prescribed meds, mood stabilizers

[demasoni]

I'm interested in anyones experiences with medicines like seroquil, lamictal, and even lithium

The doctors I'm dealing with of course insist that those meds have "relatively little" negative side effects, or symptoms from cessation.
I'm highly skeptical, especially after years of complications from anti depressnts which they continually dismiss.

I posted concerns separately about some neurological changes affecting my every day life and cannabis use.
For those reasons my current MDs are trying to prescribe these mood stabilizers, seroquil etc.. my worry is being able to get off them when I elect to, especially once I'm in a situation where I can consistently provide myself quality MMJ that could possibly better manage my issues. Then I'll see if the mood stabilizers are truly necessary. Meanwhile I'm concerned about starting something that could cause a permanent imbalance, or that I can't get off later..
Have you found yourself stuck on seroquil, lamictal? experienced nasty side effects?

(note, any info here is not replacing "professional" medical advice. Just seeking alternative views, individual experiences. We already know what many MDs have to say . meds for everyone!!!)

 

[DoobieDuck]

demasoni always sad to hear someone suffering as you. I have no experience with those Meds and I hope someone here can give you some answers. I research all my medications by Goggling them and going to Medical sites such as Web MD etc. Some of those will just give you the generic info but you might try looking for forums specific to your issues.

May I caution you, you claim you are seeing more than one doctor and have "years of complications from anti depressnts" yours is not an issue anyone here should be counseling you with. If they have personal experience with the meds their reactions to those meds may not be comparable to what you might experience. Good luck, be safe DD

 

[Hydro-Soil]

If you've never done psych meds... don't start.

If you're on psych meds, educate yourself on alternatives and work to get off of them, if you can.


The biggest change you can make in how your brain functions is to stop eating fake, adulterated, artificial and processed foods. Go one step further and eat according to your specific blood type.

You'll be able to handle your brain a whole lot better on whole foods that your body can process properly.

Stay Safe!

 

[SeaMaiden]

My family has issues with mental health (bipolar, clinical depression, paranoid schizophrenia, OCD, Tourette's, and a few others), and so through that I have some familiarity with these medications. Seroquil and Lamictil are *not* meds they've been prescribed, but Zoloft and lithium are. Two different people; one is sane on Zoloft and she knows this, and so she uses it regularly and then takes 'breaks' where she MUST use cannabis. However, I can assure you that the cannabis is a poor substitute, especially when she's in a manic state. She goes off the Zoloft when she's trying to become pregnant (that clock is ticking, may have ticked its last tock).

The other believes there's nothing wrong with him, but I clearly remember when he was taking lithium. He was NORMAL. He rode an even keel. We weren't poor or rich, we were normal, too. No more being awakened at 3am to put the two cups left by the sink in the dishwasher, or to get a hot, wet rag to clean something up we'd missed the evening before. I wish he'd stayed on it.

I love cannabis, and it very well may turn out that it holds great promise and relief for people who's brains' ability to make and use seratonin is broken. But I've seen extreme bipolar and clinical depression and it's right up there with schizophrenia in terms of the havoc wreaked. It's also very much the same in terms of sufferers thinking that they can take meds for a short period of time, and then when symptoms 'disappear' they think they're all better. Also the same in terms of physical side effects of medications causing non-compliance. I can't say as I blame a lot of people, I've taken some pain meds whose side effects were worse than the pain itself, which didn't leave a whole lot of room for a life to be lived.

Either way, none of this should be undertaken as a 'medication alone' scenario. Therapy and counseling are KEY, in my opinion, and are the best paths towards reducing or eliminating the need for medication.

Btw, the one who needed lithium but stopped it just a few short months after going on it is an MD.

 

[redneck shogun]

My wife took lithium for a few months but the side effects were terrible, hair falling out, wetting the bed, extreme bloat and weight gain.

 

[supermanlives]

on seroquel again. no side affects . sleep alot and weight gain.

