Aspergers / Bipolar mix anyone taking Lamotrigine!! !

Post Reply New Topic

have you guys ever considered 5htp? I've never taken anything but I'm an Aspie with depression, some think bipolar, and the depression is really really bad right now so I'm anxiously waiting for 5htp in the mail. I've heard good stuff about it.

have you guys ever considered 5htp? I've never taken anything but I'm an Aspie with depression, some think bipolar, and the depression is really really bad right now so I'm anxiously waiting for 5htp in the mail. I've heard good stuff about it.

5-HTP is a good temporary solution but will not be as effective longterm as something like an SSRI. 5-HTP is synthesized into 5-HT which is serotonin. This is a good short term method, but when 5-HTP is taken for long periods, eventually your body will start to produce less serotonin as you are supplementing your body with serotonin rather than your body producing it on it's own. SSRIs work by using your bodies own serotonin supply to stabilize your mood, they specifically block the reuptake of serotonin into pre-synaptic neurons, which normally permits a better mood.

Like I said, 5-HTP is a good short term solution, but if you are truly suffering, at least consider something like CBT, you won't regret it. I wish you the best.

Thanks for your answer, DW. My problem seems to be that my body doesn't produce enough serotonin. I've had a whole panel done by a naturopath and my serotonin was really low. She gave me 5htp, just that her dose was way too high for me, so I'm getting it by mail.
It might be that my body gets used to it at one point but if I compare this to the stories I hear about SSRI's ... in about 10% of people those seem to backfire real badly. Not that I have just half the experience you guys have. I'll read up on CBT though, thanks!

Oh, CBT is therapy. Yes, I've done that... doesn't really help.

I have mood swings and was prescribed Lamictal (Lamotrigin).

After 2 days I felt sane. The dysphoric background "noise" in my head just stopped. It felt super. And no mood swings. I was told the med might make me less depressed after a while too. I had no side effects to begin with which was odd, all meds cause side effects with me.

But then wham, 14 days later, I developed a severe allergy and had to stop taking the med.

Bummer. Best med I had.

Bummer. Maybe if you pick it up again? Maybe very low dose or something? Sometimes allergies disappear. Or maybe you changed something in your diet back then or took new vitamins, herbs or meds?
What are you taking now?

I was told I could die if I tried it again. Last time I had to go to hosp with really intense fevers and they couldn't even measure my BP because it was too low.

I take Luvox now and it did pull me out of the hole so I'm quite fortunate anyway, plus it works for some of my anxiety. However I still have mood swings and my head is rather noisy.

But I'm glad still it works for some things.

Im on lamotrigine also but only for depression not bipolar.

Wow! Under those conditions... yeah, maybe not. Glad you found something that helps you.

They say meditation helps against the noise. I've tried a little bit. But found mostly that if I imagine someone I love to be near it makes me happy and calms me down. I could spend forever doing that. I could quite perfect it but would probably totally get lost in la-la-land and start hearing voices... I don't think that's what they mean by meditation...

Mood swings... if they are not disabling you.... sometimes I'm thinking the sky and the ocean are different all the time, too. Our workoholic society just demands us to work like machines, but maybe it's not in our nature to be.

I don't mind the mood swings all that much. It was much worse before medication because I was pretty angry and negative and then people became hostile to me which made me depressed and self destructive... Sigh.

Meditation makes my head worse, I know it's not supposed to do that, LOL! But leaving some kind of emptiness just makes my head want to fill itself with bad stuff. It's like it really hates to be idle. So I rather have something going through my mind. I don't so much mind my mind going in every direction. I also rather sort of daydream than try to shut my head off. I also think the feel of the "noise" changes a bit with my mood, if I'm tired or depressed it tends to feel more grey, fan like and irritated... (Or what to call it.. since it's not a real sound.. or a color.)

I was on this drug and it gave me a rash

I'm on lamicdal and feel no effects whatso ever even with 4 different dosages. I'm on 100mg twice a day and feel no different than before. Not surprising though. I asked my psych why he gave it to me twice and both times he evaded my questions.

I'm Asperger's and Bipolar 1 too, and I also take Lamictal (Lamotrigine) as one of the medications. I quite don't feel the side effects, but it helps immensely. I take other medication as well, Lithium, Klonopin, Seroquel. For now. Lamictal seems to work well for me, hope it does and will for ypu too!