troop111 Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 Hi everyone, I take Lamictal for BP II, and it helps tremendously! I recently took a 3-week vacation which was very enjoyable, and when I came home I fell into the first major depressive episode I've had since starting the Lamictal 7 months ago. I have many months worth of Lamictal, as my pdoc writes me a script for more than what I actually take each day. They only extend back four months (four extra bottles), so it's not as if they're out of date or anything. I recall having to start a new bottle (Feb. 2013, so not out of date), when I arrived home in early May, and that's right around when the depressive episode began. The episode actually began immediately upon my arrival home, the next day. I just can't remember the exact timing of when I opened the new bottle. After 9 days of staying in bed, I thought maybe the Lamictal batch for Feb. was bad. They are tablets. So I switched and used my latest bottle from May, and within two days I was back to normal re: my mood. What should I think of this? Was it a circumstantial thing relating to the vacation (I haven't been away from home for that long for 8 years), or do you think my pills were duds? Does anyone have any thoughts or experience with this that they can relate? Thank you, and I hope you're all doing well! troop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 Moving this to Anti-convulsants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notfred Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 If the meds came from a legit pharmacy then no, I do not think they are duds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sjs Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 I went through a decent depression last summer aftee a full year and a half on lamectil. I bumped up my lamectil a little then my pdoc bumped it up even more. I felt better in about a week then after about a month i was finding some sense of purpose again. Anyway...maybe just some break through symptoms that med tweak might help? Something to talk to your doc about for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tryp Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 Are you taking generic or brand? If you are taking generic and one batch was made by a different company than the other, there's a possibility that you are reacting to that. Otherwise, as others have said, it could be breakthrough symptoms/just a coincidence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odetta Posted May 18, 2013 Share Posted May 18, 2013 I use generic and do the 90-day mail order script thing per my insurance. I noticed on one bottle that I had breakthrough symptoms, and that they went away with the next bottle which just so happened to have been made by a different manufacturer. But this was also early on in my treatment, and I would sometimes forget to take my meds on schedule. So who really knows why I had breakthrough symptoms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
troop111 Posted May 20, 2013 Author Share Posted May 20, 2013 (edited) I use generic, and they've all been from the same manufacturer. Early on in the Lamictal therapy, I tried to go from 100 mg to 125 mg, and it threw me into a weird mixed state/depressive episode, and when I went back down to 100 mg I was fine again, so I'm concerned about increasing the doseage; any thoughts on such a reaction? But regarding the meds and whether they're duds; I get them from CVS, generic, same company each time. My therapist things it's unlikely it was the meds, but rather a circumstantial issue relating to the end of the vacation. I don't know ... I got better last week, now my mood is starting to fluctuate downward again. This has not happened in the 8 months I've been on the Lamictal, so I don't know to think. Up until now I've been doing great. I'm grasping for straws here. troop Edited May 20, 2013 by troop111 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
troop111 Posted May 22, 2013 Author Share Posted May 22, 2013 Anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 There isn't much more that can be said. At some point you've either got to try increasing your dosage or leave it where it is. You can speculate all you want but that'll get you nowhere. You've got to try it and see what happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneMarie Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 (edited) CVS is not the manufacturer. The manufacturer is who CVW purchases from. The name is on the prescription label. If there was no change in manufacturer, the mood shift was coincidence. Actually, vacations and life changes are known to cause mood shifts in many. You will not know how you react to a higher dose until you try. You may not react the same this time. Does your pdoc know what dose you are actually taking? She should. What she prescribes and what you take should be the same. No stockpiling. If you are not taking what she prescribes, then you need to have a discussion with her about it and not just doctor yourself. Edited May 22, 2013 by AnneMarie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
troop111 Posted May 22, 2013 Author Share Posted May 22, 2013 Thanks for replying everyone. I know CVS isn't the manufacturer. The manufacturer of the drug hasn't changed; it's Zydus. I thought perhaps a bad batch was sent out - exposed to excessive heat, etc. ? It's good to know that vacations can cause mood shifts. I hope that's all that it is. I have a pdoc appointment next week so I'll have a chance to run it by him. Yes my pdoc knows what doseage I take; he doesn't mind me stockpiling. It's more economical for me and gives me a supply in case something goes wrong, like a natural disaster. What is wrong with stockpiling? I only have several months in supply, it's not as if I have pills from two years ago. troop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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