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Lamictal (lamotrigine) to calm post-acute withdrawal symptoms (PAWS)


Phil

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  • Administrator

Lamotrigine is not addicting. You will need to taper to go off it, though, because the nervous system becomes accustomed to it over time.

 

I am dubious that it will help you go off a benzo, but who knows. Has this doctor seen it work before?

 

Please remember to start very low and go slow. Let us know how you're doing.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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Hello Alto,

 

My doctor told me he has used Lamotrigine successfully for both Benzo and AD withdrawal sx's.  His experience has been that the anxiety and insomnia aspects of a benzo wd would be approximately 90% decreased.

 

I thought that I had read that coming off of Lamictal was terrible, awful, etc.  Perhaps those people experiencing these severe wd sx's had not properly tapered off of it, as you have eluded to above.

 

When my doctor told me that Lamotrigine was not addicting, that concerned me. I appreciate the information tips on its use and for reinstating my confidence in my doctor. 

 

If I do try Lamotrigine, I will go low and slow, as you have suggested.

 

Best Regards

Woof :)

If on a Benzo for a relatively short period of time, such as less than 6-12 months, one may want to consider tapering off their Benzo first (please see Will Hall's book on Harm Reduction)

 

Prior to commencing with an AD taper please consider what problems the AD is causing, as tapering is an extremely serious endeavor.   

If one has been on an AD for more than 10 yrs. please consider the potential long term negative consequences of AD withdrawal prior to tapering. (please see Drs. Healy, Glenmullen and Shipko) 

Prior to re-starting an AD taper, please do not resume tapering until all w/d sx's from any prior taper, especially CT, have resolved. 

 

2004 - Dec. 2015,  Cymbalta 20mg/d  for neck pain - Never had problems with Cymbalta.   Dec 2015, CT 20mg/d Cymbalta.  5 weeks later reinstated 20mg/d Cymbalta - without increase in CT sx's.   

Feb 2016 STARTED VALIUM 25mg/d for CT Cymbalta wd sxs.    Jan-April 2016 Held Cymbalta 20mg/d - doing pretty well (AM 3/10 anxiety and 3/10 tinnitus)

April 2016, CT Cymbalta sx's had not yet resolved and I prematurely tapered 10% q 4 wks x 3 mos.  After 3rd cut developed 10/10 wd sx's of Anxiety, Anhedonia, Anorexia, Panic attacks, dark, incresaed Valium to 28mg/d. 

November 2016, after 3 cuts, UP-DOSED all (41 beads) back up to 20mg (193 beads total) Cymbalta - from , dark to light.

VALIUM TAPER: Jan 2017 28mg to March 2019 Zero   Cymbalta has partially stabilized and helped with the Valium taper.  The only sx I have now is 3/10 Tinnitus, which I only notice when it is quiet.

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/11900-woof-cymbalta-re-stabilization-after-cold-turkey-withdrawal/  Benzo Posts http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/11951-woof-valium-scheduling-and-dosage-with-cymbalta-wd-symptoms/

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi all, i would like to add to this thread, a reliable study, i think, about the treatment and management of acute and protracted widthdawals, they mention cases of people misdiagnosed with relapse depression, when in fact it was protracted withdrawal. In the bottom of this paper they mention two possible strategies to manage protracted withdrawal, one of wish is lamictal and also gabapentin based on studies? Please all, check and say what you think.

 

Check it here:

https://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/371865#ref6

Started zoloft 25 mg on October 2009. Started tapering May 2016 to june 2016, last week at 12,5 mg and quitCrashed 23 january 2017, severe headache and panic (never had this panic all my life) next morning.Tried to reinstate with prozac 5 mg a day on 25 January 2016, bad choice, got arrhytmias and stopped. Started propranolol 40 mg as needed on january23 - 28 Feb 2017 Tried zoloft reinstatement at 1mg didnt work, more akathisia and head pressure.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • Mentor

Hi all, i would like to add to this thread, a reliable study, i think, about the treatment and management of acute and protracted widthdawals, they mention cases of people misdiagnosed with relapse depression, when in fact it was protracted withdrawal. In the bottom of this paper they mention two possible strategies to manage protracted withdrawal, one of wish is lamictal and also gabapentin based on studies? Please all, check and say what you think.

 

Check it here:

https://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/371865#ref6

 

 

just skimmed the paper and the part about using lamictal

 

"Fifth, we previously proposed treating SSRI withdrawal with anticonvulsants [6], particularly the anticonvulsants gabapentin and lamotrigine. Anticonvulsants may be used with an antipsychotic or SSRI in order to decrease or discontinue these medications. One proposed mechanism explaining the beneficial effects of using an anticonvulsant as an adjunct to an antipsychotic in schizophrenia is its antikindling effect [39,40]. Lamotrigine may also be beneficial as an adjunctive therapy with SSRIs to treat depression as it has a depression-stabilizing effect."

 

 

what concerns me about this paragraph is that the links to research to back up their points, are from old studies and some with a very small sample of patients.

 

I don't know how they can  say that lamictal has an "anti kindling effect" based on that....

 

but I did not read the whole paper, and probably won't.

