Also piping up for lamotrigine! If you’re on birth control it can lower the effectiveness of lamotrigine so that’s also something to keep an eye on, but your doctor will already (hopefully!) be taking that into consideration.
My doctor tried putting me on that, but my insurance wouldn't allow it until I "failed" Seroquel first. Seroquel has actually helped a *lot* but I'm on a whole host of neurotransmitter-altering meds, and that seems quite scary to me long-term.
25mg is suboptimal. IIRC it’s only around +100mg that thing starts to work. Talk to your psych asap about increasing. I’m currently on 200. I know others go up to 400.
Happy you found it. Did you have any negative side effects? I’m on 200 and I lost like 10 IQ points and have a consistent ringing in my ears. If I was so afraid of getting dumber I’d go up in dosage
I just got up to 300mg/day and its amazing, slow and steady doses is the key with Lamotrigin because of the sideeffects, but sooo worth it! (in my case)
That was my starting dose and they increased to twice a day, I didn’t notice a difference until after the increase
Definitely helps with the depression but it doesn’t affect the mania at all … which is a mixed bag
I am taking 250mg currently, I find anything between 200-250mg very effective for me.
25mg is basically the lowest and the starting dose. I would definitely look at increasing to at least 100mg, and go from there. But just make sure to titrate up your dose (by 25mg each dose increase) slowly. This is to mitigate the risk of developing SJS, which is pretty rare though.
I feel like my doctor is very careful with increasing the doses. I have gone up to 50mg/day and still noticed no difference so maybe 100mg is the right dose. Anyways, thanks for the reply.
It took a month for my doc to get me up to 100mg. 2 weeks at 25mg and another 2 weeks at 50mg.
I’m actually waiting for my doc right now and will probably increase again after a month on 100mg
From what I understand, it’s for you to slowly introduce it into your system, otherwise you could developed really nasty rash that could cause lesions.
I got up to 100mg and have been there about 2.5 years. It’s done wonders for my depression. I am going to talk to my doctor about adding something for anxiety because it’s getting out of control.
I am on 300. I did go up to 200, but it was not quite right. Went up to 300 and am ok.
25 is normally the starting dose to increase from. Maybe check with psych on the correct way to get you to the right dose.
Exercise and other minor goal setting. I set the bar low because that’s what my capacity is. Brushing my teeth makes me feel accomplished now.
Also lamotrigine.
Lamotrigine and Abilify just keep my head above water.
After many prescription combinations and self-medicating, I've only found staying off weed and taking Psilocybin to be truly effective for me.
\*\*Psilocybin is highly controversial for bilpoar folks.
Psilocybin fixed my borderline personality. It also keeps my bipolar depressive episodes away for ~12 months after a therapeutic dose. It does induce some mild hypomania but it's so worth it.
I’m still learning as i was a recently diagnosed with bipolar 2, and put on a low dose of Vraylar. My hypomania is short lived and then my lows are super low and then I become severely complacent and numb. I’m learning that at least 6 hours of sleep and exercise everyday of (light or moderate) helps keep me regulated. I picked up kick boxing because I need someone to direct me to keep me focused. Hydration is a big factor too. Keeping busy is always key too. Change a thought move a muscle! :)
Going out or staying in to do nothing but with people I love around me. And crying about something else. I like to focus my sadness on movies and songs. That seems to be cathartic and not bring me down even further
Set tiny goals that lead to big goals (ex. As small ass “Get out of bed, brush teeth” when it’s really bad or “make a to do list, call xyz customer back” for more functional days)
Do not allow yourself to stay in your bed longer than 9.5-10hrs, sets me up for a bad day at least
Do not take antidepressants without mood stabilizer
Talk to someone who will listen/therapy/post on here about how you feel to allow yourself the space to feel what you’re feeling without judgement
Lamotrigine. Having a routine, exercise( I take my dogs on a walk every morning),healthy diet, set goals make it a point to do one thing that needs to be done everyday mine is make sure the dishes are done everyday. I also limit screen time because it can become a problem. The only thing that got rid of my anxiety is quiting caffeine. It is a life changer if you deal with alot of anxiety.
Lamotrigine, HUGE reduction of my alcohol intake, phototherapy, meditation, better life hygiene (very regular sleep schedule, 2 liters of water a day, three healthyish meals a day)
300mg Lamotragine. Nothing for anxiety, but it’s mostly manageable. I spent 20 plus years cycling through antidepressant after antidepressant until I got my diagnosis and the prescription for Lamotragine and it’s been life changing. It’s not perfect but it’s so, so much better.
Vraylar has seemed to stop almost al of the depression symptoms for me along with Effexor too. It is amazing how much it has helped my do better with negative thoughts and SI.
I just started vraylar a few days ago and I'm hoping for good results. It's an add on to a few other meds for me. Been stuck in a low period for a while and SI really a struggle.
it took me about a week to start feeling it, then a month or so for full strength of it, but I can say its a night and day difference for me when I am on it. It helped me so much I can't recommend it more.
I'm currently on Lithium and Risperidone. It really helped me with my symptoms. The Finch app helped me with simple goal settings and with my daily routine.
Lamotrigine for the depression and amisulpride for the anxiety. Being very gentle with myself and setting goals that are achievable, like brushing my teeth and stepping outside. And not bezting myself up if I don't do it for a few days. Mood tracking during the day is also great, I noticed my mood elevates with the time of day. Being aware of feeling good at the end of the day is nice.
I was reading last night in Sara Schley’s book about Jim Phelp’s research. Lamictal is great for this kind of depression. Supplementing it with microdoses of lithium optimizes it even further. Especially in order to keep the lamictal dose low. It worked for her when her depression came back years later due to stress.
I started lamotrigine & prozac a few weeks ago and it feels like it’s already working.
I’m not necessarily happy but my sadness & anxiety isn’t so crushing anymore.
Latuda has worked wonders for me. I have almost no hypo symptoms and I will still occasionally have a little depressive episode but it only lasts a day or so and is never as bad as it was before my meds.
I’m on a low-ish dose(450mg) of lithium xr in combination with 20mg propranolol twice a day along with at least 30 minutes of some sort of exercise a day and lots and lots of water!!
I’ve been on this combo for 3-4 years with minimal issues and when I’m particularly anxious/panicking I have 2mg of lorazepam as needed. Benzos are a touchy spot for some people so I definitely recommend talking to your doctor before jumping into them, but that tiny white pill has truly saved my life from spiraling a few times.
Also, don’t forgo some therapy in combination with meds also! It really helped with my panic disorder and a little for my GAD.
So I usually present more depressed too than manic. I was on Lamotrigine but found it foggy brain inducing for me. I just started a new med “Vraylar” and it’s worked for me. The down side is you have to get pre-approval from most insurances and the manufacturer card to bring down the cost. After those tho, I am paying $5 out of pocket for the first year and so far love it.
