drugs and depression

[LMReggcellent]

In short, I want to know what the chances are that the Lamictal and Trileptal I'm taking is causing the depression that my husband says I've been exhibiting for the past long time. Thanks.

 

[Nakamova]

It's definitely possible. I think because all the anti-seizure meds are pretty powerful they can potentially affect moods. I haven't had any depressive reaction to Lamictal, but I know other folks have. I haven't tried Trileptal.

How has your sleep been on the meds? If they are affecting the quality of your sleep in certain ways, that could be another reason for the depression. (Recent studies have linked the two -- see http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/19/health/treating-insomnia-to-heal-depression.html?_r=0)

Have you seen a neuropsych? They might be able to help determine if the meds are messing with you.

 

[Cint]

Depression and Epilepsy go hand in hand. Some of the anti-seizure meds can/do make the depression worse for some, although the Lamictal and Trileptal are also used as mood stabilizers for bi-polar patients. When I took Lamictal many moons ago, it didn't do a thing for my seizures, but it did help with my depression. I had to stop the Trileptal because it lowered my sodium level (hyponatremia).

Have you been to an endocrinologist or an ob/gyn and had your hormone levels checked? Have you had your TSH level checked? That can cause mood swings. Epilepsy and/or medications can mess with any of this.

Keep your chin up!!

 

[N Sperlo]

Lamictal is a mood stabilizer. My wife uses it for bipolar disorder. It is used to keep the lows higher and the highs lower. This can make a difference in what you feel for sure. Let the doctor know you feel this way.

 

[arnie]

I've been on Lamictal for about 15 years and never had depression issues. I was on trileptal for a month or so and had terrible stomach pains the whole time, but not depression. In the past couple of months or so I've actually had some symptoms of clinical depression, but I attribute that to the changes in my seizure activity. I have been having fewer seizures (I have partial seizures) but somehow they are affecting me differently, and I think I am having a lo0t of subclinical seizures. I am going to see a surgeon on Friday about getting a vns implanted, since the 5 aeds I've been on over the past 30 years haven't done a good job at controlling the partials, and I think that's starting to catch up with me. I hope you find some causes/relief for your depression.

One more thing: Do you think you're depressed?

 

[LMReggcellent]

Thanks for the help. I don't think I'm depressed but I have a couple reasons why I could be. I'm going to bring this up the next time I see my doctor and hopefully my husband will be with me so he can tell her what he thinks, and hear what she has to say.

 

[valeriedl]

All of the meds that I'm on are for epilepsy, I'm taking none for depression which I know that some of them are used for that. I have a VNS and I read somewhere that sometimes it's given to people for depression.

Two of the meds that I am on are Lamictal and Keppra. I get horrible Keprage from the Keppra and it seems that when I'm VERY angry I just want to start bawling and crying. I don't know if the Lamictal has anything to do with this or not?

I had back surgery a while ago and had to go to therapy for it. I had 3 appts scheduled for one week. I had to call and cancel the first apt. For the second apt a family member dropped me off at the place and I told them to come back in an hour. When I got in there turned out they had canceled all my appts for that week. I was so angry at the lady because I had to sit there for an hour and wait for my ride to come get me. I ended up going in the bathroom and crying for at least a half hour. When my ride got back I started crying in the car too.

My grandma is in the hospital right now, doing ok luckily. When the nurse came in and explained what they were going to do with her I look over and my grandpap was messing around with things in his wallet and not paying attention to anything the nurse was saying. When she was done talking he started asking all sorts of questions about things that the nurse had already told us the answers to.

I was so pissed at him I stormed out of the room. He followed me and asked me what my problem was. I turned around and screamed at him "YOU". I had to walk up and down the hall for a while before I could go back in to the room because I was holding in the tears. I knew if I looked at him I'd start crying. I kept thinking it would be ok if I punched him because we could get him to the ER very quick!