 

[demasoni]

Here's what I'm dealing with (in more detail than other thread):
I'm reluctant to go on any new meds but I’m not sure if I can hold out until I’ll have access to MMJ.
I'm under intense stress and not knowing for sure the underlying cause of symptoms exacerbates things . It feels like my brain is physically dissolving. Sleep doesn’t restore me, feel like fucking hell when I wake. Gone through several instances (awake) where the stress/aggravation was so intense it felt like regions of my brain began to fizzle, followed by where I'm at now; a state of brain feeling dead and scrambled, nerves fried crispy, no more feelings.
I’m so jumpy just a car alarm several houses away jerks me out of my sleep heart racing and shaking, adrenals try to fire but are simplyburned out now.
This fight or flight has increased over 2.5 months and it seems maxed out now. Immune giving in as well.
I question my MDs judgment since Bipolar was mentioned as a possibility and I feel like it doesn't completely fit everything I just described. There may have been some selective hearing... Believe me I’m going to see and listen to other doctors but I’m still curious about the experience of anyone here.

Anyone else gone fight or flight like this after stopping SNRI or SSRI meds?
Think it could simply be overwhelming stress taking its toll in addition to stopping the med?
Something else, like parasitic infection attacking CNS?

 

[Space Ghost]

please for your sake wait at least another 6mo before trying any new heavy meds, let your body recover from the effexor, or you'll just be treating the symptoms of withdrawing from that and then you'll be feeling better (post effexor withdraws) but you wont even know it because you're under the sedative blanket that is mood-stabilizers. So you're stuck with doctors shoving pills down your throat... It may suck now, but it will get better and you'll feel like your old self again.....

 

[Chronage]

I am really sorry to read this man, I read your last thread. I guess there are other people, that are, as fucked as myself. Just so you know you are NOT alone. A few years back I checked myself into a mental hospital for help. I was depressed, alone, and going through absolute hell. While I was there, I noticed they used people as guinea pigs for all these different drugs, including myself. Though the doctor's acted like they knew everything about these drugs, it was bullshit. Most of these are simply trial and error for discovery of what "works", or works okay. I have generally seen seroquel used as an anti-psychotic and a sleeping agent. The med counter was an open drugstore to you for certain things. So struggling to sleep in that shithole I elected to take seroquel my last 4 nights there. It worked very well to assist sleep, but only did so in the way sleeping pills drag you down. It gave me crazy lucid dreaming and what I could tell a dependence growing quickly to be able to sleep. I could still feel the effects awake the next day and I just felt like I got shot in the ass with a tranq gun. Seems to be about as good of a mood stabilizer as a tranquilizer. Though I did not take lithium and was given other things my roomy was on what seemed to be a constantly increasing dose of lithium. He complained constantly about the horrors, the rediculous sweating, shakyness, he could have gone on forever. If you're at all worried permanent issues you know to tread very lightly with these things. To this very day I wish I would have NEVER dealt with hardly any of these drugs. I've been on mood stabilizers that have made me see visuals like a weak acid trip. Anti-Depressants that seem to help yet cause all of their own issues (like complete loss of sex drive, which is great for a young guy with a beautiful wife). Barbituates that have greatly helped my anxiety/sleep only to completely ruin them years later. I now am fighting what I consider to be the 'good fight', which consists of ZERO psych pharms. Almost a month ago I got so fed up I dumped my scripts down the toilet and wouldn't dream of going back. (Not something I rec' anyone to do) The battle is extremely hard not longer taking them because of the dependence. It is even harder because of all the 'pot holes' these meds have created that I now must also overcome. Along with many other things wrong with me I now have adrenaline build ups in my brain from the sedatives and what they do to your CNS over time. So I am left with a bout of insomnia that seems almost inhuman, a rush comparable to adderall that goes in and out at certain times, and a movement disorder I will likely have forever. Saw my new doc yesterday who told me about adrenal issues. I was given the option to blanket most of this and go back on sedatives, or, keep fighting till all the adrenal deposits where away which could take as long as a year. I refuse to stop fighting and give in. If it is possible to beat something without medicine you should absolutely do it. Not trying to ramble about myself just food for thought I suppose. Nothing worth having is easy my friend, nothing. I'm sure it will also take a very long time for the depression to level out. I feel like I don't enjoy almost anything anymore, but a lot of times, I have to force myself to start something and then I love it. I'm sure you know all to well how weird it is to have the chance to do your favorite things but barely even care to do them. This is why I keep forcing myself to do the things I know I love instead of letting my brain do all the thinking ahead of time, before that activity is passed on. My new doc is a great guy and promotes as little use of these type of meds as possible. Like others said, he also said to work on a much better diet and lots of exercise which I have found really do make a huge difference. Also fish oils, and other things that naturally help fight depression. It's time to get excited about what you can make your life into, these aren't miracles, just steps in the right direction. I know that's cheesy as hell but it's true, set goals for what you wanna do to help yourself get better. There is value in any win, no matter how big or small, towards achieving your overall goal. And I am always more than happy to share any experience, insight, or thoughts. Best of luck to you man.