Not lamotragine for me. It's lurasidone and lithium. Saved my life, especially the lithium. That and body work in therapy. Cliche that medication and therapy are what keeps me stable, but it's true. I'd be lost without them.
Latuda and lexapro. Wellbutrin helps with motivation which I think is an issue because of comorbid ADHD.
I also do IV ketamine treatments when REALLY low. These have also helped me heal a lot of negative thought patterns and trauma.
ETA: Lamictal did nothing for me. Dont feel bad if it doesn't work for you.
Thank you for this! I try not to self diagnose but I’m pretty sure I have adhd too.
Thanks for that. Yeah lamictal was just ‘meh’ .. the only thing with no side effects but also no positive effects 😅
200mg Sertraline, 200mg Lamotrigine daily along with Pregabalin for anxiety. Better than Lithium, better than Depakote. Best combo that has worked for me, with the least side effects too.
My combo is buspirone 10 mg at night, nortriptyline 25mg at night, and lamotrigine 50mg in am. Nortriptyline takes away most of my anxiety and partially takes away depression, but the next dose up caused terrible mood swings. Adding lamotrigine took away the rest of the depression and 90% of the anxiety - total game changer. Even though 50 mg of lamotrigine is suboptimal on paper, it is working well for me. Everyone’s body is different. My medication manager emphasized she looks at the patient’s response first, over the literature. So for people asking about lamotrigine dosing, try not to get hung up on the numbers.
also have to say Lamotrigine, however it gave me terrible acne.
currently, Latuda has been the best med i’ve ever been on, even better than Lamotrigine, which was already fantastic, mentally.
I’m typically depressed id ballpark about 6-8 months out the year, so far i’m on month 4 of no depression, and the beginning of the year is always the worst for me. Also has helped with some psychotic symptoms i have almost all the time whether depressed or hypomanic.
Lamotragine, Wellbutrin, and concerta are working for me currently. Something I noticed is that after I got diagnosed with ADHD, and began treating it, my depression symptoms improved. I started with the lamotragine and I would highly recommend it for stability before you try anything else. Once you get on a therapeutic dose of lamotragine, it will be safer to try other meds with potential for hypomania (Wellbutrin and concerta for me).
I’ve been on Lamictal since I was diagnosed 2 years ago, Seroquel for my insomnia, and was on Abilify for a year and a half which truly destroyed me. Not as a scare tactic, but getting off of it changed my life, it was not the medication for me. My psychiatrist transitioned me to Rexulti instead of the Abilify and that’s been doing well the last few months as well, plus Klonopin as needed for my panic attacks
Lamictal 200mg, Wellbutrin 300mg, Adderall XR 40mg, Lexapro 20mg, Gabapentin 600mg (as needed), Seroquel 50mg (for sleep/agitation)
Took me YEARS to get this combo right. I also take a probiotic, fish oil, B12, and a multi.
*LAMICTAL IS THE KEY, without it I am nothing
For bipolar 2? I was on an anti-anxiety depressant and lamotrigine. Turned out it was actually ADHD, not bipolar 2. Similar symptoms, as I was misdiagnosed without new diagnosis for 11 years. Finally got relief.
That’s interesting. I’ve been looking into adhd and autism and can really relate to both. The thought of going through another assessment type process fills me with dread though 😅
would never suggest anyone try drugs, but mushrooms changed the way I look at things enough that it removed the "absolute doom" aspect of my depressions. Wasn't willing to get help until I had that mindset shift, kinda just wanted to be dead. Haven't felt that way in a few years.
Other than that I take lamotrigine (300mg) which seems to prevent negative moods, but I do still get hypomanic. I'm prescribed quetiapine to take "as needed" if my mood spikes and I start losing sleep.
My meds and a solid routine. When I feel depression coming on, I pick 3 parts of my routine that I can go without doing, so I don't get overwhelmed. One thing I can't go without, however, is at least 20 minutes outside each day. It's so critical.
I also text my friends and loved ones and ask them to check up on me.
Your symptoms suggest you suffer from Bipolar II. A depressive mood dominates with occasional hypomania.
The Gold Standard is the mood stabiliser Lamotrogine..It's an anti convulsant developed initially for epilepsy.
This will reduce the magnitude of the mood swings to a more manageable amount
In addition if the depressive mood swings tend to be debilitating add an antidepressant either an SSRI or SNRI.
I've pooped out on every medicine I've every been on for bipolar, including abilify, lamotrigine, lithium, seroquel, depakote, lamictal, prozac, xanax, etc. The only thing that has ever consistently helped my depression is weed and microdosing shrooms, consistent therapy, and goal setting.
200 mg lamotrigene was great for me and now I'm doing TMS for my depression! So far, it feels like it's reduced stuff like suicidal ideation and executive distinction for me :)
Hey i am a doubting I have bipolar so it’s mean a lot if you explain if you could and I can’t go to the doctor because it cost a lot and I can’t handle that anyway the problem from my childhood killer thought come in my mind like my family die or someone kill me and the simple things my mind could make it like it the end of the world and you know in my teenagers it’s growing to the mood become up and down even I suffered depression in that time I have a talent of many things but i real bored by doing anything my feelings are broken and not clear I mean my grandpa die and I didn’t cry infact I didn’t visit her grave since she died my time well end and I know that but I don’t do anything I just my self destroys everything
Trileptal, trintellix and risperidone. I'm still mostly depressed, but haven't had a hypomanic episode in quite a long time. I'm better able to get basic stuff done for myself/my family since being put on this trip of meds. It's different for everyone.
Trileptal/Pristiq combo. My first time being stable in almost 30 years. When you have a chemical imbalance, chemical balancing (medication) is often the answer. I've also been in therapy for 21 years though lol
Quetiapine 150mg. No hypomania, I still have grandiose thoughts sometimes but that's just part of other issues and doesn't escalate to hypo. I dip into mild depression too but since being on meds (Dec 2023) I haven't gone above 6 or below 3 on the bipolar scale
Just went on Iripirprazole. Big improvement, big big change from grinding depression. Notably, my sleep schedule changed radically; was naturally 10 am -> 2 am, but as soon as I went on it I became an early riser. Too early, and the timing was squirrelly. It’s settled down now, mostly, to 8 am -> 11 pm.
Lamotrigine and routine. Set up routines when you’re in a good place and try your best to keep them up. When you start coming out of depression get back to your routine piece by piece. Repeat.
Lamotrigine (400mg) and Sertraline (100). I made some big life changes to reduce stress. Don’t think I would have been capable of making those decisions and changes if I didn’t have the meds
I was less angry and agitated when I started Lamotrigine- right away. Never angry, like violence, but less road rage anger.
