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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 13 of 13. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Lushkins on April 9, 2005, at 16:13:58
I quite new here so bare with me. I started lamictal in september and did the usual slow titration up to 150mg where I held it. I got an intial lift on each dose which at the same time was tinged with anxiety, this faded and I was left feeling flat/depressed. This was at 150mg however, I am now at 250mg and what a difference. I am really feeling again, engaged in life, and only depressed now and again. I am 20 now and it feels like I am 12 again, before all the troubles started. I don't really know why I am posting really I just thought I would maybe share my positive expereince. If it wasn't for baords like this I wouldn't be on this drug, I HAD to suggest it to my pychiatrist, as he was just going to increase the remeron further and further which was making me mixed up and very anxious, and irritable. So I would like to say thank you to this baord, trully fantastic, as I have roamed this board for a long time before posting toaday looking at what people with similar symptoms to mine have responed to. I think it would be a good idea if my Dr looked at sites like these, to get a grasp of what people actually experience on these drugs, instead of what the drug companies say we will feel.
I hope these feelings last, as looking at "old" posts, it doesn't look uncomman for the effect to fade. And good luck to everyone here.
Posted by Phillipa on April 9, 2005, at 18:28:12
In reply to Lamictal, posted by Lushkins on April 9, 2005, at 16:13:58
So glad to hear a positive post. And I hope the drug keeps working for you. It seems like a lot of failures occurr when one stops a med and then tries to restart it. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by lara53 on April 11, 2005, at 6:04:31
In reply to Lamictal, posted by Lushkins on April 9, 2005, at 16:13:58
Glad its working for you! Isn't it a shame how we have to suggest things to doc. and do our own research.Same thing is happening to me, feel less depressed for a while and then nothing.My doctor is so conservative;don't know what he will say;but I have decided to try another one if I don't feel optimistic after appointment.
My best to you and I hope you continue to feel well.BTW do you think I should up to 150;been on 100 for 2 weeks.Any other side effects upping dose? Thanks for your help.
Lara
Posted by Lushkins on April 11, 2005, at 8:17:52
In reply to Re: Lamictal, posted by lara53 on April 11, 2005, at 6:04:31
Yes defiantly go up to 150mg, then 200mg depending on how you feel. For me I felt it at the low doses but the effect totally faded after 2 weeks. But on 250mg the good feelings faded but gradually worked their way back without the anxiety feeling being profound. I think I need 300mg as sometimes like today I feel sort of flat but not too bad, I reckon as I told you before I will feel better again soon. Its not like I'm cycling badly anymore, as its less profound to other people and myself. I have a conservative Pdoc as well so I don't know if he will let me go up to 300mg, he seems to think the optimal dose is 225 for "most" people, but as we know, and he obviously knows (I hope) everyone is different in how we respond to this med. Even if he doesn't let me I think I will anyway as my surgey always always dispences about twice as much as I need, as the normal Dr is real slack, I think hes depressed himself as he doesn't really care and when you go to see him method of conversation is basically grunts. I'm in the UK which is not exactly at the cutting edge in terms of treatment, but at least I get cheap meds.
Posted by Lushkins on April 11, 2005, at 8:35:04
In reply to Re: Lamictal, posted by Lushkins on April 11, 2005, at 8:17:52
Slipped my mind about side effects, probabily because short term memory is one of them. In saying that I can concentrate on things more, without my mind skipping from one thing to the other. Defiantly insomnia is one of them and it hasn't really disapeared as of yet sometimes my mind won't calm down at night time after each increase but nothing too severe, however I havn't really been a good sleeper. I got anxiety, at the same time I was really really really happy, which probabily accounts for the insomnia. But it was tinged with anger, but all this generally disapeared in 2 weeks apart from the insomnia and short term memory, so I don't want to worry you here. My mum has also commented on me belching/burping more which I must say is true, but I can't think that this is a side effect, and is probabily me just not caring about everything I do anymore.
Posted by lara53 on April 11, 2005, at 9:17:38
In reply to Re: Lamictal, posted by Lushkins on April 11, 2005, at 8:35:04
Thanks for taking time to answer my questions. My EXTREME irritability went away after 2 wks also. Took 50 more about an hour ago. Hoping it helps as I am stressed about too many appoint. and the rest of stuff I need to do before I go back to work tomorrow,leave at 6 get home at 8 so not much time to do things. I'm rambling I guess I better hop to it. Stay Well; Lara
Posted by qbsbrown on April 14, 2005, at 20:25:16
In reply to Re: Lamictal » Lushkins, posted by lara53 on April 11, 2005, at 9:17:38
Hi guys. I as well am taking lamictal. Felt great at 50 mgs for about a week, but that faded. So im on my way up to 200, hopefully that works.
i'm just confused as when to take it. When do you guys. I hear most are at night, but it makes it hard for me to sleep. If i take it in the morning or night, i hit a big tired wall at about 5pm, so im wondering about the afternoon.
And also, yes to the short term memory, but that's just cause i've been going up to fast. I believe it is fading.
let me know what you guys think. Hopefully this works for us all. But that one week was the most fantastic/normal i've felt in 3 years, so hopefully that'll come backregards,
brian
Posted by theo on April 14, 2005, at 23:11:16
In reply to Re: Lamictal, posted by qbsbrown on April 14, 2005, at 20:25:16
Don't want to sound negative, but Lamictal memory problems got WORSE with time with me. After 6 months on consistant doses between 100-150mg I started forgeting what I did 5 minutes ago. Things like, "did I really just swallow my meds" or "what was I doing just 10 minutes ago." I've always been very sharp and on my feet.
