# French girl starting Lamictal...



## blackd (Oct 31, 2012)

Hi,

I'm a french girl, 30 years old (sorry for my english by the way), and I have DP for the second time. First time was 5 years ago, and I had it during 1,5 year. I began a therapy (psychoanalysis) and with time, DP disappeared slowly.

Because of a heavy past (incest), now the DP came back in july, and it's almost harder the second time. I decided to go in a mental clinic (I'm here since 3 weeks) to find some relief, cause the anxiety was wy too high, and I started thinking about killig myself.

I'm not psychotic, only extremely anxious. I'm on Citalopram 40 mg, but it doesn't help. I tryed many antipsychotics low doses (because here in France they think it's the best cure for DP), but I'm kind of allergic to AAP and y body can't stand the side effects.

So my shrink here decided to try Lamictal. I'm on 50 mg (first week 25 mg, second week 50, and I will increase only in two weeks). No positive effects, but it's too early to say.I have trouble with my sleep since I'm on 50 mg, and I hope it will disappear soon, cause I slept well before this med.

I'll keep you informed about my medication.


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## [email protected] (Oct 15, 2012)

i wish you the best my friend, your my HERO..


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## blackd (Oct 31, 2012)

Thanks, I wish you the best too


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## Idris (May 19, 2012)

I've been on Lamictal for years now (for bipolar) and I developed DR/DP since I've been on it. don't think it's connected at all (at least that's what my doctors say) but I have had minimal side effects with it so it's worth a shot for you since all meds are different for everyone.
it's done wonders for my mood though! so there's always that.


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## blackd (Oct 31, 2012)

Idris said:


> I've been on Lamictal for years now (for bipolar) and I developed DR/DP since I've been on it. don't think it's connected at all (at least that's what my doctors say) but I have had minimal side effects with it so it's worth a shot for you since all meds are different for everyone.
> it's done wonders for my mood though! so there's always that.


Thanks for sharing your experience. I hope that, if it doesn't work directly on the DP, it would at least help me to calm down my thoughts and my anxiety, and the depression induced by the DP. But it's too early to say, I'm only on 50 mg since a few days. My sleep is better than a few days ago. So I'm hanging on...


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## blackd (Oct 31, 2012)

Well, I'm on 50 mg since 10 days, and I'm gonna increase to 75 mg tomorrow. No side effects, no improvement for the DP, but since a few days my anxiety is lower and my mind seems to be more quiet. I have impulsion phobias, a lot of thoughts and images of rage (I'm not psychotic, there not hallucinations, just thoughts), and all those seems to slowly calm down.

I'll keep you in touch.


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## resinoptes (Jan 15, 2011)

Lamictal helped me after I got to 100mg, more so at 200mg. I use it with Rhodiola. Not a fan of SSRIs. Had DP since October 2010.


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## AussiePheonix (Dec 5, 2012)

I'm I'm a phyc hospital in Sydney Australia as I have flipped out over my newly acquired DP/DR (4months). They have started me on Lamotrigine and Prozac. Fingers crossed!


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## blackd (Oct 31, 2012)

Thanks all for sharing.

@Resinoptes : Did the DP disappear, or did it just help with the anxiety ? Did you feel the change immediatly at 100 mg, or did it took a while at this dose to feel it ?

@ AussiePheonix : I'm a mental clinic too, for the same reasons.

After a few days at 75 mg, no change with the DP but I'm less anxious, and my brain seems to starting calm down... So, fingers crossed too.

My shrink here told me that anti-convulsivants like lamictal helps with the surexcitation of neurons (scuze for my english). Problem with Lamictal is that you have to increase it very slowly, so it's hard to be patient. She wants to increase till 200 mg, and if the DP's stil there, she wants to add another anti-convulsivant.

I saw a post in the section, from a girl who had great success with Lamictal + Depakote.


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## resinoptes (Jan 15, 2011)

I noticed the effect immediately but it also improved progressively over time. I was also on lexapro (escitalopram) 20 mg when I started lamotrigine. I went off the lexapro pretty soon as I found that I was definitely getting symptoms of excessive serotonin. Lamotrigine is slightly seratonergic. It reduces overexcitation yes, I prefer it to GABA agonists like klonopin because it reduces glutamate rather than pushing GABA. So it is not sedating. Other anticonvulsants like depakote I'm more wary of, I think they could be cognitively impairing, also the risk of rash is increased when combining depakote with Lamictal. Rhodiola is dopaminergic, which most of us need lol, improves executive functioning, like task oriented, and movement.