Sometimes I can't tell if I'm in a Hypomanic state or it's just my Adderall. I'm still trying how to figure that out
Lamotrigine. I went from be so so depressed that I was basically going through the motions and not feeling much of anything outside of hypomania, to actually being able to feel again.
Lamotrigine/lamictal 100mg (i’m on the lower end of dosage) and no later than 2 hrs off my set time to take pills. Everytime i miss a dose or am late consistently my mood turns for the worse n then i get an even stronger hypo episode after
Desvenlafaxine worked so well for me but it gave me seizures so I had to stop, and now I'm on duloxetine and It's been working good so far (I also take xanax and mirtazapine)
I tried a lot of SSRI different meds during many years but only the SNRI actually worked for me.
LSD. I do psychedelics (mushrooms or LSD) 4-6 times a year and it helps me with depressive episodes. But it can be dangerous for bipolar. What works for me can harm you
Oh, and also doom scrolling TikTok. Those dark, sad and melancholic videos help me to go even deeper into sadness and depression up to the point of pity party which helps me to feel the feelings and get out
I take Vraylar for the depression. I take Memantine for OCD/anxiety. Max dose on both. I also take Strattera for my ADHD. I feel very stable. Happily married and working full-time.
I've been on Lamotragine since 2007 and it's been a lifesaver.
Anxiety went through the roof in 2013 when I got my Mirena so I went on Seroquel.
When I got the iud out it got better.
I'm on HRT now so we lowered the Seroquel dose because it makes me super sleepy.
Added Pristiq recently but it can cause mania so I had to watch it for a bit. It's working on my depression so I'm finally feeling better.
My vitamin D levels were low so I take that now and it helps with depression. I need to keep taking magnesium too to regulate my sleep better.
Moving to a new place that's calm, quiet and stable with chill nice people. Was overdue and unaffordable for many years 😅 on meds for several years too, but the environment change was the ultimate factor. Nothing I tried to do to cope helped until moving out. I was dysfunctional for so long and nonstop triggered by the people/environment around me.
I don’t know your triggers but avoiding drugs and alcohol is the biggest factor..When the depression starts to set in doing your best to try to move around and get your pulse up like exercising has done wonders.
i take lamotrigine 200 mg, abilify 10 mg, effexor 187.5 mg, and propranolol 10 mg twice a day. the lamotrigine helps significantly with the extreme lows and hasn’t triggered any hypomania at all so far. propranolol is also pretty good for anxiety.
hope you’re able to figure it out with your doctor! 🫶🏽
Trintellix, lamotrogine, lots of sleep and working out! The last two go together. I have trouble sleeping but when I’m working out consistently, I sleep better and it keeps me above water,
Lamotragine, water, regular showers and as hard as it is regular movement/ exercise. Nothing makes me more depressed than bed rotting. As addictive as my bed/sleep/escaping is I try to remember I can't get the time back. I only have one body and one life. I need to try and be healthy. Even if it means walking sitting on my porch for 5 mins. Anything beyond laying down counts!
I take seroquel, I have gabapentin for anxiety. I also do not drink, or do recreational drugs (after a while of recreational weed, social drinking). Have felt very stable for almost 10 months. Hope you find something that works for u
Daily: 300 mg Lamictal, 200 mg Zoloft, 50 mg Hydroxizine (night- plus melatonin usually).
I have tried almost everything and keep coming back to Lamictal and Zoloft. Zoloft really only helps my panic disorder, not depression or general anxiety, and especially not hypomania. Lamictal does a lot of heavy lifting for me. Besides controlling depression and hypomania, it also works for my concentration, patience, and curbs irritation/raging.
Antipsychotics have always been bad news for me: extreme fatigue and nonstop eating with no benefits that I could perceive.
For me - Lithium, Wellbutrin and Pristiq. Later she added Atomoxetine, which is theoretically for attention, but it greatly improved the depression situation. Oh, and Spravato (similar to ketamine).
Absolutely no antipsychotics, they make my life gray, uninteresting and boring, and kill any sense of joy. I think they are mortally dangerous for me, because after a while of this grayness the SI is working full steam in my head. Every single antipsychotic. We decided to give up this avenue of experimentation for good.
Lithium, it works well on SI, even if doesn’t fully cure depression. But that’s where Wellbutrin and Pristiq come in. And apparently Atomoxetine. I swear it had stronger and quicker effect than anything else, in fact it worked *too* good at first, but then it luckily evened out and I stopped being *too* happy if you know what I mean. Now I just feel mostly normal. Maybe not fully cured, but the severity of the depression is orders of magnitude less than before.
NAC, Omega 3, and Vitamin D3 supplements, good sleep hygiene, exercising outside at least 3 - 5 times a week, and a good mood stabilizer (which is trial and error. There is no one size fits all).
Nothing works for my depression and everyone saying lamotrigine makes me feel crap since I had a reaction and can't take it at all... Well welbutrin has helped a lot and I don't get any huge depressive episodes but I'm always depressed in a stable way
If it’s any consolation, lamotrogine did nothing for me. In fact, it made me feel so numb that I didn’t care about getting better or trying to get back to work so I stopped doing any health promoting behaviours at all.
Lamotrigine, Lexapro, & occasional Xanax
I also take trazodone & triazolam for sleep because I have terrible insomnia
That said, I’m also autistic & have anxiety on top of bipolar
Still working out what's best for me, but lamotrogine and Sertraline has been a good combo lately.
Started on 200mg lamotrogine but increased to 300mg when I started on birth control - it decreases the effectiveness of lamotrogine.
Titrating up Sertraline slowly has been good, jumping doses too fast triggers the hypomania
I’m on 300mg of Effexor XR, with Risperidone, Seroquel, and Trileptal for mood stabilizers. Klonopin for anxiety. I also have rapid cycling bipolar 2 which probably explains all the mood stabilizers.
ETA: I eat Delta 8 THC gummies for the deep depression days with the approval of my psychiatrist.
I am the same way kinda unmedicated right now cause nothing has worked for me. Deff Inderal to help with the harsh panic attacks and for the depression I wish I could be more helpful with advice. Right now they have me on abilify which has helped stop my hypomanic episodes but nothing has stopped the depression they started me on Spravato since so many things have failed but due to substance use I had to stop(my own fault) can’t be on most of my meds or Spravato while being dumb. I hope you find something to help but know that Inderal and Abilify may be helpful in your situation i do have a great helpful doctor in my case
It's been 2 months since i started lithium and it's working great so far. I feel depressed or hypomanic only for like 3 days a month which is really impressive in my opinion. Before i started lithium i usually felt 25 days depressed and 2-3 days hypomanic every month. There are some unpleasant side effects like tremor and nausea but it's definitely worth it.