I thought I was stroking out and I'm a very healthy 40 year old. Anticonvulsants are POWERFUL meds that I believe are over used by uneducated psychiatrists.
Posted by jclint on April 15, 2005, at 10:12:25
In reply to Lamictal, posted by Lushkins on April 9, 2005, at 16:13:58
Lushkins, could you post your email, or could you babble-mail me? There's a couple of things I'd like to ask you. I'm in the UK and around your age, I'd love it if I could pick your brain for a minute.
Posted by Lushkins on April 15, 2005, at 15:47:14
In reply to Re: Lamictal » Lushkins, posted by jclint on April 15, 2005, at 10:12:25
My e-mail is simon_ward_17@hotmail.com, so anyone hit me, and pick my brain anytime. (Now you all know my real name!!!!)
I am doing pretty good lately since I increased to 250mg, my family has noticed a change in me, not a big one but still a positive change. I feel better than I show my family, I know this may sound strange but I have been in my own dark world for a long time, it may take a while for me to come out of my shell.
I like many of you guys have had real bad insomnia on this med despite taking it in the morning. My mind just won't shut up, but after just 4hrs of very light sleep I feel ready to go, although I do look like frankenstein. I hope this inproves as I don't want to take any more meds at this point in time.
I just went up to 275mg 2 days ago, and I am experiencing the same old activation as I usually do with each increase, this probabily accounts for the insomnia. This activation feeling is sometimes pleasent in the right situation, but in a one on one conversation I am a bit on edge to say the least, but say on a night out I can be the life and soul of the party (I am usually very shy, unless hypomanic).What I have found is that at the lower doses the intial happy feelings fade. But at the higher doses which was for me 200mg plus, the good feelings faded and then gradually came back. My theory is that the increase sort of destabalises the mood to start of with and then the real thearpeutic effects show themselves. This probabily attributes to the anger that I experience to begin with on each new dose.
"did I really just swallow my meds" or "what was I doing just 10 minutes ago."
I get this as well and I think I have double dose/missed a dose on occasions.
Anyway sorry to ramble.
Lushkins
Posted by Andrea M Dennison on February 27, 2006, at 13:31:44
In reply to Re: Lamictal, posted by Lushkins on April 15, 2005, at 15:47:14
wow, i just googled "lamictal insomnia" and came up with your thread. I knew the lamictal was causing insomnia, and i just upped my dose by 25 mg to 125 (happiness started to fade a bit) and i'm getting 3 hours of sleep per night, max. then i'm up and ready to go with my head just babbling and boiling over with thoughts. I take trazodone at night (anyone else take it??) to sleep, am up to 350 mg per night. Anyone else who's "normal"- even a large man, can usually stand only 1 50 mg pill, and usually can't shake it off in the morning. i'm up to 7/night. Lunesta, ambien, klonipin, etc did NOTHING for me. What do you all take at night? I can't find anything else that works better.
I didn't know until I read your posts that lamictal causes the memory lapse. I've been SO frustrated by that, didn't know which med it was from. i always had a very sharp memory, now i can't finish a sentence without losing track of what i was saying. loooong pauses seem to hang in the air when i try to talk... i can't read very well bc i can't focus very long (feel nice and "up" with the meds, but it distracts me). I think the lack of sleep makes it worse.
Thank GOD you guys are out there. a huge weight came off my shoulders when i saw i'm not alone- the side effects have made me feel different, and no one can quite understand what it's like. i wouldn't trade my happiness just to get my memory back, but it would be nice to have both.
sorry to ramble, but i'm just happy to find you all.-Andi
Posted by Greif on February 27, 2006, at 21:19:51
In reply to Re: Lamictal, posted by Andrea M Dennison on February 27, 2006, at 13:31:44
Hello, Welcome. Search the site. Much has been written on Lamictal side effects. In addition to the insomnia, have you had unusual dreams? Mine were vivid and sometimes violent. During the day it provided great AD effects...not worth the evening plus forgetting names etc.
Posted by jerrympls on February 27, 2006, at 23:20:07
In reply to Lamictal, posted by Lushkins on April 9, 2005, at 16:13:58
THANK YOU for your post!!! I've been trying to research a med that would help more with my depression - more so with cycling from feeling OK to deeply depressed and I thought about Lamictal. I'm SO glad to hear all of the positives about it that you have experienced - it now gives me the hope I need that maybe it will work just as well for me. THANK YOU again - because this board NEED MORE POSITIVE accounts of med trials.
Jerry :-)
> I quite new here so bare with me. I started lamictal in september and did the usual slow titration up to 150mg where I held it. I got an initial lift on each dose which at the same time was tinged with anxiety, this faded and I was left feeling flat/depressed. This was at 150mg however, I am now at 250mg and what a difference. I am really feeling again, engaged in life, and only depressed now and again. I am 20 now and it feels like I am 12 again, before all the troubles started. I don't really know why I am posting really I just thought I would maybe share my positive experience. If it wasn't for boards like this I wouldn't be on this drug, I HAD to suggest it to my pychiatrist, as he was just going to increase the remeron further and further which was making me mixed up and very anxious, and irritable. So I would like to say thank you to this baord, trully fantastic, as I have roamed this board for a long time before posting toaday looking at what people with similar symptoms to mine have responed to. I think it would be a good idea if my Dr looked at sites like these, to get a grasp of what people actually experience on these drugs, instead of what the drug companies say we will feel.
>
> I hope these feelings last, as looking at "old" posts, it doesn't look uncomman for the effect to fade. And good luck to everyone here.
This is the end of the thread.
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