 

oh wait, There's another reason to take this paper with a grain of salt: "G.C. has received conference honoraria within the last 3 years from Otsuka Pharmaceutical."

 

I wonder what drug(s) this pharmaceutical company manufactures?

 

  • pysch med history: 1974 @ age 18 to Oct 2017 (approx 43 yrs total) 
  •  Drug list: stelazine, haldol, elavil, lithium, zoloft, celexa, lexapro(doses as high as 40mgs), klonopin, ambien, seroquel(high doses), depakote, zyprexa, lamictal- plus brief trials of dozens of other psych meds over the years
  • started lexapro 2002, dose varied from 20mgs to 40mgs. First attempt to get off it was 2007- WD symptoms were mistaken for "relapse". 
  •  2013 too fast taper down to 5mg but WD forced me back to 20mgs
  •  June of 2105, tapered again too rapidly to 2.5mgs by Dec 2015. Found SA, held at 2.5 mgs til May 2016 when I foolishly "jumped off". felt ok until  Sept, then acute WD hit!!  reinstated at 0.3mgs in Oct. 2106
  • Tapered off to zero by  Oct. 2017 Doing very well. 
  • Nov. 2018 feel 95% healed, age 63 
  • Jan. 2020 feel 100% healed, peaceful and content
  • Dec 2023 Loving life! ❤️ with all it's ups and downs ;) 
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  • 1 month later...
  • Mentor

 

- In severe withdrawal insomnia, deep sleep is the first to go and the last to come back. It's important because human growth hormone is secreted in deep sleep and it is physically and mentally restorative. When deep sleep returns, emotional numbing will lift.

 

 

I've been reading more about sleep and it appears that the deepest level of sleep slowly disappears as you age, so that by a certain age (I believe it was in your 70s but may be even earlier, in the 60s) you no longer have deep sleep at all, and this is nothing to be concerned about.

it makes sense, since you are aging, not growing. I know that we are always "growing" new cells etc but overall, we've stopped growing.

 

  • pysch med history: 1974 @ age 18 to Oct 2017 (approx 43 yrs total) 
  •  Drug list: stelazine, haldol, elavil, lithium, zoloft, celexa, lexapro(doses as high as 40mgs), klonopin, ambien, seroquel(high doses), depakote, zyprexa, lamictal- plus brief trials of dozens of other psych meds over the years
  • started lexapro 2002, dose varied from 20mgs to 40mgs. First attempt to get off it was 2007- WD symptoms were mistaken for "relapse". 
  •  2013 too fast taper down to 5mg but WD forced me back to 20mgs
  •  June of 2105, tapered again too rapidly to 2.5mgs by Dec 2015. Found SA, held at 2.5 mgs til May 2016 when I foolishly "jumped off". felt ok until  Sept, then acute WD hit!!  reinstated at 0.3mgs in Oct. 2106
  • Tapered off to zero by  Oct. 2017 Doing very well. 
  • Nov. 2018 feel 95% healed, age 63 
  • Jan. 2020 feel 100% healed, peaceful and content
  • Dec 2023 Loving life! ❤️ with all it's ups and downs ;) 
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  • 2 months later...

Hello. Thanks for posting this helpful and informative topic. For people who try very tiny, microdoses of Lamictal to help withdrawal symptoms, especially sleep . . .

 

Does it matter what time of the day you take it (i.e., should you take it before bed to aid in sleep)?

 

For people that have taken this for sleep, how soon did you begin to notice even small improvements in your sleep?

 

Alto, if you see this question, I can find some of your posts about your experience with Lamictal helping you regain your ability to sleep. I know that your sleep did begin to slowly improve with Lamictal, but, was it ever eventually completely restored?

 

Thanks for any information; I can find a lot of posts from people trying to taper off Lamictal, but very few experiences from people who have taken tiny doses to aid in withdrawal.

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  • Administrator

Lamotrigine can have either effect: It can help you sleep, or it can interfere with sleep.

 

If you are going to try a microdose (a dose not larger than 5mg), it might make sense to try it first in the early evening to see how it affects you. If it makes you sleepy, you can take it in the evening before bed. If it does not make you sleepy, you can move the dosing earlier in the day.

 

(Please note: Men can tolerate higher starting doses of lamotrigine than women. It may take a week before you can feel its effect. Do not overdo your initial trial dosage.)

 

As your nervous system calms down, lamotrigine's effect can change. It may start out making you sleepy, but after a while, keep you awake. Then you might want to move your dosing to earlier in the day, by a couple of hours at a time.

 

If it starts to make you feel odd, or gives you a headache, or make you queasy, that's a sign that you're taking too much. If you've been taking it for more than a month, you may want to reduce the dosage by 10% at a time to get to the best dosage for you, one that calms your nervous system but doesn't have annoying side effects.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi

 

I've been considering lamotrigine as a second option to reinstatement of my original medication. I have a question now to those of you who have tried or is using lamotrigine for wd symtoms: is there a high risk of kindling/adverse reaction if a person starts taking lamotrigine  with a super low dose? 

