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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 bobman on May 18, 2010, at 4:33:27
Hey guys,
I was wondering if anyone fully recovered from 1+ years of lamictal use, and how long it took. I am very scared. I took it for about 1 year 9 months, with an average dose of about 100mg, although it briefly went up to 275mg for about 2 months. For the last 6 months or so I took ~ 50-75mg. I took it alongside wellbutrin (and the later substituted cymbalta for butrin) and gabapentin.
I feel like I'm totally f*ck*d. It's already been a year and 6 months since I have been off of it completely, and I'm still not better. Sometimes I am such a moron, and I am doing everything I can. I have memory problems that I never had before taking it. If you doubt this, I attended one of the top prep schools in the country, and scored in the top 10 on an entrance exam (it's as much as I can say). I'm just saying I never had these problems before.
Please write back.
Posted by SLS on May 18, 2010, at 6:30:30
In reply to Lamictal - Did I ruin my brain?, posted by bobman on May 18, 2010, at 4:33:27
> Hey guys,
>
> I was wondering if anyone fully recovered from 1+ years of lamictal use, and how long it took. I am very scared. I took it for about 1 year 9 months, with an average dose of about 100mg, although it briefly went up to 275mg for about 2 months. For the last 6 months or so I took ~ 50-75mg. I took it alongside wellbutrin (and the later substituted cymbalta for butrin) and gabapentin.
>
> I feel like I'm totally f*ck*d. It's already been a year and 6 months since I have been off of it completely, and I'm still not better. Sometimes I am such a moron, and I am doing everything I can. I have memory problems that I never had before taking it. If you doubt this, I attended one of the top prep schools in the country, and scored in the top 10 on an entrance exam (it's as much as I can say). I'm just saying I never had these problems before.
>
> Please write back.
Did you have these problems while you were taking Lamictal?
- Scott
Posted by Phillipa on May 18, 2010, at 11:15:11
In reply to Re: Lamictal - Did I ruin my brain? » bobman, posted by SLS on May 18, 2010, at 6:30:30
Yes did you have the problems on the lamictal? Phillipa
Posted by StillHopefull on May 18, 2010, at 12:54:16
In reply to Lamictal - Did I ruin my brain?, posted by bobman on May 18, 2010, at 4:33:27
Hi bobman!
Did I understand correctly that you have been completely drug free for 18 months? Or only off of Lamictal?
If you are still taking other drugs perhaps they are causing the problems...
Sorry for your pain. There is support here.
Posted by stargazer2 on May 18, 2010, at 15:54:57
In reply to Lamictal - Did I ruin my brain?, posted by bobman on May 18, 2010, at 4:33:27
Lamictal did two things to me, it did make my memory really poor and it caused me to begin with some clumsiness, progressing into multiple falls that stopped after I stopped it. MY pdoc wasn't even aware it was from the Lamictal, but I went to see a neurologist since I thought I had some othr disease and he said that was the cause.
My memory is still poor but that could be from years of being on these meds, starting with Nardil in 1986 through every other AD that has been developed since then.
I don't think Lamictal did a thing for me, only gave me problems, but others swear by it. That just shows the whole process is so random, we are just experimenting with these meds anyway and that is the risk we are all taking to try and get better and function in the world.
Has anyone thought it is the world that is f'ed up not us and some of us are just not wired in the way that is required to process all of the stress and information being thrown at us today. Some people thrive on stress, others, myself included, fall apart. I don't know that you can fix that.
Posted by conundrum on May 18, 2010, at 17:02:16
In reply to Lamictal - Did I ruin my brain?, posted by bobman on May 18, 2010, at 4:33:27
Did you notice the memory problems after going up to 275mg or at the lower doses? Reason is I'm taking it now. I don't know what to tell you. I think these drugs can mess up memory. My memory has been bad 7 years off prozac. I wouldn't beat myself up about it. You thought you were doing the right thing at the time. Maybe you will find something that helps. I've heard Racetam drugs can help, like piracetam. Never tried myself though. Its good that you are seeing a neuorlogist as well. Also I wonder like the other posters if you are taking another drug that could currently causing this problem. Are you taking any other mood stabilizers?
