# *Ongoing Lamotrigine Progress Thread w/ Several Members*



## steveouk

Thought I'd start a diary on my experience with lamotrigine.

A very brief background:

Am 29, Male, from the UK. Suffered all my life with panic disorder which appear as a result of DP/DR.

Started an SSRI when I was 17 and life improved to the point where I tried to come off them at 28. Three months after coming off the drug I was left with extreme anxiety and in a constant state of DP/DR. It has left me completely bedbound and hugely depressed. Stayed in a psychiatric hospital for 3 months last year with very little benefit.

Last week a psychiatrist pretty much told me what I expected to hear, that he really didn't know what drug to prescribe for me. He went away and did some research and came back with Lamotrigine as it seems to be the only medication with any evidence base to it. I have tried Pregabalin which I believe is a similar class of drug in the past but this only made my DP/DR much worse. I felt very numb and almost high.

I'm currently on 20mg Escitalopram (lexapro).

Just popped my first 25mg tablet a few hours ago. One thing that's really worrying me is the vivid dreams. I'm already having VERY strong nightmares every night that leave me waking up covered in sweat and rather confused. I don't want anything else to add to this. I'm also worried of any further sedation side effects. The depression and the 24 hour bedbound life is already causing massive fatigue problems.

My plan is to stay on 25mg for a fortnight to see how I tolerate it.

I will try to update briefly once a day. I hope it's of some interest to some people?

Now to check my body for rashes!!

Thanks for reading.

Steven


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## MiketheAlien

Good luck with the Lamotrigine, I am very interested in trying it myself. Thanks for doing the updates, that seems like a great idea, I will be sure to follow with your progress. Hope you start to see some positive changes soon! Cheers


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## flowergirlkat

Hi Steven - this is really interesting, please do keep us updated. I'm always interested to see what is prescribed in the UK as every GP I've ever been to seems to immediately recommend fluoxetine, with no consideration of anything else.

Good luck!


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## shadowshudder

Good luck with this. Sort of worrying about your SSRI story, I'm taking an SSRI (Prozac) now and it sort of is concerning if I ever decide to wean off of it.

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flowergirlkat said:


> Hi Steven - this is really interesting, please do keep us updated. I'm always interested to see what is prescribed in the UK as every GP I've ever been to seems to immediately recommend fluoxetine, with no consideration of anything else.
> 
> Good luck!


Have you ever tried Fluoxetine? I've recently started to take it.


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## steveouk

Thanks for all the great replies.

I was put on Fluoxetine at about 8 years old. I don't remember much about it or what effect, if any, it had. I don't think I was on it for very long. I'm also now aware that children shouldn't be prescribed that drug!

Don't worry about weaning off an SSRI. But my BIGGEST piece of advice I can say is this:

*IF A DRUG IS WORKING FOR YOU AND YOU ARE WELL AND CAN COPE WITH THE SIDE EFFECTS THEN PLEASE DON'T STOP!!!!!!*

I learnt this the hard way. My life was GREAT! I had my dream job, dream girlfriend, dream mental health state. Everything was so great for once in my life. I decided to come off because I stupidly thought to myself 'Well... I'm ok! So surely I don't need this drug anymore!?'

I can't stress this enough that if it isn't broke, don't try to fix it. The anxiety I suffered three months after my weaning off the SSRI was out of this world. I didn't eat or sleep for a month and when my dad came to my house to look after me, he didn't recognise me as I was so thin and pale. I'm not exactly a large guy anyway. Months of this anxiety led to this constant state of DP/DR. The constant DP/DR has led me to withdraw into my bed for 24 hours a day. The depression from this is excruciating.

If I could just get rid of this fuzzy dreamlike state then it would have a positive knock on effect with everything else. My DP/DR is so bad that I have massive trouble coping with anyone coming round to see me. My dad has to come round at least once a week to do my shopping and pick up my meds etc. That's about all I can handle.

I must also stress though that my story is unique and this won't happen to everyone who tries to withdraw off a medication.

Thanks all for reading.

No real updates as far as the Lamotrigine. Don't feel anything out of the ordinary but I wouldn't expect to only 6 hours on.

Steven


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## kelly326

steveouk said:


> Thought I'd start a diary on my experience with lamotrigine.
> 
> A very brief background:
> 
> Am 29, Male, from the UK. Suffered all my life with panic disorder which appear as a result of DP/DR.
> 
> Started an SSRI when I was 17 and life improved to the point where I tried to come off them at 28. Three months after coming off the drug I was left with extreme anxiety and in a constant state of DP/DR. It has left me completely bedbound and hugely depressed. Stayed in a psychiatric hospital for 3 months last year with very little benefit.
> 
> Last week a psychiatrist pretty much told me what I expected to hear, that he really didn't know what drug to prescribe for me. He went away and did some research and came back with Lamotrigine as it seems to be the only medication with any evidence base to it. I have tried Pregabalin which I believe is a similar class of drug in the past but this only made my DP/DR much worse. I felt very numb and almost high.
> 
> I'm currently on 20mg Escitalopram (lexapro).
> 
> Just popped my first 25mg tablet a few hours ago. One thing that's really worrying me is the vivid dreams. I'm already having VERY strong nightmares every night that leave me waking up covered in sweat and rather confused. I don't want anything else to add to this. I'm also worried of any further sedation side effects. The depression and the 24 hour bedbound life is already causing massive fatigue problems.
> 
> My plan is to stay on 25mg for a fortnight to see how I tolerate it.
> 
> I will try to update briefly once a day. I hope it's of some interest to some people?
> 
> Now to check my body for rashes!!
> 
> Thanks for reading.
> 
> Steven


Why we're you in the psych ward for 3 months?! Why didn't a psych think to give you the med then? Did they give you any meds while in there?


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## steveouk

I was suicidal and self harming quite badly and my dad, who I had moved back in with, couldn't take seeing me like that anymore. My care coordinator came round and suggested I go to hospital.

They did very little for me in there except increase my diazepam dose and my escitalopram dose to 30mg (10mg over the highest dose) which made me feel horrible. They also put me on Quetiapine (antipsychotic) which I immediately stopped taking after 2 days. I was in there so long as nothing was working and also they needed to allow time between my dose changes. They sort of gave up on me after three months and because the local healthboards have targets to meet, it was in their interest to try and get rid of me as soon as possible for their own turnaround statistics.

They didn't suggest it as firstly, I found that DP/DR is a very rare thing and I had to explain it over and over again to all the staff. Lamotrigine also isn't technically for DP and has a very small body of evidence to support it's use with DP so it's not really commonly known to treat the condition. They were trying to treat the depression, agoraphobia and anxiety in hospital as those conditions have standard treatment regimes.

It was a horrible experience. I witnessed some very horrible things in hospital and met some very peculiar patients.


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## MiketheAlien

Since you were going so great on your old medication, have you ever thought of going back on it and seeing if it fixes your DPDR? Sorry if I missed anything, if you have explained this or not. Thank you


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## steveouk

Vanmichael said:


> Since you were going so great on your old medication, have you ever thought of going back on it and seeing if it fixes your DPDR? Sorry if I missed anything, if you have explained this or not. Thank you


Sorry I never explained that. Three months after I finished my SSRIs and all hell broke loose, I did exactly that. I rang my doctor straight away and I went back on the same medication and the same dose. This made me feel ten times worse for some strange reason but I kept at it for 3 months to make sure I gave it a chance.

In the back of my mind when weaning off my tablets, I always thought to myself that if things ever get bad again, at least I know that this drug works for me so I'll just get back on it. I couldn't have been more wrong. Biggest mistake of my life.

Not sure what to do if this Lamotrigine doesn't have any effect. I feel I've tried everything else and no matter how much progress I seem to make, I always end up back to square one which is how I am now. Curled up in my bed in the dark in the quiet for 24 hours a day, only getting up to go the toilet or feed myself. I try and sleep as much as I can as I prefer not being awake. When I am awake, I make sure I am well distracted with the laptop infront of my face.

Life just feels so unreal and almost dream like. I would love to snap back into it.

Thanks for taking the time to read my story.


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## MiketheAlien

steveouk said:


> Sorry I never explained that. Three months after I finished my SSRIs and all hell broke loose, I did exactly that. I rang my doctor straight away and I went back on the same medication and the same dose. This made me feel ten times worse for some strange reason but I kept at it for 3 months to make sure I gave it a chance.
> 
> In the back of my mind when weaning off my tablets, I always thought to myself that if things ever get bad again, at least I know that this drug works for me so I'll just get back on it. I couldn't have been more wrong. Biggest mistake of my life.
> 
> Not sure what to do if this Lamotrigine doesn't have any effect. I feel I've tried everything else and no matter how much progress I seem to make, I always end up back to square one which is how I am now. Curled up in my bed in the dark in the quiet for 24 hours a day, only getting up to go the toilet or feed myself. I try and sleep as much as I can as I prefer not being awake. When I am awake, I make sure I am well distracted with the laptop infront of my face.
> 
> Life just feels so unreal and almost dream like. I would love to snap back into it.
> 
> Thanks for taking the time to read my story.


