Hi. I went on Lamictal April 2007 after being diagnosed w/ BiPola...

from dr. jon/ santa rosa.......xanax and clonazepam do not cause paranoia but as a rule the opposite, most people become more complacent and relaxed...i'd bank on the paxil for paranoia...............check w/your physician.....psychiatrist usually have the inside digs on drugs like paxil, ask a specialist....

I just discontinued Lamictal after taking it daily for the past 10 months to treat cyclothymia (rapid mood swings) - something I've struggled with my entire life (I'm now nearly 45 years old). Therapeutic dose for me was just 75 mg. daily. I've received psychiatric help over the past 15 years (taken Lithium, Wellbutrin, Zoloft, Celexa) and by far Lamictal has been the best medicine for my condition. However, I developed a terrible rash that persisted for the past 4 months (covering almost my entire right leg and part of my left leg), I've gained 30 pounds and now have peripheral edema in my ankles that make it nearly impossible to wear shoes. As a result of the rash and the edema I have reluctantly quit taking the Lamictal. My doctors do not want to admit that Lamictal is related to the rash and edema, but I don't know what else could be causing it. I feel like I am back to "Square One" with this as I do not want to try another anti-depressant... I think I need a mood stabilizer instead. So... I may try a different anti-convulsant as I truly believe I am more of a rapid cycler than depressed/manic. However, I think all "mood drugs" have their drawbacks and must be used carefully, with the notion that side effects are a part of the trade-off. For me the edema and rash have made it impossible to wear shoes or sit at my desk for very long (I'm a secretary) so I am not back to where I started. It is very hard as I too was suicidal and extremely irritable (depressed/manic) when I started the Lamictal, and the past 10 months have been extremely stable. I've still got bad days but I am not planning my demise or flying into rages at complete strangers. I am very disappointed that I am unable to continue the Lamictal and I'm afraid of trying something new. Right now I have to lose the 30 pounds that came on since starting the medication last year, and get the edema under control. After that if my moods slip back into being out of whack I may try Tegretol but I'm very afraid of the cycle of medication and health problems caused by side effects. My ex-husband had a disastrous experience on "mood drugs" while we were married... Paxil and Depakote were both drugs he tried for depression and both made him more depressed (suicidal) and brought on lurid nightmares. He was then prescribed Effexor and literally went off the deep end (became a manic psychotic, gained 50 pounds, thought he was the Virgin Mary and went on a spending spree when previously he had always been frugal). It was a horrible thing to witness, and ended with him requiring a 2 week stay at the county mental hospital and $60,000 in debt after a three month spending spree. In retrospect I think there were warning signs (side effects creeping in) and we did not know enough to realize what was going on until it was too late. It is a slippery slope. I encourage anyone taking any kind of medicine for mood to keep a diary of your daily sleep, exercise, diet and life events and how your mood shifts each day. You will then have at least some kind of way to understand what issues may be causing things to be worse. I am not a fan of Paxil, Depakote or Effexor, though I do think Wellbutrin is fairly safe and well tolerated (I took it for 18 months but became what I would consider flat-lined, no ability to cry at all or have orgasms any more, so I quit taking it). Now I am again going it alone without med. It is a bit scary.