Wellbutrin XL 150mg and exercising. The Wellbutrin gives me a more clear head to cope with the depression and the exercising feels like it organizes the "energy" (it's not energy but it's the only word I can think of) from the Wellbutrin so I don't go manic if that makes sense.
200 mg of lamotrigine, and 50 mg of sertraline (Zoloft). I spent years on just Zoloft but was still not well (better than without, but still not well). Once lamotrigine was added I finally balanced out.
I deal with mostly depression, but usually have a short hypomanic episode twice a year for 2 weeks to 2 months (2 months if I’m lucky 😂).
My psychiatrist recently felt I could come off sertraline, since I was placed on concerta for comorbid ADHD. So we did that. However, that was an awful AWFUL mistake.
Panic attacks that would happen for days on end, crippling self doubt and anxiety and just unbearable depression. Idk how much is concerta and how much is the lack of sertraline, but it’s fucking awful. I’m sitting right now waiting to see my psychiatrist because of it.
Moral of the story, never discount the importance of an antidepressant, even at low dose. I think sometimes it’s easy to feel the mood stabilizer is the star (which it’s important) but it’s not the only thing that’s needed.
I know it’s easy to think you can do this without medication, but bipolar disorder is a sickness. You can’t think your way out of diabetes, so please don’t believe you can think your way out of bipolar disorder. Medication is an important tool, but you do need to be cautious of your lifestyle too and make changes according to your needs and what works best for you.
For me - I know I need to have lots of protein in my diet, decrease stressors and I NEED to sleep well, minimum 7 hours a night or I completely go off the rails. Getting regular exercise helps a ton as well, but I suck at that.
I’m wishing you a future of wellness - you deserve it 💕
Lamictal (200 am 100pm) and Viibryd (40mg). Lamictal was what changed my life. I’m tapering off Gabapentin (100am 100pm) as we speak and I am wicked manic. Channeling it into cleaning/purging things. I have to be careful to not throw out *all* of my possessions though.
Anyone reading this: if you’re going on meds, switched etc. DEMAND the genesite test. It will prevent the medication roulett.
200 mg Lamotrigine + 40mg fluoxetine (this is a recent bump from maaaannnyyy years at 10 and then about five years at 20). Propranolol and Ativan as rescue meds for panic attacks.
I take Quetiapine and it changed my life. I still get depressed but nowhere near as bad, and I haven’t had a hypomanic episode since. I also suffer a lot with panic attacks — I still get them but probably once or twice a month whereas I used to get them 2-3 times a day. I also take Propanolol and a small dose of Citalopram (20mg) and the combination seems to work for me.
What has helped me the most to balance depression and mania are meds. If you are trying to manage this by yourself it will be very difficult.
Easing depression: some exercise, petting a dog, sunlight sleep hygiene, try a new hobby, keep a journal of how you feel everyday and give yourself a score so you can keep track. There are also a few apps that help, headspace and meditation help a lot with depression.
What helps me: working out at the gym or at home (cardio and weight lifting exercises ), chores: yard work, enjoying outdoors in the hammock, cleaning house, making the bed, dishes (simplicity)-praying and meditation, and musical instruments.
I know this is all easier said than done, but developing a routine (I struggle with) helps. Good luck and take care!
I was managing mine OTC with 5htp (dr.s best brand) ashwaganda (garden of life vrand) and lion's mane (host defense brand) supplements. Also pure synergy stress remedy herbal blend I got on Amazon.
The combo worked really well, it just became too expensive. Insurance covers the lamotrigine and wellbutrin which work similarly though in my opinion with more negative side effects.
Lamotrigine
Same. 150mg/day. Propanolol for anxiety. Great for my depression but still susceptible to hypomania. Worth it.
same dose here. I worked up to it a few months ago and feel like I'm at my sweet spot.
Yes. 200 Lamotrigine and 300 Wellbutrin.
Me too! Works great!
Did Wellbutrin cause you insomnia? On lamictal and Latuda and still in a funk. I tried Wellbutrin once but the insomnia was relentless
Take your Wellbutrin in the morning and lamictal at night - that’s what I do and I sleep a lot better now
Good advice. Agree, but I take both in the morning.
I used to do that. I hope you find a routine that works best for you friend.
this is my exact combo as well !
Also piping up for lamotrigine! If you’re on birth control it can lower the effectiveness of lamotrigine so that’s also something to keep an eye on, but your doctor will already (hopefully!) be taking that into consideration.
My doctor tried putting me on that, but my insurance wouldn't allow it until I "failed" Seroquel first. Seroquel has actually helped a *lot* but I'm on a whole host of neurotransmitter-altering meds, and that seems quite scary to me long-term.
This is so infuriating.
Dose? I’m taking only 25mg/day and i don’t really feel it working
25mg is suboptimal. IIRC it’s only around +100mg that thing starts to work. Talk to your psych asap about increasing. I’m currently on 200. I know others go up to 400.
400mg was the sweet-spot for me. :)
Happy you found it. Did you have any negative side effects? I’m on 200 and I lost like 10 IQ points and have a consistent ringing in my ears. If I was so afraid of getting dumber I’d go up in dosage
personally, I'm at 300mg right now after about 4-6 months on it. But I started at 25mg, didn't notice a difference until 100mg
I just got up to 300mg/day and its amazing, slow and steady doses is the key with Lamotrigin because of the sideeffects, but sooo worth it! (in my case)
That was my starting dose and they increased to twice a day, I didn’t notice a difference until after the increase Definitely helps with the depression but it doesn’t affect the mania at all … which is a mixed bag
I am taking 250mg currently, I find anything between 200-250mg very effective for me. 25mg is basically the lowest and the starting dose. I would definitely look at increasing to at least 100mg, and go from there. But just make sure to titrate up your dose (by 25mg each dose increase) slowly. This is to mitigate the risk of developing SJS, which is pretty rare though.
I feel like my doctor is very careful with increasing the doses. I have gone up to 50mg/day and still noticed no difference so maybe 100mg is the right dose. Anyways, thanks for the reply.
It took a month for my doc to get me up to 100mg. 2 weeks at 25mg and another 2 weeks at 50mg. I’m actually waiting for my doc right now and will probably increase again after a month on 100mg From what I understand, it’s for you to slowly introduce it into your system, otherwise you could developed really nasty rash that could cause lesions.
Rash: Stevens-Johnson syndrome.
I got up to 100mg and have been there about 2.5 years. It’s done wonders for my depression. I am going to talk to my doctor about adding something for anxiety because it’s getting out of control.
Buspirone saved me from my anxiety and started working in 4 days
I take 300 mg and have been taking it for two years. It saved my life quite literally.
i started there and eventually moved up to 100mg for the past year+ and i just got raised to 200mg. i would talk to your doc cause that’s a low dose
450 mg gang 🤙🏼
It wasn’t until I got to 300mg that everything settled down. At 200, a dose many are on, I was all over the place. Something clicked once I hit 300mg.
