Lamictal and Adderall

[quirkyscrawler]

Does Lamictal interfere with the efficacy of Adderall?

I don't know if it's just my imagination, but I feel like the Adderall hasn't been quite as effective since I've started Lamictal. It's quite possible though, that my body has just adjusted to the Adderall. Actually, before the Lamictal was added, I would automatically wake up sometime between 6:30 and 7:30am without an alarm - unusualy for me, and I was hoping to get a little more sleep (I realize that people usually get up for work around this time, so I have nothing to complain about). But I would go to bed earlier to compensate, but this was problematic when I started going out again with friends and had to stay up. The early risings (which might be considered a mild form of "late insomnia" - at least I don't wake up at 4am) have stopped since the Lamictal, so maybe it was due to some kind of chemical imbalance.

At the same time, I am not pleased that I am drifting off into tangential thoughts again while I'm trying to read. The Adderall still helps to some degree...if I'm firm with myself and try to stay focused on the page, it helps me to get through the sentences with more ease than if I were unmedicated. However, I find that I have been thinking about other things, like what I'm going to write about that day (I'm a writer), etc. But I need to read the damn book.

I also worry about putting so much Adderall into my body. I know that adults are advised not to take more than 40-60mgs a day, but that this depends on the particular situation, but I think I get a little nervous about the idea of exceeding 60mgs (IR). Perhaps I actually need more if the Lamictal is interfering with the Adderall, but is this so?

Does anyone know? Thanks!

And yet - I know I need the Lamictal, or some other kind of mood stabilizer, because there are times when I've been unable to concentrate even on the Adderall because there is something bothering me emotionally.

[amiegrace]

Lamictal definitely spaces me out, although this might be due to the fact that it chills me out also. Not a duh-dopey type of chill out, but a "thank God I'm not stressing about everything imaginable" chill out. I think the anxiety used to act as a sort of stimulant for my brain.

I take Wellbutrin with the Lamictal and I definitely notice a vast improvement. I'm not taking any stimulants yet. I take fish oil (2 grams) at night, and the combination of these three have worked very well for my mood, focus, and general competency. I have also started sleeping much better -- prior to meds I was getting insomnia pretty badly (the wake up in the middle of the night and not get back to sleep type).

[Trooper Keith]

There are no known interactions between Lamictal and Adderall.

I take Adderall and Lamictal and both work fine.

[misterfelix]

I've been all over the place with SSRI, lamictal, adderall xr, cymbalta, effexor, you name it.

My first battery of tests concluded that I had ADHD and major depression.

My second battery of tests were inconclusive but shaded toward ADHD or bipolar II. The bipolar II is what I'm currently being treated for (w/lamictal and abilify).

I tried to tell my p-doc that I'm feeling the ADHD symptoms returning and that I'd like to return to Adderall or something like it that doesn't interfere with HER experiment (I don't really buy the bipolar II diagnosis). You know, to get along in the world?! But nothing.

The combination of Zoloft and Adderall worked beautifully for me, except that Zoloft gave me disabling diarrhea - seriously disabling. Nothing else comes close to that synergy. P-doc dismisses it and is confident we'll find the proper cocktail. When? We don't know.

Anyway, I'm wondering if the Zoloft treated the bipolar highs while the adderall treated the ADHD and bipolar lows? Does this make any medical or pharmacological sense? Seems to have been the right thing for whatever is impairing me, but I just can't tolerate the zoloft. Like having the "keys to the kingdom" locked away right under your nose.

[misterfelix]

As of yesterday I'm on Lamictal and a small dose of Adderall XR (10mg). I was up to 40mg of XR per day about a year ago (with nothing else) and things really came crashing down for me at that point. Hoping that the chemistry experiment ends with this combination. Hopeful but not overly-optimistic!

