I suspect a lot more have issues with it than is commonly heard about. Many stoners probably just cover up pot after-effects by smoking numerous times a day. Since I was only smoking at night, I was then more aware of what it was doing to me mentally as it wore off the following day...a combination of scattered thinking, tiredness (pot fog), obsessive thinking, and possibly increased depression and anxiety.

[beatle]

Anyone taken Lamictal/lamotrigine for depression?

I take lamictal, 200mg every night before bed. I can't say I notice any difference either way (tapered off of it for a while).

[Greg]

Anyone taken Lamictal/lamotrigine for depression?

beatle;1202866 wrote: I take lamictal, 200mg every night before bed. I can't say I notice any difference either way (tapered off of it for a while).

I have lost some of my interest in it now, and this kind of reinforces that. I basically lost interest when I read that its overall success rate is roughly comparable to that of conventional antidepressants, which is dreadfully low/abysmal according to reports by researchers who have examined ALL the clinical studies done (not just the favourable ones that the drug companies decide to get published). I don't want to turn everyone off antidepressants, as they do help some people (i.e. there is a degree of success above placebo), but none of them have ever done anything beneficial for me personally. For those who are helped by them, they can literally be a life saver.

[beatle]

Anyone taken Lamictal/lamotrigine for depression?

I share your experience and sentiments about SSRIs

Lamictal is not an SSRI or anywhere close to that s**t. (I hope that is not offensive.)

I think it is a fairly mild drug, and is touted as a "mood-evener" -- whatever.

Not addictive and in my experience no SEs. That's about the only drug I ever in my life could say that about.

I wouldn't be afraid to try this... and why not? Maybe it's right for you?

And I really can't see why your doctor would be reluctant to prescribe it.

[Life After Addiction]

Anyone taken Lamictal/lamotrigine for depression?

Greg;
1199177 wrote: Has anyone here tried lamotrigine (Lamictal) for unipolar depression? I'm not expecting it to fix alcohol cravings, but I feel I need something in addition to anti-craving meds since my depression just will not go away.
It didn't even ease during 19 months of freedom from alcohol, and it was a big contributor to my recent relapse.

I have tried nearly all conventional antidepressants, and am totally jack of them by now. I have tried asking two doctors for a trial of lamotrigine but all they do is suggest more antidepressants that are virtually identical to ones I have already unsuccessfully tried...I have even been told that Pristiq is "totally new" when it's a metabolite of Effexor, and that Lexapro is completely different to Cipramil...same thing a while ago when I was told to try Avanza/Remeron despite it being almost identical to Tolvon (which hadn't helped me)!!

If anyone has indeed tried Lamictal, do you know of any reliable online sources, so I don't have to listen to any more rubbish about antidepressants from doctors?

Thanks for any help anyone may be able to offer.

P.S. Baclofen has helped me with anxiety, but I'm not sure if it's helping much with depression or motivation/energy to be honest.

Greg;[RIGHT]1199177]Has anyone here tried lamotrigine (Lamictal) for unipolar depression? I'm not expecting it to fix alcohol cravings, but I feel I need something in addition to anti-craving meds since my depression just will not go away.

Hello Greg,
I took lamictal for over a year for depression. It was the first medication where I didn't suffer a single side effect. I had to titrate up slowly with my dose, but once I was taking it regularly I remember feeling very level in terms of mood. I've taken just about every antidepressant that exists. As I said, I tend to have a lot of side effects and with SSRIs I remember feeling somewhat anxious and even a little hypomanic. Lamictal brings you up from depression, but doesn't lift you too high. I found that I felt even-keeled instead of "up," but I liked that. It was like it must be to deal with life as a "normal" person. Lamictal eliminated the profound "lows" I'd been going through for years. I noticed my cognition was clearer and sharper. I no longer marinated in emotion and also didn't feel flat and exhausted.