Myself and so many other on this site can relate %100. I was on SSRIs for 4 years, I got off of them last year and it started my DPDR all over again, but this time, without any anxiety or panic attacks. I thought about going back onto them but I am so glad I didnt, I have come along way with exercise, eating healthy, and sleeping routinely, but I am still "off" and experience 24/7 DPDR. From my research and reading, our particular cases would really benefit from trying Lamotrigine so I am very hopeful that you will start to see a positive effect sooner than later. I have an appointment with a Psychiatrist some day soon and I am going to ask to try Lamotrigine. Best of luck with your recovery and thanks again for keeping us all updated with your experience! Cheers


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## kelly326

I have been were you are, couldn't get out of bed, couldn't take care of my kids, didn't even recognize them! I am a little better to were I am not that anxious and in bed everyday but I still struggle. I really hope the med works for you. When I was at my worst a psych I saw gave me that lamictal but I knew it was used for bi polar also and didn't want to take it because I felt like she was trying to tell me I was bi polar after meeting with me for 15 mins.


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## steveouk

kelly326 said:


> I have been were you are, couldn't get out of bed, couldn't take care of my kids, didn't even recognize them! I am a little better to were I am not that anxious and in bed everyday but I still struggle. I really hope the med works for you. When I was at my worst a psych I saw gave me that lamictal but I knew it was used for bi polar also and didn't want to take it because I felt like she was trying to tell me I was bi polar after meeting with me for 15 mins.


I'm sorry to hear that you've been here I am. I wouldn't wish this on anyone. I'm glad that you have mildly improved however!

There is absolutely no suspicion of bi-polar with me as my moods don't fluctuate much past being depressed and being super depressed. I've just been given this purely as a DP drug. Did you not want to take the drug for DP reasons?

A quick update: Was rather apprehensive to go to sleep last night due to hearing stories about how Lamotrigine causes very vivid dreams. I already suffer from extremely vivid dreams/nightmares that cause me to wake up several times throughout the night drenched in sweat and leave me feeling VERY sleeping the next day.

Strangely enough, this morning I am awake at 8am and not feeling the need to go back to sleep which is VERY unlike me. I also don't recall any nasty dreams last night and I didn't wake up in the usual sweaty state. Might not have anything to do with the new drug. Time will tell.


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## deathsitcom

Hello Steven,

just wanted to wish you good luck with your medication. I've been struggling with DP for 1.5 years now and just started with Lamotrigine myself, so I'll be sure to follow your diary. All the best!


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## steveouk

deathsitcom said:


> Hello Steven,
> 
> just wanted to wish you good luck with your medication. I've been struggling with DP for 1.5 years now and just started with Lamotrigine myself, so I'll be sure to follow your diary. All the best!


Thankyou so much. I'd absolutely love to hear your story if you don't mind sharing it with us or PM'ing me. Would love to know your experiences with Lamotrigine too! Look forward to hopefully hearing from you!


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## deathsitcom

Sure, I'll share my story:
I have to say I've been struggling with mental health issues all my life, with depression starting already in my childhood and becoming really bad in my twenties (I'm 35 now), so I guess I already had a disposition for this condition. But I sorta managed to get along until in late 2012 shit really hit the fan. Don't wanna talk about it in all detail, let's just say I had to face a combination if psychologically traumatizing events (emotional abuse by a pretty much insane girl, death of my father, way too much stress, burnout....) that started a downward spiral of depression and extreme anxiety. With the anxiety came the dissociation and this wierd dream-like, disconnected feeling. After a few months the anxiety gradually left, but dp/dr didn't....so here I am, pretty much messed up.

So far I don't have much experience with Lamotrigine, I just started a few days ago with 25 mg, just like you, and going to increase the dosage slowly. Seems to take quite a while until the effect kicks it. Let's see where this will get us.
So far I was on an antidepressant/antipsychotic called Sulpiride, which really didn't do much.


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## steveouk

deathsitcom said:


> Sure, I'll share my story:
> I have to say I've been struggling with mental health issues all my life, with depression starting already in my childhood and becoming really bad in my twenties (I'm 35 now), so I guess I already had a disposition for this condition. But I sorta managed to get along until in late 2012 shit really hit the fan. Don't wanna talk about it in all detail, let's just say I had to face a combination if psychologically traumatizing events (emotional abuse by a pretty much insane girl, death of my father, way too much stress, burnout....) that started a downward spiral of depression and extreme anxiety. With the anxiety came the dissociation and this wierd dream-like, disconnected feeling. After a few months the anxiety gradually left, but dp/dr didn't....so here I am, pretty much messed up.
> 
> So far I don't have much experience with Lamotrigine, I just started a few days ago with 25 mg, just like you, and going to increase the dosage slowly. Seems to take quite a while until the effect kicks it. Let's see where this will get us.
> So far I was on an antidepressant/antipsychotic called Sulpiride, which really didn't do much.


 Wow I'm sorry to hear about your bad time. We have similar stories in a way! I too had many mental health problems in my childhood and I too manged it until late 2012. That too is when everything hit the fan for me. And the extreme anxiety has also gone for me but what's left is this dream like dissociation.

Can I ask if you're managing to get on with your life or has the DP/DR caused you to retreat?

I'd really love to hear your updates as far as the Lamotrigine goes. Are you on an antidepressant with your Lamotrigine?


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## deathsitcom

steveouk said:


> Wow I'm sorry to hear about your bad time. We have similar stories in a way! I too had many mental health problems in my childhood and I too manged it until late 2012. That too is when everything hit the fan for me. And the extreme anxiety has also gone for me but what's left is this dream like dissociation.
> 
> Can I ask if you're managing to get on with your life or has the DP/DR caused you to retreat?
> 
> I'd really love to hear your updates as far as the Lamotrigine goes. Are you on an antidepressant with your Lamotrigine?


Looks like we've gone through similar things indeed.
tbh, I'm having a hard time managing my life currently, spending my days in isolation a lot. But it will get better, it simply has to.
I'm still taking Sulpiride, it's an antipsychotic, but acts as an antidepressant at lower doses. Never had good experiences with SSRIs, that's why I'm trying this. Hope that works.


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## steveouk

deathsitcom said:


> Looks like we've gone through similar things indeed.
> tbh, I'm having a hard time managing my life currently, spending my days in isolation a lot. But it will get better, it simply has to.
> I'm still taking Sulpiride, it's an antipsychotic, but acts as an antidepressant at lower doses. Never had good experiences with SSRIs, that's why I'm trying this. Hope that works.


Please feel free to use this thread as a diary for yourself too. Would love to be able to compare and contrast our experiences with the drug. Gives other members here an extra experience if they one day hope to try the drug too.


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## kelly326

[quote name="steveouk" post="325287" timestamp="1394871364"]I'm sorry to hear that you've been here I am. I wouldn't wish this on anyone. I'm glad that you have mildly improved however!

There is absolutely no suspicion of bi-polar with me as my moods don't fluctuate much past being depressed and being super depressed. I've just been given this purely as a DP drug. Did you not want to take the drug for DP reasons?

A quick update: Was rather apprehensive to go to sleep last night due to hearing stories about how Lamotrigine causes very vivid dreams. I already suffer from extremely vivid dreams/nightmares that cause me to wake up several times throughout the night drenched in sweat and leave me feeling VERY sleeping the next day. 
Strangely enough, this morning I am awake at 8am and not feeling the need to go back to sleep which is VERY unlike me. I also don't recall any nasty dreams last night and I didn't wake up in the usual sweaty state. Might not have anything to do with the new drug. Time will tell.
[/quote

I didn't want to take it because it was used for bi polar and because I was scared of the rash part. I'm scared of meds anyways, I don't feel I need it because I don't feel as bad as I did before. I will take it if I ever get that bad though, knowing it can help DP. I don't have any signs of bi polar that is why I was confused as to why she gave it to me. I mostly have those existential thoughts and depression about those thoughts.


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## deathsitcom

steveouk said:


> Please feel free to use this thread as a diary for yourself too. Would love to be able to compare and contrast our experiences with the drug. Gives other members here an extra experience if they one day hope to try the drug too.


Alright, let's do this. I think there's quite an interest in this drug, so this might be valuable.


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## steveouk

Thought I'd be the first to update.

Its day 6 of my medication and I feel awful. My anxiety has been really heightened since starting these drugs. By day 3 I noticed physical side effects such as terrible acid indigestion in the back of my throat, dizziness, muggy cloudy head and sleepiness.

I can honestly say at this stage that my derealisation is much much worse. It caused me to have a panic attack which I haven't had in quite a few months due to the heightened feelings of DP/DR. I am irritable and agitated too. Been playing an online quiz game on my phone with friends and I'm getting very angry at losing which is totally out of character for me. My already very vivid dreams are becoming more and more vivid where they now resemble real life much more convincingly.