I started Effexor/venlafaxin august 2014: 1st year 75 mg 2nd year 37.5 mg.

Taper: first try 37.5 to 0 in one month. Second try: 18.75 to 0 in two months.

Completely off effexor since 26-11-2016 with severe withdrawals such as blurred/constrained vision, brain fog and vertigo.

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I have managed to get a low dose of lamotrigine from my dr. I have 5mg which I intend to half or quarter. My main worry is it will make me more anxious or agitated which I don't think I could handle. 

iv been in withdrawal for almost 4 years and have had no windows.

i have terrible vertigo at the moment so will wait until that calms again. 

My main symptoms are 

deep depression 

anxiety

tinnitus

muscle pain

chronic fatigue

insomnia and alerting symptoms 

dizziness and vertigo 

heart palps

i feel very hopeless at the moment. 

 

I cant see akathesia as a side effect but it does say something about movement disorders 

 

Prozac 17 years 20mg.

Cold turkey Feb 2014

Restarted 2mg of prozac 26.8.18..

 

 

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Hi

Really glad you are going to try lamotrigine.  Did your doctor have a change of heart as she only wanted you to have prozac before. 

 

Let us all know how you get on

 

Joy

 

Jan 2023 to July 2023 250mg quetiapine

Tapered off quetiapine again over 2 months - now weight problem

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39 minutes ago, Eleven10 said:

I have managed to get a low dose of lamotrigine from my dr. I have 5mg which I intend to half or quarter. My main worry is it will make me more anxious or agitated which I don't think I could handle. 

iv been in withdrawal for almost 4 years and have had no windows.

i have terrible vertigo at the moment so will wait until that calms again. 

My main symptoms are 

deep depression 

anxiety

tinnitus

muscle pain

chronic fatigue

insomnia and alerting symptoms 

dizziness and vertigo 

heart palps

i feel very hopeless at the moment. 

 

I cant see akathesia as a side effect but it does say something about movement disorders 

 

I'm interested in this as lamotrigene has just been offered to me as my shrink thinks I'm unipolar and have not responded to any a/d and have become hooked on diazepam as a result of the stupidity of NHS Psych Dr's.

 

Dosulepin 75mg 1996 - 1997 tapered off no problem - Prozac sporadic use between 1995 and 2011 usually 9 months then off.

Mirtazapine 2015 tapered off after 4 months no problem -Prozac 20mg 2012-2015 tapered off no problems

Prozac 20mg April 2016-May 2016 stopped ct after 4 weeks due to adverse reaction I believe to be serotnin toxicity due to mirtazapine interaction

Escitlopram 10 mg May 2016 - cut to 5mg May 2016  stopped ct November 2016 no W/d's noted

Lyrica 300mg May 2016 - July 2017 - Taper from Jan to Jul 17 awful taper.

Lofepramine 150mg  November 2016 - January 2017 Swift w/d as it didn't work

Quetiapine 75mg November 2016 changed to 150 XL May2017 changed to 150mg IR July 2017 reduced to in 25mg steps from July to 50mg Oct 17. 37.5mg 12th Nov 17 - 35mg 20 Nov 17 - 30mg 22 Nov 17 - 25mg 24 Nov 17 dropped to 20mg Dec 17, 15mg Jan 18. Current taken at bedtime.

Quetiapine dropped Jan 17th 2018.

Dosulepin 75mg May 2017 - increased in 25mg steps to 175mg Oct 17 Reduced to 150mg Nov 17 current taken at bedtime

Diazepam 15mg May 2016 - c/t'd by shrink after 6 weeks. Reinstated at 12mg after 4 weeks June 16 - current 4mg 3 times a day morning, 2.30pm and bedtime.

Mirtazapine 15mg since March 2015 - current - pooped out within 4 weeks

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1 hour ago, joy2730 said:

Hi

Really glad you are going to try lamotrigine.  Did your doctor have a change of heart as she only wanted you to have prozac before. 

 

Let us all know how you get on

 

Joy

Thank you. I got in on a private script. Will cost around £60 to fill but If it helps its money well spent. 

Nervous about the SJS but it's a very low dose should be ok 

Prozac 17 years 20mg.

Cold turkey Feb 2014

Restarted 2mg of prozac 26.8.18..

 

 

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Hi

Well done.  Hope it works.  I have taken lamotrigine in the past and SJS is very r rare and starts as a rash around the mouth.  Try not to worry about the risks as that will mean you will cancel out any of the benefits.

 

You don't have to answer this but how does a private prescription work.  I am just used to the NHS in England.   I know my sleeping pill years ago was withdrawn and I got a private prescription for that for a while as I adjusted to the new one.

 

How are you feeling today?

 

Joy

 

Jan 2023 to July 2023 250mg quetiapine

Tapered off quetiapine again over 2 months - now weight problem

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Hi Joy

if you can convince a private dr that a drug may help they will write you a private script, its hand written and doesn't go through the NHS but is costly. 

im going to start the lamotrigine tomorrow I'm really nervous about SJS but it is a very low dose. 

Im so tired I really feel if I can sleep better I will improve 

Prozac 17 years 20mg.

