Lamictal ????s
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| Wed, 05-16-2007 - 3:15pm |
I just recently upped my Lamictal to 50mg and I am working my way up to 100mg. I was just wonder what an average dose was. Is 100mg a low dose, high dose, average dose??
Since being on the 50mg dose, I am feeling pretty flat. Not much can get me going (irritation wise), not even my laziest 6th grade student. I may think "what a pain" in my head but I think it and move on without going over it and over it. Annoyances don't "ruin" my day by making me short with everybody (and everything) and eat away at me like they used to. Is this what stable feels like? If it is, I don't know if I necessarily like it. I feel rather apathetic and it is weird. It isn't me. KWIM?
My husband thinks its great. He had a big smile when I told him I felt different. I suppose he is enjoying the quiet without me banging around and swearing everytime I can't get something to work right.
If this is how I feel on 50mg, how will 100mg be? Will I be in an emotional coma?!??!
Steph

According to my handy-dandy home PDR a typical dosage is 300-500mg a day, divided between 2 doses.
I can't speak to it particularly causing the flat affect, as I wasn't on it very long due to it causing severe headaches.
When I started Lamictal at 50 mg (25 mg a.m.- 25 mg p.m.) I didn't notice much difference, but DW said she noticed an immediate difference. Actually thinking back I didn't really notice much as I was on a pretty good depressive when I started the meds. When I noticed things was when I started raging at stupid drivers one day and I thought, "Well I must be coming out of my depression finally!" After several more months and having my dosage upped to 125 mg (50 mg a.m. - 75 mg p.m.)I started to notice that when I had the rage episodes I had missed a dose or had gotten my dosage schedule REALLY out of whack on the weekend.
When I figured that out I started to notice what you describe....things that would once just make me explode, now barely register on the emotion scale and when things start getting frustrating I find I can feel it coming on and walk away from what ever is being so frustrating. I can also take a few deep breaths, clear my mind and calm back down. It feels weird at first, but becomes a welcome relief from the explosive reactions that are so out of proportion to the offense.
DW and the kids enjoy me ALLOT better these days....sort of like you describe your H with you.
Enjoy this, accept it as a good thing and keep up with the meds....they really do help, it just takes some adjusting to this new you. LOL.
tk
I started Lamictal taking 25mg, then 50mg, now 100mg. I've been taking 100mg for about...the past eight months. The doctor occassionally mentions upping it to 150mg, but it hasn't happened thus far. I'm still not too keen on all the pill-popping. At first I was happy because it meant I had finally found out what was wrong with me and was taking steps to manage it - but now, the realization of maybe taking medicine for life has set in and not left, haha.
Anyway, I hope the "flatness" evens out for you. I laughed at what kcisis said:
"I sometimes wonder, though, if we are just so used to living at the very high or very low end of the spectrum, that "normal" seems "flat" to us at first until we get used to it."
That could very well be the case!
In any event, I guess you have to ask yourself, which is more appealing? The "flatness" you feel right now (which may change) or the manic/depressive episodes you experience when not taking the medicine (which could lead to horrible results)?
Have you talked with your doctor about this?
I haven't talked about it with my pdoc as I only see him for a 15 min med check every 3 mo and this is working so I don't want him monkeeing with something that is working. That and I felt like kcisis, I was just so used to the eruptions and violent reactions to frustrations that I figured this is what it felt like to be stable....not much to talk about.
tk
kcsis wrote "Most of the time it "disappears" after a couple of weeks to a month. "
I know that was true for both of my kids (teens) who are on it, especially my daughter. I actually considered pulling her off of it because she seemed soooo different and soooo, hmmm, not sue if mellow is the right word but I think you know what I'm getting at. pdoc talked me into keeping her on them for "2 more weeks" and by the end of the 2 weeks (which was by then about a month on Lamictal) DD got her spunk back after she adjusted to them.
For me, I didn't notice much of a change.
As for dosage:
DS & I are on 200mg, DD on 100mg daily
I talked to my counselor on Friday. She told me the same thing as kcisis said. I am just so used to the extremes it may take me awhile to get used to being more level.
I am going to stay the course until my next pdoc appt. on June 5th. If I am still concerned I will speak with her about it then.
I had a major issue at work on Friday and I handled it so much better than I ever thought I could. I am sure it has to do with being on the medication. It gave me some hope that this medicine is working.
Thanks for the reply!
Steph
Ah! I remember how pleasant it felt to start handling yucky situations differently, especially not flying off the handle and freaking out. Yay for you!
Thanks to my medicine and more knowledge, I'm better able to handle those kinds of situations, too. It's the other kind I have trouble with more often. The situations that are more seductive and pleasing in nature. Ignorning come-ons from cute guys (when I already have a steady, long-term relationship with a great one), avoiding the urge to splurge (totally unnecessary shopping sprees), and not giving in to the temptation to spend a night or three drinking my feelings and conscience away.
I'm getting better at those, I think.
Alicia
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