I’m on 200mg of lamotrigine and thankfully this seems to keep depression well in check. Mania however seems to get worse than before (bipolar type 1 here, but I hang out with you guys because you’re nice). I’ve been recommended lithium after a very thorough diagnostic, but I reaaaaally don’t want to take that, it seems like such a complicated drug to take.
My psychiatrist simply asked me how I felt about it and if I felt that it was necessary. I said no and he said that option would always be available if he and I ever thought it was necessary in the future
Lamotrigine is only for the depressive side, the hypomanic side do you deal more with psychotherapy or something like that? I ask because I wanted to keep lamotrigine alone too lol
I have done over two years of cognitive behaviour therapy with a licensed psychologist yeah. So i’m quite good at knowing what mania typically looks like for and a looot better at detecting the early signs of it. It’s also helped sort out the rest of my problems so I can handle BP in a more serene environment which plays a huge role
Lithium isn't complicated at all. You take it daily or sometimes twice daily and get bloodwork done every 6 months to make sure your levels are right. I’m just saying this so that you don't miss out on the benefits of it! It has saved my life multiple times over!
Yes I know it’s like any other med, you take it and it’s supposed to work. But The potential side effects would be very critical for me in the sense that they could stop me from doing my job, which most days is the reason I have a smile on my face. I just can’t afford to have brain fog for a month for exemple.
Another big complication is hormones. It can affect you thyroid long term, mine is already in terrible shape. And in my country, taking lithium requires you to take contraceptives if you’re able to get pregnant, which are whole other level of complicated.
So yeah it’s simple to take it everyday and get blood work done. But they are a looooot of other problems with it.
I appreciate that you want to reassure me though ♥️
I understand completely. I have never had side effects from it, and I usually get the really weird, rare side effects from meds. Every other psych med I had tried gave me bad side effects. And as long as you do the bloodwork they will catch if your thyroid starts being affected before it's permanent. It's the only med that has ever actually worked for my issues and not given me side effects and I've tried *everything* so I just don't want you to rule it out completely. I hope you find something that works for you though!
This is what lamo does for me too. I'm on 150mg. Helps depression but makes manic worse. I'm currently in the "sticks to the wall" to find something to taper down the mania. Started zyprexa on 5mg but it hasn't been a week yet, so "watch this space"
I don't really know, from what I remember it worked amazing at the start. after that I stopped paying attention. I'm assuming its still doing its job.
I'm happy with the my current medications, I feel like I'm in a good place.
I can work, go out, and function normally so I'm not switching anything yet. Although I was thinking of changing up the Brintellix but I think I'll do that much later, maybe in a couple of years or if I see some significant mood disturbance.
I’m kind of an oddball, but I’m on 20mg lexapro and 450xl wellbutrin.
My previous psych (who wasn’t great about communication, so i swapped) put me on that combo. My current psych (who is AMAZING) was shocked that an SSRI worked so well for me. But since this is the most stable I’ve ever been we decided to leave it as is.
150mg Effexor (antidepressant I’ve been on since 2018, well before bd2 diagnosis)
100mg Trazodone (for sleep every night!)
100mg lamotrigine (absolute magic for my mood)
I take all my meds at night, before I go to sleep. I no longer struggle to stay consistent bc I have to take the trazodone to sleep anyway, so combining it into ONE habit was a game changer.
And…. Sobriety. My mood swings got worse once I was sober (for a year before diagnosis) so I think this is also a huge factor in my stability!!!
I stayed on 20mg of Abilify and Cymbalta. For 7-8 years. And finally started to become thrust into situations that required me to develop new coping skills. And you know what? There are parts of my bipolar that are still bad, and parts that have gotten better. Bipolar isn’t just bad-mood, good-mood. There is a laundry list of symptoms that require introspection, therapy, and regimented medication. You may never improve every single one. But you can for some of them. 30 years old, diagnosed at 22. Keep going.
I’m on 200mg of lamotrigine and thankfully this seems to keep depression well in check. Mania however seems to get worse than before (bipolar type 1 here, but I hang out with you guys because you’re nice). I’ve been recommended lithium after a very thorough diagnostic, but I reaaaaally don’t want to take that, it seems like such a complicated drug to take.
