Lamictal, Help!

By Izz'sMom Sunday, September 28, 2008

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My husband was diagnosed about 3 weeks ago and started Lamictal. He has been on Lamictal for about 22 days (3 weeks). He has been complaining about horrible headaches and constant nausea. A few nights he was thinking he should quit so he decided to only take half his dose. The next day he kept taking his regular dose to stick with it. My question is, do these side effects go away? When will Lamictal "kick in" on average. I know everybody's chemistry is different but I was wondering if anybody had any advice or a similar experience. It's hard to watch him torture himself, but we keep thinking maybe tomorrow he will begin to feel better. I also wonder if he's having side effects from Lamictal or the disorder? His dosage right now is 50 and in about 3 days he will be at 100. Any advice???

Is it normal for him to just leave for days? Please Help.

Comments (18) | Add comment

mumzy30

9/29/08 12:55am

I have been on Lamictal for about two years now. It took about 4-6 weeks to get into my system. I always have really bad migraines so I am not sure if the Lamictal contributes to the headaches. I take Excedrine Migraine for any headache and they go away with in 10 minutes. The best thing I can tell you is to contact your pharmacy to get a print out of the side effects. Hope that helps!

Izz'sMom

9/29/08 1:24am

Thank you so much. I will immediately get the excedrine migrane for him. After 4-6 weeks you felt better? Different? Were you able to sleep better?

thanks

Izz'sMom

9/29/08 1:24am

Thank you so much. I will immediately get the excedrine migrane for him. After 4-6 weeks you felt better? Different? Were you able to sleep better?

thanks

Narelle

9/29/08 3:31am

I had headaches too - they put the dose of Lamictal up very gradually because of the risk of a rash developing - so tell him to hang in there, there's a while to go, but it's worth it. I got a rash and had to cease the med but it was the best i'd felt in years - calm, in control, and with all my faculties intact. So it's a great medication once it kicks in and those initial side effects subside. Good luck.

mumzy30

9/29/08 11:16am

I did feel a bit better. It took a while to get to the right dose. I think I take alot. I take 300mg in the AM and 300in the PM. I was diagnosed as Bipolar about 4years ago and have tried MANY meds. I have seizures also so they use the Lamicatal to regulate the epilepsy also...maybe that is why I take so much! I also take BRAND name PROZAC and that seems to have worked for two years, so far. I do have to say my memory has declined tremendously!!!!! I did talk to the dr. and it is a side effect of the meds. but b/c the meds are keeping me stabilized they are looking into a vitamin and I should know what that is tomorrow. I hope this helps. What state do you live in?

Izz'sMom

10/17/08 3:08pm

Hi. Were you able to find out about that vitamin for your memory loss?

Hopeful mom

9/29/08 6:59am

They start out at a low dose and gradually increase it to avoid side effects. The pharmacist can tell you if the headaches are a side effect or not. My son currently takes 200 mgs and nothing else for his mood disorder. It took nearly 2 months to really get built up in his system. The best thing about it, no more rages. He feels anger but it's at a more manageable level. He's not a zombie and his appetite isn't affected at all. It just keeps him on a mostly even keel. Sometimes he gets stressed and sometimes he gets a little down, but there are no more extreme highs or lows for him. He's been on it nearly a year now and it's the best thing that ever happened to us.

tabby

9/29/08 7:10am

I took Lamictal for a little over a week last Spring. I was on the 25mg dose because I'm very med sensitive. I developed a horriable headache, some nausea, a lot of dizziness, and itching in my eyeballs, ears, nostrils, and in my mouth. My pdoc took me off of it.

Yet, I've heard some good things about it and that's one reason why I so wanted to try it. It takes a good steady while for most, who tolerate it, to get up to their "therapeutic" dose because of the potential for really bad side effects (like Steven's-Johnson Syndrome, ie., really bad rash).

I'd certainly have your husband, or yourself if your husband is okay with you doing so, speak with his psychiatrist asap about these headaches. They could be an adverse side effect.

Chris

9/29/08 6:24pm

I must have been one of the lucky ones a had and have no side effects from lamictal. I know from reading the side effects that headaches are part of them but supposed to go away overtime. I currently take 600mg a day and its the best med i have been on so I hope he can stay with it.

gr8fl1

10/ 3/08 10:32am

I have been on it for over a year. 150mg at bedtime. When it was first prescribed and I was ready to move up a dose, I got very sick the next morning real sick to my stomach and really dizzy. So I just stayed on 150 mg. This has worked for me, along with 150mg. of effexor xr. I agree with other's, one of the best meds. that I've ever taken. Really helps with the mood swings. I haven't had any rage since I've been on it :) Depression and mania episodes are much more mild/level.

Anonymous

10/ 3/08 8:10pm

Thank you for all your posts. My husband read about your experiences w/ lamictal and decided to stick through it for the first month. Now he is on a therapeutic dose and does not feel nauseous or dizzy. He also had blurred vision. His moods are good and he feels good, although I suspect he misses the mania feeling. I hope the lamictal will work for a long time. THank you for all of your advice and stories. It really helps.

Sue

10/ 9/08 8:02am

A lot of side effects from psych drugs do go away when the body adjusts to them. Any of this type of medication usually takes up to a month to build up in the body to be effective. It is never a good idea to quit any of the psych drugs, we have to wean off of them before we can try something else, they are very powerful and not like anything he has ever stopped taking before. Heed the warnings about this. He won't know if it works unless he stays with it for at least a month though.

kknighton

10/13/08 8:01am

Is he on what is called a "starter pack?" Where you start off at 25 milligrams and work your way through the pack to 100? If so, then that is how it is supposed to be. When he gets through with the pack, he will get a new prescription that will be 200 milligrams. What other medications is he taking? By the way, I'm not a doctor, but I am living with Bipolar Disorder along with other mental illnesses

Izz'sMom

10/13/08 12:02pm

He was on the starter pack when I first posted. Now it has been a few days that he has been on 150 mg. Great news, the nausea, blurred vision and metal taste in his mouth are gone. He still deals with slight headaches. He is only on lamictal and sees his pdoc once a month. Since he started his moods are way more stable, as he would call it "even keel". One question though..... lamictal isn't preventative? He will still have episodes, just not as extreme? Is that how this stuff works?

Thanks

kknighton

10/13/08 2:04pm

Lamictal is a mood elevator; however, it sounds like he needs to be on an additional medication. I myself am on Lamictal, Seroquel, Zoloft and Clonozapam. It has been an excellent combination for me. Does he see a therapist as well as his psychiatrist?

Izz'sMom

10/13/08 3:08pm

Just a psychiatrist. That's all we can afford for now. The meds are so expensive.

kknighton

10/13/08 3:41pm

Couple of questions. First, where do you live? Second, is there a mental health clinic anywhere nearby? If so, then he should go there. I live in Alabama - - Birmingham area. I go to a mental health clinic that takes anyone. If you have insurance, if you're on medicaid, or if you have none of the above. I personally do not have any of the above, so they figure my "co-pay" by my income, which is none right now. And, they have a pharmacy in the clinic and my meds are also figured by income. I pay $5.00 if I just see my therapist and $10.00 if I see both (therapist and psychiatrist). My meds are $5.00 each, $20.00 for all four.

Izz'sMom

10/17/08 3:17pm

We live in CA.

Lamictal, Help!

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