# Lamictal+Depakote (worked for me!)



## esshall (May 30, 2009)

I took Lamictal first, 400mg daily (mediocre results). Then I added Depakote. Within a month I improved greatly; within two months I was feeling so happy, I felt like it might be working. About 9 months later now, I feel almost 100%. I had done TONS of other meds that never worked, so placebo effect really doesn't do much for me. I didn't even know what Depakote was when my Neuro prescribed it, so I truly believe it's the medicine, in addition to my usual coping skills, of course.

Isn't it thought DP/DR occurs during brain hyperactivity? Read this, it's just a standard description of Depakote, kinda makes sense why it may help DP/DR.

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/100004490.html

*side note, I'm a 19 year old guy, currently attending a university in CA. 
I've been suffering from DP/DR since 11/21/07. I say "suffering" because I'm at about a 90% now, and consider this condition to always be a part of me, even if I get to 100%. It's been the heaviest experience of my life; I'm sure many people here can relate. I want to "forget" these horrible years, but I never want to actually forget this part of my life and who I've become. DP/DR will always be a part of me, even if I fully recover.

Anyways, if anyone has taken/is taking/is think about taking the Lamictal+Depakote combo, comment on this and fill me in! This combo was GREAT for me. AH!


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## Guest (Jun 29, 2011)

That is great news!!

How bad was you vision though? I feel that is the main thing stopping me from feeling normal. I am wondering what causes the vision to look so distorted, I don't believe it is just anxiety based?


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## samiam (Jan 28, 2011)

dorkoramios said:


> I took Lamictal first, 400mg daily (mediocre results). Then I added Depakote. Within a month I improved greatly; within two months I was feeling so happy, I felt like it might be working. About 9 months later now, I feel almost 100%. I had done TONS of other meds that never worked, so placebo effect really doesn't do much for me. I didn't even know what Depakote was when my Neuro prescribed it, so I truly believe it's the medicine, in addition to my usual coping skills, of course.
> 
> Isn't it thought DP/DR occurs during brain hyperactivity? Read this, it's just a standard description of Depakote, kinda makes sense why it may help DP/DR.
> 
> ...


so u were saying in taking this combo of meds over the past few years you were able to feel 90% better? I dont see a psychiatrist just a my primary had bad exp w/ psych wondering if it was worth a shot to see one or they might not even know anything about DP..anyway yeah just wanted to check about that also i saw the meds was suppose to help ppl who r bipolar are u bipolar? i was questioing if this was the right med for me or not...anyway on another side note youre in school??? my goodness how are you functioning? i cant even concentrate cant feel anything around me its horrible.


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## Danehall (May 1, 2011)

I'm so gonna try this. Thanks for the confidence boost!


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## esshall (May 30, 2009)

Everyone,
My vision is back to being fairly normal. It used to be very flat and, well I don't know how to describe it, but you all probably know already! I think for many people, DP is a disorder based around anxiety, but not entirely, otherwise a sold benzo would kick it in the butt, right?

I also think for some people, it is purely chemical, all in the brain. I feel this is how it is for me. I woke up one morning back in 2007, and just snapped just like that. Many people have it hit all at once...that's another really weird thing huh? Sounds like some chemical brain trigger of huge amount of neurotransmitters or something of that sort. I always feel like my brain moves TOO fast, which in turn makes everything weird looking/feeling. Very fortunately, I was never beat as a child, or had any major traumatic experiences in my life. Therefore, this seems like a brain-disfunction, not a psychological mechanism to cope with pain.

Anyways, I had become so fed up with psychiatrists, SSRI's etc. They don't work huh? They calmed my anxiety for sure, but that's hardly the issue. It's never about not being anxious; anxiety sucks but it's a result of DP (for me). The doc's always said "you're anxious so you feel weird" or "you're depressed so you feel weird." No one understood that it was because I feel weird that I'm anxious and depressed. Anyone agree?
So I went to a neurologist. I said "my hands look funny, I hear myself talking, people sound muffled, and it feels like there's plastic wrap around my face." The first thing he said was, "you know, I haven't gotten this very often, it's usually in young adults, but this sounds like Alice in Wonderland Syndrome." So he gave me some sort of old-school antidepressant that he said help migraines (I get migraines) and often have helped people like me. 
That didn't work, so when I went in a month later I told him I specially wanted Lamictal, because I'd really done my homework and figured that was my best bet.
Lamictal helped maybe about 15% (once I got up to 400mg). I told my neuro I still wasn't satisfied, and he added Depakote. I had never heard of it, but just went with it blindly without high expectations.

