Mental Health lamictal for depression?

[falsifiedhypothesi]

I recently met with my psychiatrist for the first time and she prescribed me lamictal. I have a hard time expressing how I really feel. I was planning on telling her that I really can't focus and have recently been losing all interest and motivation shortly after starting things. Instead I ended up telling her that I have been having increasing anxiety and frustration, which is also true but not my main concern. Ever since my parents found out I was depressed they have been threatening to kick me out and dropping bill payments on me. I suppose they think it will motivate me but all it's doing is skyrocketing my anxiety and making me uncontrollably irritable as a result. This anxiety and irritability is just a recent reaction to what's been going on, but I think my psychiatrist believes I'm actually bipolar.

I'm thinking about not even bothering to go pick up the medication because I know it won't do anything except make me numb. I was also told I am adhd inattentive but just barely, it is mostly overshadowed by depression. My psychiatrist also didn't seem very forthright or knowledgable about lamictal. She told me it was an antidepressant which is untrue as it is classified as an anticonvulsant and mood stabilizer. I'm thinking about writing down what I want to say next time so I don't botch another appointment with irrelevant happenings in my life. I guess I'm looking for opinions on this situation and also if anyone has actually used lamictal as an antidepressant for regular depression with success.

 

[herbavore]

While I can't comment on lamictal or any other psych meds, I do think it is a great idea to write things down before you go. I hate to say it because I know how hard it is to even find a psychiatrist let alone get an appointment but yours sounds pretty dismal if she is prescribing medications that you know more about than she does (unless she was just dumbing down the information because she didn't think you would know the difference.)

I'm really sorry to hear about your parents reaction. NAMI is a great organization for families. The goal is to educate the family so that they don't blame the person suffering or try to discipline behavior that is not exactly elective (like the fallout from depression). Maybe you could get some info from NAMI in your area and ask if they would consider going to a class?

Hang tight and someone with experience will chime in about the lamictal. I think one of the other recovery mods was just talking about it the other day but I couldn't find the thread. I'll point your thread out to him.

One last point. Clinical depression is very different from situational depression in that circumstances can't change it. Have you considered that your may be situational in which case drugs are not the best solution? (I'm not making that assumption, just wondering if you have considered it.) Sometimes there are damn good reasons to be depressed, like having an unsupportive home environment, not feeling connected to school or friends.

edit: just found the lamictal comment here in post #3

 

[Kittycat5]

She gave you lamictal because it is particularly useful at preventing bipolar depression without inducing mania as traditional antidepressants tend to do. Now if this diagnosis is wrong (as you feel it may be) it may not be worth the time. Talk to your doctor before starting it. You are entitled to know her reasonings.

 

[falsifiedhypothesi]

I really wish it was situational depression, it would be a hell of a lot easier to explain. I had a great home life before coming out as depressed. I guess it's just because I'm getting older and my parents are tired of putting up with my lazy ass. I've had it for a few years they just haven't known until now, and honestly it was better when they didn't know.

I don't believe I have bipolar, I've never had a manic episode. I'm far more adhd than bipolar, I can't hold a damn thought for more than five minutes as of lately. Unless that thought is how or when can I kill myself. I'm not impulsive enough to do it, but it still haunts me.

 

[SilverFeniks]

Lost my long post, awesome, thank you cellphone ... To try and summarize 16 years (with a 10 year gap) of psychiatric care, lamictal was a life-saver.
Paxil and Effexor did nothing for my adolescent unipolar depression, so I gave up on the medical paradigm. A decade later I developed bipolar depression (sometimes I wonder if MDMA and LSD were to blame). Prozac worked briefly, trazadone calmed me down & gave me blessed sleep, divaproex gave me wicked headaches. Only when I got on lamtotigine (lamictal) and a low dose of risperidone did my symptoms get 90% under control.
The way I see it, risperidone (moderately) controls my extreme anger (people describe me as having a calming influence now) but lamictal is the real godsend, gone are the cycles.of suicidal depression followed by (or mixed with) manic highs. "mood stabalizer" is a good word for it. Google it and you'll find tons of people saying the same. It gives me zero side-effects which is what has kept me on it so long .. tho like all meds, I try to quit occasionally, and between the two I suffer extreme withdrawals, sh*t is addictive like any other strong psych meds.

