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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by banga on February 9, 2005, at 15:46:46
Has anyone else felt Lamictal negatively affects thinking? I know Topomax is famous for it.....
I am on
200 Lamictal
100 desipramine
approx. 20mg adderall (trying to pour off some from those darn spansule capsules to get this amount!!)
10mg AbilifyAnd feel more forgetful and ...well a little stupid...
Posted by linkadge on February 9, 2005, at 16:32:52
In reply to Lamictal and feeling dense and stupid, posted by banga on February 9, 2005, at 15:46:46
The desipramine or abilify might also be offending agents.
But lamictal, buffers glutamate release which might slow thinking a little.
Linkadge
Posted by banga on February 9, 2005, at 17:49:33
In reply to Re: Lamictal and feeling dense and stupid, posted by linkadge on February 9, 2005, at 16:32:52
Yes, I did also think it may be the Abilify--atypicals I've tried seem to become energy-sappers after a few weeks.....maybe Ill cut back to 5mg and see.
I was hoping it might be Lamictal, i dont think it is actually doing anything therapeutic, thought of getting rid of it....
and I certainly hope it's not the desipramine.Thanks for the comments.
Posted by Maxime on February 9, 2005, at 21:08:08
In reply to Lamictal and feeling dense and stupid, posted by banga on February 9, 2005, at 15:46:46
Lamictal gave me the worse brain fog and it did not go away until I stopped taking the med ( I stayed on it for 3 months).
Maxime
Posted by Optimist on February 9, 2005, at 23:01:26
In reply to Re: Lamictal and feeling dense and stupid, posted by Maxime on February 9, 2005, at 21:08:08
> Lamictal gave me the worse brain fog and it did not go away until I stopped taking the med ( I stayed on it for 3 months).
>
> MaximeSame as me.
Brian
Posted by ed_uk on February 10, 2005, at 10:05:36
In reply to Lamictal and feeling dense and stupid, posted by banga on February 9, 2005, at 15:46:46
Hi banga,
I think it's time to start tapering the Lamictal, it doesn't seem to be helping you and it could well be causing your brain fog. I honestly doubt that the brain fog has anything to do with desipramine.
Do you really need to be on 10mg Abilify? You're not psychotic! It might be helpful (and safer) if you were on a lower dose.
Regards,
Ed.
Posted by Sebastian on February 10, 2005, at 13:52:09
In reply to Lamictal and feeling dense and stupid, posted by banga on February 9, 2005, at 15:46:46
Same problem I had. Thats why I'm reducing doses.
Posted by gromit on February 11, 2005, at 1:46:42
In reply to Lamictal and feeling dense and stupid, posted by banga on February 9, 2005, at 15:46:46
> Has anyone else felt Lamictal negatively affects thinking? I know Topomax is famous for it.....
I used to always hear a humming background noise, like I was in a room next to a room full of machinery. Lamictal really helped to quiet it down. I still feel dumb as dirt though.
Posted by soc teach on February 12, 2005, at 10:12:41
In reply to Lamictal and feeling dense and stupid, posted by banga on February 9, 2005, at 15:46:46
I'm bipolar (II) since adolescence and now unable to take any meds that effect serotonin levels (serotonin syndrome-even on 1 med). Topamax was awful...foggy, incoherent etc.
Lamictal has saved my life-made me feel "normal"---I was ready to go the EST route. However, 200 mg is what my pdoc calls a "granny dose". It did nothing for me-she upped me to 400 (I began to notice the dif. at 300)and I am now off everything (adderall, klonopin etc.) except the 400 Lamictal and Provigil (200 as necessary). (Provigil costs $8.00 a pill so I get samples from my pdoc.) I suggest anyone who hasn't had good luck with Lamictal ask about getting the dose upped. Any doc up on the literature will know the latest on dose and depression. (I know people who have gone as high as 800mg...with no apparent side effects.) Don't give up on it yet-it can change your life.
Posted by banga on February 12, 2005, at 11:10:16
In reply to Re: Lamictal and feeling dense and stupid » banga, posted by soc teach on February 12, 2005, at 10:12:41
Thanks!
I have a tendency to switch around things instead of trying to up the dose, I don't know why. The thing that made me suspiscious was
at 25 up to 100, it helped anxiety and stability. I stayed there for 2 weeks.
then this stopped working
I upped it to 150, nothing, to 200, nothing. I had to go to atypical antipsychotics to take care of the anxiety fast.
But I will keep in mind that before I stop Lamictal, maybe try hiking the dose up.....Did you find it to help anxiety, if you had any??
Posted by soc teach on February 13, 2005, at 10:23:47
In reply to Re: Lamictal and feeling dense and stupid » soc teach, posted by banga on February 12, 2005, at 11:10:16
I find Lamictal to be a good all purpose drug.
Personally, I've had the best luck experimenting with just one drug at a time - that way I can tell what's working and what needs to be discarded.
(Besides I just hate the feeling of being on a bunch of stuff-I think it does more harm than good. People I know on more than 2 drugs at a time are constantly looking for more drugs to counter the ones they are taking-it gets to be a vicious cycle.
This is the end of the thread.
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