lamictal lab monitoring

i need something for hypo mania and deppreshion..will the lamictal take care of them both?? at 25 mgs 1 aday 2 weeks then 50 mgs aday 2 weeks then 100 mgs aday till seen?????????

Does anyone know the theraputic range for lamictal? I have taken 1200mg lithium for 19 years but now I am having to switch to lamictal because of health reasons.

Also the Lithium does take a little while to work but it is a medicine that is prescribed to a lot of us. I tried it for a while but switched back to Lamictal because it worked better for me. It does take a while and you will have to have your levels checked every so often but I know for a lot of people it works wonders.

Does prednisone effect dilantin and lamictal levels? I've been on dilantin and lamictal for over 5 years for seizures. I'm being tested for autoimmune hepatitis, I just had a liver biopsy. I don't want to take a chance on having a seizure.

Excess sweating or urination in itself is not a side effect of concern but when the odor changes it could indicate a metabolite imbalance as I said but a urine test should be able to rule that out and although Lamictal does not have the requirement of regular blood monitoring as lithium or Tegretol do its still a good idea to have blood work done for liver functioning and standard blood work and a urine test like with many medications. You could ask your psychiatrist or doctor more about that.

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.

I currently on Lamictal, Neurontin, and Klonopin. However, there has been discussion of weaning off of the latter medications and adding a mood stabilizer to the mix. However, I am very sensitive to medication; Seroquel kicked me into a manic episode. Given this fact, what are some of the effective mood stabilizers for mania? What are some of your experiences with said stabilizers?

Bipolar is a disorder that requires constant changing of medications and/or monitoring. So I see doctors fairly often for it. I was first started on lamictal. I was already on zoloft. I also have an antianxiety medication to help with the mania and to help me to relax. I take it every day. The problem that I am having now is when the mood stablizer was taken away (due to intolerance to the medication), I have not been sleeping. I took ambien in the past, but I hallucinated with it.

I just found out I am pregnant. I am taking 100mg of lamictal and 150mg of Wellbutrin XL. I stopped taking both of those meds two days ago when I found out and am wondering if that was the right decision. I feel like crap, and I know the medications can potentially harm the baby, but can abruptly stopping the medication hurt the baby? I really feel crappy and its only day two. The OBGYN says ask the psychiatrist, and the psychiatrist says ask the OBGYN.

I suffer the same concerns and I also have the same side effects as you. For this reason I have studied lithium intensely and I now know that lithium has a vast and overwhelming scientific study advantage over all other drugs in this field. Lithium requires diligent monitoring and periodic organ function testing (any deterioration will happen slowly) Using "natural" frontline treatments is irresponsible in my view.

At first my doctors did not believe it was the Lamictal since I had been on it for one year already. But yesterday lab results of 2 biopsis were negative for fungus but samples were 'consistent with adverse drug reaction". So my doc took me off the Lamictal, starting last night. He said Lamictal has a half live of 24 hours, meaning every 24 hours the amount of Lamictal in your sytem dissipates by one half of what was present the previous day.

I'd say its best to follow your psychiatrist's instructions as regards dosage. They can determine what's an effective dose by monitoring you and talking things over with you. I think this psychiatrist has the right course of action and some good ideas so its best to talk it over with them.

s share of dangerous side effects and requires me to get monitored weekly.with lab tests and doctors visits. Eventually, the monitoring will loosen up, but it's for life. I hope you do well and your treatment course is uncomplicated and not so bumpy as mine. I've said a mouthful. Obviously, I'm no longer depressed sonce I'm optimistic and my bipolar disorder is well controlled now.

Your levels are very low and close monitoring to ensure that you are responding to the higher dose is imperative. Work closely with the endocrinologist until things normalize. The antibodies indicate Hashimoto's Thyroiditis -- an immune system atttack on the thyroid -- the most common cause of hypo.

ANYONE OUT THERE EXPERIENCE ANY HAIR LOSS- WHILE TAKING LAMICTAL (LAMOTRIGINE) FOR BI-POLAR DISORDER OR SEIZURE DISORDERS? IF SO, IN WHAT DOSES AND TIME FRAMES ? I HAVE BEEN ON IT FOR ONE YEAR NOW, AT 150 MG PER DAY.... JUST CURIOUS IF THIS COULD BE THE CULPRIT BEHIND MY HAIR LOSS.. MY HAIR HAS THINNED SO MUCH-- I CAN ALMOST SEE THRU IT...USED TO BE SO THICK- THAT I COULD NOT GET MY THUMB AND MIDDLE FINGER TO MEET AROUND A PONYTAIL.... I AM GOING TO THE DOC ON FRIDAY FOR EXAM AND LAB WORK.

I am on an antipsychotic glycine which is highly effective but still in Phase II FDA study and am coping with severe tardive dyskinesia from the long term effects of all currently available antipsychotics,which the study medication I am on cannot cause but will not reverse. Lamictal apart from monitoring for a rare rash (1 in a thousand people) which will stop if discontinued is otherwise safe and effective.

When I was transferred from Lithium to Lamictal years ago it took 3 months to transfer to a full dose of Lamictal. And there were a lot of manic episodes in between and behavior to accompany it. Now that the antipsychotic agent I am on is far better it will keep that in check. But the feelings do emerge. Surely this has happenned to other people. How do you deal with it?

I was in a deep depression for a long time, When I went to the psych she put me on lamictal, when I went back to see her I asked how fast it got into the system because I thought I noticed a change from day one. After talking about my behavior, she said no, the lamictal takes 2-3 weeks at least to get in the system and she thought I was going manic. She then put me on lithium to stop the mania. After my first blood test .3 way to low she upped me to 900.

I switched from Paxil, Prozac, Abilify, Seroquel, Zoloft, Clonazepam, Lorazepam, Effexor, Trazadone, Lamictal, Buspar,and many, many, others I just can't remember them all. Yeah, I'd have to say that maybe, just maybe, all these medications just may have screwed with my physiology at least a little, but what do I know, I was just a mere LAB RAT!

If she is bipolar, a mood stabilizer is the treatment of choice. Fluoxetine can make bipolar worse. Lamictal might be a good option.

Yes I gained a fair amount of weight on Depakoate (another brand name for Epilim) and Seroquel. I do know I had less of a problem with weight gain with Lamictal and that among the current generation of antipsychotics, Abilify, Fanapt and Saphris are the least likely to cause weight gain but each person responds differently to each medication. Ask your psychiatrist about available options.

I am currently on a dose of 100mg of Lamictal and 10mg of Olanzapine (Zypreza). Ever since I got on Lamictal I have experienced greater lucidity, an elevated mood and loss of appetite (the good kind, where I don't put everything I see into my mouth). So this elevated mood has been getting more and more elevated. I have so much energy now that I spend most of my time walking around the city, smoking, and more alarmingly, dreaming.

I agree that the lab work needs to be monitored and the kidney function should be checked as well as the electrolytes. I think your friend needs a new doctor!!

Lamictal lab monitoring

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