As far as your situation .. not sure your post, or what limited info your Psych. has to go off, is of any help. I'm no stranger to lack of focus or anxiety but doubt lamictal has any hand in addressing those symptoms. I've abandoned many meds due to what I've felt were misdiagnoses, or intolerable side-effects. I've always had a terrible time trying to express myself so all diagnoses have been suspect.
If you aren't bipolar I can't imagine lamictal would be the most potentially beneficial medication for you.
Best bet is to feel out your Doctor .. if you decide you can trust them, and are able to be honest with them, hopefully their pharmacological recommendations will be beneficial to you - assuming you need chemical alteration at all. Took me a while to find the best fit. Not perfect but I don't have a doctor anymore so I'm holding on.
IMO, Try everything you can to improve your life naturally, only upon lack of success should you surrender to the medical paradigm. Just try to be honest with yourself and your Doctor; doing anything else is counterintuitive.

Hey look it's med:thirty

 

[a dream]

When there's no clear evidence or personal history of mania, diagnosing bipolar after one visit is suspect... how did you find this psychiatrist? I've had the wrong bipolar label applied as a result of antidepressant-induced hypomania and the results were not so great... essentially I have bipolar depression without hypomania or mania (per a bipolar specialist; I believe I barely meet the criteria to be a patient there)

here is my first experience with Lamictal: http://www.bluelight.org/vb/threads/673428-Lamictal-(lamotrigine)-and-suicide-ideation
In my case there was a clear correlation between starting Lamictal and feeling numb and anhedonic, so I originally stopped taking it at 100 mg. But last fall I started taking it again and haven't had these problems to the same degree. I'm on 300 mg now, am no longer taking any other antidepressants, and it may or may not be helping; until last month I'd been on other antidepressants for two years. My life situation has changed too, so I have no baseline to compare to and no idea how I'd feel if not taking any antidepressants. My mood isn't terrible most of the time. It might be reducing the weak hypomanic-like behavior I have in my natural state, but it might also be reducing my enjoyment of things as I still feel anhedonia to some extent.

I'd have to stop taking it to know whether it's helping or not, or at least reduce the dose quite a bit...

All this is complicated by neurological issues...

 

[falsifiedhypothesi]

thanks for that response dream. The situation you described in your post is the embodiment of the exact situation I was fearing if I start this drug.

I am already inactive, with no motivation to do anything other than stare at a screen or lay in bed for hours. Anything other than that is extremely tiring and usually so dull to me that I can't finish it. I can't imagine lamictal would do much except maybe calm my racing thought. That would be the best case scenario and I would rather not imagine the worst .

I'm not so sure about my current psych. The office was recommended from a family member who knows one of the therapists. They seem like down to earth people except the owner, she seems pretty high strung. She seemed on edge as if she herself has some sort of anxiety disorder.

I had to fill out yet another question sheet while in her office, many questions on the sheet were related to manic depression although it didn't directly suggest it. While I was filling out the sheet she was shuffling through my records which I doubt she actually read. She seemed to base her med choice only on the 5 minute barrage of questions I've already answered multiple times and my shitty description of my situation.

I suspect she may be one of those psychs that just see as many patients as possible just to get scripts out the door. I don't think she really saw the big picture because she failed to invest any time into me. I plan to give her at least one more chance, but if she doesn't impress me I'm going to have to move on.

 

[abracadabra girl]

A manic episode does not have to include happiness. It can be a period of intense activation, racing thoughts (a hallmark), risk-taking behavior, impulsiveness, etc. My kid has been on Lamictal for 13 years now. Other meds come and go but Lamictal is the one that always stays. It has some side effects but it can work wonders if a mood stabilizer is what you need.

If you don't think it's right for you, then I would suggest you call the doctor's office tomorrow and ask her to explain why she diagnosed bipolar rather than unipolar depression. This is an easy question to field over the phone and you won't have to wait until your next appointment, which I imagine is at least 4 weeks away, and waste that time. good luck.