I don't know how much of this is the drug or how much of it is the thought of being on the drug. I'm naturally very anxious anyway and I don't like taking unknown medication.

I can't seem to connect with the world around me. I just watched a real life police program on TV and it was based in the city I used to live in before I got ill. For some reason now I can't seem to connect with where I am at the moment and feel more like I'm actually in the city I used to live in.

Time is also confusing me. Whatever time it is, it doesn't feel like it. It's 2pm right now but it just doesn't feel like it.

Again, I can't say how much of it is the drug and how much of it is me. I know that I'm taking this drug to try and help with dp/dr but for whatever reason my dp/dr is much worse.

It's bad to the point where I'm scared to be around anyone. My dad is meant to be coming over tonight to have dinner with me but I'm really frightened about that. It means I have to talk to someone and connect with someone but my brain just can't handle that.

Getting sick of this. Basically left with no options after this. Not sure how much longer to keep up this drug.

Sorry for my long post and thankyou to anyone that took the time to read it all. I don't blame you if you got bored and clicked away a few sentences in.


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## MiketheAlien

I hope the bad side effects dont last and you start to notice some positive effects soon. Please keep us updated either way. Good luck man!


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## deathsitcom

steveouk said:


> I don't know how much of this is the drug or how much of it is the thought of being on the drug. I'm naturally very anxious anyway and I don't like taking unknown medication.


You're still on 25 mg, right? I simply can't imagine that the drug causes such bad side effects already at such a low dosage, but on the other hand people are different and show different reactions to drugs. Maybe you being anxious about taking a new drug plays a big part of it? In any case, consult your doctor about this soon.
Do you have any techniques to calm yourself down?

As for myself, I don't notice much change after the first week on Lamotrigine, neither good nor bad. All I can say is, I've been feeling very down lately, total lack of drive and motivation, depression, derealization....you name it. If this lifts, I know that something is working, but so far it hasn't. I've been having pretty vivid dreams though, is that somehow connected to the drug?
Will raise the dosage to 50 mg soon.


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## steveouk

I'm sure most of what I'm suffering is just my own anxiety about taking the medication. However the bad heartburn and acid indigestion sure is real as well as the dizziness and headaches. Also the VERY vivid dreams. They seem to be getting stronger by the day. I know they are part of the drug.

Deathsitcom, has your depressed mood changed since starting the drug or is your lack of drive and motivation unchanged since starting?


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## deathsitcom

After googling a little I found out that vivid dreams and nightmares can indeed come with it, that's interesting. And I've noticed that I remember impressions of my dreams after waking up in the last couple of days, which is unusual for me.

My depressed mood has been with me for the last couple of weeks, today I feel slighly better though, at least mood-wise.


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## texas2006

I'll go ahead and mention I start Lamictal this weekend. I'll just use your thread to post updates as I get them. Best of luck to the both of you.


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## texas2006

Yeah it might be good to give a few experiences in the same one rather than having all three of us split the updates and clutter the thread.


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## MiketheAlien

Selig said:


> Would anyone object to this being an official update thread for people currently on lamotrigine? OP, let me know.


Since there seems to be a lot of people interested in Lamotrigine, my self included, I think this is a great idea. A thread dedicated specifically to peoples experiences with Lamotrigine would be great.


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## Becky Smurf

I had a similar situation - I was living in Germany and put in a psych clinic for two months...horrific. My DR was so bad and no one, including the doctors, seemed to have ever heard of it!! A living nightmare.

Three years on I am still battling this beast. I am thinking of trying Lamotrigine as well.

Ps my DR was triggered after stopping Cymbalta (SNRI)


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## Becky Smurf

FYI, I have tried the following meds to clear up my DR (over the course of three years):

Fluoxetine
Citalopram
Wellbutrin XR
opipromal
naltrexone 
Reboxitine
venlafaxine
Verapamil
Modafinil

As well as supplements: Selenium, Omega 3, Vitamins B 12, E, Gingko, Ginseng

To date, the only meds that bring some relief are the benzos: Aprazalam and Citalopram. I know that they are addictive and terrible and all that, but these have literally saved my life.... If I did not have these to provide even a few hours of relief I would not be here today.


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## steveouk

I have messaged Selig (admin) and said that I would be delighted if more people were to use this thread as a place to share their experiences with Lamotrigine so if the admin would like to change the name of this thread then I welcome everyones drug experiences.

My update here - Day 9 for me today. Been a crazy week but I think everything is starting to settle. I think a mixture of anxiety and being sensitive to medication has caused me to experience side effects, maybe placebo, maybe not.

For the past three days I have felt what I thought was a sort of hyermanic state which feels very similar to being on lots of caffeine. Today I embraced that and instead of lying in bed all day like I have been doing for months on end, I got up and sat in the living room and even used my dusty exercise bike to try and negate the year of inactivity.

I feel that this drug is really taking me out of this black hole of depression that I've been stuck in for so long. Thoughts of suicide have not been with me for days and I haven't been sleeping in the day. Some of my interests have returned too and my parents have both said that I seem alot more cheery and more talkative on the phone. I hope this strong anti depression effect lasts!

DP/DR wise - not sure yet. Still early days and still on a very low dose (25mg). I'm assuming it's gone slightly as I've been up out of bed today and in my living room for a rare change. I try not to analyse my DR/DP too much as the more introspective I am with it, the stronger it becomes. The sooner I forget I have it, the better!

Anxiety wise - This isn't an anti anxiety drug but anxiety for me is a knock on effect of the DP/DR feelings. Since they are going slightly, the anxiety has gone slightly too.

My only real CON at the moment is my vivid dreams. I have always had them thanks to the SSRIs but now they are REALLY strong. I have MASSIVE trouble waking myself up from these dreams and when I do wake, my bottom half is always dripping wet with sweat. Basically I am useless until about 2pm at the moment. I'm really hoping this side effect wears off.

I'm not sure what the plan is with me and this drug. I was only given a two week prescription to see how it goes and I'm not sure if at the end of the two weeks I stay at 25mg or I up to 50mg.

Would love to hear everyone elses experiences! This drug seems to be more and more recognised by p'docs for this condition. I would really love to see another trial done on a larger scale with this.


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## texas2006

I'm going to start at the 25 mg tomorrow. Glad to hear the Lamictal has been helping out somewhat. Therapeutic doses are usually much higher than the 25 mg and a lot of people mention that it just starts working all of a sudden when you hit the correct dosage.


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## deathsitcom

Agreed, I've talked to some people that are on 200 mg and even when you hit the right dosage it might still take a while for the full effect to kick in.

I'm taking 50 mg now, still too early to say much about results. For the last couple of days I've been having some sleeping problems though, which negatively affects me of course, so I'm going to try lowering the dosage of my other med, Sulpiride for now. Drive and motivation is still pretty low, but I hope at least I can get some exercise done next week.


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## texas2006

I started 50 mg two days ago. I feel a little less anxious although admittedly could be placebo effect at this point. I looked back through my list of meds notes and I was at 125mg at one point in time back in the day (can't remember how long I was actually on it for).


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## deathsitcom

texas2006 said:


> I looked back through my list of meds notes and I was at 125mg at one point in time back in the day (can't remember how long I was actually on it for).


Did you notice any positive effects back then? I guess not, otherwise you wouldn't have quit it.
And are you on any other medication right now?


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## texas2006

It looked like I wrote a note that it helped me sleep better. I'm on Wellbutrin XL 150mg also right now and may swap to an SSRI after I've titrated up.

A few people have had to go VERY high on the lamictal to get a response so I may have underdosed it.


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## MiketheAlien

Anymore updates guys? I hope you are doing better!


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## Aokiji

Hi Steveouk, I am currently on 50mg of Lamictal daily for DP. I have recovered completed from DP as a result of this drug, which I started about two months ago with no side effects whatsoever. After an evaluation from my P Doc last Monday, I was given the all clear to continue taking Lamictal to manage my DP. I have a six month prescription for this drug. My P Doc was very happy to hear that I had recovered with this drug since the DP is so difficult to treat.

We decide to try this drug since I had read several threads in the medication section of this site, from those who had recovered over the years with drug and she, in her research and treatment of DP before, use this drug, so we decide to give it a try. She is a lecturer at the University of West Indies and has a private practice which is where I go to see her.

During the titration period which is two months, I saw improve in my DP as early as two weeks and at 50mg I was fully recovered. This is very usually since most patients report changes at least 200mg to 250mg or at higher level of 400mg. The drug is normal used in combination with an SSRi & Clonazepam, this is preferred treatment method of the DP Research Unit in London. This is great for me since as my body changes throughout my lifetime, I will be able to increase my dosage if necessary

Life is awesome right now and has returned to normal. I never had any form of mental illness while growing up and I did not get DP from recreational drug use like so many on this site.The pills are very small and it is a simple task, so I have no problem with or taking this drug. I hope this drug can be beneficial to you or others as it was to me. DP is a condition that take away the joys of life and the simple pleasure that many take for granted. Peace


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## deathsitcom

Amazing indeed! And quite impressive that it worked so fast at such a low dosage.

