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Lamictal and depression: has this happened to anyone else?

Mon, 09/22/2008 - 15:04
I started lamictal nearly a year ago and had very few problems when I first went on it. I was first on depakote but due to the idea that I may go away for college I had at the time, I went on lamical. For the a good few months I felt fine and like my old self. Back in the spring I had started to feel bad on myself which at the time I attributed to the fact I couldn't get the loan I needed to go to my first choice college but  recently I have been feeling so much worse. I feel like I am not worth people's time and and like I was never meant for anything in life. Life has just become a dull repeat everyday already and I don't know how to deal. I want to know if this happend to anyone else who has taken lamictal to help to determine treatment.

Comments

Re: Lamictal and depression: has this happened to anyone else?

Submitted by Debbie_H on Wed, 2010-02-10 - 11:22

I'm so glad i read this post!  I am not a person who has ever been depressed so over the last few weeks i haven't really known what was wrong with me!  Crying for no reason, feeling like my life sucks and there's no reason for me to be here.  Then i realize what i'm thinking and shake myself!  What the heck?!  I sat down with my husband last night and told him what had been going on, and he'd noticed i hadn't been myself, but i tend to hide my feelings from him sometimes (sickness, seizures, etc) and he asked me how long this had been going on.  I realized it had been since the pharmacy switched my medication.  I'll call my doctor today.

I'm so glad i read this post!  I am not a person who has ever been depressed so over the last few weeks i haven't really known what was wrong with me!  Crying for no reason, feeling like my life sucks and there's no reason for me to be here.  Then i realize what i'm thinking and shake myself!  What the heck?!  I sat down with my husband last night and told him what had been going on, and he'd noticed i hadn't been myself, but i tend to hide my feelings from him sometimes (sickness, seizures, etc) and he asked me how long this had been going on.  I realized it had been since the pharmacy switched my medication.  I'll call my doctor today.

Re: Lamictal and depression: has this happened to anyone else?

Submitted by JonB on Mon, 2009-05-18 - 12:10

My 6 year old son was diagnosed with absence seizures in August.  He has started taking Zarontin, but was switched to Lamitcal by his dr in Jan.  We have been using the generic brand because it is $175 cheaper a month than the name brand.  No seizures since Jan!!!!!!  Our pharmacy switched generics last week.  Since he started taking the new generic he has started crying in the morning at school.  This is a kid who never meets a stranger and loves going to school.  I have tried asking him what was the matter and he always responds, "I dont know."

We have a call in to his neurologist.  Has anyone else had any problems with depression using lamitcal?

Help.  I dont know how much more of this I can take.

My 6 year old son was diagnosed with absence seizures in August.  He has started taking Zarontin, but was switched to Lamitcal by his dr in Jan.  We have been using the generic brand because it is $175 cheaper a month than the name brand.  No seizures since Jan!!!!!!  Our pharmacy switched generics last week.  Since he started taking the new generic he has started crying in the morning at school.  This is a kid who never meets a stranger and loves going to school.  I have tried asking him what was the matter and he always responds, "I dont know."

We have a call in to his neurologist.  Has anyone else had any problems with depression using lamitcal?

Help.  I dont know how much more of this I can take.

Re: Lamictal and depression: has this happened to anyone else?

Submitted by Bryar on Thu, 2009-06-18 - 15:52

I started taking lamictal a little over 2 years ago, when I had my first seizure, a grand mal.  My test came back that I was only suseptible to partial seizures, oddly enough.  I was only on 75mg/day, which was practically a joke.  When I moved due to my loss of job, I had another seizure, it was only partial, and I was able to tell it was coming, which I was told was having an Aura.  My new doctor started upping the dose little by little, but then I became pregnant.  All throughout my pregnancy, I kept having seizures, mostly partial, but at least 2 grand mal.  I ended up on 800mg/day.  I gave birth to my son in February, and saw my doctor shortly thereafter.  I asked if we should decrease my level, and he said to start taking 600mg/day.  I'm supposed to see him again next week, but I've been feeling so depressed, I'm not even interested in doing anything I used to, all I want to do is to be left alone and sleep, but at the same time I don't want to be alone.  My husband doesn't understand, so he's not being very supportive.  I know it's not because of my little boy, because he's really well-tempered and only gets mad when you don't get his food to him on time (his time), and when he doesn't want to go to sleep.  I have another son, who just turned 5, but he's really well behaved as well, and likes to entertain himself by drawing and writing and reading...even though he technically can't write very well, and can't read yet.  After his birth, I was depressed and was diagnosed with post-partum depression, so I was put on meds...can't remember which ones, but they left me feeling hollow, and everyone said I seemed like a robot, not a person, so I stopped those and felt more like my bubbly self.  I don't want my doctor to put me on depression meds as well as anti-seizure meds, but I'm afraid he will try.  I used to be a nuclear operator, and now, it seems like I can't even do simple math!  I'm hoping he'll just lower my dose.  I'm thinking of doing it myself, but I want to see what he says first, and hopefully I'll be able to start driving soon, which I'm sure would help a little.  When I can start driving again, I hope to get a job so I can get out of the house more, and have some adult time as well.  Hopefully, soon, I'll stop feeling depressed and robot-like.  Especially since it's been more than 6 months since my last seizure.  Sorry this is so long, but I wanted say that I know how you feel.

By the way, I've also been told by my doctors that a low level of vitamin D can cause depression.  The best way to get your daily dose is to go outside a little bit every day.  It couldn't hurt.

I started taking lamictal a little over 2 years ago, when I had my first seizure, a grand mal.  My test came back that I was only suseptible to partial seizures, oddly enough.  I was only on 75mg/day, which was practically a joke.  When I moved due to my loss of job, I had another seizure, it was only partial, and I was able to tell it was coming, which I was told was having an Aura.  My new doctor started upping the dose little by little, but then I became pregnant.  All throughout my pregnancy, I kept having seizures, mostly partial, but at least 2 grand mal.  I ended up on 800mg/day.  I gave birth to my son in February, and saw my doctor shortly thereafter.  I asked if we should decrease my level, and he said to start taking 600mg/day.  I'm supposed to see him again next week, but I've been feeling so depressed, I'm not even interested in doing anything I used to, all I want to do is to be left alone and sleep, but at the same time I don't want to be alone.  My husband doesn't understand, so he's not being very supportive.  I know it's not because of my little boy, because he's really well-tempered and only gets mad when you don't get his food to him on time (his time), and when he doesn't want to go to sleep.  I have another son, who just turned 5, but he's really well behaved as well, and likes to entertain himself by drawing and writing and reading...even though he technically can't write very well, and can't read yet.  After his birth, I was depressed and was diagnosed with post-partum depression, so I was put on meds...can't remember which ones, but they left me feeling hollow, and everyone said I seemed like a robot, not a person, so I stopped those and felt more like my bubbly self.  I don't want my doctor to put me on depression meds as well as anti-seizure meds, but I'm afraid he will try.  I used to be a nuclear operator, and now, it seems like I can't even do simple math!  I'm hoping he'll just lower my dose.  I'm thinking of doing it myself, but I want to see what he says first, and hopefully I'll be able to start driving soon, which I'm sure would help a little.  When I can start driving again, I hope to get a job so I can get out of the house more, and have some adult time as well.  Hopefully, soon, I'll stop feeling depressed and robot-like.  Especially since it's been more than 6 months since my last seizure.  Sorry this is so long, but I wanted say that I know how you feel.

By the way, I've also been told by my doctors that a low level of vitamin D can cause depression.  The best way to get your daily dose is to go outside a little bit every day.  It couldn't hurt.

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