Cold turkey Feb 2014

Restarted 2mg of prozac 26.8.18..

 

 

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Hi Eleven10

 

Good luck for tomorrow then.  As I remember it the rash, if it were to appear, appears around the mouth.  When I took it I got a rash on my fingers (don't know why) but they kept me on the lamotrigene as they said the rash is usually around the mouth.

 

Let's hope it has a calming effect for you and that you get some sleep.  You have a lot of patience, if it was me I would be starting it straight away!

 

Let us know how it goes, I really want this to work for you, and that it is money well spent.  If you can show it works for you perhaps you will be able to get it on the NHS?

 

Joy

 

Jan 2023 to July 2023 250mg quetiapine

Tapered off quetiapine again over 2 months - now weight problem

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I convinced my Pdoc to give Lamictal a try. She instructed that I take 25MG for 2 weeks then titrate to 50MG in the next 2 weeks. I have started with 6.25MG(quarter of 25MG) and have been on it for 2 days and plan to hold there for now. I do feel a bit strange, it feels similar to SSRI startup but not near as activating. I did notice on my Genesight Genetic Testing Paperwork that I have a significant gene interaction but the details of the interaction are "a higher dosage may be required" It does not note that I may have an increase in side effects. What do you guys think? I did not share my Genetic Testing Paperwork with this Pdoc, it was done under my previous Pdoc whom I quit seeing. 

1994-2015: Many trials of SSRIs for anxiety and depersonalization coupled to the anxiety. 

2013 to 04-2016: Clonazepam .5 three times a day. Slowly tapered on 04-2016. Withdrawal was hell for 6 months them stabilized. 

2013 to 2014: Celexa 20mg 

2014- to 01-2016: 20mg Prozac

01-2016 to 11-15-2016: 10mg Lexapro. Did a 2 month taper to zero on 11-15-2016. the last 5mg were water titration. 

12-25-2016 Started having sleeping issues. By 01-01-2017 sleep disappeared for 4 days. Was hospitalized for three days.

01-01-17 to 01-10-2017 Trial of 37.5mg for three days than 75mg Effexor. Created major anxiety so I stopped it. 

01-16-2017 to 01-26-2017 Trial of Brintellix 10mg. Stopped due to aggravating sleep issue and anxiety.

02-10-2017 to 02-17-2017 Reinstated 5mg of Lexapro. Usual startup anxiety and foggy head. Started getting tinnitus. Stopped the Lexapro thinking that caused the tinnitus.  

 

 

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When I took it that SSRI starting up feeling only lasted 2 days.  It is none of my business but I think you should share all information to your new prescribing doctor to get the best results.

 

Joy

 

Jan 2023 to July 2023 250mg quetiapine

Tapered off quetiapine again over 2 months - now weight problem

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On my next visit I will share it with her. After reading all of the posts about Lamictal possibly helping PAWs, I was afraid she would see that interaction and not prescribe it. It is so dreadful going to a Pdoc after all I have been through, knowing what they do not know or wanting to admit. 

1994-2015: Many trials of SSRIs for anxiety and depersonalization coupled to the anxiety. 

2013 to 04-2016: Clonazepam .5 three times a day. Slowly tapered on 04-2016. Withdrawal was hell for 6 months them stabilized. 

2013 to 2014: Celexa 20mg 

2014- to 01-2016: 20mg Prozac

01-2016 to 11-15-2016: 10mg Lexapro. Did a 2 month taper to zero on 11-15-2016. the last 5mg were water titration. 

12-25-2016 Started having sleeping issues. By 01-01-2017 sleep disappeared for 4 days. Was hospitalized for three days.

01-01-17 to 01-10-2017 Trial of 37.5mg for three days than 75mg Effexor. Created major anxiety so I stopped it. 

01-16-2017 to 01-26-2017 Trial of Brintellix 10mg. Stopped due to aggravating sleep issue and anxiety.

02-10-2017 to 02-17-2017 Reinstated 5mg of Lexapro. Usual startup anxiety and foggy head. Started getting tinnitus. Stopped the Lexapro thinking that caused the tinnitus.  

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • Administrator

How is everyone doing, those who have tried lamotrigine recently.

 

Please note any doctor can prescribe lamotrigine, it doesn't have to be a psychiatrist. Lamotrigine should be in most formularies for insurance coverage. It is readily available as a generic.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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6 hours ago, Altostrata said:

How is everyone doing, those who have tried lamotrigine recently.

 

Please note any doctor can prescribe lamotrigine, it doesn't have to be a psychiatrist. Lamotrigine should be in most formularies for insurance coverage. It is readily available as a generic.

I did not do too well. I may have started on too high of a dose. My sleep became worse and I had heightened anxiety and depersonalization. I stopped taking and am an slowly getting back to the way I was prior to trying it. 

1994-2015: Many trials of SSRIs for anxiety and depersonalization coupled to the anxiety. 

2013 to 04-2016: Clonazepam .5 three times a day. Slowly tapered on 04-2016. Withdrawal was hell for 6 months them stabilized. 

