lamictal blood test

I've read that Lamictal is sometimes used to help with blood sugar control--especially to lower the levels. Most people on this drug, who are diabetics, do seem to experience this effect. My psychiatrist just increased my Lamictal from 300mg. to 350mg. daily, and plans to up it further. It has definitely decreased my depressive symptoms, for which I'm quite grateful.

my son is taking 200 mg of lamictal in the morning and 200mg of lamictal in the everning (400mg daily) for seizure control. he has been on lamictal for approximately 3 years and has been a very successful drug. Just recently he went to the family doctor for routine blood work and they called the other day to say his lamictal level was 9.5. They say a normal level is 1 to 4. Should we be concerned about this number? What should we do? Our neurologist is in Colorado and is a 3.5 hour drive.

Thanks for the advice. What were your SE's if you don't mind me asking?

I have taken Lamictal for 7 or 8 years and have never had blood work done because of taking the med. Maybe the blood work would be to monitor a specific condition or maybe it depends on the dose?

Lithium actually has a full mood stabilization effect. There is a potential of weight gain but you can prevent that by watching your diet. At higher doses, as I remember when I was on it (and other people as well) there can be some cognitive confusion. Unlike Lamictal, they can determine what is the proper dose with blood tests for lithium level. Blood tests should be done monthly and full blood work every 3 months.

However with many of these medications, Lamictal included, a blood test before starting the medication as well as at yearly intervals for whatever a doctor would determine but especially liver function is usually recommended. You could ask your psychiatrist about all this.

However once it did I found Lamictal more effective than lithium on mixed states and it was more tolerable than lithium as regards cognitive side effects, sedation and the like and did not require monthly blood tests. I do know that Lamictal is more effective on depression than mania and for some people that's helpful and for others its a drawback but each person responds differently to each medication.

HI,I was put on Lamictal yesterday...Dr feels it might help with my deprssion as i cant seem to take antidepressants.I was in abilify but i started about 3 weeks into gettting extremely dizzy so she had me stop it last week,i saw her on Monday and she put me on 25 mg of Lam ictal as to build up to more....

Good luck - I also agree with others to see a dermatologist, report this to the treating physician and get an up-to-date blood test to rule out any other deficiencies.

How long does it take for an increased level of Lamictal work? My doctor upped my mgs from 125 for 1 week, then 150. I've felt more restless and have a hard time comprehending things when my husband asks me a simple question, such as where is something. I don't like this feeling, but I'm holding out that this will help me, along with my current meds (Depakote, Cymbalta, Geodon). At this point, I just don't know what's working and what isn't.

Can stress have an effect on the blood level of Lamictal?

t require bloodtests and is safer. Lamictal does not require regularly blood monitoring because when I was on it the blood test was yearly and more of a general check up. Lithium of course does. Each person reacts differently though but the site "Depression Central" could give you an overall understanding.

It makes sense about needing to have the medications work in tandem. I was just not fond of being on such a high dosage of a medicine with no discernible effects whatsoever. I'll see about getting the dosage decreased however. I just had a blood test done and my liver hasn't been enjoying all of these medications. Eventually I'd love to stop medications altogether but it doesn't look like it'll be happening for me.

Here's a very brief summary of my symptoms: * tingling/numbness/burning in hands and feet * memory loss/problems with thought process..cant remember how to fold a shirt.. insisting "cat" is spelled "TAC" + many other examples * blacked out while driving once..a month ago * headaches..some very short and intense * recent instances of double vision * constipation or diahhrea..rarely in between * fatigue * can never get enough sleep..

Adderall, Cymbalta, Lamictal, Verapamil, Topamax, Requip, Xanax (~4mg/week), Vicodin (~2x/week), Fiorcet, Namenda, Buspar, Robaxin Body: Pain/Sore chronic- Arms, legs, neck, shoulders, eyes all worse with movement. Falling forward/left/right. Balance bad. Tremor/shake hands obvious chronic. Spasms/tremors cheek & jaw obvious/occasional. Legs weak, paralyzed feel, "tin man", collapse. Arms weak. Brain: Memory- Repeat actions, words.

She then put me on lithium to stop the mania. After my first blood test .3 way to low she upped me to 900. What I am wondering is if the lithium is even working (she hasn't as of yet told me to have more bloodwork done), I honestly feel like the lamictal is making and keeping me manic. I love it but am scared of the repercussions it will have.

t cry uncontrobially and am dealing with life situations but before Lamictal, I tried suicide twice 1st self inflicted gunshot just from impulse) Solution (NOT) - was told to go to ER by doc and do a lamictal blood level test. After waiting 6 misreable hours, they say they cannot run that kind of test but my liver was OK. Was sent home.

Im taking lamictal to try and see if it helps with neuropathic pain, I am not diagnosed with ms,actually just started to look at the possibility last week due to vision issues and normal eye exam. Well my doc said to stop taking my lamictal to see if it helped with my vision issues and if vision issues persist then test for ms.

t do a blood test, it would show on the bill. Soooo have no idea if all this is normal or out of the norm, just would like feedback w/ people on the same medicine as me and I will accept other feedback to I guess. Would appreciate anything at this point to help me out and help me decide for me what I should discuss with my doctor.

Yes a regular blood test is needed with lithium to check Lithium levels and Thryoid function - at the start its likely to be every 4-6 weeks and later every 3 months or so depending on your maintenance and how well you maintain theraputic levels.

Sometimes with Lamictal I find that getting a blood level can be helpful. Also Geodon and Lamictal is very different from just a higher dose of Lamictal in terms of therapeutic effects - do you need to have a replacement for Geodon? Third I would look at the time course of your symptoms, when did you start feeling which symptoms? You have had two changes in medications - what were the effects of those changes.

Thanks for getting back,I did cut alcohol out entirely. gone back to 5mg lamictal until I see my doctor. Mind you the Allergy test came back negative for Steven's Johnson, or any other allergy to Lamictal when I did that 4 weeks ago, or else I wouldnt have gone back on it. Thanks again for for your input.

However, I shared the fact that I was on it to my mom and she asked if they performed any blood tests to make sure my liver was funcitioning properly. I told her that a blood test was never mentioned. I know a lot of bipolars on it and I asked them if they took a blood test for it and they all said no. Anyhow, my mom told me that it damaged the liver of a person in the support group she goes to in order to learn more about BP for my sake. That was scary to hear.

The effexor was horrible for me, I felt awful and my blood pressure skyrocketed. The Lamictal is supposed to be a mood stabilizer. I am taking 200mg daily. My doc weaned me from Effexor and put me back on prozac 20mg (I stopped it several years back because it was making me extremely irritable). The prozac does not seem to be working like it did before. I have only been on it for 3 weeks but usually if I go on an antidepressant it works wonders pretty quickly.

I was diagnosed as bipolar type 2 back in June 2005, and since then have been on Lamotrigine (Lamictal) on an increasing dosage. I have been at the max dosage that my doctor said is allowed (350 mg/day). So that means over 4 years that I've been taking this drug. I have found that since taking lamictal, my depression has all but vanished, but it does not control my manic behavior at all. So as an anti-depressant, I think it's very effective for me.

I have been on Lithium and a herd of other meds. I went to my primary dr. because all of a sudden I was bruising and bleeding easily and he ran some blood work and there was a spike in my blood so I was sent to a blood specialist who diagnosed it as lulpis coagulation which isn't really lupas but thin blood, i.e. I mentioned to the blood dr. that I was seeing things moving around, like a door nob would move all over, there was a chain on the floor and it moved around like a snake.

Lamictal blood test

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