Posted by Phillipa on May 18, 2010, at 21:05:11
In reply to Re: Lamictal - Did I ruin my brain?, posted by stargazer2 on May 18, 2010, at 15:54:57
Maybe you can't hence I give a surgeon a scalpel and it's in his hands not mine. Phillipa
Posted by bobman on May 18, 2010, at 21:33:52
In reply to Re: Lamictal - Did I ruin my brain? » stargazer2, posted by Phillipa on May 18, 2010, at 21:05:11
I need support, ha ha man this is the pits sometimes. No I'm not on any other pmed, just some amino acids (Sam-e 400mg, glycine 200mg, glutamine 4g/day), and herbs (turmeric, gotu kola, bacopa).
I really agree with you stargzer that some of us just saw the world more clearly. I've always been very sensitive, especially empathically.
I struggle sometimes to keep faith that I will fully recover my cognitive abilities. I really struggle with that. I work very hard to recover, with meditation, full time university, and have recently started exercising again.
Anyone have positive recovery stories? This is the scariest time in my life. I pray my brain is plastic enough to recover.I'm never letting a doctor near my mind again, for my health.
Posted by Phillipa on May 18, 2010, at 21:59:31
In reply to Re: Lamictal - Did I ruin my brain?, posted by bobman on May 18, 2010, at 21:33:52
So conventional meds your're not persuing. I am not either. Just the ones that allow me to do my every day things. Phillipa
Posted by bobman on May 18, 2010, at 22:03:57
In reply to Re: Lamictal - Did I ruin my brain?, posted by bobman on May 18, 2010, at 21:33:52
Hey just wanted you guys to read a poem I wrote last spring. It was for a class. Unfortunately my professor lost all of my poems, so this is an unrevised version, full of formatting errors, poor word choice, and is just worse than what went into the final one.It's not even in form, I think I went ended up making this into iambic tetrameter, which changes meanings and the feeling. I always cringe when people on mental health forums post poems, so I guess I'm a hypocrite.
New
On the grass in my back yard,
under the grape arbor
I sit and stare at the book in my hands
and make out some words and graphs.My eyes resist,
sick passengers, tired
masters of the staring arts.
They wander; theres the garden, our rosebushes -
and that Spring sun tempts me,
my legs excavate the pebble waste, bend stalks
into submission, and I'm a Boxer,
a tappin ballerina
there's the dirt parquet,
I duck my opponent.I fight him off,
collapse on the ground, sweat a
big tub of fat (long winter),
And stare at that gypsy book -
East coast trick.
the shoddy ink in the margins,
cant even read the notes.Lifes not about accounting,
more about running,
and rope swings off
the thickest branch of your neighbors forbidden fruit
over her bramble lovelies - sepia toned stuff.Like sneaking into the movie-theater
once in Kiev, where I first saw
Sigourney Weaver fight Aliens
in the dark from the first row,
bad chick - my first taste of the West.
Getting kicked out,
and then getting thrown out the second time,
with bad Russian words hurled
at us bad kids from a big pale Russian mouth.We laughed all the way back home,
up the long, straight hill,
where mirages radiate off the hot black pavement,
while my feet sweat, and my brows sweat, and sweat pools in my socks.
Posted by Phillipa on May 19, 2010, at 11:03:39
In reply to Re: Lamictal - Did I ruin my brain?, posted by bobman on May 18, 2010, at 22:03:57
Thanks for sharing such a personal part of yourself lovely. Love and best thoughts Phillipa
Posted by Jeroen on May 23, 2010, at 7:51:05
In reply to Lamictal - Did I ruin my brain?, posted by bobman on May 18, 2010, at 4:33:27
brain damage, yes you should be scared i have it too from lamictal
3 years ago i got a psychosis induced from lamictal, it also did something to my memory, cognition and everything elsei take 2 anti psychotics now for 3 years to combat the psychotic state it put me into
sorry to say but you're another victim, and i am not kidding
Posted by Brainbeard on May 23, 2010, at 15:04:51
In reply to brain damage, yes you should be scared i have it t, posted by Jeroen on May 23, 2010, at 7:51:05
This is the end of the thread.
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