2013 to 2014: Celexa 20mg 

2014- to 01-2016: 20mg Prozac

01-2016 to 11-15-2016: 10mg Lexapro. Did a 2 month taper to zero on 11-15-2016. the last 5mg were water titration. 

12-25-2016 Started having sleeping issues. By 01-01-2017 sleep disappeared for 4 days. Was hospitalized for three days.

01-01-17 to 01-10-2017 Trial of 37.5mg for three days than 75mg Effexor. Created major anxiety so I stopped it. 

01-16-2017 to 01-26-2017 Trial of Brintellix 10mg. Stopped due to aggravating sleep issue and anxiety.

02-10-2017 to 02-17-2017 Reinstated 5mg of Lexapro. Usual startup anxiety and foggy head. Started getting tinnitus. Stopped the Lexapro thinking that caused the tinnitus.  

 

 

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  • 1 month later...

Anyone can tell if Lamotrigine could be useful to help with benzo withdrawal ?

Took several SSRi over the last 17 years.  Currently on luvox.  Also free of 14 years of Benzo use (mainly klonopin) as of Feb 05, 2016.  Benzo for GAD, Panic Disorder, Chronic Pain. Started Benzo after multiple  surgeries that dramatically increased pain and anxiety.  Took Rivotril about 10 years : Ativan 2mg for 3 years. It took me two years to taper.  Benzo free since Feb 2016. Still experiencing withdrawal symptoms...

 

Take AD Luvox went up to 125mg.  Started to taper mid August 2017 using a scale. As of Jan 2018,  holding around 60 mg

 

It is difficult to taper.  I would suspect already being in Benzo withdrawal not helping !  The worst being nerve pain, muscle pain and insomnia increasing as Luvox dosage gets lower.  Menauposis is also in the way.  Hot flashes since  March 2017.  Planning to start Hormone Therapy.

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Unfortunately, benzo withdrawal has a completely different source -- downregulation of the GABA system. My understanding is that lamotrigine is not as effective for benzo withdrawal.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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I thought that in the case of benzo withdrawal the glutamate system had become also out of control not having enough GABA to cool it down ?  So if this is the case, wouldn't Lamictal be of some help ?

Took several SSRi over the last 17 years.  Currently on luvox.  Also free of 14 years of Benzo use (mainly klonopin) as of Feb 05, 2016.  Benzo for GAD, Panic Disorder, Chronic Pain. Started Benzo after multiple  surgeries that dramatically increased pain and anxiety.  Took Rivotril about 10 years : Ativan 2mg for 3 years. It took me two years to taper.  Benzo free since Feb 2016. Still experiencing withdrawal symptoms...

 

Take AD Luvox went up to 125mg.  Started to taper mid August 2017 using a scale. As of Jan 2018,  holding around 60 mg

 

It is difficult to taper.  I would suspect already being in Benzo withdrawal not helping !  The worst being nerve pain, muscle pain and insomnia increasing as Luvox dosage gets lower.  Menauposis is also in the way.  Hot flashes since  March 2017.  Planning to start Hormone Therapy.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Allostrata, I read in your introduction you suffered for two year of nerve pain in arms and shoulders.  Did you find Lamictal helped for this problem ?

Took several SSRi over the last 17 years.  Currently on luvox.  Also free of 14 years of Benzo use (mainly klonopin) as of Feb 05, 2016.  Benzo for GAD, Panic Disorder, Chronic Pain. Started Benzo after multiple  surgeries that dramatically increased pain and anxiety.  Took Rivotril about 10 years : Ativan 2mg for 3 years. It took me two years to taper.  Benzo free since Feb 2016. Still experiencing withdrawal symptoms...

 

Take AD Luvox went up to 125mg.  Started to taper mid August 2017 using a scale. As of Jan 2018,  holding around 60 mg

 

It is difficult to taper.  I would suspect already being in Benzo withdrawal not helping !  The worst being nerve pain, muscle pain and insomnia increasing as Luvox dosage gets lower.  Menauposis is also in the way.  Hot flashes since  March 2017.  Planning to start Hormone Therapy.

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Important:

 

DO NOT take 25mg as a start dose if you're going through withdrawal.

With 25mg, I became hypomanic, and it was becoming worse, so I just had to go cold-turkey off 25mg of it if I wanted to prevent full-blown psychotic mania.

Developed insomnia. Lost a lot of weight. Been through horrible dissociation, hyperactivity. And I'm back at the beginning.

 

Please, be careful. Let my situation be your example of what NOT to do.

My withdrawal journey (click)

 

"If you're going through hell - keep going".

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have been taking 1/4 of a 5mg tablet for a while now and have felt no different, should I go to 5? I'm very anxious around medication. I occasionally (once every 10-14 days take zoplicone) but no other meds since my Prozac ct which was 4 years ago. 

Activation is still the same as 1 year off and to be honest I'm more debilitated that I was 3 years ago. I have severe neck and shoulder pain from the months of akathesia and I'm extremely restless especially at night when I can sleep just 2-3 hrs a night. 

I know lamotrigine is not a instant fix and I fought very hard to get a dr to prescribe, I'm basically a pariah at my Drs as I tried for so long to convince them how ill the drugs made me. I don't anymore as it's futile but they still sigh when I go in. 

