YOU ARE NOT ALONE - A companion online community discussion board for The Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast with Paul Gilmartin

My doctor is wanting me to slowly reduce my anti-depressant dosage until I am off of it completely so we can see how I do on just the lamictal. Has anyone done this before? Did it work out or did you end up back on a different anti-depressant? I am feeling really anxious about this. Just scared that I'll fall further into a depression without it (and of the withdrawal symptoms if there are any).

I don't want to scare you, but occasionally a med that you don't think is working will still be controlling one of your symptoms well, and in the absence of that med the symptom will return. I currently take 45 mg of Remeron/night and used to take 200 mg of Wellbutrin/day but tapered off the Wellbutrin and now I'm taking 5 mg of Abilify. In my case, my depression was getting worse so I got off the Wellbutrin and onto Abilify but my anxiety has come back. It's not totally disabling, and I'm hoping the Abilify will help it, but still, just be careful.

Thanks, Dylan. I'm trying to stay aware of any returning symptoms for sure. The whole thing makes me nervous. I never want to go back to the hypomania (almost full blown mania) and then the deepest depression I've ever experienced like I did a year and half ago. I know on meds symptoms can still appear but hopefully not nearly as bad. Coming completely off of Wellbutrin is making me nervous but I guess it's worth a try. I see my counselor on Monday and my doctor in five weeks for a med check.