How long have you been DP'd before your recovery? And did you take any other medication while on Lamictal?


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## steveouk

Aokiji said:


> Hi Steveouk, I am currently on 50mg of Lamictal daily for DP. I have recovered completed from DP as a result of this drug, which I started about two months ago with no side effects whatsoever. After an evaluation from my P Doc last Monday, I was given the all clear to continue taking Lamictal to manage my DP. I have a six month prescription for this drug. My P Doc was very happy to hear that I had recovered with this drug since the DP is so difficult to treat.
> 
> We decide to try this drug since I had read several threads in the medication section of this site, from those who had recovered over the years with drug and she, in her research and treatment of DP before, use this drug, so we decide to give it a try. She is a lecturer at the University of West Indies and has a private practice which is where I go to see her.
> 
> During the titration period which is two months, I saw improve in my DP as early as two weeks and at 50mg I was fully recovered. This is very usually since most patients report changes at least 200mg to 250mg or at higher level of 400mg. The drug is normal used in combination with an SSRi & Clonazepam, this is preferred treatment method of the DP Research Unit in London. This is great for me since as my body changes throughout my lifetime, I will be able to increase my dosage if necessary
> 
> Life is awesome right now and has returned to normal. I never had any form of mental illness while growing up and I did not get DP from recreational drug use like so many on this site.The pills are very small and it is a simple task, so I have no problem with or taking this drug. I hope this drug can be beneficial to you or others as it was to me. DP is a condition that take away the joys of life and the simple pleasure that many take for granted. Peace


Such an amazing story. Thankyou so much for sharing this with us. It really gives me hope.

I'm still on 25mg having been just over 2 weeks now. I've seen a slight improvement overall with my DP/DR. I hope to move up to 50mg soon but haven't heard from my p'doc yet so I will make contact tomorrow.

I've been making effort to try and get better whilst I feel better like not lying in bed all day and trying to exercise.

Haven't had too much depression or anxiety until last night but I'll just put that down to a bad day.

Is your plan to stay on this drug now?

I'm so so happy to hear about your recovery thanks to this drug!

Hope everyone else is going great.

Steven


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## oo-oo

Hi,

I´m on 100mg of Lamictal right now. I got it 3 weeks ago from a doctor in Bangkok (because it´s pretty easy to get medications there) and started with 25mg. The first 3 days nothing happened, but on the 4th day I felt in the evening like I was before DP. I think my DP was gone almost 90%. I was remembering stuff from my childhood and it felt like it really happend to me and not like I was an observer. It was awesome to be back in this state after more than 6 years of constant DP. On the next day I was back to the DP "normal", but the next days my DP started to fade again. This time it wasn´t so strong like before, but my vision was clearer and my thoughts not so cloudy. Right now I think that 30% of my DP is gone and from time to time it fades even more.

Now I´m thinking about to decrease the amount back to 50mg, because the best effect I had with 25 and 50mg and with 100mg I feel like I have seasickness without throwing up.

I can recommed everyone who´s suffering from DP to try Lamotrigine! Over the years I tried a lot of things, but this helped me most.


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## AMUNT

does it help for the vision thing(derealisation?) where you feel as if you are not seeing what you are seeing?


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## texas2006

Just titrated to 100 mg today. 50 mg didn't do too much for the week and a half I was on it. May have to get up to 200mg or greater to see anything though. Will update as things progress...


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## deathsitcom

Very much the same here. Didn't notice much so far and will titrate to 100 mg now. I'll probably go up to 200 over the course of the next weeks.


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## steveouk

I'm still waiting to hear from my p'doc regarding an increase in my dose! I've been on 25mg for a while now and it's obviously too low to be having any sort of positive effects. The NHS is both a blessing and a curse.

I hope everyone else is fine.


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## steveouk

Just started 50mg as from today. Hopefully I should be able to see some sort of effects on that dose.

Anyone else getting very bad acid reflux in the back of the throat?

Also keep having very horrible dreams on this stuff. Last night all my teeth were crumbling out until I had only my front teeth left! Horrible dream to have!!! Was a relief to wake up and see that I had all my teeth!

Hows everyone else getting on?

Selig, Why do you need a liver test?

All the best everyone.


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## texas2006

I used to have those teeth crushing dreams too... you might wanna ask your dentist if you are grinding and get a night guard if you are. If you get out of DP/DR you wanna make sure you don't have a busted smile!

Anyways, not sure about the acid reflux. I'm 1 week into 100 mg and no problems so far. I am having about a 20% reduction in my DP/DR for a few hours every afternoon but that fades away and could be attributed to the past mild success I've had with Wellbutrin before. Titrate to 200mg next Tuesday.


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## steveouk

I think I'm not going to go any higher than 100mg. I'm already in two minds whether I really want to be on another drug or not. I don't really like being on medication, especially after the fact that I wouldn't be posting in this forum right now if I never came off my 11 years of anti depressants.

I don't see this as a drug I want to take for the rest of my life and I don't want to be on it long term because I don't want any problems weaning off this drug.

I'll give it a few months and go up to 100mg to see if it's having ANY effect at all.

Yeah those teeth dreams are the worst! I don't think I'm grinding my teeth at night. When i started back on my anti depressant I was for a few weeks.

Drugs eh!? We love them and hate them!!


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## texas2006

^^I'd love them if they got rid of my DP/DR like some people have had happen! I'll titrate up to 400mg if I don't have any sides to make sure I give it a fair shot. I'm also going to drop wellbutrin and switch to an SSRI like the DPRU recommends if I don't see any benefits from the Wellbutrin + Lamictal combo at an appropriate dose.

For me, I don't really care what dosage I have to take... I would just like to feel normal again.


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## steveouk

How does DP/DR affect you Texas2006? What are your main symptoms? Are you able to still live a somewhat normal life at all?


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## AMUNT

guess thats wrong when some said when i first looked into dpdr that meds couldnt help


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## texas2006

I can function, I'm a professional engineer and have had a regular job for the last five years. Main symptoms are physical tension, double vision, spaciness, visual fog, floaters, etc. All the good stuff. It used to be really bad at the beginning but over the years improved somewhat.

If it wasn't for buspar and dexedrine, I'd still be at square one. Now I'm looking to see if I can improve anymore from where I'm at.


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## texas2006

Cruising up to 200 mg tomorrow, wish me luck!


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## missjess

Good luck


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## steveouk

Good luck! Have you noticed any difference so far?


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## cltool9

Hey guys, i've been following this thread and i'm actually going to start Lamictal soon hopefully since i've seen a lot of good things posted about it, I'll check back in and let everyone know how things go too if you don't mind.


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## missjess

I'm almost on 25mg myself..,I started at half a tablet to avoid the rash. I'll be on 25mg in a few days and so far a huge improvement is my mind!! No more freakish thoughts and songs going thru my head constantly...my mood is better and overall I'm quite liking this med so far. Oh and vivid dreams!! I always had vivid dreams before this drug but now they are even more intense but I quite like that 

I can honestly say I feel at peace


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## steveouk

Hi CLTOOL9. Please feel free to use this as a place to tell us about your lamictal progress.

That's such great news missjess. I'm on 50mg now and haven't yet seen much change apart from the vivid dreams that I don't like as I don't feel like I've had a full nights sleep. I really hope this drug works out for you.


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## texas2006

Nah no changes yet... I am sleeping better and strangely enough I think I've had less vivid dreams since I started it. I'll let you guys know if anything changes...


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## cltool9

thank you, just took my first 25 mg dose yesterday and WOW were my dreams friggin vivid


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## steveouk

Not sure if it's related but since starting, I've had terrible acid reflux. I can feel it in the back of my throat constantly.


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## steveouk

I don't want to be taking more drugs to combat the side effects of other drugs.

My dad has been prescribed aspirin to take everyday for his heart and this in turn has caused stomach ulcers and bad acid reflux. He then took omeprozole and after a few years it became useless so had to take more and more. It became less effective over time and his acid reflux came back. This time causes Barretts Oesophagus which could potentially turn into cancer. All because of that little aspirin.

I know it's completely different but I just have a bit of an issue with medication. Guess I just wish I didn't have to take any so I didn't have the side effects I have. The SSRI's cause problems too. And I wouldn't even be on Lamotrigine if I never stopped taking my SSRI which is when this all started. Grrrrr.

Moan session over


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## cltool9

i hear ya, i stopped my meds and smoked pot ugh, i actually just read that lamictal is more effective with an ssri like celexa, it's from the book stranger to myself by jeffrey abugel and it said it increases the amount from 50% to 70% of people who try it (unless i read that wrong) this gives me a little more hope so next time i see my psychiatrist i'm gonna talk to him about it


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## steveouk

First good day this year for me!

Hard to say if it's the drugs or not because I had a few weeks like this before Xmas and I wasn't on the lamotrigine then.

