Guest toiki Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 hi there...this site is pretty neat. it was recommended by someone on another message board. not sure if i should give some background or what, but in a nutshell (hee), i was recently diagnosed as having bipolar disorder. apparently rather mild with more tendencies toward extremely low dips than high periods. i'm 31, never sought treatment until last year because my husband thought i should. i'm pretty used to feeling crappy and all over the place, so i figured that was just me. i've had episodes of depression since i was very young - like 7 or so. anyway - i started lexapro last fall and it rocked for a few months, although i couldn't orgasm anymore. but i felt so good otherwise that it didn't matter to me. but about six weeks ago i noticed it didn't seem to be working as well, and now i'm feeling like total ass again. i saw a psychiatrist who decided i was bipolar (i had been seeing a psychologist more for therapy), and the psych has put me on lamotrogine. i'm working up - currently on 25mg. my question after all this rambling is how long until i feel something? and it sucks cuz they don't want to mess with my lex dosage right now until i get ramped up on the lamotrogine. but in the meantime i can't motivate to do anything, i can't focus at work, all i want to do is sleep, and i'm crying all the time again. sucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ehygon Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 First off, welcome to the boards toiki~ Secondly, about your medication: it kind of depends on the person, when they start to feel its effects. Some people find help with their depressive symptoms with as little as 25 mgs. The average dose though, when people start to feel mood stabilization effects, is around 100mg. A lot of people need to go higher than that though, so don't get too discouraged if you don't feel a whole lot better once you reach that point. I sympathize with your feeling down. I have more lows than highs as well. Hopefully, lamotrigine is the right drug for you, and you'll start to feel better soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 I'm another one with bipolar that mostly hangs around in the depression end of the spectrum. They really do like to titrate up slowly with lamotrigine to avoid some of the side effects. I am on it too, and it seems to help. Tommy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scatty Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 Hi & welcome! You might start to notice some improvement at 50-100 mgs. Try to be patient with it, although tirating so slow is frustrating, it's often worth the wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazynotstupid Posted June 1, 2007 Share Posted June 1, 2007 Welcome. Wen it comes to bipolar, either I or II, Lamictal is considered a standard antidepressant. It is of course an anticonvulsant) The reason is that, unlike SSRIs and such, it doesn't tend to bring on a manic episode. (caveat: mileage varies) As said, effects happen pretty much whenever. (mileage varies, yes?) The normal dosing schedule is 2 weeks at 25, 2 at 50, 1 at 100, and after that up to the pdoc. 200 is generally considered normal therapeutic dose; me, I'm at 300. You work til you find the right dose. And the dose is never set in stone. Note also that the slow titration is to avoid side effects--mainly SJS, aka The Rash, which can kill you. (don't worry, the worst odds I've heard are a 1 in 1000 chance--and I've heard of 2 people that got it. 1 in 5000 is actually rather more accepted, I believe) I'm glad you decided to seek help. Without that step, you go nowhere. I know being where you are right now sucks sweaty smelly ass, but keep at it and you CAN feel better--God knows I do! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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