Like I said, I've been on the combo now for about a year. It's been amazing feeling myself get better. I'm listening to music I listened to before I got sick, which sounds dumb but I'm having like a relapse of myself at age 15, like I've had to go back and catchup.

I honestly cannot believe I'm on this site again. I never thought I'd be on here actually being the one talking positively. I saw the link in my bookmarks and immediately knew I needed to make a post.

Samiam-concentrating has always been hard. I've learned how to use studying and reading as a way of distracting myself. Get a good book, it will help, I promise. You'll stop reading and probably go back to feeling crappy, but you'll have had that hour of not even thinking about DP.

So,
500mg Depakote (morning)
400mg Lamictal (night)

Hey guys give it a shot. I think my neuro knew what he was doing. Sorry this is so long.
As a last note, everyone can recover. I still have my bad days, even tonight walking around my little place I felt a little funny, but I noticed it for a moment then remembered it doesn't need any attention. Tonight was a rarity that I really even thought of it. I feel about 90% good now, which is an absolute miracle compared to how I felt. I know the medicine was the biggest factor, but keep in mind it's also the positive attitude.

On the rare occasion you notice you haven't thought about DP for a solid 10, 20, or 30min, once you think about it and break the streak, look back on the past while and congratulate yourself. I remember the first day I made it til around 4pm without thinking about it once, it was such an accomplishment and I was so happy. EVERYONE can do this. 
If this med combo works like it's been doing for me, then great! If not, don't let it get you down. I am a single person, maybe I'm a fluke with this combo, or maybe my neuro is a genius, who knows. I haven't seen a Lamictal+Depakote combo anywhere...

Hang in there everyone, life is weird isn't it? Before I started feeling better, I sort of began to accept the weirdness of life, and it was actually comforting. Tell yourself how weird life is...then laugh a little after acknowledging how weird it is...can anyone follow that, or am I just "weird"?

Keep the comments coming everyone!


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## esshall (May 30, 2009)

Lisa32 said:


> That is great news!!
> 
> How bad was you vision though? I feel that is the main thing stopping me from feeling normal. I am wondering what causes the vision to look so distorted, I don't believe it is just anxiety based?


Lisa,
Vision was weird. Flat. Would you agree? Sometimes I felt like I was staring at something but I couldn't quite see it as I wanted to. Like it hit my eyes and I knew it was there, what it was, and that I wanted to see it...but something made it seem slightly distant or vague. Now my vision is just about normal for the most part. Plenty normal enough to cope with without any complaints. Usually gets worse around nighttime. How about for you?


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## esshall (May 30, 2009)

Danehall said:


> I'm so gonna try this. Thanks for the confidence boost!


Let me know how it works for you! It wasn't an instant cure, well shoot I guess a month or two and already noticeable improvement felt a lot like an instant cure for me. Goodluck Let me know how it works, give it time, of course...


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## esshall (May 30, 2009)

samiam said:


> so u were saying in taking this combo of meds over the past few years you were able to feel 90% better? I dont see a psychiatrist just a my primary had bad exp w/ psych wondering if it was worth a shot to see one or they might not even know anything about DP..anyway yeah just wanted to check about that also i saw the meds was suppose to help ppl who r bipolar are u bipolar? i was questioing if this was the right med for me or not...anyway on another side note youre in school??? my goodness how are you functioning? i cant even concentrate cant feel anything around me its horrible.


I felt like both psychiatrists I saw knew NOTHING about DP; only depression, anxiety, and completely psychotic people. And no, I'm not bipolar, but you're right the medicine is commonly prescribed for bipolar disorder. Slow down brain activity possibly?


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## Guest (Jul 1, 2011)

dorkoramios said:


> Lisa,
> Vision was weird. Flat. Would you agree? Sometimes I felt like I was staring at something but I couldn't quite see it as I wanted to. Like it hit my eyes and I knew it was there, what it was, and that I wanted to see it...but something made it seem slightly distant or vague. Now my vision is just about normal for the most part. Plenty normal enough to cope with without any complaints. Usually gets worse around nighttime. How about for you?


Thanks for your response. My vision is a mix of hppd and Dr. I got the visual static, slight after-images, blue sparkle phenomenon. At night my visual static is worse, is that what you mean by being worse at night? 
I got the floaters too.
And top of all this I get the cartoon vision when I go outside or when I jog the ground looks like it is moving too fast...sound familiar?