A friend came over and we spent the entire day on the beach taking photos. Haven't had any problems all day. It helped that I was focused on photography which gave me a good distraction. I hope this continues. Would be a great success story if this was down to the medication that I'm on but truly I think that it might just be the beautiful weather (which is VERY rare in England) and seeing a good friend that I haven't seen in months.


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## MiketheAlien

Is it better to try Lamotrigine alone or are there better results by augmenting SSRIs or other medications along side it? Just curious, I am going to talk to my Doctor about trying Lamotrigine soon. Also, Thank you to everyone in this thread who have been giving us updates, It is really great to hear others' personal experiences with this medication. All the best,


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## MiketheAlien

Selig said:


> I believe the addition of an SSRI increased the chances of a better response. Ill post some sources later when I'm on the computer.


Sounds great Selig, Mucho appreciato. May I ask what your approach will consist of when you partake in Lamotrigine?


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## cltool9

Thank you Selig, i'll definitely talk to my Doc about it, today was better than most days and it's only the 3rd day on 25mg and so far no rash, my mood has definitely improved somewhat i noticed and last night i didn't have as vivid of dreams as i did the night before, i've been trying to push myself to get out of my comfort zones and walk and listen to music when it's nice out, i think it might be helping, and i'm sure the good weather is adding to the effect.


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## MiketheAlien

Fantastic Selig! Best of luck with your treatment. I will be sure to update if I get the OK to start Lamotrigine. Cheers


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## karrilho67005

Hey everyone!

Thanks to my extended research, I have started lamotrigine about 4 weeks ago. I am also taking 200mg of Sertraline.

My main complaints were:

-Anxiety (Social and Generalized)
-DP/DR
-Some sleep issues
-Emotional Apathy (lack of energy and tired easy, also. I think this is just the consequence of chronic DP/DR for about 3 years)

After starting the lamotrigine my anxiety is nearly gone! Even if I don't sleep that good (or out of hours, from like 3, 4 or 5am to 1pm), which was usually a death sign for my anxiety the next day, I don't feel specially more anxious. I also have been sleeping a little better!

I am currently taking 150mg of Lamotrigine, going to start 200mg tomorrow. I have yet to see an improvement in my dissociative symptoms and with my emotional apathy! I usually only respond to high doses of medication because I'm quite a big guy xD. I'm crossing my fingers for this to solve my DP/DR!

Hope you guys are feeling better also!


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## texas2006

It's been about 5 days now on the 200 mg dose of lamictal and have not really noticed any differences in anything yet.... possibly helping slightly with sleep though. I am on 300mg of Wellbutrin as well which potentially makes it worse. I will probably bump the lamictal up in another few weeks to 300mg or 400mg (not sure which one yet). Next plan would be to drop the Wellbutrin and switch to an SSRI.


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## texas2006

200 mg is indicated for bipolar disorder and up to 400 mg for epilepsy prophylaxis. 165 lbs.


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## cltool9

hey everyone, i'm gonna follow along still but i think i'm going to update when i reach a higher dose, other than random crying spells and really bad anger/frustration at tiny things i feel the same as i have since posting last, however tomorrow and yesterday seem to be returning slowly as a concept that i'm familiar with, when i thought about them before they made no sense. it also seems that looking at a computer screen makes it a lot worse so i've been avoiding it as much as possible except to post on here.


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## AMUNT

so how has it been going thus far?


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## texas2006

Nothing here so far... but I'm on Wellbutrin still which seems to make it worse.


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## steveouk

I'm getting pretty sick of these dreams. Ever since popping that first tablet over a month ago, my nights have been plagued by incredibly upsetting movie like dreams. Last night it was that my dad was stabbed in the back of the head with a large knife by a neighbour and shortly after the dream was that I had such an incredibly high temperature that I could do nothing about it but burn up.

I wake up normally drenched in sweat and very confused for at least 10 minutes. I have to physically get up and out of bed in order to wake up fully and return to reality. I then feel very very tired for the rest of the day and unable to do much as the sleep I did get lacked the normal sleep waves. That in turn, causes me to feel low and normally worsened DP/DR due to a fatigued brain.

So essentially these drugs aren't getting a chance to work as they are absolutely ruining my sleep to the point of exhaustion the next day. So instead of trying to go outside or do something productive with my day, I will lay on my sofa under a blanket forcing myself not to take a nap.


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## cltool9

I'm sorry to hear that, i'm still having very vivid dreams as well but the first time i took it was the only violent dream i've had, i've had labored sleep as well some days but i kind of expected that as i'm not on anything to help with it but when i do sleep it's starting to feel like actual natural sleep as opposed to when i was on anafranil which made me feel like i didn't sleep at all, like i just kind of laid down and immediately got back up, ugh, anyway that's another med that is supposed to help with DP/DR significantly, but I also read that in trials a couple people dropped out because they couldn't handle the side effects which i'm assuming is what happened to me, i was terrified to get out of bed, i hear a lot of this stuff is supposed to get worse before it gets better, how long have you been on it so far? what's your dosage at the moment?


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## AMUNT

but steveouk, apart from that, how do you feel with the dp/dr and or depression (if you have any)


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## cltool9

well i noticed a change today, first day i haven't had a crying spell but i've been really restless/hyper and my eyes feel so heavy and tired at the same time, so weird.


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## karrilho67005

Hey everyone!

Just wanted to give you an update. I am currently taking 200mg of Lamotrigine, 200mg of Sertraline and ocasionally Propanolol for tachychardia.

As I said before, my anxiety is really low, on a day to day basis, being almost mostly reserved for antecipatory moments, such as the time before a social encounter or before having a test and also for moments of extreme tiredness, but these are normal. Still I can reach an even lower point of anxiety, of course.

My sleep doesn't bother me much anymore! Sleeping badly makes me tired and I still have low energy, and low resistance compared to a few years ago. I've also gained some weigth so that's probably a factor ahahah

But the most positive news is... *drumroll* My feelings are returning! I felt extreme chills from listening to music and I started feeling them again after reaching 200mg!!! The visual aspects of DP/DR are still unnafected, though, but I think it's just a matter of dosage!

So, in summary:

Current Complaints:

-Visual DP/DR
-Tiredness and lack of energy
-Still emotionally apathetic, but better!

Future treatment plans:

-Exercising and maybe a diet change
-Increasing lamotrigine gradually. Target dose is 400mg

I'll leave an email response I got from Dr. Mauricio Sierra, one of the leading specialists in DP worldwide:

Dear Joao,

I think your initial response to lamotrigine is quite promising. We normally recommend a target dose of 400 mg/day, and have found that patients who respond to it, do so normally at higher doses.

I would recommend that you continue making 50 mg increments every two weeks until you reach the target dose, unless of course you benefit from lower doses.

I wish you the best of luck,

Mauricio


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## cltool9

hey there, thanks for sharing, i actually am having trouble with random crying spells i made it 2 days without them and had a really bad one today, is it possible that the lamictal is causing this would you know? is there like an adjustment period, i'm only on 25 mg but i increase to 50 in 2 days, i also get really hyper sometimes


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## kristikristi65

Hey guys I'm starting lamictal tomorrow. I'm currently on 50 mg of Zoloft and .5 mg of ativan. I'll let you know how it goes if that is okay.


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## texas2006

Kristi, yep... you are on the SSRI+Lamictal+Benzo combo. Hope you tolerate the lamictal well and join everyone else on the other side.


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## cltool9

upping the dosage to 50 mg tomorrow and i see my therapist sometime next week so hopefully i can get an SSRI to go with this, i'll let everyone know how it goes


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## kristikristi65

Saw the doc today. He figures since my zoloft cured my DP before and now it's not, that we should switch SSRIs. Starting 10 mg of lexapro tonight and then eventually we will add the lamictal


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## cltool9

well, i don't know if the lamictal is starting to help or if it's my attitude toward this or both, but it's getting a little easier to deal with, except for being outside and around people, i can talk and have a good time but it's like i'm listening to myself talk, i try to ignore it and what not, but i don't feel like i'm all there, but being around friends is a great distraction and i'm trying to keep pushing myself, it's getting easier to just accept it, ignore it and shrug it off and not worry about it so much


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## cltool9

so i'm curious as to what SSRI is recommended to go with Lamictal? i've been reading a lot about this and it seems there are a bunch of different ones that have helped, i hear effexor works really well and pristiq though it's not an SSRI but an SNRI, i guess the most common used is Celexa? it's getting a little easier to bare but it's still hell (the feeling of not being myself, i feel like i have split seconds of lucidity though) it's just really annoying and when i catch myself thinking about it i have a small panic attack that lasts about 2 seconds, i feel like i'm in someone elses body ugh and i've actually been getting very angry, i used to be terribly OCD before this happened and i hated when someone said "Oh my God" or "Jesus Christ" or "Goddammit" now i find myself saying it all the time. i'm hanging in there though, i know there's hope and i wanted to check in to see how everyone is doing.


