Posted by Tony P on December 22, 2003, at 15:17:02
In reply to Lamictal causing hyper-anxious irritability ?, posted by Basia on December 22, 2003, at 9:42:40
-- I am cross-posting this to two threads as it seems to go with both --
I am on Lamictal as a trial for BP2 or 3. Just got up to 100 mg/day 4 days ago, which sounds like the start of the effective range for most people for the depressive side of things, judging by postings here.
The couple of weeks I was on 50 mg/day, I noticed an edginess, sort of borderline anxiety plus anger. Complicated by having to go off the Serzone I had been on for a long time --- my main A/D, I've gone from 500 mg/day down to 0 over the last 3 weeks.
Today I am a mess. I called in sick to work. Mixed anxiety and depression, nausea, I couldn't get up the energy/decision making to take a shower, let alone get in to work; borderline suicidal -- which is unusual for me, I usually just retreat and isolate when my depression is severe.
30 mg Valium helped a lot - or I wouldn't even be posting here! But I'm supposed to only take 10 mg a day. I have an appointment this aft. to see my MD, and I see my pdoc in about a week. I'm having trouble imagining hanging on that long feeling like this. i hope my MD will prescribe a short-term benzo, but he is very reluctant to.
Any help/experience out there?? is this part of the early side-effect profile of Lamictal, i.e. will it get better if I hang on? I am feeling desperate today - like nothing really works, even huge doses of OTC muscle relaxants, which used to at least numb me out.
Tony P
> Hi,
> I have recently upped my dose of Lamictal to 50 mg for the next two weeks and am suffering immense irritability, anxiety and panic, increased heart-rate, grinding teeth and an unbearable 'knotted' stomach. Has anyone else had this and does it fade? It seems to get like this about two hours after taking the pills and then after four hours I calm down. VEry exhausting!
> But better than anguish and paralysis of depression strangely enough...
> Am taking Sulpiride and Tegretol REtard for Bipolar with psychotic elements and HPPD.
> Thanks so much for any advice/help!
>
>
poster:Tony P
thread:292340
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20031219/msgs/292430.html