 

[oldguy]

BE VERY CAREFUL with those meds..

I took seroquel/Quentiapine for 3 yrs and it gave me nothing but problems.

Seroquel or Quentiapine (generic)
Diabetes
Abnormal muscle movements
Large or rapid weight gain
Restless or jitteriness
Decreased sex drive
Tinnitus
ED
Irregular heart rhythms
Dry eyes

These were what I ended up with. If you can go another way by all means it would be better for your health in the long run. There are always side effects in pharmaceutical drugs, Just do the research. There is a great book that I got called Heinerman's Encyclopedia of Healing Herbs & Spices. That book has worked for me. Everyone is diffrent so consult your dr about alternative meds if you have concerns. Wish the best for you.

 

[Hydro-Soil]

Always, Always, Always.... eliminate anything that effects mental/psyche from your diet and seek out any alternative first.

Rx should be your last choice, especially when dealing with your mind.

Grats to those that have been able to get or stay off the meds.... courage to those who have not or cannot.

Stay Safe!

 

[supermanlives]

effexor is some horrible shit. couldnt sit still couldnt sleep.i was a zombie. my doctor was on vacation. had to take valium to calm down. got my prescription changed as fast as i could.horrible stuff. i think i didnt sleep for a whole week. i was going crazy.

 

[NotAllThere]

Hello,

New member here and im sorry to hear you suffer from an illness that requires this medication.

Now before anyone comes in here saying all doctors drugs are bad or all pill pushing evil bastards....they are not! the vocal minority scews the representation of how many people these drugs have helped! Some doctors are bad iv met a few myself, some however are incredible and open minded and treat patients as individuals.

In my experience the only pychs who have ever helped me were the ones who were honest.

I will give you my experience with lamotrigine before i delve into my views of the drug industry and mental health profession which do apply to this but some points less than others.

I have Bipolar type I. and suffered with rapid cycling and severe mixed epsiodes. It also turned out i have a very mild Aspergers, anf a variety of half diagnosed personality disorders and anxiety traits ( i say half diagnosed as the NHS does not have alot of time and i was getting better so there was no point delving deeper when the problems were resolving )
I suffered from severe bouts of both dissasociation and derealisation....horrible horrible anxiety disorders if you experience them in severe forms...

lamictal

*INITIAL WARNING* Do not let your doctors stick you on a high dose straight away, you need to be titrated on and off all meds or you suffer the horrible side effects and withdrawels (often the problem is how people take meds not the meds themselves) Lamictal can cause a life threatening rash as a side effect however the chances of this happening if you start on a low dose of anywhere from 25-50mg once or twice a day then increase it every week or two depending on how it makes you feel is how i was told to take it and it is meant to decrease all side effects especially the rash ( i forget its name ). It took 4 weeks to hit 150mg and 6 for 200mg for me but i know people who could take 200mg first day and others who couldnt get past 100mg without taking 8 weeks+

Lamotrigine was awesome! my maximum dose before coming off it was 200mg in the evening and 50mg in the morning and 50 mg after lunch as i found this helped me stay stable and constant with the majority of zombieness at night when i welcomed the relief of a racing mind in pitch black and silence i did go on / off it a few times as there were points were it made me feel a little numb and/or i thought i was ok to stop. The numbness was not like amitriptyline ( a tricyclic im on now for nerve pain and muscle spasms!) were i feel like a zombie or burnt out like the morning after one of those stupidly over the top smoking sessions. it was more i zoned out a bit like daydreaming but without the dreams...Calm i would probably call it. But for me personally iv lived my life in mostly hypmanic states and iv accepted thats part of who i am now. It wasnt a bad feeling it wasnt a good feeling but it wasnt me. However it really did help balance me out and i stuck with it till i was no longer swinging from suicidal downing beers / spirits and benzos to try make it stop to suddenly pumped full of energy clear headed and preparing myself to become the next masked crusader (a side ffect of mania if you do too many martial arts for too long and have a superhero complex haha).

It got me the control i needed to evaulate myself and my problems.

