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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by joyfulnspirit on September 9, 2006, at 7:53:50
I'm curious about this new med I am on called lamictal. When I googled the name this board came up and what you all are writing here intrigued me. I seem to be having all the side effects but no rash yet. I am angry all the time, naseaus after I eat sometimes, I have incredible insomnia which I already had and didn't know this could cause more problems. I keep staying up all night and I think I am very manic. I haven't been to sleep at all and I'm not tired. Should I keep taking this med or let my doc know this is not working? I feel good but just can't sleep and have no desire to.
I also take Welbutrin so I am wondering if it is the Welbutrin and Lamictal combo working against me. I haven't been taking the lamictal all that long, I'm on the start of week 4 I believe. I had the same anger when I took Depakote, another seizure type med used for bipolar disorder. I am v. concerned that I will start having even worse symptoms. I noticed a minor tremor the other day in my hands and it seems to be getting stronger day by day.
If anyone has any feed back, please let me know what you think. I'm getting worried and a little scared. I want to get better not worse.
My family is also concerned, top of that list is my husband who is up in arms and hasn't had to deal with me like this before. Not sure what to tell him to ease his mind, anything I say sounds like a cop out to him. Any suggestions there would be appreciated too.
I am in group therapy for learning about bi polar disorder. I have type 2, which means I am more depressed than manic. I really have fought the diagnosis for a long time but want to get better so I am going through all my options.
I am planning on getting tested by my doctor for certain things like hypothyroidism which mimics bi polar disorder. I learned about that in my goup, funny no one ever mentioned that to me before but I go to the county for treatment so they don't do testing.
OK.........I know I am writing much please forgive me but I'm excited and interested in hearing what anyones feed back will be like.
:-)
Thanks for letting me bend ya'lls ears and picking your brain. I truly appreciate you and this site, very nice.
Joyfulnspirit
Posted by linkadge on September 9, 2006, at 14:22:24
In reply to newbie to lamictal and this site, posted by joyfulnspirit on September 9, 2006, at 7:53:50
Anger can be a side effect of Wellbutrin. If you are not sleeping and have no desire to, you may need a stronger anti-manic agent. You may also consider reducing the Wellbutrin.
Are you very agitated?
A doctor might consider an atypical antipsychotic would could help sleep, and might do a better job at calming you down.
Linkadge
Posted by Phillipa on September 9, 2006, at 14:22:49
In reply to newbie to lamictal and this site, posted by joyfulnspirit on September 9, 2006, at 7:53:50
Welcome to babble. You may have to wait awhile for responses the meds seem to run in cycles. Oh you can do a search on this board . On the bottom is a google just use the one that is checked. Love phillipa ps other posters experiences will pop up
Posted by joyfulnspirit on September 10, 2006, at 16:41:23
In reply to Re: newbie to lamictal and this site » joyfulnspirit, posted by Phillipa on September 9, 2006, at 14:22:49
> Welcome to babble. You may have to wait awhile for responses the meds seem to run in cycles. Oh you can do a search on this board . On the bottom is a google just use the one that is checked. Love phillipa ps other posters experiences will pop up
Thank you for your response. I didn't know what to think and my husband and family are very upset about the way I've been acting. I thought perhaps that might be the case, I haven't been taking the Lamictal very long and know very little about it. This site is great, I've kinda felt alone about all this until I started going to group therapy but still I haven't had that much response there so far. I truly appreciate the feedback :)
Posted by joyfulnspirit on September 10, 2006, at 17:02:02
In reply to Re: newbie to lamictal and this site, posted by linkadge on September 9, 2006, at 14:22:24
> Anger can be a side effect of Wellbutrin. If you are not sleeping and have no desire to, you may need a stronger anti-manic agent. You may also consider reducing the Wellbutrin.
>
> Are you very agitated?
>
> A doctor might consider an atypical antipsychotic would could help sleep, and might do a better job at calming you down.
