Lithium and Lamictal

[Guest Burman]

For the people in this forum who take both Lithium and Lamictal What has been an effective dose of Lithium for you?

I'm currently on 300mg of Lamictal along with 300mg of Lithium daily to help with my treatment resistant depression.

I think that I might be on too low of a dose of Lithium.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

[MiaB]

300mg of lithium is a low dose, but with this drug a lot depends on your blood levels, which can be a very individual thing. How long have you been on it, and has your doctor sent you for blood tests? If not, s/he really should be doing so. I've seen people here take way over 1000mg, and some who take less. I was on 1000mg for some time, but recently had to drop it radically to 500mg because of some serious problems with edema.

[reetchbeetch]

I'm currently on 1200 mg of lithium and 200 lamictal. The combo kinda works for me, I can at least function enough to do school but i'm still pretty depressed. I hope it ends up working well for you.

[bpladybug]

I would scooch that Lithium up to 600, then see how you feel. And of course, get a blood test after you increase your level. Don't forget to drink a lot of water.

[crazynotstupid]

How long have you been on lithium? 300 may be just a starting dose. Certainly you can move up. Any time you feel a med is not working talk to your doc; if you have treatment resistant depression you should have gone through enough meds to know this. (btw, it would be nice to know what you've been on already)

You also have room to move on the lamictal, I'm on 400 myself, some people go higher than that, though efficacy at higher doses can be questionable.

And then you don't just have to have those two meds alone. Cocktails, anyone?

[zenbean]

I seem to be doing OK on 100 mg Lamictal, 450 mg lithium, but the lithium is new to me and might be titrated up soon. I know these are relatively small doses, but I've always been kind of hypersensitive to the effects of the crazy meds so I guess I'm lucky that way. My point is just that depending on how well your brain plays with different meds, going up or going down can work better for you.

[Guest Burman]

I'm still on the same dose of Lamictal 300mg and Lithium 300mg. I don't see my pdoc until the 3rd of January and I haven't had any bloodwork ordered to check my level. I'm still suffering from severe depression. I think that my pdoc needs to raise the Lithium because I'm sure that I'm not on a therapeutic dose.

For my depression I've tried, Effexor, Paxil, Prozac, Celexa, Lexapro, Zoloft, Serzone, Wellbutrin, Adderall and Vyvanse. Celexa seemed to help, but drove me into full blown mania after 2 years of 40mg.

Zoloft and Adderall put me in my second manic episode.

Even though I told my pdoc that I was bipolar, she never put me on a mood stablizer.

Adderall had a good antidepressant effect and so did Vyvanse, but I should've been on a mood stabilizer. My pdoc was a pill pusher and I now have a new pdoc.

After I was diagnosed with bipolar in 2005, I tried Seroquel, Depakote, Geodon and Abilify. I felt like a hermit on all these meds.

Lamictal and Lithium seem to be the magic bullet, but I think that my doses need to be adjusted.

[AnneMarie]

Call your pdoc. Most pdocs expect to hear from their patients when things are not right. That is how they know their help is needed. That also is why they give out phone numbers. Really, calling is the right thing to do.

[Guest Burman]

Thanks to everyone for the excellent help.

[etkearne]

When I was on Lithium and Lamictal, I was at 1200mg Lithium and 300mg Lamictal. Now, I have been taken off of Lamictal, but I am still on 1200mg Lithium.

[Guest Burman]

When I was on Lithium and Lamictal, I was at 1200mg Lithium and 300mg Lamictal. Now, I have been taken off of Lamictal, but I am still on 1200mg Lithium.

Why aren't you taking the Lamictal anymore? Wasn't it working out for you?