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## cltool9

okay, worst episode i've had ever was today, i got so angry and was screaming and yelling at the top of my lungs balling my eyes out after being with a friend of mine, for the first hour or so i felt great being with her, i'm not sure what it was but i was aware of the change and was kind of like what the hell? after my fit i calmed down but felt weird still, i'm home now and i feel a tiny bit better, it may have been the lighting in the room, i'm not sure but damn was it bad i really am having doubts of sticking with this stuff, it seems i'm extremely sensitive to medicine, i think i'm just going to stick with an SSRI and the newer stuff, this old stuff is kicking my ass, and the dreams are so damn life like it's scary, good luck to those of you who will continue but i really don't think i can.


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## steveouk

I'm thinking I might stop this drug too. I'm not really willing to go much higher than 50mg which I've been on for almost a month now. It's strange because my real vivid dreams have calmed down a bit but so have the little positive effects of the drugs. Since the vivid dreams went a week ago, I've been back in a state of complete unreality. I keep getting anxious over the time for some reason. It never really 'feels' like the time it really is. Suddenly the sound of my own voice is really bothering me and it doesn't sound like me when I'm on the phone. I'm again, having huge difficulties being around someone. I tend to spend my days staring at the wall or ceiling for hours. Just can't stop staring at nothing.

This is pure hell. What the hell is this stupid condition anyway? It's nothing I can even describe to people. No one has even heard of it. It doesn't make sense to me. I just want to snap out of it and get back to living my life. It's been 17 months now and I'm getting sick and tired of having such a restricted life in my tiny flat, unable to see anyone or go anywhere or do anything and my only escape from this nightmare used to be when I was asleep but now I get literally nightmares.

Sorry for my rant. It's completely off topic about the drug I know.


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## cltool9

don't apologize dude i understand completely how you feel, i want a normal life, i want my friends back, i want to go places and do things like i used to, i'd kill to say "I don't want to go into work tomorrow", exactly this is the most ridiculous disorder, people have no idea what we deal with and we basically suffer alone and this med is so weird, yesterday i was in a completely different world and felt like i had literally transformed into someone that wasn't me, today i feel a tiny bit better and i have no idea why, i keep thinking everybody says it gets worse before it gets better but what if it keeps getting worse? i really don't want to take that chance but what if the way i feel now goes away and it gets worse anyway, i have no idea what to do, this is hell!


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## deathsitcom

I can perfectly understand the frustration and desperation coming from the fact that it simply doesn't get better, it's pure hell indeed. But I'd say think about it wisely if you really want to discontinue the drug. The working dosage is pretty high and even if you hit it, it takes a long time for the effects to show, at least that's what I heard from various sources. I've yet to see any improvement at all, but I'll stick with it as long as I can. I hope I also can convince my psych to test other add-on medication like SSRI's. It's been about 20 months for me now and I don't know how I even made it through that, but it has to get better at some point, at least I'm convinced it won't get significantly worse on the long run, even if we get bad days or weeks. F.e. I think the feelings of un-reality are slightly diminished for me, compared to a few months ago, I still feel terrible and disconnected and depressed, but even if the symptoms appear to be static and made out of concrete, they change slightly with time, and hope lies in that for me; we can change for the better.


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## jenny1

Hi there,

I rarely ever write a post, but I have reading this thread and noticed that some of you are feeling despondant about the lack of progress you are making with lamotrigine. I just wanted to offer a ray of hope for you. As others have noted THIS DRUG TAKES TIME TO WORK....a long time, ten years ago I had my first experience with dp... mostly derealisation and felt crippled by it for about 18 month. During those 18 months I visited numerous psychiatrists who to me it was a symptom of depression and prescribed medication in accord when none of them worked i even had ECT. Eventually I found this site, diagnosed myself and was led to the Depersonalisation unit at the institute of psychiatry in London.

Dr Sierra, ( the psychiatrist there ) officially diagnosed me with dp and suggested I take Lamotrigine togther with the Celexa I was already taking. The climb up to a therapeutic dose of Lamotrigine is slow. i was told i probably wouldnt even start to see any benefits until I at least reached 150mg. When I got to that point I did notice some positive effects and these slowly increased together with the dose increase up to 300mg. After i had been on this full dose for a couple of months I can truely say I no longer had dp.

The message i want to convey is that in total it took me 6 months from when i started the lamotrigine till when i felt better. I dont want to belittle any bodies struggles with this med and of course if the side effects are intollerable then i can understand why you might need/want to stop it. But in my opinion you would be doing yourself a total diservice if you didnt try to reach the therapeutic dose, which the institute of psychiatry believes is 300-400mg. Once I got used to the drug the only side effects I really got from it were some bad headaches.

This drug may or may not help you, it may make a subtle or a dramatic difference to your dp but if it were me i wouldnt want to think I had missed out on something that could potentially free me from dp.

In addition, in total contrast to medication I would just like to add something that also helps me. Bare in mind when I tell you this that I am not a 'religious type' in the traditional sense and until recently was very much on the fence in the God/spiritual department. But I advise you to check out some of Joel Osteen Sermons on Youtube. I have to admit that in the beginning i found his approach a bit cheesy, but I soon realised how powerful his messages could be. he is a funny, easily likable guy who apparently appeals to thousands of christians and athiests alike, His messages are positive and practicle. They really help when you feel like the struggle with dp/ life is too much to bare. I listen to them 3x a week before i go out for a run around regeants Park. I have built them into my routine and little by little the messages become incorporated into my psyche!

Anyway folks.. keep trekking and your baby steps will eventually get you to the top of the mountain, even if all you can see is fog at the moment.

God bless


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## cltool9

ugh, i can't take it, these dreams are getting worse and worse, i literally can't tell when i'm dreaming and when i'm awake, last night i had a dream that i woke up ran to the bathroom pulled out my tooth, i was bleeding from my eyes, THEN i had a dream that i could actually feel, i felt like an invisible person/ghost was making my hands move and i could feel something moving on top of my sheets, i at one point was holding the cross i wear sweating profusely scared out of my mind mumbling to myself about something, i remember pushing my covers back violently , i didn't know if i was dreaming or not, and i definitely feel like the lamictal is making my dp so much worse because I didn't feel like i was switching bodies until i started taking it, i really don't know, i really don't.


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## deathsitcom

How is everyone's mood doing? To me it seems, the feelings of unreality and dp are slightly diminished, but my depression has become worse, feeling terrible actually


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## cltool9

Well, my mood is alright, i can feel angry, sad, happy, motivated, energetic when listening to music and i still have a sense of humor and laugh all the time. i've been lethargic the past 2 days, I can't concentrate, i've been trying to make sentences and skipping words and not realizing it, i tried to watch a movie last night and couldn't understand what was going on at all and it was a simple movie, i shut it off, i used to enjoy every movie before lamictal and watch them regularly it was one of my distractions that helped a ton, no real bad anxiety attacks or anything, kind of feel dead and apathetic, blank head, distorted perception of body parts when i change clothes (i feel like i'm in a different body), the punctuation... i just never really cared about it haha, so it's always been like that ... and i've explained my dreams, so i'm officially done.


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## cltool9

the dreams have subsided and this is weird and kind of irritating and funny at the same time but i'm overly aware of films now, like i can tell they're acting/faking it if you know what i'm getting at, like before i didn't care, i didn't notice i was love movies but now i can't enjoy them, this didn't start until i started the lamictal, hopefully this will subside as it leaves my system or i'm going to be very upset haha.


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## cltool9

I was wondering that too, haven't seen many people post besides me haha, i'm finding i have EXTREME forgetfulness, i get up out of my chair to look for something forget what it was and about 5 seconds later i snap too and i'm like oh yea this, then i get distracted again and remember again... this is ridiculous, i hope to hell it goes away, definitely way to sensitive to meds i think. ugh... it just gets worse and worse, maybe it's keeping me distracted enough to not realize the DP/DR haha


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## texas2006

I switched from wellbutrin to clomipramine to supplement the 200mg Lamictal i'm currently on. No changes so far for better or worse.


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## kristikristi65

Starting lamictal in two weeks. Been on lexapro for almost two weeks now. The worst symptom I am suffering from right now is that I feel like things I did in the past were a dream. It feels like I have no sense of time and things I did this morning happened yesterday. Does this ever go away? Will the lamictal even help? I hate this. I'm getting an EEG in a week to rule out anything else.


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## kristikristi65

Starting lamictal in two weeks. Been on lexapro for almost two weeks now. The worst symptom I am suffering from right now is that I feel like things I did in the past were a dream. It feels like I have no sense of time and things I did this morning happened yesterday. Does this ever go away? Will the lamictal even help? I hate this. I'm getting an EEG in a week to rule out anything else.


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## steveouk

Really interesting what you have to say about sense of time. I have a similar problem that it really unpleasant and hard to describe. It's like it never feels like the time it really is. I keep thinking 'what if I look at the time and it says 7am?' when I know it's like the afternoon or evening etc. That's gone on way before starting lamotrigine though.

