I don't know why no one has replied to you yet. I was looking back at my previous post when I saw yours. My question was similar to yours. I was also wondering about the muscle stiffness and pain is a side effect of the lamotrigine or still part of the depression. I think it's both for me. This is making my physiotherapy more difficult. I am hoping these side effects go away. Did anyone else on this board get muscle pain and stiffness from lamotrigine? Is going off lamotrigine/Lamictal as difficult as Pam's experience is with her son?

Maui992 -its really hard to know what the lamictal side affects were or is it the depression? He is miserable right now and thinking he wont make it but I dont think he will take any more meds because he feels the meds did this to him, He is partially right and partially wrong and I fear I will lose him someday. I pray for him and I will pray for you too,

A lot of people with bipolar disorders can't take antidepressants due to mania or hypomania being induced

He should definitely work with a psychiatrist .... They're experts in psych meds and I wouldn't wait until he gets a lot worse.... He can always go to emerg if he feels too low

Psych meds often work along with other tools that we use to help us

I was a psych nurse as well as having bipolar and I think I've only ever met one person who had to live in a psych institute due to having bipolar disorder so extreme that he was almost always in a constant state of mania

We have a treatable disorder..... He has to work with a doctor though when he's having problems...

Many of us including me are on a cocktail of meds..... Big hug.....I know it's hard when it's someone you love ... Please encourage him to get help from a psychiatrist.... That's who he needs to start off with..... xo

Pam, if the withdrawal effects are really bad, he can and should go off more slowly. There are individual differences and I am one person who needs to go up and down medications more slowly than the typical Dr. instructions.

If your son is concerned about the meds making him worse, he can discuss this with his psychiatrist. If he wants to change psychiatrists, that's a possibility too. And the psych ward is a safe place. He may not want to go, but encourage him to pick 1 of these options. Bipolar disorder cannot be managed without meds. Counselling can help as well. He could ask his doctor about light therapy for depression since it does not have significant side effects. He would need to be on a mood stabilizer at the same time whether he is bipolar 1 or bipolar 2. XO

At this point my son is determined to stay off meds - he actually had one good day last Saturday but the rest of the week he was depressed and anxious. At least I convinced him take adavan to help with the anxiety. He has been in treatment with psychiatrist and counselor for years - no mania just depression - but his counselor moved to FL and the one he has now is not very good.

If he doesn't have mania he doesn't have bipolar 1. Does he have hypomania which is bipolar 2. It is often misdiagnosed as depression as I was for over 15 years. If he felt good one day, it is possible he had a hypomanic episode which can lead to a dive into depression. If he has unipolar depression, perhaps you should be on daily strengths depression site.

I think what's not very good is that he won't take the meds he needs to address his illness

This doesn't just go away and it's biochemical ..... Even if it's depression only that's such a dangerous disorder to leave untreated

SunCloudJD is absolutely right!!!