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## esshall (May 30, 2009)

Lisa32 said:


> Thanks for your response. My vision is a mix of hppd and Dr. I got the visual static, slight after-images, blue sparkle phenomenon. At night my visual static is worse, is that what you mean by being worse at night?
> I got the floaters too.
> And top of all this I get the cartoon vision when I go outside or when I jog the ground looks like it is moving too fast...sound familiar?


I had the exact thing, minus the blue sparkle. Mine would look more like a broken tv. Have you gotten your eyes checked for just normal glasses? For me, my prescription changed and when I fixed it it improved the visual stuff a little bit. Not much but hey, I thought it helped.

The cartoon visual feeling is weird huh? It looks kinda like HDR photographs like this

__
https://flic.kr/p/2526400446
 except not nearly as intense, and a lot more flat. The time when my vision was/still is kinda the absolute worse is around dusk, right after the sun sets. It's funny you mention the jogging scenario, I know that feeling, it's really weird. But that's all it is huh? It's weird. I know I have a COMPLETELY different feeling right now, it's much easier for me to be encouraging, but I remember feeling absolutely horrible, and it was really hard to accept the "weirdness" of everything.

The floaters are annoying, but everyone gets them, though I think people like us tend to see more/are more affected by them.

What do you think caused all of this to happen, if you don't mind me asking...(pretty personal question don't feel obligated to answer).
If it happens to be a drug related thing (mine MAY have been, but there was such a long gap between the time I did the drug and the time I got sick, like 3 months clean before it happened) I have a theory. I think that since drugs essentially mock binding proteins that trigger the release of neurotransmitters, the brain gets caught in a "funk" where it is releasing the neurotransmitters when it has no trigger or need. Like a glitch with misfiring.

I always felt like I sort of forgot who I was, I would talk and even laugh but be sort of confused about who was really talking and laughing. That was my absolute hardest thing to deal with. 100%. I would (and still do) think back on my entire life when I was a little kid and think about all the experiences I remember, and it would remind me who I am, and just because things feel/appear odd and disorganized, it doesn't mean anything has really changed. It's our brains that have changed, not who we are!

Sorry I g stray off on ridiculous tangents.
I have no problem with replies at all, feel free to keep 'em coming. I myself am still not 100%, but I remember when I felt HORRIBLE, and if you're in that spot, maybe I can be of some encouragement?

-Spencer


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## Guest (Jul 3, 2011)

Yes I had my eyes checked and my vision was fine enough to not be recommended anything...like corrective lenses. At the time I went to see the opthamologist I had no idea I had DR...but I knew something was wrong with my vision. It was not until I did my own research did I come up with visual snow for one of the things I experienced. I was able to then link that with HPPD, a condition you get from a bad trip...which I had last summer. I didn't understand why my perception was changing a few weeks later after the bad trip...I was also dealing with stressful stuff and had my plate full....so I started having more panic attacks...and wondering if I had something majorly wrong with me like a brain tumor. Then I got the strange thoughts and bad dreams and it took off from there. I was on benzos off and on for a while but otherwise have not taken any of the anti-depressants prescribed, stuck to the natural stuff.
I am still feeling so off base...I developed ringing of the ears too. My ears feel very full and like I want to pop them all day long but they plug up again. My DR is worse outside and affects my balance and coordination. 
I do think it has to do with neurotransmitters and receptor site dysfunction...I was very healthy before all this and did deal with low level anxiety but managed it well with exercise. I don't understand the anxiety I have now...it feels like a withdrawal kind of anxiety...like my brain is missing something. I have found L-theanine to be helpful as well as other things I have tried.
The combo you took to get better is quite powerful....makes me think if I have to get on something much stronger in order to fully recover. Your input is very helpful, thank you. 
I am still trying to figure out the mechanism behind DR, it honestly feels like brain damage


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## esshall (May 30, 2009)

Lisa32 said:


> Yes I had my eyes checked and my vision was fine enough to not be recommended anything...like corrective lenses. At the time I went to see the opthamologist I had no idea I had DR...but I knew something was wrong with my vision. It was not until I did my own research did I come up with visual snow for one of the things I experienced. I was able to then link that with HPPD, a condition you get from a bad trip...which I had last summer. I didn't understand why my perception was changing a few weeks later after the bad trip...I was also dealing with stressful stuff and had my plate full....so I started having more panic attacks...and wondering if I had something majorly wrong with me like a brain tumor. Then I got the strange thoughts and bad dreams and it took off from there. I was on benzos off and on for a while but otherwise have not taken any of the anti-depressants prescribed, stuck to the natural stuff.
> I am still feeling so off base...I developed ringing of the ears too. My ears feel very full and like I want to pop them all day long but they plug up again. My DR is worse outside and affects my balance and coordination.
> I do think it has to do with neurotransmitters and receptor site dysfunction...I was very healthy before all this and did deal with low level anxiety but managed it well with exercise. I don't understand the anxiety I have now...it feels like a withdrawal kind of anxiety...like my brain is missing something. I have found L-theanine to be helpful as well as other things I have tried.
> The combo you took to get better is quite powerful....makes me think if I have to get on something much stronger in order to fully recover. Your input is very helpful, thank you.
> I am still trying to figure out the mechanism behind DR, it honestly feels like brain damage


