AAS and Lamotrigine

**THE HOGG** · 12-31-2013, 07:45 AM

I am looking for some info(hopefully personal exp.) with Lamotrigine and AAS. I am currently taking 300mg of Lamotrigine a day for bipolar dis-order that was just recently diagnosed. I read somewhere that the drug is taken in and removed from your body via estrogen iirc. My question is, if I go on cycle with Test E and the standard recommended HCG and A-dex will this effect the uptake of lamotrigine in my body? Im not entirely sure how to ask it technically but I just don't want to start a cycle and have it go haywire because I started taking a new drug and didn't do some research as to how they would react together. Thank you in advance for any help.

**Anonona** · 12-31-2013, 09:29 AM

Cycling can trigger cycling (ha).
Are you BADI or BADII? Any rapid cycling?
Do they know the trigger of the episode that led to the diagnosis?
How old are you?

**JayMoe** · 01-02-2014, 08:23 AM

To answer your original question, birth control pills are typically the issue they reference with hormonal values, but generally, higher or changing estradiol values can affect the uptake and absorption of the lamictal. If your E2 levels are changing, it may change the dose of lamictal needed to provide you the same level of effectiveness in your treatment.

If you absolutely have to cycle, the best advice is to wait at least a couple of months until the lamictal has reached therapeutic levels in your system and the BPD symptoms have been stabilized without needing the addition or change in your medications. You don't want to be messing around with your body's chemistry any more than you have to if you're newly diagnosed with BPD I/II. It sounds like you were just recently put on the lamictal, which will alone begin to affect your body's chemistry.

It may not be a huge deal, but lamictal can also cause leukopenia which is a lowering of your white blood cell count. AAS in general shouldn't hurt this since it's prescribed to cancer/AIDS patients who already have low white blood cell counts, but if you happened to get an infection or abscess while on AAS, your body may have a diminished ability to be able to fight off the infection.

In any case, I would not risk it.

**Ericjay** · 01-02-2014, 05:18 PM

Hey buddy, I am taking Lamictal like you as well as lithium and seroquel for bipolar 1. I did a cycle on it and had wonderful results. I did it too young and that may have consequences but it actually helped my mental health. But I could not in my right mind say that that is safe or smart, because hormones can definitely cause mood swings and that can be very dangerous especially for someone like me who has a pretty severe case of bipolar- been hospitalized several times in the past. I had been stable for a while and did my research and knew the risks and went for it. Good luck bro I know your struggle and god bless.

**Anonona** · 01-03-2014, 12:58 AM

Originally Posted by JayMoe

To answer your original question, birth control pills are typically the issue they reference with hormonal values, but generally, higher or changing estradiol values can affect the uptake and absorption of the lamictal. If your E2 levels are changing, it may change the dose of lamictal needed to provide you the same level of effectiveness in your treatment.

If you absolutely have to cycle, the best advice is to wait at least a couple of months until the lamictal has reached therapeutic levels in your system and the BPD symptoms have been stabilized without needing the addition or change in your medications. You don't want to be messing around with your body's chemistry any more than you have to if you're newly diagnosed with BPD I/II. It sounds like you were just recently put on the lamictal, which will alone begin to affect your body's chemistry.

It may not be a huge deal, but lamictal can also cause leukopenia which is a lowering of your white blood cell count. AAS in general shouldn't hurt this since it's prescribed to cancer/AIDS patients who already have low white blood cell counts, but if you happened to get an infection or abscess while on AAS, your body may have a diminished ability to be able to fight off the infection.

In any case, I would not risk it.

Fantastic post, please note: BPD= Borderline Personality Disorder, BAD= Bipolar Affective Disorder.

Originally Posted by Ericjay

Hey buddy, I am taking Lamictal like you as well as lithium and seroquel for bipolar 1. I did a cycle on it and had wonderful results. I did it too young and that may have consequences but it actually helped my mental health. But I could not in my right mind say that that is safe or smart, because hormones can definitely cause mood swings and that can be very dangerous especially for someone like me who has a pretty severe case of bipolar- been hospitalized several times in the past. I had been stable for a while and did my research and knew the risks and went for it. Good luck bro I know your struggle and god bless.

Keep in mind that if you felt crap and then really good that the cycle could have pushed you into the hypomanic side.

**JayMoe** · 01-03-2014, 02:12 PM

Originally Posted by Anonona

Fantastic post, please note: BPD= Borderline Personality Disorder, BAD= Bipolar Affective Disorder.

Gah, good catch. I was wondering why it didn't look right while I was typing it. I totally spaced on that.

**THE HOGG** · 01-06-2014, 04:34 PM

Ive been away for a bit so sorry for not getting back to this right away.
Anonona, thank you for the help. My answers are highlighted.

Are you BADI or BADII? Any rapid cycling? I do not know what this is so sadly I cannot answer it.
Do they know the trigger of the episode that led to the diagnosis? The did not say anything about a trigger. I was diagnosed with depression a long time ago and have been having really bad suicidal thoughts. When I mentioned it to my Dr. he sent me to a Psychologist and he diagnosed me as Bipolar. How old are you? I am 44.

Jaymoe, great post and thank you as well. I think I will follow your advise and wait a couple months to allow the lamictal to stabilize and see how I feel then.