For the past week I've been more fatigued than I've ever felt in my life. When I wake up it's a struggle not to carry on sleeping. I fight not to nap in the day but often can't help having one. I have absolutely no energy or strength to do anything. The tiredness is causing my head to be more foggy than ever.


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## kristikristi65

I feel the exact same way. I have to take a nap sometimes or else I will just go into full panic mode. I'm glad I'm not alone with the time thing either. I had a terrible DP attack the other day and it was the worst it has ever felt. I had just woke up and it was 9 in the morning but it felt like 5 in the afternoon. I'm having a hard time convincing myself that I am not going crazy or that I will forget who I am. The time thing has been terrible today too. One day feels like three days. And things that happened this morning feel like a distant memory from the past. Not like it happened a few hours ago. I just hit my two week point on lexapro and I'm scared it will make me worse. I know I should keep taking it tho. Idk what to do anymore


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## steveouk

Decided to pack in this drug. I understand I'm not giving this drug a full chance as I'm only up to 50mg but I don't like being on medication due to side effects. I will continue with my Escitalopram as I don't believe I'm ever able to come off an SSRI, which is why I'm in the situation I'm in now.

I've tried to contact my doctor for the last 3 days but to no avail so I have taken the steps to reduce to 25mg for the next week or two.

Is anyone aware of any withdrawal issues that I should be on the look out for?

I think I'm being stubborn about this but I don't want a cognitive issue sorted out with a medication. What happens if I did up the dose to something higher and it did work? Am I then on that drug for life as well? And I have heard horror stories about long term users trying to come off the drug.

Last year when I came out of the psychiatric hospital I had a good couple of months and that was without the lamotrigine. I'd rather work hard on trying to mentally adapt to my DP/DR than block it out with drugs. I'm going to continue to eat really well, exercise when I can etc.

I really wish everyone else the best of luck on their lamotrigine journey! I will still be a user of this forum as I've found it really helpful and it seems like the only place in the world where users of this strange condition are all together so it's a blessing to know that I'm not alone.


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## Westcoast Ghost

I'm starting today on 25 mg and will up it to 50 in a week. I'll have to stay on 50 for a month, until I can see my psychiatrist again. Then I plan to increase. I'm excited and hoping this will work! Fuck DP.

EDIT: I'm taking it in combination with escitalopram (Lexapro/Cipralex).


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## texas2006

On 100 mg of Clomipramine and 200 mg of Lamictal now... I think I've been starting to notice some of the DP/DR easing up over the past few weeks. I'll keep you guys in the loop as I continue to titrate the clomipramine.


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## cltool9

I emailed the Jeffrey Abugel guy on this and he said SSRIs are worthless but it seems they've helped a lot of people, i don't know, he said to try something like an MAOI like marplan i think it's called. any thoughts?


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## steveouk

Who is Jeffrey Abugel and what references and research does he have to state that SSRI's are worthless?


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## cltool9

I apologize, i should have mentioned this before, He wrote 2 books on this subject with Daphne Simeon, one called Depersonalization Disorder and the Loss of the Self, Stranger to Myself: Depersonalization the Hidden Epidemic, they're a couple of the leading researchers who have it and treat it in the US. has a website Depersonalization.info, i should have said he only said that they're pretty much worthless unless anxiety is your problem but it seems a lot of people have gotten better with them, so i don't know


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## kristikristi65

I probably will not be updating on this forum anymore. It has been a rough 9 weeks and my DP has gotten to the point where I can't leave the house, eat or sleep. The time distortion, things looking unfamiliar, and everything else is slowly killing me. The doctor said we need to do seroquel xr right now to get this under control. Lamictal is being put on hold for now. Good luck everyone


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## kristikristi65

And also my terrible fear of going crazy and forgetting myself which has caused severe distress. And my prescriber is a bitch and said if I don't go to an outpatient program my DP will make me forget who I am and make me go crazy. Very manipulative way to try and get me to leave the house. Also, terrible for a doc to say. Hopefully this seroquel does the trick to get me up on my feet again


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## cltool9

Okay, thank you Selig, i should have added that, he said the same thing, i'm a little forgetful still because of the lamictal


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## deathsitcom

Kristi, rest assured that you're not going crazy, even if it may feel like it atm. It's really wrong for a doc to claim that, and even if it were true, how is this claim going to help you? It's just negative.

Update from me: I'm far from doing good, but I've been worse. Hard to tell where this is going right now, but I'm slightly optimistic. Also was just prescribed Citalopram as an add-on, curious what this will do. If only I was more patient, frustrating that everything takes months...

Also, I'll get bloodwork done, to see how my body is doing with the medication, and to get my blood concentration of Lamotrigine checked.


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## optimusrhyme

i started at 25 mg Lamictal a week ago, just tok 50 mg today. Havent noticed anything yet other then waking up being drenched in sweat and my liver hurting...

im on a month trial of Lamictal. With my target dose at 200 MG. I'll keep you all informed with how things go.

Right now im on a combo that seems to be working. Ive maintained a full time job for the last 8 months and im way more social then i use to be.

-Clonazapam 1.5 mg a day

-Vyvanse 60 MG a day

-Abilify 5 mg

-Trazadone (occasionally for sleep)

Hopefully Lamictal is the final piece to this puzzle.


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## steveouk

I hope this isn't everyones experience but coming off Lamotrigine isn't a pleasant experience. I was only on 50mg for just over a month and have just downed to 25mg over the last few days and I'm so depersonalised and derealised that my dad could only stay for less than 40 seconds today when he came to visit me. My vision and my hearing was completely skewed.

I've also noticed another side effect during the last 10 days or so. I'm getting olfactory hallucinations. I keep smelling burning. It's very unpleasant. My doctor still hasn't bothered to contact me in over 4 days now. God bless the NHS mental health service.......


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## steveouk

I can easily say that my DP/DR is the worst it's EVER been thanks to withdrawing off this tablet.

This is the worst I've felt mentally and physically in a a very long time. My p'doc fails to acknowledge any withdrawal symptoms from this drug.

I'm really badly struggling here and I don't know what to do.


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## optimusrhyme

Im up too 100 mg of Lamictal a day. I notice my mood is overall better, though it hasn't really helped my dp/dr yet... I've noticed im way more emotional and my feelings have returned a bit. I haven't had any side effects at all.. aside from the first cuple nights I took it I woke up drenched in sweat.
Im going to continue forward to 200 mg and I will keep everyone updated.
cheers


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## steveouk

Selig said:


> Steve, have you considered trying a very slow taper to help assuage the withdrawals?


In all honesty I didn't think I would even need to taper considering how short I've been on this drug and how low the dose has been. I thought tapering would be me being over cautious. About 24 hours after just dropping from 50 to 25 and this happened.

I'm really really suffering and both my p'doc and my GP fail to recognise withdrawal effects from this drug, especially at my dose and my duration. I told my doctor that in that case, I am severely physically unwell and require bloodtests and he then backtracked to tell me that the withdrawing may have an effect.

I've popped a valium tonight just to have a bit of a break from the symptoms.

I'm going to wait till after the weekend and then drop down to 12.5mg for a week. Then just be off it, get this drug out of my system.

I really am worse than I have been ever right now.


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## Sleepwalker

Of course, one has to begin at very low doses and slowly climb until efficacy is reached because of a potential deadly rash reaction.
For me, there was little to no effect until I reached 200mg/day.
That appears to be my ideal dosage.
I tried climbing-no effect-came back down to 200mg.
(I need to add that clonazepam I take works to compliment it)


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## cltool9

i stopped lamictal cold turkey at 50 mg after 2 weeks and mine got really bad, but it fades, hell i went for a job interview and in the middle of it some asshole started construction work/drilling something and when i went outside the sun was so intense it was like taking a bath in light, i broke a couple traffic laws to get to my house where my light blocking curtains saved my life


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## luke1979

Hey guys,

Just thought I would add my bit to the thread in case it helps others.

I'm a 34 year old guy from Australia. I have had a few doses of DP/DR since I was about 13 or 14. The first time I had no idea what it was, went to a few doctors and they too had no idea.. As such I didn't get any treatment, had a pretty crappy time for a year or so but eventually just overcame it and life was grand... Until about 10 years ago and I got smashed once again by the DP/DR. This time it really knocked me around, ended up hopelessly depressed and anxious. Stopped working and generally fell in a heap.

After about 12 months of trying a few different medications (Zoloft, Resperidone, Valium, Avanza) I found nothing was really helping. I had been following this website for a while and stumbled across Lamictal, I figured I might as well give it a shot, so convinced a very understanding doctor to trial it. I stayed on the Avanza (45mg) as I had read that combining Lamictal with an anti-depressant could help even more. So I started the Lamictal, small dose to begin with and then over the course of maybe a couple of months eventually got my dose up to 200mg (I think). Initially it didn't do much, but slowly I started feeling these glimpses of normality, sometimes so fleeting that it may have just been a few minutes.. I remember one of the first times I was walking my friends dogs on a beach and watching the sunset, I felt it just seemed normal, like the air was fresh and I could breathe, my mind was clear and so on. It didn't last but over the next few months those periods of clarity/normality become more frequent and lasted longer.