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## resinoptes (Jan 15, 2011)

I feel that DP is very connected to overexcitation from glutamate, and excitotoxicity, I connect this to brain fog.


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## AussiePheonix (Dec 5, 2012)

@ resinopates - how specially have you found that it helps your DP?


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## blackd (Oct 31, 2012)

Hello,

Well, after 10 days at 75 mg, my shrink puts me on 125 mg today. I'm less anxious, my brain is more quiet, but DP's still there.
I'm trying to be patient...


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## AussiePheonix (Dec 5, 2012)

Keep us posted!


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## blackd (Oct 31, 2012)

Hi,

After one week at 125 mg, my shrink puts me on 200 mg. Haven't noticed a big change between 75 mg and 125, but the shrink tells me Lamictal takes 2 weeks at each dose to get the full effects.

So the plan is, 2 weeks on 200 mg, and if necessary she'll add another anti-convulsivant, like Epitomax.

I'll keep you posted.


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## AussiePheonix (Dec 5, 2012)

I'm still on 25 mgs... Doc is holding me there for the moment.


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## blackd (Oct 31, 2012)

Do you know why the doc doesn't increase it ?


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## AussiePheonix (Dec 5, 2012)

He put me on lamictal primarily as a mood stabliser, not for DP. He thinks going over 25 at this stage will flatten the effect of the anti depressant before it has began to fully start working.


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## blackd (Oct 31, 2012)

Oh, ok, I didn't know that. I was on Citalopram 2 months before starting Lamictal.


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## Sleepwalker (Dec 4, 2008)

AussiePheonix said:


> I'm still on 25 mgs... Doc is holding me there for the moment.


I've been on it since 2004. My therapeutic dose is 200mg/day. It works well for me.
25 mg is the starting dose for a week or two. Most people for whom I know it works, their therapeutic dose is 200mg/day eventually.
Rarely, a potentially fatal rash develops (I think it's an allergic reaction).That's the reason Lamictal is increased so slowly; to acclimatize the body to the chemical.
So if it is that your doctor has no intention of increasing to somewhere around 100mg/day or more, if necessary, then he is clueless. I hope he meant that he'll give you a little time _before_ increasing the dosage.


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## AussiePheonix (Dec 5, 2012)

Sleepwalker said:


> I've been on it since 2004. My therapeutic dose is 200mg/day. It works well for me.
> 25 mg is the starting dose for a week or two. Most people for whom I know it works, their therapeutic dose is 200mg/day eventually.
> Rarely, a potentially fatal rash develops (I think it's an allergic reaction).That's the reason Lamictal is increased so slowly; to acclimatize the body to the chemical.
> So if it is that your doctor has no intention of increasing to somewhere around 100mg/day or more, if necessary, then he is clueless. I hope he meant that he'll give you a little time _before_ increasing the dosage.


As I said he is using lamotrigine as a mood stabiliser, not to directly address DP/DR.

Have you found lamotrigine has reduced you DP/DR?

I will push him to increase the dosage, but I think i will have to educate him and show him some of the clinical studies that have trialled lamotrigine to address DP/DR.

Any advice welcome.

Cheers 
Nathan


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## AussiePheonix (Dec 5, 2012)

This study indicates lamotrigine is beneficial: http://www.psychopharmacologyupdate.com/article-print-page/lamotrigine-outperforms-placebo-study-of-difficult-to-treat-depersonalization.aspx

Love to hear from anyone that it has worked for them.


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## AussiePheonix (Dec 5, 2012)

Scores on the Cambridge Depersonalization Scale over the 12 weeks of treatment differed greatly between the medication and placebo groups. Lamotrigine therapy resulted in significant decreases in mean scores on the scale vis-á-vis placebo (85.0±12.0 for the lamotrigine group vs. 165.0±14.0 for the placebo group; p>0.001). At the start of the study, mean scores had been 183.0±11.0 in the lamotrigine group and 181.0±10.0 in the placebo group. The researchers found that 26 of the 36 patients (72.2%) on lamotrigine showed improvement, compared with only 6 of the 38 patients (15.8%) on placebo.

Ignorant?


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## Haumea (Jul 11, 2009)

Unless there are cases of these meds completely curing chronic DP (which I do not actually view on a continuum - there's a continuum as far as how freaked out you are perhaps, but *either you have it or you don't*, ultimately), I agree with Susto - one should try diet and exercise first. Exercise is the ultimate, side-effect-free mood stabilizer and cognitive enhancer.