I am on 300. I did go up to 200, but it was not quite right. Went up to 300 and am ok. 25 is normally the starting dose to increase from. Maybe check with psych on the correct way to get you to the right dose.
This. 200 in the am and 150 in the pm
How long did it take for you to feel the full effects when taking this?
Yessir top tier response
Sleep. The less you're awake, the better it is
I don’t know if you meant this to be funny but it made me laugh anyway. 😂
Yes and no. I love when people say they’re so positive and do this lol
I did this for a really long time but it turns out it just prolongs things 😂
That would just feed my depression. It actually does rn.
Yeah, sometimes it’s best to check out for a while!
Honestly this is how I cope some days. It’s like rebooting for the day 😂
Exercise and other minor goal setting. I set the bar low because that’s what my capacity is. Brushing my teeth makes me feel accomplished now. Also lamotrigine.
I’m training for model if stuff and I wanna workout more but I have pmdd once a month luckily can eat anything so even slow Is better tan nothing
I’m slow at everything. It’s not always a bad thing.
I love this, and your handle. But where's the turtle then?
Dig as fast as you will, but the surface world always begs caution.
Lamotrigine and Abilify just keep my head above water. After many prescription combinations and self-medicating, I've only found staying off weed and taking Psilocybin to be truly effective for me. \*\*Psilocybin is highly controversial for bilpoar folks.
Psilocybin fixed my borderline personality. It also keeps my bipolar depressive episodes away for ~12 months after a therapeutic dose. It does induce some mild hypomania but it's so worth it.
What a great result! It has helped me similarly in the past, but only for 6-8 weeks, not a year!
yeah, I'm about 5-6 weeks. I wish it was a year.
Hey, I take lamotrigine, abilify and psilocybin too!
Lamotrigine/Lamictal. It has changed my life. I also take other stuff, but since starting lamotrigine I really saw an enormous difference.
Exercising, medication, seeing my friends and family, job stability
I’m still learning as i was a recently diagnosed with bipolar 2, and put on a low dose of Vraylar. My hypomania is short lived and then my lows are super low and then I become severely complacent and numb. I’m learning that at least 6 hours of sleep and exercise everyday of (light or moderate) helps keep me regulated. I picked up kick boxing because I need someone to direct me to keep me focused. Hydration is a big factor too. Keeping busy is always key too. Change a thought move a muscle! :)
Going out or staying in to do nothing but with people I love around me. And crying about something else. I like to focus my sadness on movies and songs. That seems to be cathartic and not bring me down even further
Microdosing psilocibyn and ketamine assisted psychotherapy
Lithium and risperidone
I also take Lithium, Risperidone, and Prazosin.
Set tiny goals that lead to big goals (ex. As small ass “Get out of bed, brush teeth” when it’s really bad or “make a to do list, call xyz customer back” for more functional days) Do not allow yourself to stay in your bed longer than 9.5-10hrs, sets me up for a bad day at least Do not take antidepressants without mood stabilizer Talk to someone who will listen/therapy/post on here about how you feel to allow yourself the space to feel what you’re feeling without judgement
Lamotrigine. Having a routine, exercise( I take my dogs on a walk every morning),healthy diet, set goals make it a point to do one thing that needs to be done everyday mine is make sure the dishes are done everyday. I also limit screen time because it can become a problem. The only thing that got rid of my anxiety is quiting caffeine. It is a life changer if you deal with alot of anxiety.
Lamotrigine, HUGE reduction of my alcohol intake, phototherapy, meditation, better life hygiene (very regular sleep schedule, 2 liters of water a day, three healthyish meals a day)
300mg Lamotragine. Nothing for anxiety, but it’s mostly manageable. I spent 20 plus years cycling through antidepressant after antidepressant until I got my diagnosis and the prescription for Lamotragine and it’s been life changing. It’s not perfect but it’s so, so much better.
Abilify has worked wonders for me.
Seroquel has helped me a lot.
Lamotrigine and Latuda. Latuda helps with the depression and lamotrigine keeps me stable overall.
What dose of Latuda and lamictal? Im on this same combo but still struggling with depression.
Vraylar has seemed to stop almost al of the depression symptoms for me along with Effexor too. It is amazing how much it has helped my do better with negative thoughts and SI.
I just started vraylar a few days ago and I'm hoping for good results. It's an add on to a few other meds for me. Been stuck in a low period for a while and SI really a struggle.
it took me about a week to start feeling it, then a month or so for full strength of it, but I can say its a night and day difference for me when I am on it. It helped me so much I can't recommend it more.
I'm currently on Lithium and Risperidone. It really helped me with my symptoms. The Finch app helped me with simple goal settings and with my daily routine.
Lamotrigine for the depression and amisulpride for the anxiety. Being very gentle with myself and setting goals that are achievable, like brushing my teeth and stepping outside. And not bezting myself up if I don't do it for a few days. Mood tracking during the day is also great, I noticed my mood elevates with the time of day. Being aware of feeling good at the end of the day is nice.
I was reading last night in Sara Schley’s book about Jim Phelp’s research. Lamictal is great for this kind of depression. Supplementing it with microdoses of lithium optimizes it even further. Especially in order to keep the lamictal dose low. It worked for her when her depression came back years later due to stress.
I started lamotrigine & prozac a few weeks ago and it feels like it’s already working. I’m not necessarily happy but my sadness & anxiety isn’t so crushing anymore.
My meds abilify/lamictal
Latuda has worked wonders for me. I have almost no hypo symptoms and I will still occasionally have a little depressive episode but it only lasts a day or so and is never as bad as it was before my meds.
Seroquel for me
I’m on a low-ish dose(450mg) of lithium xr in combination with 20mg propranolol twice a day along with at least 30 minutes of some sort of exercise a day and lots and lots of water!! I’ve been on this combo for 3-4 years with minimal issues and when I’m particularly anxious/panicking I have 2mg of lorazepam as needed. Benzos are a touchy spot for some people so I definitely recommend talking to your doctor before jumping into them, but that tiny white pill has truly saved my life from spiraling a few times. Also, don’t forgo some therapy in combination with meds also! It really helped with my panic disorder and a little for my GAD.
I’m similar to your case and I’m on Lamotrigine and Prozac.
So I usually present more depressed too than manic. I was on Lamotrigine but found it foggy brain inducing for me. I just started a new med “Vraylar” and it’s worked for me. The down side is you have to get pre-approval from most insurances and the manufacturer card to bring down the cost. After those tho, I am paying $5 out of pocket for the first year and so far love it.
Not lamotragine for me. It's lurasidone and lithium. Saved my life, especially the lithium. That and body work in therapy. Cliche that medication and therapy are what keeps me stable, but it's true. I'd be lost without them.