Will lamotrigine increase sleep quality? Some night I sleep more but it's horrible toxic sleep that literally feels like my brain is fighting with itself. 

Iv lost all the fight I had at 1-3 years off, everything I read made me hopeful if I could just keep going I would be rewarded but at 52 months off I'm starting to think this may be permanent, I don't say that easily but with all the legacy effects of withdrawal such as chronic pain, fatigue, migraines and total sleep deprivation I don't ever see how I can recover. Also I still have the 'brain boil' nights I had 4 years ago, nights where your tortured all night, balancing on the edge of sleep then grabbed back, adrenaline and cortisol pumping around your body and a billion crickets screaming in your ears  all night. I don't understand how that can be happening still after so long. (Big sigh)

Prozac 17 years 20mg.

Cold turkey Feb 2014

Restarted 2mg of prozac 26.8.18..

 

 

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Is anyone currently experimenting with Lamictal in protracted withdrawal?  I'm a month in to taking 5 mg (couldn't handle anything higher) and I don't think it's doing anything for me.  I'm really struggling these days with typical WD symptoms so I have no idea if the Lamictal is making me worse or preventing/slowing the healing process.  Thoughts?  

21 years of daily SSRI use in total...

Paxil                                                                                                                                                 1995-1998

Zoloft (50 mg)                                                                                                                                 1998-2002

Lexapro (10 mg)                                                                                                                              2002-2015    (**August 2015, Lexapro “stopped working" after near death of my 1.5 yr. old son**)

Lexapro (15/20 mg) - increasing dose only made SEs worse                                                     Nov 2015 - Mar 2016

Zoloft (25/50 mg) - made derealization worse                                                                            Mar 2016 - Jul 2016

Celexa (20 mg) - made symptoms worse                                                                                    Oct 2016 - Jan 2017

Remeron (7.5 mg) - helped me eat and sleep for 4 nights, then went bad                               Jan 2018 (stopped after 2 weeks)

Lamictal (5.0 mg) - horrific withdrawal                                                                                        Jan 2018 - Oct 2020

TODAY - 100% DRUG FREE 

(Trialed Prozac, Effexor, Wellbutrin, Cymbalta - severe reaction, couldn't tolerate longer than a few days)

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On ‎2‎/‎15‎/‎2017 at 3:29 AM, Altostrata said:

Lamotrigine is not addicting. You will need to taper to go off it, though, because the nervous system becomes accustomed to it over time.

 

I am dubious that it will help you go off a benzo, but who knows. Has this doctor seen it work before?

 

Please remember to start very low and go slow. Let us know how you're doing.

Will I need to taper if I've only been on 5 mg for 30 days?  

21 years of daily SSRI use in total...

Paxil                                                                                                                                                 1995-1998

Zoloft (50 mg)                                                                                                                                 1998-2002

Lexapro (10 mg)                                                                                                                              2002-2015    (**August 2015, Lexapro “stopped working" after near death of my 1.5 yr. old son**)

Lexapro (15/20 mg) - increasing dose only made SEs worse                                                     Nov 2015 - Mar 2016

Zoloft (25/50 mg) - made derealization worse                                                                            Mar 2016 - Jul 2016

Celexa (20 mg) - made symptoms worse                                                                                    Oct 2016 - Jan 2017

Remeron (7.5 mg) - helped me eat and sleep for 4 nights, then went bad                               Jan 2018 (stopped after 2 weeks)

Lamictal (5.0 mg) - horrific withdrawal                                                                                        Jan 2018 - Oct 2020

TODAY - 100% DRUG FREE 

(Trialed Prozac, Effexor, Wellbutrin, Cymbalta - severe reaction, couldn't tolerate longer than a few days)

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Robcar, I would taper it just in case, it won't hurt even though it's a low dose. 

Its not doing anything for me either but I'm only taking 2.5 mg and don't know if to increase.

Apart from altro Iv not read any reports of it helping in withdrawal but I'm happy to be corrected. It appears altros dr was very knowledgeable and gave a lot of support which most of us cannot get especially on the NHS when you have more chance of an audience with the pope that being able to speak to a psychiatrist on the phone, plus I don't think iv seen the same psych dr more that twice in a row so there is zero consistency. Big sigh 

Prozac 17 years 20mg.

Cold turkey Feb 2014

Restarted 2mg of prozac 26.8.18..

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've been suffering with an over sensitive 'alerting reaction' and I asked my doctor if he would prescribe lamotrogine but he said he couldn't because his practice wasn't licensed to prescribe it for the reason I wanted it. Are there any natural supplements or herbs that might help? I've tried magnesium (citrate, taurate & glycinate), omega 3 supplements and B-12 vitamins but they all over stimulate me and make me even more angry and pumped up. My over sensitive alerting reaction means that even the smallest thing can set me off. Just someone suddenly shouting across the street or someone suddenly appearing out of nowhere can can cause me to feel wound up and angry. 

Had been on paroxetine for 10 years when I started to experience 'poop out' in 2008. Began a slow taper in early 2009.

