daisy Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 I had read on here that people can sometimes feel differences when they first start at even the smallest doses, but I honestly didn't think it was all that true. (Sorry, guys!) Even my best friend told me that she noticed a huge difference in just the first week on 25 mg, and I kind of laughed it off. (She's on 50 now, and she says it got even better at 50, but I told her she was probably just imagining things.) But I'm on day 5 and... WHOA. I can see what those people were saying. I am on Day 5, and for the past two days, I've woke up feeling like myself in a VERY long time. It's like I'm back in my own brain again. I haven't dreaded facing the day. I mean, I'm still depressed, but there is a massive difference in mood. I can't even think about how I'll feel in a month when I'm on 100 mg, which is supposed to be the dosage that is used for most anti-depressant qualities. (Though I'm on the pill, so it may have to be higher. However, if I'm feeling something at 25 mg when I'm on the pill, maybe not.) I can honestly not remember a time when I felt like I have the last few days. I'm not dysfunctionally depressed. I'm not hypomanic. I'm just me. And I've had those days before -- they're just so few and far between that I sometimes forget what it feels like to be like this. Feeling like me is the best feeling imaginable. Although I still wish I was me AND not depressed... but if this medication keeps working like it is, that might actually be a possibility. This is the first time I've ever had hope that I might be able to live a completely normal life... this is the first time I've ever been REALLY affected by a treatment. (Wellbutrin DID help me some, but it didn't take me all the way there.) Plus, no side effects yet, knock on wood! I'm just having to be super strict about my hardcore acne skin care regimen so it doesn't come back, but I wouldn't know at 5 days whether or not I'll be having a problem with that yet. I'm sure it's just a placebo effect, but I welcome any effect that comes my way, placebo or not. And I certainly have not ever had a placebo effect like THIS before. So I hope this placebo effect (or hopefully REAL effect) keeps on working like this, because if it gets better than this then I think I might actually *gasp* become normal. (Whatever that is.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tryp Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 Whew - I'm so glad to hear that. Put a smile on my face for sure. You deserve a break Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daisy Posted May 4, 2009 Author Share Posted May 4, 2009 Whew - I'm so glad to hear that. Put a smile on my face for sure. You deserve a break Thanks, love. You've definitely deserved a break, too! How are things going? Any better??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tryp Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 Yeah, a bit better, actually. Not in the Abyss anymore, thank God. Seems like a lot of us are on the upswing these past couple of weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daisy Posted May 4, 2009 Author Share Posted May 4, 2009 Yeah, a bit better, actually. Not in the Abyss anymore, thank God. Seems like a lot of us are on the upswing these past couple of weeks. Let's hope this trend continues! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thunderstorm Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 That's great news! You're not alone, I started feeling the effects at 25 mg. It's such a relief, isnt it? Actual moments of 'whoah. I feel... kinda good, actually' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancesintherain Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 Glad to hear that it's going so well! As a side note, I just wanted to second the comment that susanb made...you might find that when you start a new dose, you'll feel bad for a few days and then good for a few days before you increase to the next level (or the reverse). That was my pattern until I hit my current dosage and a couple people said they had similar results. So if the current good feeling fades, take heart--if it's a good drug for you, it'll likely come back and then stay permanently once you hit your right dose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowen Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 I recall feeling well pretty quickly when starting Lamictal. Kind of unsteady until I hit a dosage that worked for me. I'm glad you're feeling better! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daisy Posted May 5, 2009 Author Share Posted May 5, 2009 Lamictal can work fast like that. Keep in mind it may not be steady, and it my go away for a time until you hit the right dosage. You might get some side effects as up titrate up. It's a truly weird med. But if you're getting benefit at 25 even temporarily, there's a good chance it will work for you at a real therapeutic dosage. Glad to hear that it's going so well! As a side note, I just wanted to second the comment that susanb made...you might find that when you start a new dose, you'll feel bad for a few days and then good for a few days before you increase to the next level (or the reverse). That was my pattern until I hit my current dosage and a couple people said they had similar results. So if the current good feeling fades, take heart--if it's a good drug for you, it'll likely come back and then stay permanently once you hit your right dose. Yeah, I've read about that so I'm prepared. I'm always very concerned when I start new medications and do all the research I can, so I think I've read every post on this forum, and perhaps every mention of Lamictal on the entire internet! I've heard that some of the side effects can be bad as you titrate up, but I think that since I know to look out for the side effects, I'll be more likely to stick with it, even though it might not be so fun all of the time. I've read that some people get strong mood swings, which I'm kind of prone to anyways, so I'm expecting them. I probably won't even contribute them to the Lamictal, since I'm graduating college and leaving a lot of my friends, so I was kind of expecting to have a lot of mood swings over the next several weeks already. (I've been weepy all week over every little thing that reminds me that I'm leaving my school, and especially my sorority!) I'm also really trying not to get my hopes up too much about it... sure, I feel more like myself again, which is absolutely wonderful, but that still doesn't mean that it will work as an anti-depressant for me. I hope it is a good drug for me, though, and I'm hoping that the fact that I'm getting a small benefit at the beginning dosage means that it might be good long-term once I get to the real dosage. I said yesterday that I wasn't sure about the acne side effect, but I actually HAVE been breaking out for the past several days. I don't know if it's the Lamictal or not. I switched moisturizers because I thought that may be the culprit, as my body acne hadn't increased greatly. I'm prone to acne, though, so I was kind of expecting this. But even if it's the Lamictal, acne is a SMALL price to pay for getting my depression in check! