I have been taking Lamictal Oral for a few months for manic depressive disorder and recently my doctor prescribed luvox oral for ocd, Is it ok to take more than one ssri? I have been feeling kind of funny and I just want to make sure that this is ok to do. I have only taken the luvox for 3 days now and I read that the symptoms may get better after a few weeks. I go back to the doctor in 2 wks, but I'm not sure if I should contact her sooner, please help!
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Q: I have been taking Lamictal Oral for a few months for manic depressive disorder and recently my doct
Answers (1)
9/26/08 10:19am
Hi Rachel:
I'm not a physician, but I can tell you that Lamictal is not an SSRI -- it is an antiseizure drug that is used often to treat Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depression is the old name for Bipolar Disorder). Lamictal is effective in treating mood swings. Luvox is an SSRI that is prescribed primarily for OCD symptoms.
To answer your question, however, yes, doctors often prescribe more than one medication for symptoms, and may prescribe more than one SSRI or SSNRI to treat people. SSRI/SSNRI's are absorbed differently in different people and unfortunately, at this time the only way we know if they will work is to prescribe them.
Researchers are working hard to find tests that can be used to determine what drugs will work best in each patient, but availability for those tests in this country will be awhile.
Talk to your doctor about the strange feelings you are having. Any medication will take awhile to get used to; and SSRI's take 4 to 6 weeks to get settled in your system.
I hope this helps,
Dr. Diana Walcutt
*Dr. Walcutt is a Psychologist. Dr. Walcutt's answers are not intended to diagnose or treat any medical or mental disorder. Any information given in a post about medication is for educational purposes only, and primarily to aid you in having an informed discussion with your own Psychiatrist/Physician.
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By rachelcjonny— Last Modified: 12/25/10, First Published: 09/26/08
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