just started lamictal (Lamotrigine) and my brain fog seems worse and I feel anxious and disconnected

[Sparks1230]

Hi, I’m new here. I’m deeply depressed right now. This feels like one of the worse states I’ve been in. My brain fog is extremely severe. I feel so stuck. My brain has been hijacked. My doc thinks I might be bipolar 2 but doesn’t like to treat “in a box”. He took me off sertraline which was my crutch for years. It seemed to be the only med that touched my depression through the years. I titrated off a couple months ago and now I’m on a pharma roller coaster. I tried Vraylar for 5 weeks and I felt like I wanted to jump out of my skin and had the most extreme and debilitating anhedonia that left me not knowing what to do with myself every second of the day. I wished the days away. I’m still in a state of wishing every day away. I don’t know what to do with myself. Still dealing with extreme anhedonia. I can barely focus and concentrate on anything. I can’t follow conversations well. I feel like an invalid. I don’t know what to do with my life. I feel completely lost. And I feel like I’m going backwards rapidly. I used to be on 100 mg of sertraline and augmented with 150 mg. In hindsight I was much better than I am now. Currently I just started on 25 mg lamotrigine and I’ve been on it for about 10 days. Does it get worse before it gets better? Anyone get out of a deep depression using Lamotrigine? And how long did it take and at what dose? I am lost right now.

[Jonny_storm]

I'm sorry you are feeling so bad. I can relate as I've been in a bad place for 7 months. I take Lamotrigine but I'm on 200 MG. I had to build up to this dose. I take Cymbalta and mirtazapine as well. I added the mirtazapine 7 months ago but it has not helped. I too took Vraylar and had bad side effects. I tried Rexulti and also had bad side effects. I'm trying ketamine now but losing hope it will help. Prior to this episode I was doing fine on the Cymbalta and lamotrigine. So perhaps when you can build up your dose you will start feeling better.

[Sparks1230 in reply to Jonny_storm]

Thanks for the reply. Two more days and I can start taking 50. I really hope I start feeling better I feel so slow. The cognitive dysfunction is the worst. The simple task of reading your reply, comprehending or, and responding is a huge challenge. I feel so useless. Brain dead. Months ago I thought I was bad. I was on 100mg sertraline and 150 bupropion. In hindsight I felt much better. This medication change is awful. Fortunately I’m not experiencing any physical side effects. I just feel like I’m back to a baseline major depression. And I’m staring to get anxious and feeling I will be stuck like this. I can’t handle much of life right now. It feels like my brain has been hijacked and I’m left empty. I don’t know what to do with myself. It might be the worst I’ve ever felt or remembered feeling. Why did you get off Cymbalta?

[RC_2024]

I’ve had great success on Lamictal. It does cause a little brain fog for me - keeps me living in the middle. Not too high and not too low. Give it some time. May need a dose adjustment.

[1CobaltBlue]

I just read your post and I could have said the same things if I had written it.I too feel lost and am discouraged over the fact that nothing seems to be helping.In addition to oral meds I’m going through spravato treatment which helped at first but now not at all.

My level of energy is low low low and I just want to stay curled up in bed.

Know that is not the way to getting better though.

[Sparks1230 in reply to 1CobaltBlue]

I’m sorry to hear you’re not feeling good. This is way too common. I wish I had the answers for myself and to help others suffering. I don’t want to give any false hope to myself or to others, but I just got a call from my PCP’s office and they confirmed I have mild to moderate sleep apnea from a recent at home sleep study I had done. I will be meeting with a sleep specialist once I get a call back. What if the issues all stemmed from sleep problems and lack of oxygen to the brain? Maybe that’s why I feel so brain dead. I never wake up feeling refreshed. Like I said I don’t want to give myself or anyone false hope, but this is the first time I have been told something physical is wrong that could be a link to the problem. I have had hormone levels tested and other types of bloodwork done to be told that all is normal. This is one slight abnormality found. Maybe this is a start? Hopefully find out soon.