Now my case may be different due to having a fairly high IQ and aspergers...i suffer from chronic introspection where i can dissasociate myself from....well myself and basically play devils advocate in my own mind...my doctors say for me its a real double edged sword both what nearly drove me over the edge but what stopped me from full blown pychosis and allowed me to pull myself back.

Now my first question to you is. What therapy have you had? talking therapies of any nature. as if you have not had any i cannot recommend CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) or CABT (Cognitive Analytical Behavioural therapy) highly enough they are bothy increible for people who really want to change.
one on one only iv heard stories of places doing group CBT with a range of problems....CBT is personal it cannot always apply to others. If you have not try get a few books about it, in so many studies CBT / CABT and exercise are oftern the three most effective cures. As always though all three can be some of the hardest thins to actually do!

OK now onto a few points i would like to make about mental illness, medicines, and pyches in general, a few things to keep in mind.

Now this is from my english perspective in a county with exceptional mental health care.....i moved to a different county and well lets just say after a 5 year break from 'help' i went back to a pych when i moved back home and got decent treatment. I know doctors in general can be know it all snobs with a god complex and after seeing a fair few documentries about america it seems you have a Bipolar health care system of fanatic pill pushers who over diagnose leading to the apathetic outlook of many people at full blown mental illness as they got 'diagnosed' with depression for a few months and wrongfully got given pills for it....come back to me in 10 years time without having one day off then talk to me about being mentally ill!) and then people who claim all pills are evil and help no one (me and several friends would beg to differ!)

Doctors today give out too many drugs as a first line treatment when it should be 2nd to therapy unless severe / pychotic or in a combination. They so the same with antibiotics and looks at the mess thats caused with drug resistant strains...

The few basic truths about mental illness that most people do not understand.

You do not have to be mentally ill to have a mental illness:

This means nearly anyone can have an episode but not everyone is as predisposed to it or has it hard wired in. The reason i say this is that many people with opinions are not long term sufferers and sometimes even the product of an over diagnosing medical reflex to through pills instead of the better therapies such as Analytical and cognitive behavioural therapy. or pills to treat a bad moment in their life. Some people may have just the one breakdown that may last a long time a few years etc then never have even the hint of a relapse!

You would be suprised how many people have similar symptoms to many mentally ill people, and the way my all time favourite pych explained it to me was that mental illness are natural traits that are overactive or focused open and the difference between natural and abnormal was do they significant effect your life. the main lesson behind that is its all relative.

What that means beside the fact that people will never understand an individuals personal suffering if if they can sympathise. is that what can seem like a horrible side effect for one person may be what someone else needs, or they may barely notice it.

The next point i would like to make is that many many people within the medical profession argue to this day about whether one illness exists or if its just another type of another mental illness, or if the mental illness you are diagnosed with is actually a horrible comorbid concoction. For example how many people know about the arguments for splitting schizophrenia up into a few different illnesses. Or links between hardwired brain malfunctions that resemble epilepsy in nature yet may lead to depression and neurochemical imbalance?

This is why the doctors often have to play around and pick and mix which drugs and in which combos and doses they need to prescribe. Two people with identicle symptoms could be treated in 100% different ways. Drug resistant sufferers may never get better in talking therapy but may be cured with the right combination of drugs.

Try and find a list of all the Antidepressent families and how many different types there are within each family then look at the types of antipychotics, Mood stabilisers, various anxiety meds, offlabel drugs, lactimal (originally a anti epileptic, i was given it before it was approved for treating bipolar thanks to the pych who let me look into the drugs and gave many many new articles on them from peer reviewed journals before choosing)

Some people get lucky and hit the nail on the head instantly for others they try a few types from each family and then different combinations etc and the old saying 'its always the last place you look' slaps them in the face 20 medications down the line! Some people they just dont seem to work on.

Sorry if i rambled on a bit but i feel my opinions on this are relatively important due to the number of times iv seen the super anti medicine people spew lies and propaganda about something they often know very little about.

im not saying all pills are good some are bad, some are bad for certain people, some may cause more harm than good! but some save lives.

Dont let their misuse scare you off just make sure you look at all options for what will suit you in terms of effect of th edrug + side effects.

It may be better to take 2 to hit all symptoms and avoid the side effects you want / need to avoid most or there may be that one drug you hadnt considered that cures it all!