It does feel like brain damage, doesn't it? It's frightening to think that the thing that makes us experience life may be damaged. But your brain isn't damaged, don't let thoughts like that get to you. I also went through a phase of worrying about tumors, so I ended up getting an MRI. All things looked good, and if you haven't gotten one, you might want to consider it, just for peace of mind. 
I think that the HPPD is like a loop, where your brain continues to recreate the feelings it had during a trip by firing the same neurons that were stimulated during the trip. How it does this without an activator protein..no idea. Just a theory. Incase you are worried, there's no way in hell you're losing your mind (if that's a concern). Your brain's in a little funk (a big funk, actually), but if it just happened last summer, you're going on a year correct? Our brains can sort themselves out after time. It knows how to work properly. I can guarantee you this won't be permanent. I'm going on four years, but like I said I've been getting much better, and you will too.
People have been smoking pot, frying on acid, eating mushrooms, whatever hallucinogen you can think of for a very long time. I assume many many people have had periods of time afterwards where they feel really funny. These things happen, but it won't be permanent.

Start taking a greater hand in a medication process. Take my word for it and if you're going to use SSRI's, only expect them to calm the anxiety. Don't expect too much relief regarding your DR. But on the other hand, some people have really benefitted from them! I haven't, so I have a bias opinion.
I recommend seeing a neurologist. This isn't a psychological problem, it sounds like a little aftershock of a drug experience. Go to a neurologist and explain to them everything in great detail. Tell them exactly how you feel, make a list of all your symptoms on paper. Tell them exactly which drug you took and when. The first question my neuro asked me was about drug use. I told him a smoked a little pot and he said right away, that could definitely have caused it. I was also under a lot of stress at the time, so I'm not sure. Regardless, people get weird feelings after tripping pretty often. My friend talked to me a lot after eating some mushrooms and he felt funny for about a week or two. (nothing compared to what you're struggling with!)

Anyways, don't underestimate your situation. The feeling is HORRIBLE, and if you're like me, the best part of the day is sleeping. I used to nap 3-4 hours a day, not because I was tired, but because I could put 4 hours of the day away without feeling sick. Start a treatment plan, make an appointment with a neurologist this week, if you can. I didn't go to one until two years had passed; worst decision I've ever made.

Hang in there! I used this experience as a way to grow a sense of empathy to anyone who may be struggling with something, even if it isn't visible. I've become less judgmental of people; you never know what someone may be going through. I'm sure not many people know what you're experiencing, and to them, you look perfectly fine! Weird to think about. 
This is life, and ours have been struck by something just as a paralyzed person has, or someone who lost their eyesight. 
Keep your head up, you'll get better, and call that damn neurologist!

-spencer


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## esshall (May 30, 2009)

Lisa32 said:


> Yes I had my eyes checked and my vision was fine enough to not be recommended anything...like corrective lenses. At the time I went to see the opthamologist I had no idea I had DR...but I knew something was wrong with my vision. It was not until I did my own research did I come up with visual snow for one of the things I experienced. I was able to then link that with HPPD, a condition you get from a bad trip...which I had last summer. I didn't understand why my perception was changing a few weeks later after the bad trip...I was also dealing with stressful stuff and had my plate full....so I started having more panic attacks...and wondering if I had something majorly wrong with me like a brain tumor. Then I got the strange thoughts and bad dreams and it took off from there. I was on benzos off and on for a while but otherwise have not taken any of the anti-depressants prescribed, stuck to the natural stuff.
> I am still feeling so off base...I developed ringing of the ears too. My ears feel very full and like I want to pop them all day long but they plug up again. My DR is worse outside and affects my balance and coordination.
> I do think it has to do with neurotransmitters and receptor site dysfunction...I was very healthy before all this and did deal with low level anxiety but managed it well with exercise. I don't understand the anxiety I have now...it feels like a withdrawal kind of anxiety...like my brain is missing something. I have found L-theanine to be helpful as well as other things I have tried.
> The combo you took to get better is quite powerful....makes me think if I have to get on something much stronger in order to fully recover. Your input is very helpful, thank you.
> I am still trying to figure out the mechanism behind DR, it honestly feels like brain damage


And stay away from any other recreational drugs whatsoever! Even something as simple as smoking pot. It will only make it worse, short term and long term.


