Checking in at ....dare I say it?

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-10-2003
Checking in at ....dare I say it?
5
Fri, 09-23-2005 - 11:59am

Stable?!?!?!

Finally got up to 200 mgs of Lamictal and it was ***magical***

Depression and anxiety just melted away over night!

I hope nobody takes this as gloating (gosh, I REALLY hope so!) I just feel so good! Not manicky good, just good. 16 days now and counting...

I moved my Pdoc appt up to next week (from the end of October) because I never did get those other prescriptions filled and I really need to let him know how things are going.

I still have a bit of trouble falling asleep at night (brooding and having conversations with myself) which I will be honest about w/Pdoc, but it is so much less than before and only every couple days now, I don't even really mind it... I just take a couple benedryls and try to relax, which seems to be working.

Oh, I also had my first Tdoc appointment. After interviewing me for an hour (and I was VERY open and honest) he said, and I quote, "if you ever feel that you need me for any reason, please call me, but I think you are doing very well and don't really need to make another appointment with me unless you want to" Go figure!

Holy Cow! Now I have to get to everything I've let slide for over a year!

Catherine

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Fri, 09-23-2005 - 12:06pm

Catherine,

OMG! You go, woman! That is such awesome news, isn't it? It feels really good...I know. I feel better too, but not out of the woods just yet.

Just starting Lamictal and I am SOOOO praying I will be able to tolerate it. I'm going VERY VERY slowly up to dose to keep from getting the rash. I already feel better off Lithium, but I don't know for sure if its THAT or what. I also added a very small dose of Risperdal at night, so who knows for sure what it really is that's magical, but its something. I'm not manicky either. I'm watching that SO closely, and I'm scared to DEATH of it because I cycle so rapidly. But, hopefully, I'll stay where I am for a while.

I just wanted to tell you how very very happy I am for you. You sound SOOOOO good and SOOO much better than I've heard you sound in a very long time; and you deserve it.

Love and Hugs!

Keli

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-10-2003
Fri, 09-23-2005 - 1:10pm

Hi Keli,

I hope this new round of meds works for you, Lord knows you deserve it.

About the Lamictal... it took me *forever* to get up to 200 mgs. I started on the 'starter pack' for people on depakote (not that I was on depakote, but it was the only starter pack that Pdoc had at the time...) About half way up the Lamictal new Pdoc discontinued Abilify (which really helped me calm down and sleep, but didn't do anything for depression - it is supposed to, but didn't work for me...).

I had a little difficulty between the two as I was still working up the Lamictal (I wrote about that before... I was thinking he would just up the Lamictal again but he decided he wanted me back on Abilify, plus Klonopin, which kind of upset me for some reason, like he was moving too fast and not letting me get to a good dose of Lamictal before throwing other things in... I mean how are we supposed to know if something is working if they keep adding other stuff so fast?) Really, just my opinion...

Anyway, I started slowly upping the Lamictal, as he described to me (while trying to decide about the Abilify and Klonopin) and when I finally hit 200 mgs, I just woke up the next day feeling *normal* again! I was a little worried at first, thinking I was switching over or something, but day after day, I just feel normal.

It's actually kind of a weird feeling after all this time. LOL!

Catherine

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Fri, 09-23-2005 - 1:33pm

That's the starter pack I'm on too, even though I'm not on Depakote either...that's how slowly pdoc wants me to go up too though...so I'll be FOREVER too, but I am really thinking it will be worth it...hoping!

Stability DOES feeling kinda weird, doesn't it...? I *have* been there before, once...LOL. I am so working towards getting there again. I know it will happen, I just have to work hard, and be patient.

I totally agree with you about meds. Adding them and taking them away too quickly. I was a bit apprehensive about this switch of meds at first, but I'd been thinking for about at least a month that I needed new meds, so it wasn't a rash decision. Pdoc agreed with me, that we needed to do something. We'd given the Lithium months to do something, and it just fizzled out for me. My meds tend to do that, unfortunately. I couldn't go higher on it either, because of toxicity problems, so that was the problem with it. SOOOO, this is where we ended up. I would have loved to be on Abilify, as I know others who have had really good luck with it, but I had a really bad reaction to it, so I had to go back on Risperdal instead. But I seem to be doing well on it, so I'm not complaining.

With BP, you have to hit the EXACT dosage or you're just gonna be "off". If I am TOO medicated, I get waaaaaay depressed. If I'm not medicated enough, way manic...so its just so complicated. Ugh. My poor pdoc doesn't know which way to turn sometimes!

Anyway, enough rambling. I'm bored at work this afternoon...have tons to do, but don't feel like doing any...I've been pretty busy the last 2 days!

Hugs,

Keli

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-06-2005
Fri, 09-23-2005 - 1:49pm

yyyaaahhh !!!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 10-23-2004
Fri, 09-23-2005 - 7:55pm

Congratulations!