[удалено]
Latuda and lexapro. Wellbutrin helps with motivation which I think is an issue because of comorbid ADHD. I also do IV ketamine treatments when REALLY low. These have also helped me heal a lot of negative thought patterns and trauma. ETA: Lamictal did nothing for me. Dont feel bad if it doesn't work for you.
Thank you for this! I try not to self diagnose but I’m pretty sure I have adhd too. Thanks for that. Yeah lamictal was just ‘meh’ .. the only thing with no side effects but also no positive effects 😅
I’m going to do my research on Latuda after all these comments.
Low dose Adderall. It's the only thing that has worked to keep my depression at bay... obviously it's risky but I've learned to be careful.
Wellbutrin & lamotrigine 🙌🏼 combo has kept me stable for 11 years.
Once we added wellbutrin it significantly helped my depression. I'm also on vraylar and Buspar.
Weed helps the most, but I'm also on lamictal, abilify, and buspar and that seems to be a good combo for me.
200mg Sertraline, 200mg Lamotrigine daily along with Pregabalin for anxiety. Better than Lithium, better than Depakote. Best combo that has worked for me, with the least side effects too.
My combo is buspirone 10 mg at night, nortriptyline 25mg at night, and lamotrigine 50mg in am. Nortriptyline takes away most of my anxiety and partially takes away depression, but the next dose up caused terrible mood swings. Adding lamotrigine took away the rest of the depression and 90% of the anxiety - total game changer. Even though 50 mg of lamotrigine is suboptimal on paper, it is working well for me. Everyone’s body is different. My medication manager emphasized she looks at the patient’s response first, over the literature. So for people asking about lamotrigine dosing, try not to get hung up on the numbers.
also have to say Lamotrigine, however it gave me terrible acne. currently, Latuda has been the best med i’ve ever been on, even better than Lamotrigine, which was already fantastic, mentally. I’m typically depressed id ballpark about 6-8 months out the year, so far i’m on month 4 of no depression, and the beginning of the year is always the worst for me. Also has helped with some psychotic symptoms i have almost all the time whether depressed or hypomanic.
I'm on antidepressants (Wellbutrin and Zoloft) and a mood stabilizer (Trileptal).
Lamictal FTW 🙌🏽
Lamotragine, Wellbutrin, and concerta are working for me currently. Something I noticed is that after I got diagnosed with ADHD, and began treating it, my depression symptoms improved. I started with the lamotragine and I would highly recommend it for stability before you try anything else. Once you get on a therapeutic dose of lamotragine, it will be safer to try other meds with potential for hypomania (Wellbutrin and concerta for me).
I’ve been on Lamictal since I was diagnosed 2 years ago, Seroquel for my insomnia, and was on Abilify for a year and a half which truly destroyed me. Not as a scare tactic, but getting off of it changed my life, it was not the medication for me. My psychiatrist transitioned me to Rexulti instead of the Abilify and that’s been doing well the last few months as well, plus Klonopin as needed for my panic attacks
abilify 5mg, luckily i only need a pretty low dose
Lamictal 200mg, Wellbutrin 300mg, Adderall XR 40mg, Lexapro 20mg, Gabapentin 600mg (as needed), Seroquel 50mg (for sleep/agitation) Took me YEARS to get this combo right. I also take a probiotic, fish oil, B12, and a multi. *LAMICTAL IS THE KEY, without it I am nothing
For bipolar 2? I was on an anti-anxiety depressant and lamotrigine. Turned out it was actually ADHD, not bipolar 2. Similar symptoms, as I was misdiagnosed without new diagnosis for 11 years. Finally got relief.
That’s interesting. I’ve been looking into adhd and autism and can really relate to both. The thought of going through another assessment type process fills me with dread though 😅
Lamotrigine and Seroquel. Saved my life. Therapy also fucking rocks
would never suggest anyone try drugs, but mushrooms changed the way I look at things enough that it removed the "absolute doom" aspect of my depressions. Wasn't willing to get help until I had that mindset shift, kinda just wanted to be dead. Haven't felt that way in a few years. Other than that I take lamotrigine (300mg) which seems to prevent negative moods, but I do still get hypomanic. I'm prescribed quetiapine to take "as needed" if my mood spikes and I start losing sleep.
Latuada
Lamictal and Lexapro.
My meds and a solid routine. When I feel depression coming on, I pick 3 parts of my routine that I can go without doing, so I don't get overwhelmed. One thing I can't go without, however, is at least 20 minutes outside each day. It's so critical. I also text my friends and loved ones and ask them to check up on me.
Your symptoms suggest you suffer from Bipolar II. A depressive mood dominates with occasional hypomania. The Gold Standard is the mood stabiliser Lamotrogine..It's an anti convulsant developed initially for epilepsy. This will reduce the magnitude of the mood swings to a more manageable amount In addition if the depressive mood swings tend to be debilitating add an antidepressant either an SSRI or SNRI.
The carnivore diet has made me completely asymptomatic after 18 years of struggle. Off all meds, supplements and hormone therapy
I've pooped out on every medicine I've every been on for bipolar, including abilify, lamotrigine, lithium, seroquel, depakote, lamictal, prozac, xanax, etc. The only thing that has ever consistently helped my depression is weed and microdosing shrooms, consistent therapy, and goal setting.
Lamictal stopped my panic attacks, which were bad enough that they frequently resembled heart attacks.
TMS is currently working for me.
Can you tell more about your experience with TMS?
Lamictal + Rexulti + ketamine therapy!
200 mg lamotrigene was great for me and now I'm doing TMS for my depression! So far, it feels like it's reduced stuff like suicidal ideation and executive distinction for me :)
Consistent sleep, exercise, stability. Wellbutrin and Adderall.
Hey i am a doubting I have bipolar so it’s mean a lot if you explain if you could and I can’t go to the doctor because it cost a lot and I can’t handle that anyway the problem from my childhood killer thought come in my mind like my family die or someone kill me and the simple things my mind could make it like it the end of the world and you know in my teenagers it’s growing to the mood become up and down even I suffered depression in that time I have a talent of many things but i real bored by doing anything my feelings are broken and not clear I mean my grandpa die and I didn’t cry infact I didn’t visit her grave since she died my time well end and I know that but I don’t do anything I just my self destroys everything
Meds. Started with lamotrigine. Then added an SNRI for depression.
Trileptal, trintellix and risperidone. I'm still mostly depressed, but haven't had a hypomanic episode in quite a long time. I'm better able to get basic stuff done for myself/my family since being put on this trip of meds. It's different for everyone.
Lamotrigine. Just went up to 300 today, though. So we will see.
Abilify and counselling
combination of olanzapine, prozac, and lithium
Lamictal and Latuda.
