Posted by KayeBaby on October 2, 2004, at 7:14:52
Hi Good People,
This is my second attempt at my very first post although I have been reading for awhile.Though it might be helpful to someone to post my experience with Lamictal.
I started at 25mg and was only on it for 4 days before I had to quit it.
It made me genuinely hypomanic for those 4 days. Now I truly know what that means-I am diagnosed with ADD and I am moody but my moods change predictably with my awful PMS.
My pdoc has had good results with Lamictal for mild depression and mood stabilizing so we thought we give it a shot.
I developed GI problems right off the bat and blurred vision. I also had insomnia and scratched all night on the second night. I thought I had been attacked by mosquitos. When I saw the spot on my back I decided maybe it was a flea or spider. I had a coupled of dark pink welts with a sore bump in the middle. I also developed a sore area on my....mucus membranes.
The next day I developed a prickly red rash on my arms, which my Dr. had warned me about. It was not very bad at all and he had told me 1 out of 10 gets A rash but only 1 out of 1000 gets THE rash. It was gone completely the next day making me think I had been overreacting so I went ahead and took 1/2 my dose. bad idea.
Started getting cold-like symptoms. Runny nose, scratchy throat, glands under neck swelling as well as ome sores on my lips and tounge...later tongue and facial swelling.
This scared me!
Went to ER. They gave me on 60 mg pregnisone and wanted to do a Benedryl IV-I declined but took it orally. I was to take 50 mg prednisone for 5 days. Symptoms reoccurred and ended up on the prednisone for two weeks, missing over a weeks work. I won't bore you all with the torture of being on what I now call 'pregnant-zone' as the stuff swelled me up just like that!I've been olff the steroids for 2 days and it looks as though I will be fine. My GP said it was the dreaded SJS-Steven-Johnson's Syndrome.
I just wanted to give some detail in case someone else is experiencing this. The quicker you recognize it the better your luck will be with SJS. It is real important that your Dr. known that you could have this so that they won't mistake it for a virus or infection and give the wrong meds which could make the condition much worse. I couldn't even take my normal rx (dexedrine)for 2 weeks as I reacted to it with more throat swelling etc. and apparently this is par for the course so something like antibiotics or even Motrin could really worsen the condition and lessen the chances of a person coming out unscathed.
I have a new respect for medications.
For what it's worth....
Y'all take care.
Kayebabyb
poster:KayeBaby
thread:398201
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20041002/msgs/398201.html