It seems I am doing ok on 25mg of lamotrigine. It made me unwell on that one day only and apart from that I am fine. It also seems that it reduced my appetite so I am quite happy about that. No change on the depression front as yet but I’m only on a starting dose.

Yesterday evening I was exchanging texts with a friend who has problems with depression and is on sertraline, which is an antidepressant. She was concerned that sertraline is making her eat and when I mentioned my meds have the opposite effect she asked me what it is I’m taking.

‘Lamotrigine’ I typed ‘but I don’t know if doctor will prescribe it to you as it’s for bipolar’ I added but I didn’t send it.

How does that sound, I asked myself. Like if I was telling her that I’m better because I’m bipolar. Of course that wasn’t what I meant at all, I was only providing information to save her on googling and disappointment. Yet I know it could be taken differently. Mind you, I know that I would definitely take it the wrong way if someone said that to me, even though I’m autistic.

Finally I deleted that sentence and only gave her the name. And anyway, she probably just wanted to know for curiosity and it’s unlikely that she will go to doctor and demands to be prescribed lamotrigine. And if she does, who knows, maybe she’ll succeed. Lamotrigine is sometimes prescribed off label for depression as well.