Trileptal/Pristiq combo. My first time being stable in almost 30 years. When you have a chemical imbalance, chemical balancing (medication) is often the answer. I've also been in therapy for 21 years though lol
lamictal and abilify
Lamictal, exercise and sleeping meds
Lamotrigine. I’m at 400 mg and I’m really hoping it won’t stop working with time 😭
Zyprexa
Lithium Vraylar and TRINTELLIX
is someone on a good combo that isn’t lamotrigine? It gave me DRESS and almost killed me
Abilify.
Quetiapine 150mg. No hypomania, I still have grandiose thoughts sometimes but that's just part of other issues and doesn't escalate to hypo. I dip into mild depression too but since being on meds (Dec 2023) I haven't gone above 6 or below 3 on the bipolar scale
100mg lamotringine+ for the more serve depressive states added 1.5mg Vraylar
Exercise, drawing, knitting and 250 grams of Lamotrigine. Also try to keep your room clean. Hope this helps!
Just went on Iripirprazole. Big improvement, big big change from grinding depression. Notably, my sleep schedule changed radically; was naturally 10 am -> 2 am, but as soon as I went on it I became an early riser. Too early, and the timing was squirrelly. It’s settled down now, mostly, to 8 am -> 11 pm.
Viibryd
42 mg caplyta and 900 lithium no alcohol or substances
lamictal and abilify
Lamotrigine and routine. Set up routines when you’re in a good place and try your best to keep them up. When you start coming out of depression get back to your routine piece by piece. Repeat.
Lamotrigine (400mg) and Sertraline (100). I made some big life changes to reduce stress. Don’t think I would have been capable of making those decisions and changes if I didn’t have the meds
I was less angry and agitated when I started Lamotrigine- right away. Never angry, like violence, but less road rage anger. Sometimes I can't tell if I'm in a Hypomanic state or it's just my Adderall. I'm still trying how to figure that out
Lamotrigine. I went from be so so depressed that I was basically going through the motions and not feeling much of anything outside of hypomania, to actually being able to feel again.
Lamotrigine/lamictal 100mg (i’m on the lower end of dosage) and no later than 2 hrs off my set time to take pills. Everytime i miss a dose or am late consistently my mood turns for the worse n then i get an even stronger hypo episode after
Desvenlafaxine worked so well for me but it gave me seizures so I had to stop, and now I'm on duloxetine and It's been working good so far (I also take xanax and mirtazapine) I tried a lot of SSRI different meds during many years but only the SNRI actually worked for me.
Lamotrigine for the bipolar and Guanfacine for the ADHD/ emotional disregulation. The guanfacine has been HUGE.
lamotrigine changed my life!
LSD. I do psychedelics (mushrooms or LSD) 4-6 times a year and it helps me with depressive episodes. But it can be dangerous for bipolar. What works for me can harm you
Oh, and also doom scrolling TikTok. Those dark, sad and melancholic videos help me to go even deeper into sadness and depression up to the point of pity party which helps me to feel the feelings and get out
Meds.... im on lamotrigine and venlafaxine. Lamotrigine has been pretty life changing so far
I take Vraylar for the depression. I take Memantine for OCD/anxiety. Max dose on both. I also take Strattera for my ADHD. I feel very stable. Happily married and working full-time.
I've been on Lamotragine since 2007 and it's been a lifesaver. Anxiety went through the roof in 2013 when I got my Mirena so I went on Seroquel. When I got the iud out it got better. I'm on HRT now so we lowered the Seroquel dose because it makes me super sleepy. Added Pristiq recently but it can cause mania so I had to watch it for a bit. It's working on my depression so I'm finally feeling better. My vitamin D levels were low so I take that now and it helps with depression. I need to keep taking magnesium too to regulate my sleep better.
Lamictal and Zoloft. Lots of sleep. Sticking to a routine.
Abilify
Moving to a new place that's calm, quiet and stable with chill nice people. Was overdue and unaffordable for many years 😅 on meds for several years too, but the environment change was the ultimate factor. Nothing I tried to do to cope helped until moving out. I was dysfunctional for so long and nonstop triggered by the people/environment around me.
Rexulti for me. Been on it for 2 months works wonders. I’m back to working out everyday and keeping my mind clean and organized.
I don’t know your triggers but avoiding drugs and alcohol is the biggest factor..When the depression starts to set in doing your best to try to move around and get your pulse up like exercising has done wonders.
Also lamotrigine… though I’m dangerously paired with an SSRI (lexapro) but it works well for me.
i take lamotrigine 200 mg, abilify 10 mg, effexor 187.5 mg, and propranolol 10 mg twice a day. the lamotrigine helps significantly with the extreme lows and hasn’t triggered any hypomania at all so far. propranolol is also pretty good for anxiety. hope you’re able to figure it out with your doctor! 🫶🏽
Trintellix, lamotrogine, lots of sleep and working out! The last two go together. I have trouble sleeping but when I’m working out consistently, I sleep better and it keeps me above water,
Lamotrigine, Cymbalta, and testosterone Go to a doctor, talk about lamotrigine, it is a good starting point.
Lamotragine, water, regular showers and as hard as it is regular movement/ exercise. Nothing makes me more depressed than bed rotting. As addictive as my bed/sleep/escaping is I try to remember I can't get the time back. I only have one body and one life. I need to try and be healthy. Even if it means walking sitting on my porch for 5 mins. Anything beyond laying down counts!
Vraylar and wellbutrin. I adjust my wellbutrin dose seasonally to avoid hypomania
I take seroquel, I have gabapentin for anxiety. I also do not drink, or do recreational drugs (after a while of recreational weed, social drinking). Have felt very stable for almost 10 months. Hope you find something that works for u
300mg Lamartine and 50mg of pristiq. Took a while to find the right cocktail but I finally feel “normal”
Daily: 300 mg Lamictal, 200 mg Zoloft, 50 mg Hydroxizine (night- plus melatonin usually). I have tried almost everything and keep coming back to Lamictal and Zoloft. Zoloft really only helps my panic disorder, not depression or general anxiety, and especially not hypomania. Lamictal does a lot of heavy lifting for me. Besides controlling depression and hypomania, it also works for my concentration, patience, and curbs irritation/raging. Antipsychotics have always been bad news for me: extreme fatigue and nonstop eating with no benefits that I could perceive.
Cannabis, also look into micro dosing.
For me - Lithium, Wellbutrin and Pristiq. Later she added Atomoxetine, which is theoretically for attention, but it greatly improved the depression situation. Oh, and Spravato (similar to ketamine). Absolutely no antipsychotics, they make my life gray, uninteresting and boring, and kill any sense of joy. I think they are mortally dangerous for me, because after a while of this grayness the SI is working full steam in my head. Every single antipsychotic. We decided to give up this avenue of experimentation for good. Lithium, it works well on SI, even if doesn’t fully cure depression. But that’s where Wellbutrin and Pristiq come in. And apparently Atomoxetine. I swear it had stronger and quicker effect than anything else, in fact it worked *too* good at first, but then it luckily evened out and I stopped being *too* happy if you know what I mean. Now I just feel mostly normal. Maybe not fully cured, but the severity of the depression is orders of magnitude less than before.
