# How about Lamictal making the Derealisation worse?



## berlin (Aug 19, 2004)

My Lamactil has been increasing in increments of 25mg every two weeks. So far so good. I started on 100mg on Friday past. It is being combined with a tricyclic AD. But today I felt I had to mention to my Dr that I think my derealisation has become worse.
Insidious as this condition is I couldn't quite put my finger on the moment of a full return to the disturbed perception. And ironically I had never realised that I had journeyed so far from the fuzzy photosensitive dissociation until just now and I have slipped back in...
I described it as being very sensitive to light, my children flashing torches, tetchy if my partner stood with the light behind while trying to talk to me. Almost like my experience of migraine but not quite.
My Dr being unfamiliar with the drug and its use in these circumstances thought that id be best to come off it, but Id like to keep on trying.
Has anyone else had this sort of 'relapse' ?
Strangely my emotional connection continues to become noticeablly better


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## becky (Jan 19, 2006)

Hi berlin! I am sorry to hear your derealization may be getting worse from the lamictal- maybe its just a temporary side effect while your body gets use to the med? But I am very interested in lamictal... i have had DP for two years now (mainly emotional disconnection and severe anxiety) and I am thinking of asking my psych to put me on. I have heard alot of good things about it helping people and i noticed you said it has helped you feel more emotioanlly connected... do u notice any other improvements and how much has it improved your emotins? Thanks so much... sorry i am just reall interested to know how effective it is before i try it!


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## berlin (Aug 19, 2004)

hi shootingstar,

Its probably worth looking at my post on stopping Cipramil because I think its at that point that my experience began to change significantly. As an end to that post I have directed all other attention to the 'Regaining Reality' part of the forum, because although Iam still in the midst of this fog there has been distinct connection (however nanosecond brief) with my emotions and memories. And thats all been recently (within the past three or four months out of almost four years 24/7) So thats got to be positve (although I know that it sometimes feels like wishful thinking. :? )

As you have read, unfortunately my perception and connection with my surroundings has lapsed, I have gone backwards when I hadn't even been aware I had moved forward!

I hadnt really attributed the improvement on Lamictal, more to the return to an antidepresant I had experienced before. But who knows? As they say all experiences are personal. I do want to continue though, to see if this is just a little setback. I want to give it a proper try before my already nervous gp decides that she doesn't want prescribe it any longer!

I certainly think it is worth a try, remember that Iam using a tricyclic AD and not an ssri as used in the research.

But I must keep focusing on what I have regained; the knowledge that, somewhere underneath, Iam open to experience life again as a human being.

Let me know how you get on,

best wishes Angela


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## Homeskooled (Aug 10, 2004)

I experienced increased sensitivity to light on SSRI's and tricyclics, and the Amen Clinics dont recommend using them with temporal lobe disorders, just anticonvulsants. So some of your negative symptoms may actually be stemming from your use of an antidepressant, and not the lamictal. If you are on cipramil, is that an SSRI? I'm not sure about the European drug names.

Peace
Homeskooled


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## berlin (Aug 19, 2004)

Thanks Homeskooled for your response, I could use some knowledable advice at the moment.

Cipramil, I belive is Celexa over there. I had been on that the past few years with no improvement to my experience (derealisation and depersonalisation 24/7) but at least I wasnt depressed about it!

I came off it and asked to return to the use of an antidepressant which I had been on previously for five or so years, because it was my belief that at least I 'knew where I stood' with this drug. I had retuned to it for a month or so before the Lamactil was introduced;



> Having stopped the cipramil and resuming the use of amitriptilyne has had the greatest influence on my experience. I have yet to attend the psychoanalysis( an appointment is five months away) and the lamictal is still on its ascent to a 'target' dose of 100mg.
> 
> There has been no positve change to my perception or orientation in my world. If anything my visual percetion has worsened in response to the addition of another drug which makes me drowsy.
> But there is a marked increase in my mental traffic, Iam engaging with my senses again. Not only have I begun to experience associations and memories when I smell or hear things but for some short moments I am confused to experience a duplicate of a whole 'context' of feelings. The memories are interacting easily now in contrast to my previous isolation. I even enjoyed a program a few nights ago which revisited the music of the eighties. With this my life may regain more depth.


I was aware of Amytriptiline's possible 'blurred vision' but it hadn't bothered me before. Sensitivity to light and foggy vision was a symptom which I initially consulted the Dr about(before I was on on any medication this time) .I really do believe for whatever reason that it is the Lamictal which is not agreeing with me. Since my post the derealisation has become a lot worse, Iam also a little clumsy and find some fine motor skills diminished, eg tying my shoe laces, picking things up and dropping them. I was so concerned over the weekend all I could think of was decreasing my dose to come back down. 

thank you,


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## gimpy34 (Aug 10, 2004)

Lamictal made me extremely sensitive to light. A lot of anticonvulsants do that. Some antidepressants have made my light sensitivity worse but every anticonvulsant I have taken, across the board, has made me more photosensitive.


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## Homeskooled (Aug 10, 2004)

Dear Gimpy, 
I'm curious now - what anticonvulsants have you tried, and what antidepressants, if any, did you take with them?

Berlin, 
I would still mull over the possibility of the amytryptiline causing your photosensitivity, as its not really a common side-effect with Lamictal. Your clumsiness is definitely associated with anticonvulsants, however. It may go away after several days, but its something that you should also discuss with your doctor. Sometimes it just takes the body time to adjust to a dosage increase. Like benzos, you arent supposed to operate heavy machinery on anticonvulsants. If it doesnt agree with you, however, I would give a thought to trying something like Klonopin or Neurontin, two anticonvulsants with low side effect profiles that have helped some board members.

Peace
Homeskooled


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## gimpy34 (Aug 10, 2004)

Oh, where to start.

I have taken Lamictal, Neurontin, Trileptal, and Keppra. And pretty much all the benzos if you count those.

What ADs did take with them? I tried taking them alone and with ADs, but the only ADs I took with those were Wellbutrin and Zoloft.


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## Homeskooled (Aug 10, 2004)

Wellbutrin is a no-no with anticonvulsants, as it causes seizures. Zoloft? 50-50....not real good, not real bad. Your the only person I've met on here who tried Keppra - why, may I ask, did your doctor start you on them? Were you diagnosed with a seizure disorder? And have you tried Topomax, Tegretol, or Klonopin? Lastly, what are your symptoms? Thanks, and I apologize for asking so many questions, but I'm mentally storing away the data for future reference regarding the efficacy of anticonvulsants with DP.

Peace
Homeskooled


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## gimpy34 (Aug 10, 2004)

I've been on and off Klonopin for 4 years. Trying to stay off. Has made me dumb and fatigued. It exacerbates my DR as well. It does help DP in the context of a panic attack or anxiety though.

Wellbutrin is not a no-no to take with anticonvulsants but for people with epilepsy, no, it is not good to take Wellbutrin.

No, I don't have epilepsy. But, I found the AEDs very helpful for panic attacks and anxiety. Helped me control racing thoughts and stuff. But, unfortunately they made me tired and made the DR worse, partly because I got so sensitive to lights. I kept changing them because they all made me really depressed so I was looking for one that didn't. Lamictal didn't make me depressed but I didn't find it as helpful for panic attacks... and my photosensitivity was driving me nuts. I turned into a vampire.


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## berlin (Aug 19, 2004)

I'm on my way down the dose. My perception is back to the glaring shallowness which characterised the worst of the begining of my experience. I really don't believe that it is down to the amytriptiline. Feel a bit miserable about it.


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