 

[qtowngirl]

Have you had your TSH level checked? That can cause mood swings. Epilepsy and/or medications can mess with any of this.
Keep your chin up!!

:agree:

thyroid issues and epilepsy can be tied together, unfortunately. so much so that every year since my first grand mal i have to get my tsh checked, and have heard that's common. our thyroid runs everything so if it's out of normal ranges it needs to be addressed.
best of luck sweetie, no fun for sure. i agree with others about the lamictal too (have been on it 2.5 years). as a mood stabilizer it's doubtful it's the reason but always good to check.

 

[Elsie]

Well I came up hypothyroid over a year ago. It's been a struggle almost ever since. I came across some studies about epilepsy and thyroid, specifically they had tested trileptal's involvement with causing hypothyroid. I couldn't understand what they were saying. So I mentioned it to my neurologist at my last visit and she instantly googled it and said the study was inconclusive. But....there was some reason they did the study in the first place, I'm thinking..... and if my numbers are wrong, I get horrible anxiety. Just another side effect I'm thinking.

 

[Cint]

But....there was some reason they did the study in the first place, I'm thinking..... and if my numbers are wrong, I get horrible anxiety. Just another side effect I'm thinking.

If you have horrible anxiety, have you mentioned it to your dr.? It could be from Trileptal.

http://www.drugs.com/sfx/trileptal-side-effects.html

Report any new or worsening symptoms to your doctor, such as: mood or behavior changes, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, or if you feel impulsive, irritable, agitated, hostile, aggressive, restless, hyperactive (mentally or physically), more depressed,

 

[Belinda5000]

The chances are great that your AEDs cause your depression.I've been in a bad depression bye Tranxene,Phenobarbitol,Topamax,Tegretol,Dilantin,Neurontin just to name a few.

 

[LMReggcellent]

Thanks again. I have had a thyroid problem for close to a year now but I don't remember if it's hyper or hypo (or whatever). But I kind of expected it because my mother and most of her sisters and my grandmother has it, too, and at least three of us are taking the same med. I didn't know it could have anything to do with epilepsy.

 

[LMReggcellent]

If you have horrible anxiety, have you mentioned it to your dr.? It could be from Trileptal.

http://www.drugs.com/sfx/trileptal-side-effects.html

Speaking of horrible anxiety, that sounds really familiar. I could write here about it being another bad side effect of a drug that doesn't do anything good for me but that's the sort of thing my husband says I do too often to exhibit depression, so don't tell him I wrote this.

 

[Elsie]

Thanks, Cint. I did read the whole list of side effects. I think I've had them all at one point or another, briefly... However, I do think the anxiety came along with the thyroid troubles, instead of the trileptal. It was the first summer when I had all the horrible thyroid symptoms that my anxiety peaked and I was diagnosed hypo. It's much better now that my numbers are more where they should be. It doesn't help that I've always been sort of a worry-wort.

As for depression, I've had that too much too often. Presently I'm doing ok but I sure can't always say that. I'm mindful of the dangers of that. I would definitely tell the dr. if that got out of control again...

 

[Penny]

Al Anti-E Drugs are used by Psychiatrist for mood stabalizers. Of course the newer ones are being used more now such such as lamictal, trileptal, Topamax. But the older ones such as Depakote andkeppra are still used a lot. The one most prominately used (but not a Anti-E)is Lithium.

Thyroid problems can effect depression, concentration, energy. Get your levelchecked at the very least twice a year. I do every 3 months as I have no thyroid due to thyroid cancer last year and had it removed.

 

[cazzy12]

lamatical or thyroid making me act out badly i getting up eating and not remembering,i so desperate for nights sleep i taking zolpidin twice recommended dose nytol and clobazam..i know i know it wrong but desperation make ya do odd things...either lack of sleep or medication making me terribly depressed and poor memory

 

[Penny]

I think it sounds like you really need to see your general practioner at least and very soon to talk about your meds and possible interactions they might be having and the problems you are having right now. we can give some advice but we are not Drs..
Call soon!