Got down to 3.2 mg in Jan 2012 and held for 21 months.

Oct 2013 - reduced to 2.8 mg 

April 2014 - reduced to 2.4 mg

Oct 2014 - reduced to 2.2 mg

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

I’ve been reading thru about Lamictal. I’m trying to taper Prozac after many years of too quick tapering. I have akathisia that can be quite severe.im wondering if you all would share your takeaway on lamictal? Should I ask my dr for it? Do you feel it speeds the healing of the nervous system?

1992 Prozac 60 mg - on and off since, currently on 60mg

2000 Gabapentin 600-3600, currently on 1200mg

January, 2014 Oxycodone 10-40mg, currently 30mg

March, 2012  Cortef 15mg

March, 2012 Liothyronine 110mcg

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Please do what’s right for you but personally Lamictal has been the worst med experience of my life.  It did nothing for my withdrawal symptoms, even made some worse, and has been the most difficult withdrawal I’ve ever experienced.  Lamictal withdrawal is documented on the Beyond Meds site and it’s no joke, even at low doses.  Lamictal and Gabapentin withdrawal can be worse than benzos and SSRIs for a lot of people while others have no issues.  I tapered the recommended 10% (5mg to 4.5mg) last month and it made me suicidal, landing me in the hospital, .  As I write this, I’m currently receiving treatment at a holistic wellness center to wean me off slowly and it’s still torture.  I’m down to 3mg right now and cannot wait until I rid myself of this poison.  I wish everyone a healthy recovery.  Have faith in healing and stay strong.  

21 years of daily SSRI use in total...

Paxil                                                                                                                                                 1995-1998

Zoloft (50 mg)                                                                                                                                 1998-2002

Lexapro (10 mg)                                                                                                                              2002-2015    (**August 2015, Lexapro “stopped working" after near death of my 1.5 yr. old son**)

Lexapro (15/20 mg) - increasing dose only made SEs worse                                                     Nov 2015 - Mar 2016

Zoloft (25/50 mg) - made derealization worse                                                                            Mar 2016 - Jul 2016

Celexa (20 mg) - made symptoms worse                                                                                    Oct 2016 - Jan 2017

Remeron (7.5 mg) - helped me eat and sleep for 4 nights, then went bad                               Jan 2018 (stopped after 2 weeks)

Lamictal (5.0 mg) - horrific withdrawal                                                                                        Jan 2018 - Oct 2020

TODAY - 100% DRUG FREE 

(Trialed Prozac, Effexor, Wellbutrin, Cymbalta - severe reaction, couldn't tolerate longer than a few days)

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Thanks for sharing, I think I will dodge that bullet. I hope you are well on your way to the other side.

1992 Prozac 60 mg - on and off since, currently on 60mg

2000 Gabapentin 600-3600, currently on 1200mg

January, 2014 Oxycodone 10-40mg, currently 30mg

March, 2012  Cortef 15mg

March, 2012 Liothyronine 110mcg

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I am on 1.25 mg lamictal for severe alerting sensations due to dropping my drugs too fast, and I have seen very good results.  Started two weeks ago getting 2-3 hours broken sleep among other symptoms to today with 6 hours sleep with 1 or 2 awakenings.  For me, it has worked wonderfully.

 

Clearly it doesn't work for everyone.  But I am thankful it did for me.  Regarding tapering, I think one has to go very slowly off it, maybe even less than 10%, like every other psych drug. 

 

In short, take at your own risk.

 

 

PAST

Gabapentin:  about 6 months in 2015, 300-900 mg, cold turkeyed Sept 2015 (at same time dc'd Klonopin)

Klonopin: June 2014- Sept 2015; 1mg tapered over 6 mths, dc'd at 0.25mg, withdrawal hellish (perhaps because of concurrent dc of gabapentin)

Mirtazepine: Jumped off at 2.4 mg. (stable in 8 months).

Seroquel:  June 14 - July 24, 2016, 25 mg alternate nights; smaller doses for shorter periods. Total use about 3 months 

Lamictal: March 19, 2018 - 1 mg; March 23 - 1.25 mg; April 6 - 2mg. Discontinued at 2 mgJuly 1, 2018 due to Steven Johnson Syndrome.

 

CURRENT

Supplements: Vit D, turmeric

Naturethroid: 65 mcg for hypothyroidism

Trazodone: Oct 2015 - June 2016; 75 mg tapered over 2 mths, intense w/d after 3 weeks. Reinstatement: 07/25/16 - 25 mg; updosed 08/03/16 - 50 mg;  10/01/16-  62mg; 03/24/17 dropped to 50 mg (stable in 2.5 months)

                           Current psych meds: Trazodone 50 mg

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  • 2 weeks later...

Would Lamictal also work for cold turkey withdrawal from tricyclics? It's just that Marsx (mod note: please see this post) is obviously desperate to find relief but happens to have cold turkeyed off Amitriptyline and not an ssri. She was given a link to the thread that contained a link to this thread by Alto, but I somehow doubt she's got round to reading it.