Pills are only a crutch to aid you to recovery dont expect them to fix you without putting in your effort, CBT and exercise and clean living. cut down on drinking and stimulants like caffine and processed foods and sugar. all of these enable me, someone who should usually be on several types of meds for life to be both med free and comparatively healthy if not a little ecentric and odd (its often a selling point to alot of my friends xD im the crazy guy who compared to the normal people looks sane!)

I truely wish you the best of luck and hope you find what it is you need.

O probaly besty to avoid THC and instead go for only high CBD strains. generally easier on the sanity and new research shows it can help with stabilising the brain via countless methods from antipychotic to helping autists to helping epileptics!

Good luck man stay strong and remember it will pass if you hang in there and dont give up

 

[NotAllThere]

effexor is some horrible shit. couldnt sit still couldnt sleep.i was a zombie. my doctor was on vacation. had to take valium to calm down. got my prescription changed as fast as i could.horrible stuff. i think i didnt sleep for a whole week. i was going crazy.

haha yeh the rebound from certain meds can be hell, taking an antidrepesent for my nerve and back pain i didnt even think about the fact that i was no longer on a mood stabiliser to give me a roof so to speak....before i knew it i was like sheldon off the big bang when he drinks coffee and dresses up likle flashZOOM ZOOM ZOOM. 6 gym sessions in 4 days and heavy nights out partying and about 4 houirs sleep total...before i started coming down again thanks to good old diazepam.

 

[Space Ghost]

Good post NotAllThere, but in this specific case the op is withdrawing from effexor and their symptoms could be gone in a matter of months... Treating the withdraw from a substance as a mental problem is just silly, and that's what the dr's will think it is....

I know all too well what the op is going through, but it does end...

 

[Stinkymutt]

Meds

Meds

Ive been on a number of different anti depressants none of which worked. Effexor being the worst as far as getting off it . But the reason for this is that with most people who are bi polar anti depressants make them go into a manic state. This is what I experienced for a few years while MD's threw this pill and that pill at me . I ended up going to both a psychiatrist and a psychologist who worked together to come up with the fact that I was bi polar not just "depressed" . I take Depekote now and it works very well for me . The major side effects for me are weight gain and just plain old being tired alot. Not saying it is for you but it may be worth a try for ya .
Peace out
Mutt

 

[NotAllThere]

Yeh, sorry iv just taken my evening diazepam and amitriptyline for my muscle, joint and nerve problems so sorry if i rambled on a bit!

My point with all the rambling was that, stopping these drugs is medically documented to cause withdrawels which is why guidelines state you need to gradualy decrease the dose and even then depending on whether or not your 'cured' some people need to take maintanance doses for months after coming off the theraputic doses. Cold turkey for these meds is a bad thing so if it was stopped to sharply it can and most likely will give you side effects from temporary drug induced hypomania where you feel awesome for a few days then crash, anxiety painc attacks etc.

One med for that is propanolol, my panic attacks were physical not phychological untill they got out of control the beta blocker blocked the adreneline and its precursers but sometimes i did need t 40mg of temazepan and a few beers to calm down

(worst choice ever alcohol and benzos ruined me for years in some respects mainly the fact i got very addicticed and my liver took a kicking, where i was told i was on the verge of drug induced hepatitise at the age of 20...a good few years on of lots of fruit and vege and nearly no drinking and long breaks from smoking and im fit as a fiddle again!)

The long and the short of it is, if you are suffering still it may be withdrawels however it may mean that the effeox was a bandage that got ripped off to soon, or it may have been more like stiches being torn out instead of cut and removed.

(as i start to post you may realise i love analogies and metaphores!)

Lamotrigine (lamictal) has shown to be helpfull in certain patients and has shown to help with anxiety and mild depression. not for everyone. but out of the three and from my own experience if you want to be free in the long run this is a good bet with very careful dosing going up to an effective dose then reducing it gradually its gave me enough balance and stability and time to let the brain reset to start working on myself and work out my triggers and errors in though tpatterns and which behavours caused me to go up or down etc and try to make sure i was aware of my own mind. its hard to start with spending every hour of everyday worrying if your happy or going manic, if your just a bit tired or spiraling int o depression etc but eventually to learn to read yourself so it becomes second nature.