>
>
>
> LinkadgeI didn't think about the Wellbutrin, I thought maybe it was the Lamictal. I guess I am ignorant about all the possible side effects to what I am taking. Yes, I am extremely agitated and seem to be set off by anything and everything. I even got into a fight with my husband about something very stupid on the way to church which we promptly picked back up after church. Crazy, I feel just plain crazy. I want to feel normal, not out of control anymore. I am taking just 1 more pill than the basic dose of wellbutrin, I didn't think that little bit more could cause so much stuff. I think maybe that might be a good idea, to lower the dose to one a day. To be honest, now that I think about it I keep forgetting to take the lamictal, so it probably thinks I started over. What a mess. Not sure what to do about that, I am calling the doctor tomorrow and speaking to his nurse, not sure if he'll speak to me on such short notice but I've got to do something. I definitely am just getting over an extreme manic episode and I have to have say, this was the scariest one yet. Simply because I didn't recognize that something was wrong, I usually do and can see I need to do something about and they don't usually last more than a few days not more than a week, this was a bit longer. Instead of getting 'better' toward the end, it got worse I was up almost 48 hours during the last of it. That's what scared me and the fact that I wasn't even really tired until yesterday. I slept when I got home (hadn't been home all night) at like 3 or 4 pm until about 6 am or so and got up again at 7:30 finally. I felt tired and hungry and a bit like I had a hangover (I never have hangovers, usually) and I hadn't been drinking so I thought that was strange and I ached all over. I ate chicken noodle soup too this morning because I was hoarse for some reason. It was truly not a fun experience for me. I am not a person who enjoys being manic, usually some people do, but man not me. My episodes are really bad sometimes. I have been catatonic before for days because of them and for others bouncing off the walls. It's crazy, I hate the feeling of being out of control.
Yes, I think most definitely I will lower my doasge of meds starting tomorrow and make sure I am taking my Lamictal and properly too. I think some part of me naturally fights sleep. Also I work the swing shift at my job, which is good for me, I use up all that extra energy there that way and get v tired. Yet, when I get home my second wind kicks in and I can't sleep and don't want to. It scares my husband, he thinks I should come home in the morning and go right to sleep, yet I just can't.
Sorry so long, I like to write a lot. Thanks for letting me bend your ear some.
I don't tolerate anti psychotics v well, at least that has been my experience with the ones I've taken in the past. They make me irritable but the worst one is the tremors. I lost a job because of them. : (
Anyway, again I thank you for you feedback.
Take care,
joyfulnspirit
Posted by Phillipa on September 10, 2006, at 20:24:19
In reply to Re: newbie to lamictal and this site, posted by linkadge on September 9, 2006, at 14:22:24
What type of work do you do? A swing shift is probably not good for manic people. Consistency I would think would be best. And please get your meds straight with your doc. Love phillipa ps don't be a stanger let us know what he says
Posted by linkadge on September 11, 2006, at 10:22:49
In reply to Re: newbie to lamictal and this site, posted by joyfulnspirit on September 10, 2006, at 17:02:02
Sounds like a dysphoric mania to me. Wellbutrin can trigger dysphoric mania and anger reactions in certain people. The lamictal may or may not reduce this.
I'd personally look at reducing or changing antidepressants, and or chaning mood stabilizers.
Linkadge
Posted by moodygirl on September 16, 2006, at 14:26:10
In reply to Re: newbie to lamictal and this site (nm), posted by moodygirl on September 16, 2006, at 14:14:53
aaaah, alas, technology has me in its grips as i cannot get my message posted, and im new as newborn snow! lets try again. Here's the jist--Lamictal good. Tricky to titrate onto, I started a super low dose 6.25 along with my strattera and took both at night. I too, felt that lamictal and SNRI (strattera) did not mix well together. But by taking both at night the mixing occurs while im asleep. I experienced alot of waking during the night at first, but it was worth it to tough it out.The initial dysphoria and anxiety went away. It's worth experimenting to get the benefits of this med cuz its a hell of a mood stabilizer. Good luck.
This is the end of the thread.
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