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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 18 of 18. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by rjlockhart37 on November 25, 2020, at 22:10:33
since i was young i had alot of mood swings, not bipolar type but i would be in a state of mind, then totally get discsted with what i was doing, major mood swing. So, i was put on lamictal in 2012, it was mainly for depression, which was around 200mg. We moved up to 400 because of depression and some mood irrtibility. I have to say, even though i get low, i don't have mood swings anymore. There not bipolar like, but i can notice, there no rapid movement in mood. It just stays at bay. I've been looking at adding lithium, but i think im good like currently am. 400mg is alot, but it mainly helped mood stablization, has a small antidepressant effect. If i dont take lamictal in the mornings, i can tell a difference, either depression or getting swing moods. I hope it has helped others like it helped me. End of log
Posted by Petermartin on November 26, 2020, at 20:29:58
In reply to lamical success, posted by rjlockhart37 on November 25, 2020, at 22:10:33
You take all 400mg in the morning?
I take 200mg and am trying to decide if it's better to take all in the morning or split it 100am 100pm. I've been in it for years but I never really tracked I'd there was a difference.
For the past while I've been taking it generally 100am and 100pm.
Posted by rjlockhart37 on November 26, 2020, at 22:06:24
In reply to Re: lamical success, posted by Petermartin on November 26, 2020, at 20:29:58
when i was the psych they did that, 1 in the morning and 1 at night, after they released me, i went back to regular, yes i take 400 in morning, one dose with prozac, it gets me out of morning slumps. I know crazy, if i dont take 400 in morning, im not completly stablized or feel ok. I started it really slow in 2012, did 200 morning, then we bumped to 400. So, acutally i've taken 400 for years (5-6 years) so no wonder my nuerons have gotten used to it but it helps, i notice there is no mood swings, and it has a small antidepressant effect, it's like lamotragine now has imprinted into nuerons, thats why i got used to it
Posted by rjlockhart37 on November 26, 2020, at 22:09:58
In reply to Re: lamical success, posted by rjlockhart37 on November 26, 2020, at 22:06:24
i went up and down, for couple years, first 400 dulled me out, we moved back to 200, then 300, it's been an up and down thing, so im just sticking with the mood stablization dose. It has helped really with mood swings, i don't fly from good mood to a bad mood for no reason, which i did off lamictal
Posted by PeterMartin on November 27, 2020, at 2:01:46
In reply to Re: lamical success, posted by rjlockhart37 on November 26, 2020, at 22:09:58
Do you know which generic manufacturer you take? (Or do you take brand?)
If you don't know the name, can you just mention the pill shape and any inscriptions? I have slightly different effects w/ all the lamotrigine generics so it's helpful for me to know.
Currently on brand myself...but not sure how long I can afford to stick w/ it.
Posted by SLS on November 27, 2020, at 7:29:09
In reply to Re: lamical success, posted by Petermartin on November 26, 2020, at 20:29:58
In my experience, the original (non-XR version) of lamotrigine is best taken 2-3 times a day, depending on the tablet size. Certainly, once a day doesn't work for me. The original GSK Lamictal doesn't make an extended release. Teva does.
- Scott
Posted by rjlockhart37 on November 27, 2020, at 11:59:47
In reply to Re: lamical success, posted by PeterMartin on November 27, 2020, at 2:01:46
yeah it says 'LMT 200' 'TARO' on back on it
says Taro pharmaceuticals on prescription label
Posted by rjlockhart37 on November 27, 2020, at 12:04:53
In reply to Re: lamical success, posted by rjlockhart37 on November 27, 2020, at 11:59:47
where the generic name is on orange bottle
Posted by PeterMartin on November 27, 2020, at 12:49:29
In reply to Re: lamical success, posted by rjlockhart37 on November 27, 2020, at 11:59:47
I had a good run w/ Taro generic. Thanks rjlockhart.
I have to stay consistent w/ a trial splitting the dose. It can be difficult when I get depressed and really just want to take something that could possibly help.
Posted by rjlockhart37 on November 27, 2020, at 15:18:42
In reply to Re: lamical success, posted by PeterMartin on November 27, 2020, at 12:49:29
yeah i hate depression slumps, lamo. keeps you from going into bipolar depression, or just a depression slump. Mood swings have disappeared for me. I used to have extreme mood changes, yet im not manic-depressive
Lamotragine has a duration of about 12 hours, if you google lamo. it says the half life is 25-29 hours, so half of that is 11-14 hours, the actual duration.
Posted by rjlockhart37 on November 27, 2020, at 15:22:52
In reply to Re: lamical success, posted by rjlockhart37 on November 27, 2020, at 15:18:42
it keeps me from going int 'painful depression' not just regular slump, painful depression for is when are so depressed, its pain, you lay in the bed, or even during the day, it's pain feeling, that comes with depression. People can see it when you places, or go to events, you look very depressed, serious clinical depressions i guess. I've had it before, luckly prozac and lamo. keep this from happening. I take a high dose prozac, but still even writing this i feel a little down, but not serious. Have to prep myself up to talk to people and write posts here
Posted by rjlockhart37 on November 27, 2020, at 18:18:01
In reply to Re: lamical success, posted by rjlockhart37 on November 27, 2020, at 15:18:42
anyways i rant too much, stay on consistant dosing like you said, but figured out lamo. lasts 11-14 hours because it's half life is 25-29 hours
Posted by SLS on November 27, 2020, at 21:08:23
In reply to Re: lamical success, posted by SLS on November 27, 2020, at 7:29:09
I checked on the Teva website and was surprised that Teva discontinued lamotrigine - for the second time. That's too bad. The original Teva generic was the best.