Now if i know i have a big deadline coming up in my research and i think CRAP i havnt coded the stats program yet...i know a bit of sleep deprevation and a bit too much caffine and fear wil boost me upto a a mild hypomanic state where i can worki like a machine. then when its done i burn out with exercise have a few drinks, or a smoke or a valium and a good nights sleep and balance is restored! Il admit im juggling with swords by doing this but my point is lactimal is what allowed me to get my head straight enough to work this out and learn how to control my bodies chemistry by regulating the triggers for dperession and mania. well lactimal + CBT

I Will say it again either try to get Cognitive behavioural therapy or read some books on it atleast if you already havnt. If your willing to be honest and put in the effort that and exercise (mainly weights for natural highs from(plus for my hypermobility) it then HIIT training to burn out (high intensity interval training) so say 1:30minutes decent pace 30secs burn out as fast as you can running or cycling then straight into another 1:30 of just above average speed into sprints and repeat for 10-16 minutes (most people throw up after 10 minutes if they are not well prepared ) but your too tired to feel depressed to feel anxious your body is pumped with feel good chemicals from the weights too....clear head, good sleep, good smoke, good times.

O and another plus to lactimal if it works for you is i never had any weight gain (not saying others dont) but knowing weight gain can lead to anxiety which can lead back to depression its a variable that needs considering.

The best cures are the hardest ones to bare in my experience (and a few journals) so just keep at it.

Right my meds are kicking in n ow so bed time for me i tihnk good night all and i wish you all the best!

 

[Chronage]

You don't need to write novels when your useable points only require a few sentences. Also the internet is an information gateway, this guy asked about personal exp on certain meds, not your rambling life story. And lastly a lot of what you say makes no sense, not so sure people should take your advice on this period....

examples that made me say wtf? hmm...

haha yeh the rebound from certain meds can be hell, taking an antidrepesent for my nerve and back pain i didnt even think about the fact that i was no longer on a mood stabiliser to give me a roof so to speak....

this doesn't even make sense

(worst choice ever alcohol and benzos ruined me for years in some respects mainly the fact i got very addicticed and my liver took a kicking, where i was told i was on the verge of drug induced hepatitise at the age of 20

Indeed it is the worst choice, it's put on bottles of all benzo's, literature, even your doc will tell you that's the stupidest thing you can do. Benzodiazepenes of all walks form no dangerous metabolites, and are generally a very benign medication in terms of it's load on the liver. It is however, dependent on liver function to get cleared from the body. So if you have a damaged liver - say from alcoholism, your system can get overloaded with the drug.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001273/ Challenge you to find benzo's on the list for what you claim to have almost given yourself.

It may seem I'm trying to flame even though I assure you I am not. I can't stand when people who post incorrect information for others who really do need it. Especially when it's about anything medical, not like his plants may just get nute burned. You could really hurt someone if you don't know what you're talking about. I read through everything and barely even found much that related to his actual questions. Don't take this rough just understand.

 

[stc9357]

Been on serequel before made me feel like a zombie. Currently on a low dose of latuda from a psychosis I experienced in November of last year will be getting my dose lowered even more when I see a doctor in July. Trying to get off these meds because they sap my energy gained 20 pounds from being on risperidal at first then the doctor switched me.

 

[NotAllThere]

You don't need to write novels when your useable points only require a few sentences. Also the internet is an information gateway, this guy asked about personal exp on certain meds, not your rambling life story. And lastly a lot of what you say makes no sense, not so sure people should take your advice on this period....

examples that made me say wtf? hmm...



this doesn't even make sense

Indeed it is the worst choice, it's put on bottles of all benzo's, literature, even your doc will tell you that's the stupidest thing you can do. Benzodiazepenes of all walks form no dangerous metabolites, and are generally a very benign medication in terms of it's load on the liver. It is however, dependent on liver function to get cleared from the body. So if you have a damaged liver - say from alcoholism, your system can get overloaded with the drug.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001273/ Challenge you to find benzo's on the list for what you claim to have almost given yourself.

It may seem I'm trying to flame even though I assure you I am not. I can't stand when people who post incorrect information for others who really do need it. Especially when it's about anything medical, not like his plants may just get nute burned. You could really hurt someone if you don't know what you're talking about. I read through everything and barely even found much that related to his actual questions. Don't take this rough just understand.

The reason i rambled on with alot of information is because i was explaining that many people opinions and advice will be either biased or hear say.