 

I've only just come across this thread myself. Well, I think it caught my eye shortly after joining but assumed it was utter nonsense, treating ssri withdrawal with another, completely different psychiatric drug. Especially since I had been on Lamictal myself for a while before the whole withdrawal fiasco and it hadn't seem to have had any effect whatsoever back then (neither positive nor negative), which is why I cold turkeyed off it a few months before cold turkeying off the rest of the junk I was on (and it didn't even cause any withdrawal symptoms). And to think that I had the potential solution to my problem of acute cold turkey ssri withdrawal syndrome & ssri hypersensitivity lying around in my room back when this whole goddamn nightmare started eight years ago without knowing it is currently doing my head in a bit, I must admit. Goddamn it. Honestly. Eight goddamn years down the toilet for absolutely nothing. Utterly pointless suffering that could have been avoided had I known about this "Lamictal trick". And it's not like I didn't actively search for a solution. I just never in a million years would have thought the solution might be Lamictal, the very drug I had lying around back then and that seemed to have no effect whatsoever in the first place.

 

That being said, it's thirteen years of misery that could have been avoided, had I known about psych drugs in the first place. So if I had to choose which of the two bits of information I would rather have known about at the time that information would have been of any use, then I suppose it would have to be the general information on psychiatric drugs before I ever touched them.  So maybe that thought will help me live with it.... Ah, hindsight. My old pal.... We meet again. And self-pity, of course... You're never far away either ;) Well, I guess that's just life for you. Okay, life and a great big dollop of stupid on my part.

 

Anyway, I'm assuming that Lamictal wouldn't make much of a difference to me at the stage I'm in now and that it could quite possibly mess things up for me if I were to start experimenting with it (to whoever's reading this post: feel free to correct me if you disagree, by the way...). But it might very well be of some help to Marsx. So if anyone knows whether it will help with cold turkey tricyclic withdrawal then let me know and I'll give her the link. Thanks.

 

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On 3/29/2018 at 4:09 AM, robcbar1 said:

Please do what’s right for you but personally Lamictal has been the worst med experience of my life.  It did nothing for my withdrawal symptoms, even made some worse, and has been the most difficult withdrawal I’ve ever experienced.  Lamictal withdrawal is documented on the Beyond Meds site and it’s no joke, even at low doses.  Lamictal and Gabapentin withdrawal can be worse than benzos and SSRIs for a lot of people while others have no issues.  I tapered the recommended 10% (5mg to 4.5mg) last month and it made me suicidal, landing me in the hospital, .  As I write this, I’m currently receiving treatment at a holistic wellness center to wean me off slowly and it’s still torture.  I’m down to 3mg right now and cannot wait until I rid myself of this poison.  I wish everyone a healthy recovery.  Have faith in healing and stay strong.  

 

 

Hm, just nocticed this post I just copied above. Must have missed it the first time round. I guess that answers my question with regard to my own situation. So thanks for the info, robcbar1. Hope you're doing alright.

 

And then we have this bit of information from Stan:

 

On 9/1/2015 at 10:13 AM, stan said:

when we put in google what is lamotrigine, we have :

 

New process for the Preparation of 6-(2,3-dichlorophenyl)-1,2,4-triazine-3,5-diamine

 

and when we put triazine, we have :

 

As a chemical family, the triazines are a group of pesticides with a wide range of uses, used to destroy grass for example...

 

and in pubmed we have :

 

[Lyell syndrome and Stevens-Johnson syndrome caused by lamotrigine].

[Article in French]
Abstract
BACKGROUND:

Lamotrigine is a new anticonvulsant belonging to the triazine family. Several cases of Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) have been described in patients taking this drug. We report 2 cases in children attending the same hospital.

CASE REPORTS:

Two children, aged 9 and 13 years, developed SJS and TEN respectively, 3 and 28 days after lamotrigine was added to their usual anticonvulsant regimen. In both cases, outcome was favorable despite major decline in psychomotor capacity in one. In the first case, chronological attributability was plausible for lamotrigine and doubtful for sodium valproate, clonazepam and hydrocortisone. In the second case, chronological attributability was probable for amoxicillin, plausible for lamotrigine and doubtful for sodium valproate, but the numerous previous absorptions of amoxicillin made lamotrigine more suspect.

DISCUSSION:

The risk of Steven-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis is high with lamotrigine with an estimated frequency of 1/1000. This risk is probably higher than with other anticonvulsants. Associating lamotrigine with sodium valproate increases the frequency of adverse skin reactions.

 

components of mood stabilizer , antidepressants, benzos are chemical toxics from oil ... used by manufacturer to paint, to stick, to burn etc 

 

maybe they will help "withdrawal" ? why not...we have to try, hopefully there exist doctors who are specialist , so all is fine

 

So I reckon I'll pass on the lamictal myself. But it might still be of some use to Marsx (mod note: please see this post), who's still going through severe PDWS. Man, our experiences with these damn drugs are like something from the film the Deer Hunter: in addition to being held prisoner (by the drugs/withdrawal as opposed to the vietcong),  we're also basically sentenced to playing russian roulette with our health and lives while desperately trying to find a solution to our predicament... Life imitates art (which itself imitated life), or something like that...

 

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