Lamictal?

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-07-1998
Lamictal?
7
Thu, 07-05-2007 - 3:07pm

My DH has just started on Lamictal.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-27-2006
In reply to: nohea
Thu, 07-05-2007 - 4:17pm

Hi Lori-


Lamictal did really well with me. It took a little time to get to a theraputic level for me but it did better than most meds I have been on. I have been off it for a while now due to my pdoc putting me on Lithium and me not wanting to be on too many meds. I am doing ok but I have had some episodes of deep depression since I went off the Lamictal. I am going to see how I do for a liitle while longer and I may ask to be put back on it. In my opinion, Lamictal is a good med. I hope your dh does well with it. I don't know what dose he is at right now but from what I have learned and heard from others is it takes getting to about 200mgs for a theraputic dosage, but that doesn't mean you won't see an approvement with a smaller dose. Everyone is different. So, it is important for your dh to keep his doc updated on how he is feeling and see if the doc will increase it if need be until he is at a theraputic dose. Also, some people with bipolar disorder can not take anti-depressants because it can cause mania or hypomania and irritability. I hope your dh is successful on this med and feels better very soon.


Tina

     ~ Tina ~

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-23-2006
In reply to: nohea
Fri, 07-06-2007 - 6:00pm
hi,i take lithium and lamital-i have noticed my moods are better but i have alot of leg pain in both legs since taking my meds since first part of june-not sure why.but i do know the lamital has helped my mood swings alot.hope this helps,hugs-lulu
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-01-2007
In reply to: nohea
Fri, 07-06-2007 - 6:33pm
I have been on Lamictal for almost a year now. It's the only BP med that I've ever taken. I too had to increase my meds to get to a theraputic dose and have since had to increase again (I think my body get immune to it after a while). I am currently at 400mg and also take .5 mg of Risperdal. I have heard that anti-depressants can cause mania in BP people so hopefully this will work better for him than the prozac.
Hope he sees a change for the better. Most people I know and I think most of the people on this board take more than one medication. It seems that getting the right combination takes trial and error and will fluctuate over time.
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-11-2006
In reply to: nohea
Fri, 07-06-2007 - 10:58pm

I got lucky and the first med I took (Lamictal) seems to have worked for me. DW said she noticed an immediate difference in me and my moods. At the 200mg dosage, I can see a difference when I miss even one dose.

Here is hoping Lamictal is the one for your DH also. I would be willing to bet, that once he gets his bp symptoms under control allot of the ADD symptoms will go away too. In fact, in DS's case, the ADD meds seemed to make things worse sometimes. I know on the child bp board, allot of the parents say the ADD meds caused increasing aggresion and irritability in their children that are eobp.

tk

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-15-2007
In reply to: nohea
Sun, 07-08-2007 - 1:13pm

hello there, i have been on lamictal for only 5 months and i feel great and everyone around me notices the change..(noone knows my diagnoses or that i'm any meds) it's nice that people like for me to be around. and that i'm not always manic and rapid thinking. i also have ocd, which it hasn't really helped, or at least that i noticed, but my moods are definately better. i only take 100 mg of lamictal and 60mg of prozac, my doc wants me up my dose of lamictal and i feel comfortable with that.


good luck..


post your progress it's nice to see results!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 11-15-2006
In reply to: nohea
Tue, 07-10-2007 - 6:08pm

Hi nohea, I have been taking Lamictal for about 3 mos. now, starting at 200mg/day. I am

now down to 100mg./day plus 5 mg. Abilify. Of all the drugs that i have taken, Lamictal

was one of the least troublesome in terms of side effects. I did notice some skin

sensitivity and drowsiness during the day.( At 200mg. i felt really "zonked out",not so

much on the lower dose.) Lamictal does stabilize my moods, but I do not feel that it does

much in the way of easing the depressive symptoms. However, it at least is not

stimulating like some (such as Wellbutrin) Hope this, along with the other replies, is of

some help to you, and best of luck to you and your husband!

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-23-2004
In reply to: nohea
Wed, 07-11-2007 - 3:17pm

Lamictal worked great on mania for me but not so good on the depression. I still have to take anti-depressants.

Morgaine