[whereisit]

Lamictal and Adderall have been the magic bullet for me. I am 200 pounds and take 150mg and 30xr. It has been 9 years with small adjustments now and then and a couple long breaks. I think the lamictal makes me sleepy. I take it at night. I think too much adderall can make you tired. When I looked into interactions a few years ago it appeared that lamictal acts as a booster for other medications having to do with serotonin. I at the end of my research I came away thinking the effects of adderall should be increased by lamictal. Lamictal is a subtle drug known for taking the extreme low out of depression. Even taking it now I still have hopeless moments, but I can choose to talk my self out of it with this medication. Where without it I would just have to wait and hope it didn't get worse.

[eh+dub]

This is an older post, but found it and wanted to ask a question.
I am on 100mg of lamictal and now 15mg of adderall (up to 20 in a week), I usually take lamictal in the evening, but was considering switching to the morning.
I have a Dr. appt in 3 weeks, which I will discuss this then, but wanted to know when you all take the lamictal and adderall?

[PerpetuallyLost]

I apologize ahead of time for the long post. This being said,

I've been on the Lamictal Adderall combination several times in the past 12 almost 13 years and always seem to come back to it. I'm a 24 year old female who was diagnosed as having Bipolar, Severe Depression, ADHD and several types of anxiety at the age of 12. This wonderful mental combination has been confirmed by several doctors and treated by every single one a bit differently. Some wanted to focus on the Bi-polar side of things while others thought ADHD was more important to control as they felt it probably contributed to the anxiety.

It's easy to find yourself overwhelmed and anxious when your own mind is your worst enemy. Forgetting where you put your keys, when your bills are due or even what you were trying to say can feel really disorienting at times.

The one things all my docs had in common was that at one point they prescribed this combination. Mind you there were 30+ other meds that they have attempted to put me on at some point in time and sometimes in combination with the Lamictal/Adderal. Some just to counter act the side effects of the others.

Anyways long story short, I got tired of their crap and quit meds all together. I don't advise this as untreated mental issues can be a very dangerous thing but I just needed a break. I felt like a lab rat who had no control. One wonderful combination (Abilify and Geodon) caused me to gain 60 pounds over a summer and I'm still fighting that off.

After a year long break and many near break down episodes (luckily no hospitalizations thank goodness, the last one was at 16) I decided it was time to give it another try.

Right off the start he went for lamictal and adderall as it is the one common factor when my moods where more stable. I am still early in on this regimen but so far so good. At the moment these are the only two psychotropic meds I'm taking but he isn't above adding to the concoction if needed and for the moment I'm ok with that. I'm just thankful he's not starting me on 5 diff meds at one time as I have had that done to me before and I appreciate the lets take it slow and see how it goes method.

I understand the use of this particular combination as my tendency towards mania and anxiety can be made worse by the Adderalls stimulant factor when it isn't coupled with a mood stabilizer.

As for the when I take them, that has always been pretty constant no matter what combination they have been used in.

Adderall has always been a 3 times a day thing for me, no matter the dosage. I am currently taking Adderall IR, 15mg in the morning, 10 mg mid-day and 10 mg early afternoon totalling 35 mg throughout the day.

In the past when taking Adderall XR it has tended towards the twice a day routine but I don't remember the dosage. XR has always caused irritability while IR hasn't so it's been a while since I have been willing to go back to it. IR is definitely my preference so long as I don't allow the crash that can accompany it. I more or less have permanent alarms in my phone so I don't forget to take them when prescribed no matter where I am.

As for Lamictal I am currently on 100mg once a day (PM) but I know that dosage will be increased. At the max I was on 300 mg divided into 2 doses. 150mg AM and 150mg PM. I've never really noticed sleepiness with Lamictal but I know some have. I have however, always experienced a fuzzy light headed-ness when taking Lamictal and its something I'd rather not deal with during the day but it isn't always an option not to. Too much Lamictal at once, say all 300mg in the afternoon would just amplify that feeling (I know from experience) so twice a day helps that a bit although it doesn't alleviate it all together.

When the doses are being brought up from the lower amounts I have noticed a tendency for my docs to prescribe the lower dose in the morning and the higher dose at night. For example, when working from 100mg to 300mg at one point I was on 250mg. 100mg in the morning and 150mg at night and have always found that to be a successful way of gradually increasing said doses.