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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
[email protected]Shown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Lisa2712 on July 20, 2009, at 21:16:04
I've been taking Lexapro 20 mg for a year for anxiety and a few days ago I tried adding on lamitrogine 25 mg (generic Lamictal). I only took 1 dose and I felt like I was on speed, my heart was beating very fast, I was extremely tense all over and a lot of my anxiety (that the Lexapro had managed to control) came back. The nurse that prescribed it told me the lamitrogine (and the combo) can't cause those effects and told me to keep taking it. I'm scared to take another dose of lamitrogine after the reaction I had. Could taking these 2 meds together cause this type of reaction?
Posted by Phillipa on July 20, 2009, at 23:27:15
In reply to Can Lexapro 20 mg + Lamitrogine be taken together?, posted by Lisa2712 on July 20, 2009, at 21:16:04
Lisa what was the reason for the lamictal wasn't the lexapro working? Love Phillipa
Posted by SLS on July 21, 2009, at 5:31:59
In reply to Can Lexapro 20 mg + Lamitrogine be taken together?, posted by Lisa2712 on July 20, 2009, at 21:16:04
Hi.
> I've been taking Lexapro 20 mg for a year for anxiety and a few days ago I tried adding on lamitrogine 25 mg (generic Lamictal). I only took 1 dose and I felt like I was on speed, my heart was beating very fast, I was extremely tense all over and a lot of my anxiety (that the Lexapro had managed to control) came back. The nurse that prescribed it told me the lamitrogine (and the combo) can't cause those effects and told me to keep taking it. I'm scared to take another dose of lamitrogine after the reaction I had. Could taking these 2 meds together cause this type of reaction?
>From the reports people have submitted on Psycho-Babble, Lamictal can produce a stimulant effect. I imagine some people will have this happen to them along with anxiety. It can become quite uncomfortable. As you say, this might be the result of its being combined with Lexapro, a drug known to produce some anxiety during the second and third weeks of treatment.
Why was Lamictal chosen? Did your anxiety return? I wouldn't think that Lamictal would be the best choice for anxiety in the absence of depression. Maybe the prescriber has had good experiences with the combination.
If it were me, someone who has already tried a bunch of different things, I would try taking the Lamictal for a few more days to see if the anxiety is merely a startup side effect that will dissipate quickly. Heart palpitations are a possibility, but are usually nothing to worry about. If you feel it is intolerable, though, perhaps it is not the right drug for you.
How long have you been taking Lexapro for? Is there anything bipolar going on? What have you tried so far?
- Scott
Posted by Lisa2712 on July 21, 2009, at 10:32:00
In reply to Re: Can Lexapro 20 mg + Lamitrogine be taken together?, posted by SLS on July 21, 2009, at 5:31:59
Yes, the Lexapro had stopped working; I was given a 3 month supply of Lexapro in 1 bottle and I felt like it lost it's potency, then the nurse wanted to try augmenting it with the Lamitrogine. The Lexapro 20 mg has helped a lot with my anxiety (when it's working ) but I still have problems and I'm still not really functional. Sitting in a classroom is hard for me and getting and maintaing a job is very hard also. I have severe anxiety, and I've never been depressed. I also have a lot of social problems, like it's hard for me to be around people and it's very hard for me to make and maintain friendships. I'm very afraid of going back to school, although I know I'm going to have to eventually, and I can't hold down a job, I've only been employed once and I had a lot of trouble with it and the employer realized she made a mistake in hiring me and let me go 3 weeks after she hired me. I'm 26 and almost completely dependent on my parents. Years ago another psychiatrist told me I was hypomanic and bipolar, yet this nurse told me I'm not. I did feel happy on the Lamitrogine, even after just 1 dose, I couldn't stop smiling, but I'm not depressed to begin with and I couldn't stand the severe tension and anxiety and speed-like effect I was getting from it. With the Lexapro alone I was a little nervous when I started it, and now I don't even notice it, but when I added the Lamitrogine it felt like that effect was augmented 50 times. I've been on Lexapro 20 mg for a year, and I don't have any noticeable effects from it, besides feeling a little nervous occasionally, and now that I got a new batch of the Lexapro it is working again, but at times I feel that even when it's working I still have trouble functioning like a normal person and I was curious to see if adding on another drug could help me function better.
