Lamictal dosing for bipolar
Common Questions and Answers about Lamictal dosing for bipolar
lamictal
Wellbutrin being an anti-depressent can sometimes worsen mania in bipolar. Lithium is highly effective but for some people can cause cognitive blunting and sedation. With antipsychotics, the newest ones Abilify, Fanapt and Saphris have less of a potential of weight gain but as they can change heart rhythms you would have to ask your psychiatrist if they could be used safely if you have heart valve problems.
What are you taking lamictal for?
You've been taking it for 3 weeks?
You should definitely call your Dr before stopping or decreasing lamictal. It's not supposed to cause weight gain, but anything is possible.
Is it possible you're starting to feel better and have simply gotten your appetite back again?
I had been doing so well on the lamictal and cymbalta that I thought I had no need for psychiatrist for the last 10 months or so. Now, bam, I need one and who wants to start with a patient that already has SJS. When I had dbl couverage insurance I could get in anywhere. (least of problems)
4. I've seen, neurologist, internal med.
s the seroquel or the combination with lamictal, or if my brain is just fried from being depressed and bipolar for the last 30 yrs and on all sorts of different meds that work for a while, then need to be changed, over and over again. Life is a b*tch sometimes. But I try to look on the bright side even when there doesn't seem to be much of a bright side! Hope you feel better soon.
I was diagnosed Bipolar II with minor depression and was put on Lamictal teetering up 25 mg every 2 weeks with 150mg Wellbutrin (Zyban) the aim was to reach 200mg and see how I feel, by the start of the seventh week, I got tiny itchy patches on my cheeks that flaired up after I took the Lamictal… so stopped lamictal, (remained on the wellbutrin) and went on an antihistamine (Atarax) for a 2 weeks 25/50mg, did some surface (72 hour skin contact) allergy tests and came negative for Lamictal so I w
m told can cause anxiety) and Lamictal (mood stabilizer for Bipolar). Buspar works great for me and is the kind of med that you can feel accumulate in your system. That way, you don't suffer if missing a dose. I take 10mg 3 times a day. It used to just be 2x, but my job got stressful and we made an adjustment. I was originally given Xanax which was a huge mistake on my GP's part.
I found that it did not work for my Bipolar even though i was on 800mg and yes, you will need regular blood tests to check your liver and kidney function. If you are concerned about it talk to your Psychiatrist about other options. I did! It is your body and you do have control over what goes into it.
was diagnosed as being bipolar. The prescription that he got was a generic form of Lamictal. I visited him today & saw the pill bottle, it says "41" but there were only 9 pills left in the container. The date was Dec. 19 - that's only been 7 days ago & it says to take "1 for the lst 7 days & then take 2 a day". I asked him why there were so few in the bottle & he said the pharmacy didn't have enough to fill the entire prescription.
So I decided to ask different psyctrist for opinion, he said SSRI class is not working for me so he told to try different class because it work well for anxiety. He gave Lamictal, and told me that we r going to increase the dose slowly to avoid rash. Yesterday was my 1st dose of Lamictal and ended up in ER because I had allergic reaction and blister rash in mouth. ER told me to stop the med.
Well olanzapine, which I was on before I was diagnosed too, is actually an antipychotic and did cause a ton of weight gain for me too. I don't know about lamictal but I just wanted to say its not a main bipolar medication, so you have a lot of other options. Why not do some of your own research and find a list of medication that you think might help you, then present that to your doctor.
My new doctor thinks I've been misdiagnosed for depression/anxiety. He says this based on everything I described to him and because general SSRI's just cause me more problems than good (high anxiety and side effects). He says I'm not BiPolar, but that I have a mood disorder, on the BiPolar Spectrum... maybe unipolar. He says he does not know exactly what kind of mood disorder yet, just that I have one. So he's trying me out on Lamictal.
Did they diagnose you BP I or II? For BP II, the consensus I've seen from a few psychiatrists as well as patients, is that lamotrigine (Lamictal) is the best med to try first for BP II. It's approved for BP I as maintenance, but it doesn't have so much anti-manic activity. It's great for depression. I'm on lamotrigine for BP II, now at 200 mg, and it's done wonders.
I saw two new doctors and was told that since I have a mood disorder I should not be on anti-depressants and should be taking Lamictal. I was later diagnosed with Bipolar I and BPD. Lamictal has worked great for me. It did take a while for it to "kick in". I've been at 200 mg for 5 years now. I feel "normal". I barely have any side effects and don't feel medicated like I did with the anti-depressants.
I think you should listen to your new doctor.
Started taking Lithium changed after about 7 months due to weight gain to Lamictal. I have been on Lamictal ever since. However, I have felt that the depression, change in mood, higher anxiety, and confusion has started slowly but is here. Can my meds. stop working or helping me after a period of time?
I believe the Lamictal is a maintainence drug for mood swings and it contains a antidpressant. My bipolar leans more to depression than mania and I have to be on a antidpressant. When beginning a new antidepressant I tend to get mania for a short time but seem to adjust after the first week or two. Hey, if you are feeling good...why mess with something that's not broken! Best of luck.
But yes this is pretty much the appropriate incremental dosing Jim... Sky is on it has been for 14 months. She has to take it at night because it knocks her on her butt if she doesn't she is tired all day if she takes it in the morning. She was up to 200mg but is now only on 100mg once a day, then her Lithium twice a day and Adderall in the morning.
It took a while for her to get to a therapeutic dose but it definitely helps her.
Hi all - I was diagnosed bipolar 9/10..I'm 45 year old woman and there is lots of family history of mental illness on both sides. I was on prozac for 4-5 years for depression. my new physc put me on lamictal..once i went up to 200mg i felt very very spacey so i am back down to 150. about 5 weeks ago she took me off my prozac and on lithium. I started at 300mg then moved up to 600mg..at that dose i was getting very severe nausia. then last week on tues i started to cry and could not stop..
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