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## AussiePheonix (Dec 5, 2012)

Do you actually even have DP. because if you did you would know that something as simple as exercise doesn't get rid of DP!


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## Haumea (Jul 11, 2009)

No-one's saying exercise *gets rid* of DP.

The point is, why take prescription meds? Supposedly -

1) To improve one's mood and reduce anxiety, etc. - improve general functioning and coping while having DP

2) In the hope that DP will go away.

Now, my point is...are there actual cases of full chronic DP recovery based on a medication regime? If yes, than knock yourself out (but, what exactly is this regime then? Because trying med after med, combo after combo, essentially being a pharma guinea pig with no guarantee of success doesn't sound all that appealing to me.)

And if not, exercise is much better for 1) than meds. There are no nasty side effects involved.

Probably none of this makes any sense to you because you haven't had it that long. What you don't yet understand is that it's possible to have DP and be relatively stable and not in full-on freak-out mode (while still being frustrated or bitter about lack of full recovery.) The first six months, year, two years were pretty shitty. But then you learn to function under it - and exercise is an essential element in coping.

Yes, it still sucks - but the sky isn't falling.


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## AussiePheonix (Dec 5, 2012)

Right, so you have never actually got rid of DP.

I'm not willing to subject myself to hell and maybe over the years learn to cope with it, without trying all avenues.

Given lamotrigine has been shown to dramatically reduce DP in many people, why not give it a go.

Im sure you take a panadol when you have a headache. Or are you too paranoid about "Big Pharma".


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## RichUK (Oct 6, 2011)

Don't think drugs can completely get rid of DPD but think with some people they help to stabilise the condition a little so they can make the changes they need too.
I would rather someone take meds to take the edge of while they try and sort things out than give up and kill themselves.


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## AussiePheonix (Dec 5, 2012)

AussiePheonix said:


> This study indicates lamotrigine is beneficial: http://www.psychopharmacologyupdate.com/article-print-page/lamotrigine-outperforms-placebo-study-of-difficult-to-treat-depersonalization.aspx
> 
> Love to hear from anyone that it has worked for them.


Medication does nothing? So these people in a clinically controlled study were lying that their symptoms of DP being reduced, on average by 50%?

Lamotrigine doesn't work for everyone, but if I can reduce tmy symptims by 50% now and wiyh that relief be able to work more readily longer term on the emotional root cause to fully address DP/DR, I think this is a favourable outcome.

Worth a try.


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## AussiePheonix (Dec 5, 2012)

Susto, how long have you had DP? Also do you get DR?


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## blackd (Oct 31, 2012)

Wow, I didn't know that this topic has turned into a war anti / pro meds.

So, to come back to the original subject, I'm now on Lamictal 200 mg since one week. No big change, but I'm really less anxious, and I have less and less intrusive thoughts, pictures of rage, impulsion phobias, etc. No change directly on the DP, but it begins to be more bearable.

My doc wants to wait one week (cause Lamictal takes 2 weeks to increase in your system), and then she adds Depakote.

No side effects.

I'll keep you posted.


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## AussiePheonix (Dec 5, 2012)

Thanks for the update! Mines been increased as well. Now on 50mg a day from today.


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## mipmunk40 (Nov 13, 2012)

well depression caused by my DP, so by me starting prozac it should address the depression and then hopefully the DP will then ease off as the depression is treated, so in my case I believe meds are necessary. But when DP is triggered by major panic or anxiety, then I don't believe meds will help very much. I think it rather depends on what triggered your DP as to whether meds are needed or not.


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## AussiePheonix (Dec 5, 2012)

Thankyou for your gracious permission to make our own informed decisions


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## AussiePheonix (Dec 5, 2012)

Wish me bravery mmmm lost in translation


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## Haumea (Jul 11, 2009)

"Im sure you take a panadol when you have a headache. Or are you too paranoid about "Big Pharma"."

I don't take any prescription or OTC meds - not because I'm paranoid about big pharma but because powerful meds invariably have nasty side effects. This doesn't require a paranoid mindset to believe, merely sufficient experience.

What I said above, about learning to cope is true - you just don't want to listen because, like many people, you're stuck in Magic Bullet mode. "Give me this pill, doc, so I can cope with my feelings."

DP isn't that bad - it's not schizophrenia where your sense of reality has disintegrated. You're just freaking out over weird sensations and perceptions. You're going "waaaaaah! this sucks! I want my old self back! waaaaaah! give me a pill so i'm back to my old self!"

And by turning to the pills, you've given up another opportunity to exercise coping muscles. That can easily become a habit.


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