Hi, I know this...hang in there, I know that you are probably, you are...withdrawing from the damn antidepressants, takes about a week...did it myself, off Celexa...Lamictal is the best drug ever!! I have lived on it successfully for 7 years, give it a chance...be aware of the "rash", that's it...well, it is serious, but you will know immediately if you get it..
Dr's do not know everything...I was a RN, have lived this wonderful life for 16 years, to be exact, it's not that bad, now that I have survived.
Any questions, I am here, may take me awhile to get back as I have just returned to a new job which is too much and too busy for me...but, stick to the Lamictal, it works! I know that when I "tweek" my Lamictal as required because I know how I feel, always, it works pretty fast, overnight...I am presently on 200mg daily.. I increase and decrease as required. I do know my body and am aware, so much aware that I "tell" my dr, what I need!
You can do it, I have and am, take care and all the best of luck...be sure to take especially good care of "YOU" and you will be better sooner than you think. Lots of hugs,
Sue xx
Discussion Topic
Lamictal
Posted on 06/30/08, 07:29 pm
I need help/advice. I was just diagnosed bipolar last Friday. pdoc put me on lamictal (package that you work up to slowly). I've taken three nights worth so far and I feel yucky. My head feels funny and I'm slightly nauseus. He took me off of the 150 mg of wellbutrin and 37.5 mg of effexor xr that I was on and said that those dosages were so low that I wouldn't have any withdrawl from them.
My question: What has your initial (first week or so) of being on lamictal been like? How long did it take before you felt better.
Thanks for the advice in advance.
My question: What has your initial (first week or so) of being on lamictal been like? How long did it take before you felt better.
Thanks for the advice in advance.
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Reply #1 07/01/08 12:01am
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Reply #2 07/01/08 9:26am
Thank you sooooo much for the encouragement. Yesterday was awful, cried alot, felt like I can't do this and it's only the very beginning. I will hang in there. Thought maybe I did too much yesterday and that is why I was feeling like this. I take the med at night as pdoc instructed. Feel ok upon waking but by midday or so I start feeling a little sick. I lay down for awhile and then feel better. Pdoc is working me up to 200 mg dose too. Said it will take about 6 weeks.
Are you on any other meds? Again thank you so much for your support I really appreciate it.
Jean
PS Wow you're up at midnight, I'm impressed. One of the things with my BP is I'm not up late. I do notice that I wake up frequently now though??? Lamictal??? -
Reply #3 07/01/08 11:01am
Yes, if you get over tired it is not good...or too stressed...sounds like you are on the right track, and doing well!!
I am on 900mg of Lithium too, used to use a sleep aid but have not needed to for months, too tired from my new job etc., fresh air, golfing, summer fun etc. I have been on this potion for 7 years but did quit like an idiot last summer which resulted in a visit to the psyche palace all of Jan 2008, Happy New Year, visit sucked severely, never doing that again!!
I usually wake around 5am in the summer, 6am when school is in, have always been a morning person...worked at jobs that started at 7 and 6 am, now start at 9am, love it. I often rest or nap as required, I have learned that I do need to slow down, I am an outgoing, energetic, full of life person so I don't want to miss a minute...my thinking is that I have to make up for the 8 months of depression...DOES NOT WORK...I end up sick with a cold from getting run down and it always turns into pneumonia, just recovered this week and on my last few pills of antibiotics, I HATE PILLS....
We just finished our usual 630am golf game, Tom's kids and grandbabies are on their way over, then I go to work at noon to 8...
Enjoy your day, always, I am still here, I can answer anything, please don't be afraid to ask, I love sharing my bs experience and so basically know everything!! ha, ha..
Take care,
Hugs,
Sue xxxx -
Reply #4 07/01/08 9:12pm
Today was another day from hell. I called my pdoc and told him what I was experiencing and he said it sounded like withdrawl from the effexor. Said it should abate but that I should call him back on thursday. Said I may have to be eased off more slowly. Now he tells me after saying not to take any more last Friday. We threw all the effexor out, YIKES. I don't want to go back on that anyway if this is how you feel getting off it. Spent most of today in bed due to symptoms. I hear going on prozac for a short time helps with the withdrawl symptoms and that you can go off prozac cold turkey without much trouble at all. what do you know about this?
Jean -
Reply #5 07/02/08 12:26am
I went cold turkey off of Celexa, holy shit, had never felt like this before ever, in my life...now I know what this "anxiety" complaint is about, self induced by withdrawals off of antidepressants of all things...
I think that I used some Clonazepam, or Seroquel or Zyprexa, either of these work to calm down...Clonazepam is the mildest, then Zyprexa and Seroquel is great...if you need it to sleep, well just be ready for a medication hangover in the am. I tried using 1/2 a pill which helped but then I slowly didn't need anything....to sleep....a new job, lots of stress and too much to do at home, made me exhausted.
I would say alternate Effexor every other day, if you didn't throw them out...I also did that, alternate Celexa, but the hypomania was kicking in so the worst of which evil?
Hope this helps, hang in there, imagine what a "real" drug addict must experience. I saw a few withdrawals when I was a nurse, but nothing beats living it, hey...I am here...my thoughts are with you and I do know EXACTLY how you are feeling and going to feel...you will be much better soon...dr's are SOOOOOO stupid, !!!
Love Sue xx -
Reply #6 07/02/08 3:58pm
Lamictal is certainly a good one. It has made a big difference for me. Give it time, you may find it is a life saver for you. Hang in there Jean! -
Reply #7 07/18/08 7:23pm
lamictal is better than it seems. i've been on this drug the longest and i have no problems aside from the hair loss...which is not so nice on the brush or the drain. hang in there - it takes a minute -
Reply #8 07/27/08 4:40pm
I tried it twice because it worked well for me once it started to get into my system. I was really agitated for the first 3 days or so then my mind cleared and I felt human again. I had to stop twice because the first time i got the hives that can happen. Medications rarely agree with me. I liked it so much I tried it a second time. Still the hive thing. But give it time. I hope it works for you. Every time I start a new med I feel like crud too. Like I have my head full of cotton or something. Hang in there. -
Reply #9 09/25/08 11:45am
I'm considering trying Lamictal again, had a slight rash the first time but I also had a what I thought was a 24 hour flu and that maybe that caused the rash. I'm worried about hair loss with Lamictal as I've had it with other mood stabilizers. How bad is it? I have such a hard time with mood stabilizers as far as side effects go. I'm so tired of not being on anything for the bipolar disorder. I also am going on Buspar for my constant state of anxiety and tension. -
Reply #10 11/09/08 2:15pm
The only side effect I had from taking lamictal was the rash when I got up to 300mgs. I felt so good at that dosage but couldn't stay on it. Good luc k with it.
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