Posted by blueboy on June 19, 2008, at 8:12:31
In reply to Is Lamictal an a.m. med?, posted by happee_place on June 19, 2008, at 1:06:21
> I have felt the energy downer of lamictal and dont like it - then again i have just been taken off wellbutrin which in my opinion is a energy adder so maybe it has nothing to do with lamictal at all.
>Wow. Very much the opposite of my experience and my understanding of the literature.
For me, it has been "activating" if anything. A bit of a stimulant. AFAIK this is the general effect it has. The pdocs told me it is most effective to prevent Bipolar depressive cycles and is preferentially prescribed to Bipolar II patients whose primary symptom or complaint is depressive.
> I also miss the anti-depresent aspect of wellb so much. I feel quite a balance in my mood from lamictal but still super depressed. THEN i read here tonight that there is a window of an antidepresent effect for lamictal?
I don't know of any short term window. I can say two things. First, for me, the effects are almost entirely long-term. Second -- this may be the "window" you are talking about -- it is not considered effective to stop a depressive cycle in a bipolar patient, but rather, is used to prevent the cycle from starting.
I don't think I know everything about it though, LOL.
> I TAKE IT AT NIGHT?? Thinking that would help the sleepyness aspect? So im sleeping off the anti-depresent goodness?
>Nah. I don't think it works like that.
I am actually a bit surprised that it would be prescribed to someone who had responded to Wellbutrin. I could be completely out of bounds here, so realize that this is just my thought and based largely on my own experience. With that major caveat, I thought that Wellbutrin was almost never successful for Bipolar conditions, whereas Lamictal is prescribed only for Bipolar depression.
> Should i take it in the a.m. or will that make me feel even more sleepy? But will give me a anti-deperesent factor? I see one might be worth the other but was just wondering the facts before i decide.
>
> Any suggestions?I take mine half and half, half when I wake up and half sometime in the afternoon. But as I stated, it seems to have decreased my drowsiness.
poster:blueboy
thread:835400
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20080617/msgs/835422.html