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowstormburning Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 Glad to hear you're feeling better, Daisy! This does give me a twinge of hope for the Lamictal. So far I feel nothing from it. It's probably one of the most invisible meds I've ever been on before, though, side effect wise (even better than cough syrup in that regard) , but I'm still at a low dose, and from what I understand it just might go all haywire on me once the dose is bumped up. *crosses fingers* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rude Girl Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 I'm right there with you, although I didn't really start to get the effects until 50mg--100 was briefly awesome, then 150...I felt normal most of the time, and even when my moods were swinging away, I was able to limit the dangerous behaviors they caused--it was like me with more rational functioning. 'Course, I'm starting to get a bit unstable again, but with how well it's worked so far I think a bit more will do me quite well. Hope the effects persist! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daisy Posted May 12, 2009 Author Share Posted May 12, 2009 Well, my lovely little placebo effect has faded now that I'm 13 days in. (I'm still on 25 mg.) I think it came as a shock to my system to feel like myself again, and it was quite euphoric when I first started. Then again, that always tends to happen to me when I first start a new medication. I think it was also about feeling so much better that the Pristiq was out of my system. I know I keep talking about my Pristiq experience, but it was just such a shock that I wasn't expecting. I promise I won't bring it up again! Still a little depressed, though it seems it's because the Wellbutrin is finally working, so I'm lifting out of it a little. From having been on Wellbutrin in the past, I know that this is as far as the medication will take me on 300 mg, but I'm hoping that it will be more effective at 450 mg. I'm also feeling very hopeful about the Lamictal as a second "anti-depressant" and I can't wait to get to the end of my 5 week starter pack to see if it's going to be as great for me as it has been for some other people on this board. As for side effects, nothing really so far. Acne, but not too bad. (And that could even be contributed to stress and maybe not the Lamictal!) My acne regimen made my skin very dry and peely after I started Lamictal, but that was easy to remedy. I'd rather have a little acne than depression. (Now if I start getting cysts and severe acne, I'll probably change my mind! I did the Accutane thing... not going to risk having to EVER do it again!) No signs of any rashes, but my skin is definitely a little more sensitive to lotions... and kind of sensitive to shaving! (Random!) I'm also kind of itchy all over, but I think that might be all in my mind, since I'm so worried about getting the rash. Either way, the side effects are SO minimal. I hope they stay like this! I'm hoping my mood swings while titrating aren't too bad, but at least I'll know to look for them. My move from 50mg to 100mg is happening during my vacation to Disney World, so I don't think I'll stay too moody in the HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH. (I'm a Disney freak.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rude Girl Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 I'm also kind of itchy all over, but I think that might be all in my mind, since I'm so worried about getting the rash. Yeah, I totally had that problem too--every bug bite or irritation had the be THE DEATH RASH and I was terrified that I was going to have to stop something that helped so much! (I suppose I'm lucky, since this is my first psych med and it's done so much for me already) Enjoy your trip! Although then you'll have to figure out if your better mood is the medication or the Mouse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meg Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 Hey Daisy I just wanted to check in and see how it's been going with you, since things were sounding hopeful. With the Lamictal-- are you still titrating up? how's it going mood-wise? ((crossing fingers for you)) And while we're at it, how's the Wellbutrin going? I'm on 450mg and I know it was a huge difference from 300mg for me. Hope all is going well and that your mood and sleep have leveled out (you deserve it! congrats with school, you're done, right? -- I would have graduated this year but took it off instead to get my sleep issues under control and to work some, most of my friends just graduated so if you're among them then WHOHOO and you have my positive envy, lol). Let us know how you're doing? meg ETA a PS: Disney! Hope that was fun and you were able to enjoy it even with all the med/mood stuff-- was it fun? I've never been. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vectorgirl Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 I just started Lamictal too, and I don't necessarily feel "better" yet but I feel different Calmer...but I'm having sleep problems already. I hope they even out. I really, really want this to work for my BPD. I had horrible side effects with Geodon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kellmate Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 Dude, I love my lamictal and I've never even been to 100mgs for longer than like 2 days. I'm about to jump to 75mgs and I get more and more excited the closer I get to 100 because the 25 and 50 make SUCH a difference. And I just noticed this thread is a bit older, so Daisy, how do you like lamictal now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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