I've been using the brand name, GSK Lamictal, because generics don't seem to be as effective for me.
Taking GSK Lamictal once a day does not work well for me. I begin to feel a drop-off at the end of the dosing period.
- Scott
Posted by undopaminergic on November 28, 2020, at 8:58:10
In reply to Re: lamical success, posted by rjlockhart37 on November 27, 2020, at 15:22:52
> it keeps me from going int 'painful depression' not just regular slump, painful depression for is when are so depressed, its pain, you lay in the bed, or even during the day, it's pain feeling,
>This "pain" sounds more like anxiety to me. Life feels heavy, hard, difficult. You feel tense (mentally), or even like you're afraid of something but you don't know what. I used to have this, but not for years now.
Lying in bed and not wanting to get up, that is classic apathy. I still have apathy but nothing that serious.
-undopaminergic
Posted by Petermartin on November 30, 2020, at 23:52:07
In reply to Re: lamical success, posted by SLS on November 27, 2020, at 21:08:23
>
>
> Taking GSK Lamictal once a day does not work well for me. I begin to feel a drop-off at the end of the dosing period.
>Scott, are you taking 300 again or 200?
I'm back on brand and have been trying to get by w 200 since they used to work (actually 150 did). Ive gone as high as 350 for brief periods when on the generic (ineffective) though.
If you take 300 how do you split it? 150am/150pm? Have you tried 100am, 100lunch, 100pm?
Posted by SLS on December 3, 2020, at 7:54:11
In reply to Re: lamical success, posted by undopaminergic on November 28, 2020, at 8:58:10
> > it keeps me from going int 'painful depression' not just regular slump, painful depression for is when are so depressed, its pain, you lay in the bed, or even during the day, it's pain feeling,
> >
>
> This "pain" sounds more like anxiety to me. Life feels heavy, hard, difficult. You feel tense (mentally), or even like you're afraid of something but you don't know what. I used to have this, but not for years now.
>
> Lying in bed and not wanting to get up, that is classic apathy. I still have apathy but nothing that serious.
>
> -undopaminergic
>Melancholic (endogenous) depression can bring with it psychomotor redardation. Perhaps that can explain finding it hard to get out of bed in the morning. One tip off for melancholic depression is that people feel much worse in the morning than in the evening. Also, early morning awakenings. Melancholic depression can be very painful - psychic pain.
I don't know for sure, but couldn't anergia prevent one from getting out of bed? I haven't studied this issue closely enough to be sure of anything. I have what the NIH concluded to be bipolar depression. That sounds right for me. My depression looks like a hybrid of melancholic + atypical. Lots of anergia, anhedonia, and moderate amotivation. I get up right away when I wake up in the morning - 6:30 AM. The middle of the day is the worst for me.
Do you think that amotivation is a part of all types of depression?
Lamotrigine is a necessary ingredient in my treatment.
Currently:
Nardil 90 mg/day
Nortriptyline 100 mg/day
Lamictal (GSK) 300mg/day
Lithium 300 mg/day
- Scott
Posted by SLS on December 3, 2020, at 9:41:19
In reply to Re: lamical success, posted by Petermartin on November 30, 2020, at 23:52:07
> >
> >
> > Taking GSK Lamictal once a day does not work well for me. I begin to feel a drop-off at the end of the dosing period.
> >
>
> Scott, are you taking 300 again or 200?
>
> I'm back on brand and have been trying to get by w 200 since they used to work (actually 150 did). Ive gone as high as 350 for brief periods when on the generic (ineffective) though.
>
> If you take 300 how do you split it? 150am/150pm? Have you tried 100am, 100lunch, 100pm?
>
>I take Lamictal 300 mg/day as 150 mg twice a day.
I tried the original Teva lamotrigine generic. I thought it was as good as Lamictal name brand. However, I was taking 200 mg/day at the time, so I can't say for sure that Teva and GSK were really equally effective. I'm sure they were close. Mylan was terrible. In order to get any kind of improvement, I had to take 500 mg/day. Even that dosage didn't approach as much of as an improvement as GSK. In addition, it felt rather dirty. I felt muddy and flat.
Unfortunately, Teva is out of the generic lamotrigine business. They are a rather stupid company with its choices of acquisitions. Their original lamotrigine generic was IR only, and manufactured at their own factories. However, they acquired a company that also manufactured lamotrigine, but in an XR version. Teva decided to allow their acquisition to be responsible for the manufacture of geneneric lamotrigine. I don't know why they discontinued it, but their might have been some law suits involved
- Scott
Posted by undopaminergic on December 3, 2020, at 12:44:00
In reply to Re: lamical success » undopaminergic, posted by SLS on December 3, 2020, at 7:54:11
>
> Do you think that amotivation is a part of all types of depression?
>I think it is very common, but not a necessary prerequisite for a depression diagnosis.
-undopaminergic
This is the end of the thread.
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