Posted by Sean on September 10, 1999, at 12:46:29
In reply to Re: Lamictal and Cyclothymia, posted by JohnL on September 9, 1999, at 17:43:49
> The rash thing is serious yet overblown, says my pdoc. He says it is nearly always the result of increasing dosage too quickly. 25mg per week increase is OK, though I've heard of some braver folks going 50mg a week. I find Lamictal free of any side effects at 125mg, which is a low-normal dose. I haven't tried going without it, so I'm really not sure if it's doing anything. My depression is still nowhere near being greatly improved, but I can say I'm at least stable. Every day is predictable. Stability is nice, but I would really like some joy in my life. Workin' on it. Lamictal in my opinion and in literature is a good drug with a rather benign side effect profile and a wide range of therapeutic benefits. As usual though, your mileage may vary. Many pdocs now prefer it as a first-line drug over lithium or depakote because of its relative lack of side effects and its antidepressant properties. Not to be scared if you're going to try it. Just about any other drug I can think of is harsh compared to Lamictal.
Thanks for the info on lamotrigine. My doc has
been trying to get me on valproate and carbemazapine
ever since I gave up lithium. But I read the PDR
and was scared of the side effects reported. And
since val and carb aren't know for a pronounced
AD effect, I thought, Jeez, why ruin a perectly
good hypomanic episode?Of course I'm older and wiser now, and can see
the social and financial damage of the "up" part
of my cycle more clearly. I'm glad you posted a
good experience (aside from not having your
depression totally nailed) with lamotrigine. I
will post my experience here of course...S.
poster:Sean
thread:11004
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19990829/msgs/11356.html