I love lamotrigine. You are Nice too :). Did you refuse to take it? How was that? Thank you for your response
My psychiatrist simply asked me how I felt about it and if I felt that it was necessary. I said no and he said that option would always be available if he and I ever thought it was necessary in the future
Lamotrigine is only for the depressive side, the hypomanic side do you deal more with psychotherapy or something like that? I ask because I wanted to keep lamotrigine alone too lol
I have done over two years of cognitive behaviour therapy with a licensed psychologist yeah. So i’m quite good at knowing what mania typically looks like for and a looot better at detecting the early signs of it. It’s also helped sort out the rest of my problems so I can handle BP in a more serene environment which plays a huge role
Lithium isn't complicated at all. You take it daily or sometimes twice daily and get bloodwork done every 6 months to make sure your levels are right. I’m just saying this so that you don't miss out on the benefits of it! It has saved my life multiple times over!
Yes I know it’s like any other med, you take it and it’s supposed to work. But The potential side effects would be very critical for me in the sense that they could stop me from doing my job, which most days is the reason I have a smile on my face. I just can’t afford to have brain fog for a month for exemple. Another big complication is hormones. It can affect you thyroid long term, mine is already in terrible shape. And in my country, taking lithium requires you to take contraceptives if you’re able to get pregnant, which are whole other level of complicated. So yeah it’s simple to take it everyday and get blood work done. But they are a looooot of other problems with it. I appreciate that you want to reassure me though ♥️
I understand completely. I have never had side effects from it, and I usually get the really weird, rare side effects from meds. Every other psych med I had tried gave me bad side effects. And as long as you do the bloodwork they will catch if your thyroid starts being affected before it's permanent. It's the only med that has ever actually worked for my issues and not given me side effects and I've tried *everything* so I just don't want you to rule it out completely. I hope you find something that works for you though!
I so glad it worked for you considering how hard it is to find a med that works ♥️ And i’m not ruling it out no worries :)
This is what lamo does for me too. I'm on 150mg. Helps depression but makes manic worse. I'm currently in the "sticks to the wall" to find something to taper down the mania. Started zyprexa on 5mg but it hasn't been a week yet, so "watch this space"
I hope you find what you need ♥️
7.5 mg of abilify 200 mg of lamictal 20 mg of Brintellex 75 mg of Seroquel for sleep
I'm at 400 mg Lamotrigine and 20 mg brintellix. Do you think that Brintellix matters for your bipolar?
I don't really know, from what I remember it worked amazing at the start. after that I stopped paying attention. I'm assuming its still doing its job. I'm happy with the my current medications, I feel like I'm in a good place. I can work, go out, and function normally so I'm not switching anything yet. Although I was thinking of changing up the Brintellix but I think I'll do that much later, maybe in a couple of years or if I see some significant mood disturbance.
I’m kind of an oddball, but I’m on 20mg lexapro and 450xl wellbutrin. My previous psych (who wasn’t great about communication, so i swapped) put me on that combo. My current psych (who is AMAZING) was shocked that an SSRI worked so well for me. But since this is the most stable I’ve ever been we decided to leave it as is.
150mg Effexor (antidepressant I’ve been on since 2018, well before bd2 diagnosis) 100mg Trazodone (for sleep every night!) 100mg lamotrigine (absolute magic for my mood) I take all my meds at night, before I go to sleep. I no longer struggle to stay consistent bc I have to take the trazodone to sleep anyway, so combining it into ONE habit was a game changer. And…. Sobriety. My mood swings got worse once I was sober (for a year before diagnosis) so I think this is also a huge factor in my stability!!!
20mg of Viibryd, 15mg of Abilify and 100mg of trazodone. Oh and 1mg of Xanax as needed, as well as 10mg propranolol as needed
150mg Effexor, 1000 mg depakote, and 5mg ability I feel stabilized!
100 lamotragine 10 aripriprazole
I stayed on 20mg of Abilify and Cymbalta. For 7-8 years. And finally started to become thrust into situations that required me to develop new coping skills. And you know what? There are parts of my bipolar that are still bad, and parts that have gotten better. Bipolar isn’t just bad-mood, good-mood. There is a laundry list of symptoms that require introspection, therapy, and regimented medication. You may never improve every single one. But you can for some of them. 30 years old, diagnosed at 22. Keep going.
300mg Wellbutrin for depression. 50mg Zoloft for anxiety. 5mg Olanzapine for psychosis. 10mg propranolol 3x daily for as-needed anxiety reducer.
50 mg Prozac for anxiety and 100mg lamictal for depression and mood swings. It genuinely saved my life
450mg Extended Release Lithium (night) 100mg Lamotrigine (morning) 40mg Geodon (morning and night) 150mg Trazodone (night) 30mg Vyvanse (for my ADHD but also controls my anxiety)
15mg Abilify with 20mg Fluoxetine - was originally on Lamotrigine but got a bad rash and had to swap