Lamictal and gabapentin inducing suicidal behaviours

[OliverB]

I didn't think on suicide since august, and was that way, until I reached 50-75mg of lamotrigine that I set a date to kill myself while I am thinking on doing some new courses on May and began a proyect with breeding guinea pigs. I don't really want to kill myself but I have that suicidal thing there.

Yesterday lamotrigine was increase to 100mg and gabapentine I also take to 300mg four times a day. The thing is after the fourth pill I became extremelly impulsively suicidal, I would have taken an OD of all my pills, psych and non psych, if I haven't had my psychopharmacology and human pharmacology books which I could see they wouldn't kill me.

Now I am leaving a note to my pdoc and talking with my nurse to make her know.

[melissaw72]

5 hours ago, OliverB said:

Now I am leaving a note to my pdoc and talking with my nurse to make her know.

I think this is a great idea! 

I just posted in another thread (before reading this one) how I thought it would be a good idea to write a letter etc.  I think it is in the schizophrenia forum.

[cloudmonger]

5 hours ago, OliverB said:

Yesterday lamotrigine was increase to 100mg and gabapentine I also take to 300mg four times a day. The thing is after the fourth pill I became extremelly impulsively suicidal, I would have taken an OD of all my pills, psych and non psych, if I haven't had my psychopharmacology and human pharmacology books which I could see they wouldn't kill me.

Now I am leaving a note to my pdoc and talking with my nurse to make her know.

OliverB so sorry you've had such an extreme change after the dose increase. I wonder if it's due to the lamictal or gabapentin? I hope you can resolve the issue in your meeting, maybe she will have you stay at the lower dose? It's good you are going to an appointment to discuss - keep us posted!

I am unfortunately feeling the opposite, increasingly apathetic with the lamictal. I feel like my body is full of lead...I can't shower, get dressed or do anything. Totally unemotional, not quite "numb" but lifeless. must force myself to stick with it but I hate this.

[OliverB]

28 minutes ago, cloudmonger said:

OliverB so sorry you've had such an extreme change after the dose increase. I wonder if it's due to the lamictal or gabapentin? I hope you can resolve the issue in your meeting, maybe she will have you stay at the lower dose? It's good you are going to an appointment to discuss - keep us posted!

I am unfortunately feeling the opposite, increasingly apathetic with the lamictal. I feel like my body is full of lead...I can't shower, get dressed or do anything. Totally unemotional, not quite "numb" but lifeless. must force myself to stick with it but I hate this.

It was the gabapentin. I didn't have an appointment to discuss this, I just told the nurse and left a letter to the pdoc.

I will take gabapentin 3 times a day instead of 4 times a day. The lamotrigine I would keep it at 100mg, the increased dose, because maybe it's a titrating up effect and it's not as bad as what gabapentin caused me.

Lamotrigine just induce suicidal thoughts.

Gabapentin suicidal act, impuslive, extreme, right now.

Edited November 16, 2016 by OliverB

[melissaw72]

2 hours ago, cloudmonger said:

I am unfortunately feeling the opposite, increasingly apathetic with the lamictal. I feel like my body is full of lead...I can't shower, get dressed or do anything. Totally unemotional, not quite "numb" but lifeless. must force myself to stick with it but I hate this.

I know that feeling of lead, not being able to do anything.  I was very depressed then.  Do you think it is from the depression rather than the lamictal that you feel this way, or part of the depression and part of the lamictal?  Or all the lamictal?  (I am pretty sure I missed this somewhere, but did you increase the lamictal dose recently?)

[dancesintherain]

I had the same thought as Melissa.  It sounds like depression and you aren't at a therapeutic dose yet (right?) so it would make sense it's not gone.  

Im not saying it's not possible that lamictal is the culprit, but it seems less likely.

[cloudmonger]

I did go up on the lamictal. I've been completely stabilized for the last few weeks, but my apathy seems like it is getting worse. It's like I've almost flatlined emotionally.

The Apathy/no pleasure symptom never seems to go away no matter how stable I am. Doctors always tell me that this is a sign that my depression is getting better or more mild (and I certainly probably look like I'm doing well because I don't get teary-eyed or irritable speaking to them), but it doesn't feel like I'm "better" in a sense that I have no motivation, no interest, no engagement in socializing or old hobbies. I don't even want to get up and shower. It's total intertia all of the sudden.

Since I've upped the dose, Food has no taste (I've never had this symptom before) Caffeine has no "waking" effect for me at all, alcohol doesn't effect me (used to get a warm buzz). I feel as if I'm becoming a robot with no feelings. I hope this stuff goes away. I want to be able to feel emotions and joy. I am concerned that this could lead to what I experienced on some SSRIs (numbness & loss of personality) I felt incredibly detached from everything & myself when I was on SSRIs, i was told Lamictal won't do this (unless you are at too high of a dose?)

Edited November 16, 2016 by cloudmonger

[OliverB]

26 minutes ago, cloudmonger said:

 i was told Lamictal won't do this (unless you are at too high of a dose?)

I take it because it's supposed to don't do it. I haven't feel like a someone with a zombie personality without emotion with lamictal, but I felt with SSRI.

 

I guess the most 'shallow' of depression goes away first and what it's more deep take more time.

 

Like when you are full blown psychotic with delusions and hallucinations, if they give you a shot of haldol and you stop being delusional.... it's probable the voices stay there a bit longer...

[melissaw72]

15 hours ago, OliverB said:

I take it because it's supposed to don't do it. I haven't feel like a someone with a zombie personality without emotion with lamictal, but I felt with SSRI.

 

I guess the most 'shallow' of depression goes away first and what it's more deep take more time.

 

Like when you are full blown psychotic with delusions and hallucinations, if they give you a shot of haldol and you stop being delusional.... it's probable the voices stay there a bit longer...

I think it also takes more time being on the med to get to the part that is deeper in you.

At one point I was give a prolixin shot, and for me it got rid of the voices right away, while the delusions stayed.

[Alien Navel Cord]

Wow I take lamictal and gabapentin and have never had this problem of suicidal thinking - as a result of the meds (more like situational issues). I am sorry you are going through that, and hope what you are doing is helping.

On 11/16/2016 at 0:43 PM, cloudmonger said:

I did go up on the lamictal. I've been completely stabilized for the last few weeks, but my apathy seems like it is getting worse. It's like I've almost flatlined emotionally.

The Apathy/no pleasure symptom never seems to go away no matter how stable I am. Doctors always tell me that this is a sign that my depression is getting better or more mild (and I certainly probably look like I'm doing well because I don't get teary-eyed or irritable speaking to them), but it doesn't feel like I'm "better" in a sense that I have no motivation, no interest, no engagement in socializing or old hobbies. I don't even want to get up and shower. It's total intertia all of the sudden.

 

I wonder if that is the cause of my anhedonia. I feel kind of numb in the sense I feel no empathy, and though I'm not depressed or manic I feel ... apathetic, like "meh" mildy ok, maybe it is the lamictal! I want off of it anyway, this would be a good thing to mention to the pdoc when I see her next.