Posted by Lisa2712 on July 21, 2009, at 10:41:14
In reply to Can Lexapro 20 mg + Lamitrogine be taken together?, posted by Lisa2712 on July 20, 2009, at 21:16:04
5 years ago I was prescribed Tegretol by the psychiatrist who diagnosed me as being bipolar, and I felt pretty bad on it but I don't remember feeling stimulated, and I stopped it myself a few months after starting it. I've taken almost all the SSRI's and as I said I've been on Lexapro 20 mg for a year and I have no side effects from it. It works well for the anxiety but I still have problems and fears and I'm curious to see if adding on another type of med would help me go back to school and one day hold down a job and be more independent. I've never tried any anti-psychotics, since I'm overweight to begin with and I can't afford to gain anymore weight, but at this point I would try them to see if they could help me more than taking the Lexapro alone could. Klonopin has helped but I don't think this nurse will prescribe it since it's a narcotic, and I am afraid of getting addicted to it. Besides tegretol and this dose of Lamitrogine, I haven't tried any other mood stabilizers. I don't have mood swings.
Posted by SLS on July 21, 2009, at 13:59:36
In reply to Re: Can Lexapro 20 mg + Lamitrogine be taken together?, posted by Lisa2712 on July 21, 2009, at 10:41:14
> 5 years ago I was prescribed Tegretol by the psychiatrist who diagnosed me as being bipolar, and I felt pretty bad on it but I don't remember feeling stimulated, and I stopped it myself a few months after starting it. I've taken almost all the SSRI's and as I said I've been on Lexapro 20 mg for a year and I have no side effects from it. It works well for the anxiety but I still have problems and fears and I'm curious to see if adding on another type of med would help me go back to school and one day hold down a job and be more independent. I've never tried any anti-psychotics, since I'm overweight to begin with and I can't afford to gain anymore weight, but at this point I would try them to see if they could help me more than taking the Lexapro alone could. Klonopin has helped but I don't think this nurse will prescribe it since it's a narcotic, and I am afraid of getting addicted to it. Besides tegretol and this dose of Lamitrogine, I haven't tried any other mood stabilizers. I don't have mood swings.
With Lexapro, you can add nortriptyline or Wellbutrin. It is hard to say which one would be best. Some people get irritable and perhaps overstimulated on Wellbutrin. I know one person who is having a great deal of success with Lexapro 40mg and Wellbutrin 300mg. Personally, I would respond better to Lexapro and nortriptyline. Nortriptyline might be somewhat calming and increase functioning at the same time. I am biased towards nortriptyline because I have had so much success with it. I think either combination would be reasonable to try.
If you have GAD, perhaps Effexor would work best. Again, you can combine it with other drugs if necessary.
Flip a coin...
:-)
- Scott
Posted by Lisa2712 on July 21, 2009, at 14:09:22
In reply to Re: Can Lexapro 20 mg + Lamitrogine be taken together? » Lisa2712, posted by SLS on July 21, 2009, at 13:59:36
I took Wellbutrin alone and it didn't help, I think it made my anxiety and isolation worse. I've tried Effexor and it gave me terrible stomach problems. A doctor said I was allergic to it. I've never heard of nortriptlyine.
Posted by linkadge on July 21, 2009, at 17:51:17
In reply to Re: Can Lexapro 20 mg + Lamitrogine be taken together?, posted by Lisa2712 on July 21, 2009, at 10:32:00
I personally don't think lamotrigine is a good choice if your main problem is anxiety and you have not been depressed.
You might benefit from a switch to say celexa, or paxil. Augmentation with a low dose of seroquel may also help.
Lamotrigine is a mood stabilizer which has no proven efficacy in anxiety disorders. It can increase anxiety and agitation in some people. I don't know why it was chosen (other than it being the drug du jour).
Linkadge
Posted by linkadge on July 21, 2009, at 17:58:10
In reply to Re: Can Lexapro 20 mg + Lamitrogine be taken together?, posted by Lisa2712 on July 21, 2009, at 14:09:22
Wellbutrin is not a good idea if your primary problem is anxiety. I don't know why the doctor chose tegretol if the issue is anxiety with no evidence of mood swings.
If a anticonvulsant is used, gabepentin would be a much more viable otpion. It has much more anti-anxiety properties than lamotrigine.
I would reduce the lexapro, perhaps add gabapentin and maybe buspar.
I've had sucess with theanine for anxiety. Omega-3 might also be an option.
Linkadge
Posted by Phillipa on July 21, 2009, at 20:38:57
In reply to Re: Can Lexapro 20 mg + Lamitrogine be taken together?, posted by linkadge on July 21, 2009, at 17:58:10
Lisa klonopin isn't a narcotic and works very well for some for anxiety as an add on to the antidepressant. It's a controlled med though. Maybe a small dose would help? Any abuse issues? Love Phillipa
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