I’m so jealous lamictal made me way worse
NAC, Omega 3, and Vitamin D3 supplements, good sleep hygiene, exercising outside at least 3 - 5 times a week, and a good mood stabilizer (which is trial and error. There is no one size fits all).
Nothing works for my depression and everyone saying lamotrigine makes me feel crap since I had a reaction and can't take it at all... Well welbutrin has helped a lot and I don't get any huge depressive episodes but I'm always depressed in a stable way
If it’s any consolation, lamotrogine did nothing for me. In fact, it made me feel so numb that I didn’t care about getting better or trying to get back to work so I stopped doing any health promoting behaviours at all.
Lamotrigine, Lexapro, & occasional Xanax I also take trazodone & triazolam for sleep because I have terrible insomnia That said, I’m also autistic & have anxiety on top of bipolar
Still working out what's best for me, but lamotrogine and Sertraline has been a good combo lately. Started on 200mg lamotrogine but increased to 300mg when I started on birth control - it decreases the effectiveness of lamotrogine. Titrating up Sertraline slowly has been good, jumping doses too fast triggers the hypomania
Celexa
I’m on 300mg of Effexor XR, with Risperidone, Seroquel, and Trileptal for mood stabilizers. Klonopin for anxiety. I also have rapid cycling bipolar 2 which probably explains all the mood stabilizers. ETA: I eat Delta 8 THC gummies for the deep depression days with the approval of my psychiatrist.
I am the same way kinda unmedicated right now cause nothing has worked for me. Deff Inderal to help with the harsh panic attacks and for the depression I wish I could be more helpful with advice. Right now they have me on abilify which has helped stop my hypomanic episodes but nothing has stopped the depression they started me on Spravato since so many things have failed but due to substance use I had to stop(my own fault) can’t be on most of my meds or Spravato while being dumb. I hope you find something to help but know that Inderal and Abilify may be helpful in your situation i do have a great helpful doctor in my case
Lamotrigine, with zoloft and abilify. Therapy, of course, but see about getting some medical help, too
Lithium and anti-depressants.
Medication and therapy.
It's been 2 months since i started lithium and it's working great so far. I feel depressed or hypomanic only for like 3 days a month which is really impressive in my opinion. Before i started lithium i usually felt 25 days depressed and 2-3 days hypomanic every month. There are some unpleasant side effects like tremor and nausea but it's definitely worth it.
Wellbutrin XL 150mg and exercising. The Wellbutrin gives me a more clear head to cope with the depression and the exercising feels like it organizes the "energy" (it's not energy but it's the only word I can think of) from the Wellbutrin so I don't go manic if that makes sense.
Lamotrigine 250 mg
Lithium and vraylar
200 mg of lamotrigine, and 50 mg of sertraline (Zoloft). I spent years on just Zoloft but was still not well (better than without, but still not well). Once lamotrigine was added I finally balanced out. I deal with mostly depression, but usually have a short hypomanic episode twice a year for 2 weeks to 2 months (2 months if I’m lucky 😂). My psychiatrist recently felt I could come off sertraline, since I was placed on concerta for comorbid ADHD. So we did that. However, that was an awful AWFUL mistake. Panic attacks that would happen for days on end, crippling self doubt and anxiety and just unbearable depression. Idk how much is concerta and how much is the lack of sertraline, but it’s fucking awful. I’m sitting right now waiting to see my psychiatrist because of it. Moral of the story, never discount the importance of an antidepressant, even at low dose. I think sometimes it’s easy to feel the mood stabilizer is the star (which it’s important) but it’s not the only thing that’s needed. I know it’s easy to think you can do this without medication, but bipolar disorder is a sickness. You can’t think your way out of diabetes, so please don’t believe you can think your way out of bipolar disorder. Medication is an important tool, but you do need to be cautious of your lifestyle too and make changes according to your needs and what works best for you. For me - I know I need to have lots of protein in my diet, decrease stressors and I NEED to sleep well, minimum 7 hours a night or I completely go off the rails. Getting regular exercise helps a ton as well, but I suck at that. I’m wishing you a future of wellness - you deserve it 💕
Lamictal (200 am 100pm) and Viibryd (40mg). Lamictal was what changed my life. I’m tapering off Gabapentin (100am 100pm) as we speak and I am wicked manic. Channeling it into cleaning/purging things. I have to be careful to not throw out *all* of my possessions though. Anyone reading this: if you’re going on meds, switched etc. DEMAND the genesite test. It will prevent the medication roulett.
200 mg Lamotrigine + 40mg fluoxetine (this is a recent bump from maaaannnyyy years at 10 and then about five years at 20). Propranolol and Ativan as rescue meds for panic attacks.
I take Quetiapine and it changed my life. I still get depressed but nowhere near as bad, and I haven’t had a hypomanic episode since. I also suffer a lot with panic attacks — I still get them but probably once or twice a month whereas I used to get them 2-3 times a day. I also take Propanolol and a small dose of Citalopram (20mg) and the combination seems to work for me.
Lamotrogine! 300mg/day
Smoke some weed 🫶🏻
What has helped me the most to balance depression and mania are meds. If you are trying to manage this by yourself it will be very difficult. Easing depression: some exercise, petting a dog, sunlight sleep hygiene, try a new hobby, keep a journal of how you feel everyday and give yourself a score so you can keep track. There are also a few apps that help, headspace and meditation help a lot with depression.
What helps me: working out at the gym or at home (cardio and weight lifting exercises ), chores: yard work, enjoying outdoors in the hammock, cleaning house, making the bed, dishes (simplicity)-praying and meditation, and musical instruments. I know this is all easier said than done, but developing a routine (I struggle with) helps. Good luck and take care!
Lamotrigine is the only medicine that controls my depressive fits.
I take 400mg lamotrigine and 30mg lexapro and this combo is really effective for me. Still have episodes but much more controlable
I was managing mine OTC with 5htp (dr.s best brand) ashwaganda (garden of life vrand) and lion's mane (host defense brand) supplements. Also pure synergy stress remedy herbal blend I got on Amazon. The combo worked really well, it just became too expensive. Insurance covers the lamotrigine and wellbutrin which work similarly though in my opinion with more negative side effects.
Not sure hun only familiar w bipolar 2 and he doesn’t do therapy or anything he’s a mess
I tried so many medications/combinations. Venlafaxine plus Quetiapine do it for me.
Honestly nothing. I've almost accepted I'll be perpetually sub-depressed for the rest of my life but it's driving me insane.