My own experiences with the drug and the reasons why i took it are infact incredibly important to my experience of it. As i explained different people with different problems and symptoms will respond differently to different drugs. I have Bipolar, Aspergers and Ehler-danlos, and a whole host of other anxiety problems etc. These variables will change the effectivness of certain drugs or change which one is needed....I said for me lamtorigine worked for all of them allowing me to help myself.

The topic of rebound effect from antidepressants makes perfect sence depending what symptoms you have and what side effects the meds give you.

For me i took amitriptyline (a tricyclic anti depressent) for back and nerve pain (google it if you find it confusing that it has off label uses) and the side effects from it made me anxious irritable and i didnt sleep for days and when i came of the medication i had a rebound high which is another possible withdrawel side effect. I only mentioned this to agree withthe fact that not all antidepressent make you sleep / zombie like. and the part about having no roof was due to me having bipolar and not on a stabiliser. drug induced mania / high euphoric states are well documented and in possible side effects for most antidepresents.

The only advice i gave was:

1)my own personal experience, and variables which are important to choosing the right med

2)Dont let paranoid scaremongers convince you they are trying to keep you on these pills or that they are all bad and wont help they are most likely not medical professionals (as that advice of not getting help can be incredibly bad, help with withdrawels is vital due to some meds causing severe side effects anywhere from headaches and flu like symptoms to seizurs)

3)make sure the doctor doesnt slack and just stick you on a high dose then cut you off unless thats how the drug is meant to work as many do have to be tapered from lowest possible dose to the theraputic level (This also means you find the level that works which may be say 150mg instead of 300mg as everyone is different) and then once not needed need to be gradually reduced which may means months of the lowest possible dose depending how long you were on them and at what dosage.

4)Try to seek help through talking therapy for anxiet etc, and to help make sure no relapses occur. Cognitive behavioural therepy analytical behavioural therepy and exercise are proven in many studies to be highly effective for so many different mental illness.

And finally if you want to link something make sure its not a generic beginers list.

I was taking temazepam, or diazepam both of which are metabolised by the liver (hepatic metabolism). this creates stress on the liver which depending on dosage will cause very little effect. However for someone with an impaired liver be it alcohol, various painkillers, or past infections etc. and warning lablels on pretty much all packets say to get an OK from a doctor or you should not be taking them at all. Many drugs have synergistic effects that when combined can turn two harmless substances into something serious! Cannabis is also partyly processed through hepatic pathways which is one of the reasons why its important to be careful about what you take / smoke)

Nothing i said was a DO THIS, it was merely a load of things to watch out for as far as mental illness coming on / going off drugs is concerned. Sure i could have just said lamictal worked for me....but without knowning why i was taking it or came off it that advice would be next to usless. and considering the OP is suffering now and that it may or may not be coming off the drug as it could be another symptom or the problem causing these feelings (which can manifest as physical ailmets such as sickness headaches etc) has not been resolved which is often the case due to tyhe number of people who get pills but no real therapy. Which as i said pills are a crutch to help you get better they are not the answer for most.

I apologise if any of what i said was confusing and a bit long winded but these are complex problems with no real answers.
This is why doctors and pychs have to play a bit of a lottery when choosing drugs. For example there are loads of SSRI's despite beign the same type of drug one SSRI may cure someone whilst it may do nothing but give the next person horrible side effects. then theres always the chance that SSRI's are not what is need etc etc

EDIT: I will add that i gave the extra details due to the OP stating that the doctors swore that the effects where not from withdrawel. So i gave reasons why they might be wrong or right. depending on how long ago you stopped the meds and the occurance of the symptoms they might be right that you need something else and its not just withdrawel.

Nothing i have said i claim to be 100% accurate or correct with just alot of bits and peaces of stuff i have personally experienced, and done alot of researching into in the past.

Chronage:two things here. First of all what information did i give that was potentially deadly? and secondly i would like to point out your block of text was nearly all about yourself, and provided very little detail into what meds you were taking and why....Ontop of that stopping meds abruptly can kill people. So without meaning to flame that advice is terrible and potentially deadly. About the only things to be taken away from your first post should be seek a second opinion if you dont like the first (without stopping meds unsupervised) and to eat a good balanced healthy diet and exercise. Everyone is different and no one really knows if mental illness is nature or nurture for most of it and even then its likely there are aspects of both involved.