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## SnowFlake (Jul 7, 2012)

Inspiring post Spencer. I am thinking about trying a mood stabilizer so that I can study natural medicine funny huh?
If you are at all interested I would like to chat sometime? If not I won't hold it against you. I will write the general outline of what I experienced here later. Oh and pot isn't the worst and has some use just like other herbs in my opinion but definitelly not for someone who is or has been socially awkward, ie , me







, just like your combo won't for everybody or coffee or tea for that matter.

N


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## Solveig (Jan 1, 2012)

Hello - reading your posts reminded me quite a bit of the experiences I've had with DP and post ibogaine. I am also on Lamictal (250 mg) and working with a neurologist. The last year of my life has been absolute HELL. I have thought so many times that if there are a set of standards for some type of hell, this experience would far exceed those standards. But I've made it this far, and thank goodness, because I am starting to heal. The Lamictal has helped somewhat. It's definitely helped me sleep, which is something I was unable to do until I started on it. Sleep is so important! It's helped calm the crazy, frenetic activity in my brain that felt like a constant seizure. But it's not enough to feel like I have a good quality of life. And halfway through every day it feels like it stops working until about 7 or 8 pm. I am wondering about asking my neurologist about Depakote, but I've been nervous because of the side-effects I've read about. Do you experience any side-effects? I get dizzy sometimes with the Lamictal and definitely experienced weird lymph node pain when I was initially titrating. I also get dizzy with the DP, so this isn't much different. But I've heard Depakote comes with a lot more side-effects than Lamictal. Also, out of curiosity, did you ever try Buspar? I've been recommended this drug, but haven't tried it. I have some post-traumatic anxiety related to the ibogaine experience. And another member on this forum read my posts and said my experience reminded him a great deal of his experience coming off benzos. He was given SSRIs with no relief and finally Buspar allowed him to feel much better. Not sure if I should go down that road. The SSRI I tried nearly killed me with serotonin syndrome type effects. Benzos also really messed me up. The Lamictal is the only drug that has helped. Maybe another seizure med would also help? I do think the ibogaine seriously disrupted the voltage-gated sodium channels in my brain, so it makes sense that a sodium-channel blocker would help correct that. If you are still on this forum, I would love to hear your thoughts.


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## AussiePheonix (Dec 5, 2012)

Anyone else tried this combo: Lamictal + Depakote?


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## AussiePheonix (Dec 5, 2012)

Anyone else tried this combo: Lamictal + Depakote?


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## esshall (May 30, 2009)

Apologies everyone -- a year later since revisting this thread. I hope some of you have had success. Any updates from any of you?

I'm so sorry this reply is months late, but I hope it might still be relevent. How has the Divalproex worked for you?

Copy/pasted from a PM: Furthering supporting my idea of some DP being caused by frequent seizures, I pulled this up --

This one describes parietal seizures (non-convulsive). Many of the symptoms describe my DP experiences.

http://epilepsy.med.nyu.edu/epilepsy/types-epilepsy/partietal-lobe-epilepsy#sthash.Gaqpb1JW.dpbs

This second one is a list of broad-spectrum medications. Divalproex and Lamictal (the combo I've had success with) are at the top of the list.

http://www.epilepsy.com/epilepsy/newsletter/sept09/aeds

Once again, I know this post is incredibly late. My life has been so busy, and DP, although not completely gone, has been swept under the carpet. I hope some of you can say the same. For those who can't, hang in there, you're not alone and you'll be okay.


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## Guest (Feb 14, 2014)

Esshall.. are you still taking the meds or have you stopped?


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## miss-poetflower (7 mo ago)

esshall said:


> I felt like both psychiatrists I saw knew NOTHING about DP; only depression, anxiety, and completely psychotic people. And no, I'm not bipolar, but you're right the medicine is commonly prescribed for bipolar disorder. Slow down brain activity possibly?



So true!!! I feel like Psychiatrists have very little experience in the DP/DR department. Depression, anxiety, bipolar, psychosis, are what they know. But the DP? I had to see a neuropsychiatrist to be put on a mood stabilizer and have just started today on Lamictal so let's see how it goes !!!


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