Posted by dove on December 22, 2001, at 12:23:48
In reply to Need to add an AD to Lamictal ... suggestions?, posted by Cindylou on December 16, 2001, at 14:41:51
I have had a much better reaction to Prozac and Serzone (although it's not really considered a "SSRI") with the addition of Neurontin (gabapentin) which is labeled as an AED and used as a mood stabilizer and a mild anti-anxiety drug.
In the past, I took Prozac (and Wellbutrin for that matter) and had very negative reactions. I was suicidal, depressed, extremely tired yet aggravated and antsy, unable to communicate with family members or friends, and my depression did not lift one iota--although I was able to spend every minute of my day keeping my house all nice and clean (which made others think I was doing very well since I'm the worst housekeeper to ever walk the earth and everyone said that the depression would leave me once my household was in order.)
A little over a year later, after the addition and switch of a few meds, I'm taking 30-40 mgs of Prozac with much better results. The obsession with a clean house hasn't returned (is that good or bad?), the depression has lifted a bit, but I can still cry and feel joy. Whereas, the earlier attempt w/ prozac made me hopeless, tired and numb and on a smaller dosage.
Have you ever tried a TCA that is *not* recognized as sedating? Have all the SSRI's that you have tried been those that are, generally known to be more sedating (i.e. paroxetine, sertraline, or fluvoxamine)?
Do you have paradoxical reactions to the more stimulating meds? Maybe use a little reverse psychology, go with a calming AD and see what happens after a couple of weeks.
With the Lamictal still in place, you could even augment with a CNS stimulant (i.e. Ritalin, Adderall) and/or an anti-anxiety med that has AD effects but isn't a knock-out pill. Or even another certified mood-lifting mood-stabilizer? And there's the MAOIs, of which I don't have any extended knowledge and cannot add any comments to that genre of meds.
I hope you find something that works. Best Wishes!!!
dove
poster:dove
thread:87114
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20011222/msgs/87684.html