Another medication I really like - which greatly helped with my depression - was provigil. My physician/psychiatrist prescribed it for depression as an off-label use. I'd gotten to the point of complete inertia. Provigil also made me feel clear-headed and it gave me a lot of energy. It's an expensive medication, but you can order the generic online. It's called adranifil/olmifon and I order a box of thirty pills for $30 from a company called "Nubrain". I don't think we can include links in posts, but you should be able to find it easily. I used to take one pill when I woke up and it gave me focus, alertness and curbed my impulsivity (like wanting to drink). There are a number of medical/scientific articles touting the effectiveness of provigil for substance abuse. You can probably find a few links online.

Right now I'm taking 80 mg. of baclofen with 50-75 mg. of topamax. This protocol has eliminated my alcohol dependency, alleviated my anxiety and provides a mild anti-depressant. (Or I might just think so because I'm not drinking alcohol any longer so things look brighter in general.) I took lamictal with provigil for over a year and the combination addressed my longterm depression.

I stopped taking adranifil/olmifon with lamictal when I felt I no longer had a mood disorder. I eliminated sugar from my life by taking 15-20 grams of the supplement I-glutamine daily. It regulates blood sugar and decreases sugar cravings. I also removed gluten from my diet and began eating better and taking supplements. Mega doses of B12 gave me energy. I ordered a particularly potent Omega 3 supplement online which seemed to help. I read "7 Weeks to Sobriety" which had great nutritional suggestions. Many alcoholics are hypoglycemic, so I adjusted my nutrition accordingly. Natural News is a terrific website with up-to-date information about nutrition and supplements. I started juicing a lot, after doing a two week cleanse called "The Master Cleanse". It's been around for over forty years. I found this simple quick cleanse gave me a lot of energy and sense of well-being too.

Hope some of these ideas are helpful. I don't know if you can order the generic of lamictal online. I used to get free sample packs from my prescribing psychiatrist which really helped with the expense.

It's a good idea to do a lot of research before taking antidepressants. There are disturbing implications coming out about SSRIs like Celexa/Lexapro, Effexor, Paxil and Prozac. Once you have been taking these medications for awhile, apparently it is difficult and uncomfortable to wean off them. They also lose their efficacy after you've been taking them for some time.

Best wishes to you!

[Life After Addiction]

Anyone taken Lamictal/lamotrigine for depression?

Almost forgot. I also take 25 mg. of seroquel at bedtime. I took 100 mg. when I was clinically depressed. The way depression affected my sleep I would either be "comatose" or experience insomnia. Seroquel is great for deep restful sleep, which also helped ease my irritability and fatigue. It's an anti-psychotic, but prescribed off-label for insomnia. It also is a mild anti-anxiety/antidepressant. When I was first taking seroquel, I'd wake up groggy in the morning - but not like when I used benzos/opiates for sleep. The grogginess wears off within a half hour. I took lamictal with adranifil (provigil generic) and seroquel. Then I found Dr. L. and have been taking baclofen for over a year. I've been alcohol free for many months. Still adhering to a hypoglycemic diet which really has helped my mood.

It took me a VERY long time, but I finally found a psychopharmacologist I could work with. They are more expert than psychiatrists. Mine is also a neurologist and the combination has been a Godsend.

One last thought. I've read several posts from people who have become abstinent through The Sinclair Method using baclofen alone or baclofen with naltrexone (which seems to help if you have side effects from high dose baclofen). People who have adhered to TSM/bac/nal swear that it actually is a cure for alcoholism. High dose baclofen alone provides us blessed indifference, but I believe if we titrate down until we discontinue use, we'd likely abuse alcohol again in a matter of time.

[Life After Addiction]

Anyone taken Lamictal/lamotrigine for depression?