I would say that 6 months into Lamictal I found myself much much better, I had started back at work, was socialising with people but more importantly I just felt comfortable. I had my moments of crap but could often put those times down to external factors. I began to slowly forget about DP/DR.

So anyways I stayed on the combo of Lamictal and Avanza for about 2 years (I think) and then slowly came off both without any major issues.

About 4 years ago I found myself in the DP/DR fog again, this time I was much more determined not to let it take over my life. I had enough knowledge about the condition not to let it destroy my life again. So I battled on, this time tried the old distraction technique and tried to improve my general health.. Tried a number of different vitamins and supplements, exercised a lot, gave up drinking and focus more on work and productive activities in my life.

This all helped to not let the DP/DR take hold of my life the way it had once done. I managed a somewhat successfull relationship with a girlfriend (although we have since broken up.. A good thing in the long run though lol) I have maintained a successful career and climbed the corporate ladder, built a house, have all the toys a man could want and so on. Sadly I still have DP/DR but I refuse to let it have any control over my life.

About 2 years ago I felt myself slipping into depression a bit, so I started back on Avanza, this time only 30mg.. It works well for me, I sleep brilliantly and don't have any negative side effects. It certainly helps with my mood and anxiety. I decided last year that I might give Lamictal a go, spoke to my doctor about it.. I have moved cities since the eppisode 10 years ago, so talked to my new doctor about how Lamictal helped me in the past etc. She suggested seeing a Neurologist before starting anything, I have ocular migraines that are most likely the result of an active childhood (I played rugby and skateboarded which led me to many concussions) and she wanted to get them checked in case there was a link. The neuro understood was I was talking about, even mentioned he had come across people suffereing similar things but unfortunately didn't know of any treatment for it. He also doubted it was related to migraines. His suggestion was to try Sodium Valproate, started on a low dose and increasing to 200mg twice a day. He said it was better tolerated than Lamictal and worth a shot given they are similar. I was a bit skeptical but gave it a go.

I found it did sort of settle me, I felt more relaxed but not as comfortable as when I was on lamictal. I have recently started lowering my dose, I found my weight started climbing too high and was too hard to keep on top of it. I have got myself down to 100mg once in the morning, I still take 30mg of Avanza but in the evening.

I have just tried to finish off the Sodium Valproate but felt it made me crash a bit and started back on the 100mg in the morning again.

I'm thinking about going back to my doctor and pushing Lamictal again, I'm going to stay on Sodium Valproate until I get around to seeing the doctor.

So I guess out of all of that, I guess I'm just trying to show others that Lamictal certainly can help, I'm going back for a second attempt. Strangely I remember saying to myself when I thought it was helping that if I even lapse into DP/DR again I wouldn't hesitate going back on it.. It has taken me 4 years to living up to that quote but I think it's a good idea to try it again.

Also, medication is unlikely to the one and only answer.. I credit my previous recovery to many things, each part as important as the other. My list would be in no particular order, medication, psycotherapy, a good work/life balance, spending time with good family and friends, exercise and healthy diet (although my diet has never been brilliant), living a positive life and maintaining a focus on improving the aspects of your life you can change and this is the hardest part, but learning to forget about DP/DR.

Well good luck to all of you, for those who didn't recieve relief from Lamictal don't give up - there are so many different medications.. One may just help.

For those thinking of trying Lamictal, look into it - weigh up the pro's and con's, remember you will not experience all of the effects (good and bad).

For those taking Lamictal, good luck and I wish you the best of luck.

Cheers,

Luke


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## vvector

I've had good luck with lamotrigine for several years. It might be of note that I've consistently been prescrived 600mg a day, which I am under the impression is rather high. Of course, mileage varies, but it takes this much to ease things up a bit for me.

After many years of screwing around with various meds, it just -happened- one day that I was feeling better, took a look at my situation and realized I had been unintentionally shifted into clonazepam, lamotrigine, and imipramine (clomipramine's father).

It does make one think.


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## deathsitcom

Seems many people benefit greatly from the Clonazepam/Lamotrigine combo. Maybe I should ask my doc about that, but I'm very afraid of the danger of addiction.


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## vvector

Yes, I have had such bad experiences with long-term clonazepam (18 years) that I ca not find words strong enough to advise against taking it, or any other benzodiazepines, period. It's possible and I think acceptable to take them for 3-4 weeks, but never beyond that, and even then you will have to deal with withdrawal. They are very nasty drugs, and when I was uninsured and did not have clonazepam, I went into static seizure and had to be put into general anesthesia in the ICU because none of the ER anticonvulsants had any effect. (Profopol and dexmetetomodine were the specific anesthetics used, which are somewhat exotic, but were chosen because of their lack of depression of breathing).

*Bottom line:*

*I NEARLY DIED FROM ABRUPT AND UNINTENTIONAL CLONAZEPAM WITHDRAWAL.*

Maybe those words are close to 'strong enough'.

Take care..


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## missjess

cltool9 said:


> hey there, thanks for sharing, i actually am having trouble with random crying spells i made it 2 days without them and had a really bad one today, is it possible that the lamictal is causing this would you know? is there like an adjustment period, i'm only on 25 mg but i increase to 50 in 2 days, i also get really hyper sometimes


Hey I have just been reading ur report on lamictal...if I can be honest I think you have upped the dosage way to fast. I think ppl with dp are very sensitive to medicines. Lamictal can cause all sorts of crazy side effects when u first start it and when u up the dose, it can take upto 2 weeks for your body and brain to adjust and get used to the medicine. Have u considered trying to only move up 10mg at a time rather then double straight away?

I remember when I tried lamictal I was hyper for like 3 or 4 days, irritable and weird mood swings, insomnia, weird dreams but then after about a week or so it started to feel right and my mood was stabilized and I just felt better! It even improved my ocd.

Perhaps u could try starting at 25mg and stay on that dose for 2 weeks then take half of a 25mg extra for 1 week then the 50mg on the 4th week and just go up slowly like that and wait 2 weeks before u decide to up the dose again.


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## Macki89

Hope you guys feel better soon! iam thinking about starting an ssri and se how that works out!


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## texas2006

Hey all, I am sorry I've been away busy with school and work lately and haven't updated. Here's a brief update:

1) Lamictal - up to 300 mg. No real side effects, no real help

2) Added 250 mg of clomipramine. Some side effects, not too bad. Didn't help

3) Modafinil - no help

4) Naltrexone - could only take 50 mg and puked my guts out for days. Discontinued, not sure if it would have helped

5) Currently on Brintellix and tapering up.

6) Will make an attempt with EMSAM at some point and possibly rTMS if I get really desperate and feel like blowing a ton of cash


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## Guest

texas2006 said:


> Hey all, I am sorry I've been away busy with school and work lately and haven't updated. Here's a brief update:
> 
> 1) Lamictal - up to 300 mg. No real side effects, no real help
> 
> 2) Added 250 mg of clomipramine. Some side effects, not too bad. Didn't help
> 
> 3) Modafinil - no help
> 
> 4) Naltrexone - could only take 50 mg and puked my guts out for days. Discontinued, not sure if it would have helped
> 
> 5) Currently on Brintellix and tapering up.
> 
> 6) Will make an attempt with EMSAM at some point and possibly rTMS if I get really desperate and feel like blowing a ton of cash


Any updates?


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## MiketheAlien

Updates from anyone?


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## deathsitcom

Well, all I can say is I tried it for 6 months and it didn't help me. On the flipside, at least it was pretty much the only med that didn't cause even more discomfort (compared to antipsychotics and SSRIs). Maybe I'll give it another shot in the future.


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## vmini

Hi,

I was prescribed Lamotrigine today starting at 25mg for depersonlization disorder. Goal dosage is 200mg in about 6 weeks. I can post my experience with it. I wasn't able to find much research or results from it except for the very few studies that have been done.

I'm 23, female, and my depersonalization has not been onset by a traumatic event, or from smoking too much weed (which I've read can provoke depersonalization). I experience chronic depersonalization (I feel disconnected 99% of the time, with varying intensities of disconnection/depersonalization), along with anxiety that has been brought on by my depersonalization disorder, and occasional feelings of depression.


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## inferentialpolice

vmini said:


> I'm 23, female, and my depersonalization has not been onset by a traumatic event, or from smoking too much weed (which I've read can provoke depersonalization). I experience chronic depersonalization (I feel disconnected 99% of the time, with varying intensities of disconnection/depersonalization), along with anxiety that has been brought on by my depersonalization disorder, and occasional feelings of depression.


If not from adverse childhood experiences, do you have any thoughts on what is the origin of your DP?


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## devin44

Hopefully going to be starting this soon. Anyone have any updates?


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