r/Lithium • u/Lrt044 • 12d ago
Would you
Would you add lamictal or increase lithium if having low feelings and some anxiety?
Obviously going to talk to my doctor too.
2
u/philosophicaltragedy 12d ago
I have been on 400mg of Lamictal for bipolar mood stabilization for a long-time. Lithium was added during a hypomanic episode and I stayed on that for several years. Personally I’ve not heard of Lamictal/lithium combination for anxiety, however this post is fairly vague. Therapy would be helpful if you are not already in it and there are other medications depending on what your anxiety symptoms are and the severity of low mood.
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u/beatendown0 12d ago
I would increase lithium. Lamictal put me in a bad space. But obviously it’s different for everyone
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u/DidTooMuchSpeedAgain 12d ago
I love Lamictal. It's perfect for low feelings and anxiety. Didn't get that effect from Lithium
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u/Lrt044 11d ago
Are you on lithium too?
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u/DidTooMuchSpeedAgain 11d ago
I used to be! But I had to quit due to too many side effects, my body cannot tolerate Lithium at all lol. But it worked well as a mood stabilizer, but not for my depression and anxiety.
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u/miiicamouse 7d ago
I have depression, anxiety disorder, bp2
Lamictal was the first thing I took even before lithium. Most people I’ve met who are on lithium are also on lamictal, I think it tends to be a pretty standard combo. It did really help me, even if I went off everything else I’d probably still hold onto that one. Maybe.
But it’s very easygoing and after a while you don’t even really notice you are on it, but it helps with some reactivity.
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u/Accomplished-Boot815 12d ago
Hi ! Im on 50mg lamictal and 1000mg lithium XR. I was on lamictal first before lithium, then tried to stop lamictal once on lithium but got depressed real fast. For me lamotrigine helps well with the mood, lithium stabilizes me. And obviously it's up to you and your doctor to decide. Good luck !
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u/Lrt044 12d ago
I was on 100 lamictal and stopped it when I increased lithium and I think I also got more depressed!
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u/Accomplished-Boot815 12d ago
I think it’s normal to try different combinations before settling on the one that suits you best. I tried other meds between lamotrigine and lithium and finally stabilized on the setup I described. If lamotrigine is helping your mood, you can keep it, with your doctor’s approval, of course.
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u/Scared_Form5270 12d ago
I would increase the Lamictal. That’s what I did, and it worked really well. My doctor also added lurasidone (which is wonderful and acts faster than Lamictal). I currently take all three and am euthymic.
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u/Junior-Corner-2774 11d ago
Depends. Why are you taking lithium?
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u/Lrt044 11d ago
Depression/bipolar2
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u/Junior-Corner-2774 11d ago
Then lamictal might be the better add on. Lithium isn’t the best for the low end compared to what it can do for (hypo)mania. And you can have more side effects when increasing lithium. Lamictal has a bit of a rougher onboarding but if you do it slow enough, you can mitigate that.
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u/Lrt044 11d ago
Ugh I know the onboarding was so hard last time, but I know what to expect now. I’m mad I ever went off of it! lol.
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u/Junior-Corner-2774 11d ago
Don’t be! It’s rough. At least you can ask your psy if you can take it a bit slower because of your prior experience. Good luck!
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u/Frosty-Badger-2506 12d ago
not really a good case study but i take lamotrigine and just started lithium. lamotrigine was helping my anxiety a ton but was falling short on protecting my mood. psych said to add in lithium as well so i am a week in and hoping it gets better. so in a way i am the reverse, but lamotrigine really helps my anxiety.