Oops, I did it again! And here I am claiming better mental clarity and focus. (Truth be told I'm watching a DVD as I post. I achieved indifference to alcohol between 160-180 mg. of baclofen. HOWEVER I believe this happened because I stopped drinking around 120 mg. even though I still had cravings and quite an entrenched decade-long habit pattern. The cravings decreased enough at 100-120 mg. to give me the strength to "Just Say No". Then I titrated up to 160-180 mg. and voila I finally was indifferent to alcohol. Had to test it of course! Over the course of two months I drank one beer on five separate occasions. Tasted great, very little "buzz," no desire to have another or buy more the next day. The last beer I had (five months ago) I could barely finish it. I've titrated down to 80 mg. and added tompamax at 50-75 mg. with seroquel 25-50 mg. at bedtime. So far, so good. I think taking I-glutamine and adhering to a hypoglycemic diet has really helped with cravings. I'm not planning to test the efficacy of baclofen now that I'm at such a low dose. It's enough for me to feel indifference to alcohol and to no longer think about it. And to be able to stay abstinent. It wouldn't be difficult to titrate up to 140+ mg. of baclofen if the cravings do return.

[Bruunhilde]

Anyone taken Lamictal/lamotrigine for depression?

Wow Life, its so rare to have all that experience with all those meds in one post, thanks, you're helping alot of lurkers.

[Life After Addiction]

Anyone taken Lamictal/lamotrigine for depression?

Thanks for the compliment! I've spent two decades struggling and suffering from addiction in various forms (with alcohol as the underlying theme) as well as chronic disabling anxiety and depression. If I can help others by sharing my experience and knowledge, I'm happy to do so.

Incidentally, I just read a passionate manifesto that rails against the mainstream addiction recovery model. A rare find. Dr. Peter Ferentzy's Dealing With Addiction - Why The 20th Century Got It Wrong, tells it like it is.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Anyone taken Lamictal/lamotrigine for depression?

I concur, LAA. Great input. I really appreciate it.
hmmm. A psychopharmacologist/neurologist. What kind of lottery did you hit? :H Good for you. I'm quite sure that took a herculean effort.

Cheers!
Ne

[suneelca]

Anyone taken Lamictal/lamotrigine for depression?

Greg -- am also on lamotrigine (300 mg. a day) and Seroquel (50 mg). Was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Was also on lorazepam and gabapentin, but have tapered off since starting Baclofen on 9/23. At 190 mg. of Baclofen a day, and while haven't quite hit switch, am close -- have noticed that alcohol and coffee taste like crap (is this the indifference people notice?). As have indicated in another post, MD psychiatrist / psychopharmacologist actually recommended HDB some months ago, but was on NAL and thought I would give that a chance. Have gone off the NAL as well.

Reason I write this is while I appreciate the difficulty of finding an MD who will prescribe HDB, I would also caution against self-prescribing meds, even seemingly low-risk ones like lamotrigine. I have learned the hard way to not do anything without the guidance of my MD shrink. Maybe this is not what you were suggesting earlier, but I have that impression. I was considering also going off the Seroquel, for instance, but thought the better of it until have discussed with my MD shrink.

[suneelca]

Anyone taken Lamictal/lamotrigine for depression?

A couple of other things --

1) No one quite understands how lamotrigine works -- the 'mechanism of action', but I hadn't heard of it being used for depression per se as opposed to bipolar (in terms of smoothing out the depressed lows, the manic highs, and the so-called 'mixed states').

2) My shrink did indicate that one consequence of going to a higher lamotrigine dose could be some fuzziness. Not sure if this is amplifying the somnolence am definitely feeling.

[Greg]

Anyone taken Lamictal/lamotrigine for depression?

Thanks everyone for the input and interesting reading! I'd still prefer to do things via a doctor, but if so it will have to be a different one to the two I normally consult. There is way too much adherence to the same old drugs and unwillingness to even try anything alternative by these doctors. If I am forced to do things myself I'd adhere strictly to prescribing guidelines and be sure not to combine any drugs that are contra-indicated, which is how a doctor would approach the situation anyway.