@louisy Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect.

I will say that I have not been on any of these medications you are talking about. But what I do know, is that often our bodies may "get used to" a regimen, and then no longer be as effective. And that can go for any medication. And if we are prescribed additional medications for other conditions, they might interact with something we are already taking.

Have you spoken to the prescribing doctor to let them know your thoughts, and see if there is some testing they can do? What do you do now to help you with your memory and critical thinking? Crossword puzzles? Learning new things?
Ginger

I was on Effexor for over twenty years, and for the last three of those it turned me suicidal, something no one, not even my psychiatrist, picked up on. She had kept me on Effexor after I was hospitalized a year-and-a-half ago. I quit it in a suicidal rage last winter genuinely wanting to wreck my life and, despite the wicked withdrawal symptoms (I do not advise doing what I did, it's miserable), within a few days the suicidal depression lifted. What happened to me has been shown to occur in rare occasions with antidepressants, and after finding NIH and BMJ articles about this, I refused to even consider going back on it.

I told my psychiatrist that while I was glad to be rid of the antidepressant and would not take any medication in that class again, I did feel like I'd stripped off my armor. She suggested Lamotrigine, and I decided to give it a go. This sequence of events occurred between late February and early March of last year. I started logging my moods on this program, which I can't recommend enough: https://www.moodtracker.com/. I have daily data going back to March 2.

My experience was twofold. My overall outlook improved almost immediately after quitting the Effexor, and I went from daily thoughts of suicide to absolutely zero since. So we know the Effexor was driving that. My mood also improved gradually as the Lamotrigine was introduced, a six week process for me, and I have been absolutely stable for roughly nine months now.

How much of this is thanks to getting off of Effexor and how much has to do with the Lamotrigine is something I cannot pinpoint since there's a mix there. But depression, which I've dealt with since childhood (I'm now 60) is flat gone. I was never particularly suicidal until the Effexor turned on me in 2021. There were three years there that I'm frankly thankful to have survived (it came scary close), and there's no way I'd upset the current balance to find out if it's primarily the Lamotrigine, primarily quitting the antidepressant, or a 50/50 mix of the two that got me where I am.

Kind of vague, but that's been my experience. I have not noticed any side effects of the Lamotrigine, but I haven't been taking it as long as you have and am not taking Pramiprexol, so I cannot speak to that part.

I hope this helps.

I am on lamotrigine for seizure prophylaxis. I am not having any issues but I was overmedicated by psychiatry for years. Not now. I do not support over prescribing in any way.

I was diagnosed (incorrectly, IMHO) with bipolar disorder in 2009 and placed on Lamotrigine and Zyprexa. I always had severe brain fog while on this combination even though my dosages were adjusted many times over the years. I also experienced other unpleasant side effects and finally had enough and titrated off of the Zyprexa in Spring '23. Although most of the sympto.s were relieved, I still had some thinking problems and decided to get off the Lamotrigine this last Spring. I've been L-free since early Summer '24 and feel great. My dog's lifted and nothing but blue skies for the past several months. I did this under a shrink's guidance.

Good luck!

I would consider MAOIs, unless you have so already. If you follow the guidelines for taking them, they are among the most effective anti-depressions for MDD and TRD. If you do a search in any of the drug review sections on drug-related websites, you’ll get a sense of how many have benefitted. The only remission I ever had, albeit for only for five days, was when I took Parnate. I have taken several others in the MAOI class since with no effect, but I am now taking Parnate again and slowly increasing the dosage. I am also taking 400 mg of lamotrigine. You might consider mindfulness and meditation if that’s up your alley. Eat well and exercise. With a MAOI, you may need to take a sleep aid since insomnia is a common side effect. Good luck and keep on swinging! Misery loves company.

I am one of many who was way overprescribed psychiatric medications. SSRIs. Benzos. Antipsychotics. Multiple diagnosis. In hindsight I had ptsd. I definitely do havd ptsd now because in 2014 I got bacterial meningitis of my brain..I was coded septic in multi organ failure. To shorten my experience I do not feel very medications help at all. I do take lamotrigine for seizure prophylaxis. Escitalopram 10mg. Next month I will discuss with my behavioral health provider a reduction to 5mg. I take lisinopril and levothyroxine. Other than supplements that is it. I recently had to stop naproxen due to GI upset. Replaced with tuneric circuit and acetaminophen. Life style changes psychotherapy boundaries have done a lot for me. It is cold right now so I usually get in 3000 steps daily. In spring and summer 6000 steps daily. I am a retired nurse. Was RN. Similar to you I did too much because I have been socialized into it. No drug or alcohol use. I have had 2 TKRs. A craniotomy. A cholesttectomy. I am afraid multiple surgeries can add up to chronic pain . I am sorry to hear about all you have endured. I am not surprised however.. I do think medicine healthcare etc can overtreat. I cannot diagnose. One thing that helped me after 2014 was to be de prescribed many prescriptions under medical supervision..
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Call your doctor. They can do a blood test to see where your lamotragine levels are at. They may be to high. I am on it myself and so is my daughter. Been taking it for 4 years. They had lower are dose due to complete brain fog. I am not trying to tell you what to do. If you are on medications like this. Make sure your doctor knows what is going on. They question you saying you did not have this symptoms when you started. Body chemistry can change at any time with lamotragine. Good luck.

I've used Lomotrazine gor seizures. I went without a one for 12 years. Had 2 in the last 18 months. Classic for me : stress, illness and fatigue cluster. Standard MRI and EEG coming up.

Told Loragine a one off for seizures, typically used for bipolar. I am depressive only, but the positive effect was so immediate it pushed to 500, now at 400. 200am/200pm. I started 25/w, 50/2w, 100/3w , 200/4w then 400 after 8 weeks

Loved the
slow slow onboarding, could feel difference with out feeling drugged.

Think memory loss is a risk factor. Google lomotragine for more info

I have found hat it has made a great difference in my life.