Lamictal, Rash, Depressed Way Bad Help
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| Thu, 12-06-2007 - 5:45pm |
Hi everyone,
Sorry I haven't been on the board for a while been going through some really bad issues. Anyway, I was put on Lamictal 25mg. Ten days ago, day before yesterday I woke up with a pin dot reddish rash on the back of my left hand and forearm. I went ahead and took the Lamictal anyway, yesterday I noticed it starting on my other hand and arm, plus I started itching. Tried to reach pdoc. left 3 msg. but the first one I gave him the wrong ph. #, the 2nd time I forgot to give ph.#, and the 3rd. time, I gave him right number, but it was late. Anyway he called me back today, and told me that a minor rash happens about 33% of the time, and for me to not take it tonight, I didn't take it last night either. Anyway that we will treat this like if I was on Depokate, and that I should either cut the pill in half, or take it every other night, for the next ten days. Does this sound like sound advice to you? Has anyone else ever got a minor rash from Lamictal?
Other issues I finally got the courage to go and see my medical doc. on the 4th. She was great, ordered a lot of blood work, mammogram, and chest x-ray. Well I am type 2 diabetic, so I knew my test results wouldn't be that good, plus I knew that my chlosteriol was going to bad as well. Expected this. What Kaiser does is e-mail you your test results. So yesterday morning, there they were and they were not just bad, they were off the charts. Almost all the blood work was. So I called and left msg. for my doc. BTW it was the first time I had met her or gone to a doctor since I moved from no. ca. to so. ca. about 7mos. ago. Anyway she is like a kick back hippie lady, really awesome, I really liked her. So today I had the dreaded phone call from a dietation, yep have to change my whole lifestyle, eat healthy(yuck) excercise(yuck) lose weight(help), and of course quit smoking. I kind of knew this was coming so put off going to see a medical doctor. Anyway dietition said that we will start slowly and for me to just cut back on the portions of how much carbs. I eat and less fatty protein(red meats). I have a big Starbuck coffee cup, and I drink two cups every morning of course with sugar and vanilla creamer. Yes I know. So her I am at 49, having to change everything about me, and in the meantime I am depressed as heck. Like totally hate myself, and my life, yeah I know poor me. I swear depression it the emitimy of being narcisstic. The dietition told me that when my diabeties is so out of control, it effects all of the blood test the the doc did, and that being tired, and depressed, and less motivated to do anything is part of uncontroled diabetes. Which I knew, I haven't even been checking my blood sugar for over 7-8mos. now b/c it is always so high, and I didn't want to deal with it. I am just being honest.
The other issue going on is that my sister who lives 1hr away, her and I got into a big e-mail fight, no kidding, and she just doesn't like when I get emotional. Like cry, or be sad. She is bp as well, I'm type 2, she is type one but won't do anything/meds. or see a pdoc about it, b/c she says she isn't. I can't make her go to the pdoc, or tdoc. We were both SA by our father, and what really hurt me to the core, is that in her last e-mail she said that I remind her of dad, b/c I hurl insults. I DON'T want to be accused of being like my "father" in anyway, shape, or form, he was a freakin monster. So we were suppose to spend the holidays together, since she is the only one living by us. I have a DH, and a 13 yr old DS, plus a little Shih Tzu dog, I love them all very much, but my sister is really the only one that I thought understood what we had been though. I have not made any friends yet her, b/c I mostly stay in the house, plus our truck is broken. I am depressed more than I can ever remember, I'm so lonely(miss my mom, she passed away 20mos. ago), my other sister is in no. ca. so is my DD and grandchildren, my other DS, and my other sister lives in OR. My husband got transfered her, for better money, but of course we are always broke. We talked about that and we are going to start budgeting the money better. I was suppose to go to a Christmas Party with the sister that lives here and that I had an arguement with, but I called her this morning after I wrote her an e-mail explain that she hurt me, and I hurt her, and sisters shouldn't do that, I asked her if she understood why saying that I reminded her of our "father" might just get me way depressed, angry, rageful, blah, blah, and her answer was that I still reminded her of him, by the insults. She said that after I talked with med. doc. and Pdoc. than she will call me after work and talk about the party, b/c she said right now I was to emontional, and fragile. Well I didn't want to go anyway b/c I know she will get drunk(I don't drink), and I get scared to leave the house anyway, which makes my depression worse. It is actually good for me to get out and about. I just am having an ever so hard time of it. Anyway please any advice would be way welcomed. Thanks everyone for listening to me bitch.
Donna

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OhDonna,
The lamictal is known to give a rash that is why they start you off on a low dose. I started it
Thanks for you support, you are always there for me. I love that about you. I hope all is going well with you? I have been out of touch for a while, with this dumb depression. Yea the pdoc stopped the Lamictal for two days, and than I get back on at half the dose for ten days. I will most defintely watch the rash, it is really minor, but I don't want to get that Stevens-Johnsons Syndrome. Have read up about it alot since I got the rash 3 days ago. So no, don't want to go there. I just hope he knows what he(pdoc) is talking about. It is very minor, a pin dot, slightly red, on back of hands, and a little ways up my forearms. So I guess we will see what happens.
Yeah, I know the diabetes is a real bad situation, hopefully with this new med. doc., and the dietation I will be able to get it under control. But she said it would take a while, b/c I am allergic to Insulin, I get boils where I give myself the shots. So she increased my pill medication, it's called Glilizide. Can't take Medformin, or Avandia. Those are other diabetic meds.
As far as the smoking goes, I did a similar thing but much quicker when I found out I was pregnant with our 13yr old ds. But I smoke more than one pack a day, about a pack and a half. But gotta do something. As you know as an ex-smoker the times to quit just never seems like the right time. You know stress, and every other excuse I can come up with.
I talked to my sister tonight, and we agreed it would be better if I don't go to the Christmas Party with her tomorrow night. Of course I feel guilty. Dang I REALLY HATE depression. Oh well things will get better, that I do know. I want to get better, so it may take some time, but I have a good pdoc, need to find a tdoc, and I now have a good gdoc. So hey already things are looking in the right direction. Take care my friend.
Donna
Hey donna,
I am isulin resistant so i take metformin.Doc just also put me on byetta he actually put me on it because it is now being studied as a weight loss med lol I need it to. It really makes sure you DONT over eat lol. i was doing portion control. eating lot and lots of lean protien,veggies and fruits
TRIGGERS?
Oh Donna, I know so well what you mean about the diets--I was officially dx'd diabetic this summer,been fighting (and losing) the cholesterol battle for a couple of years--with all my other problems I used to joke that I didn't have high blood pressure.
Hi there.
Hi Gracie,
It is nice to meet you and thank you for your advice, and suggestions. I read your profile, and would like to know what spinning is? I'm 49, so I guess I out of the loop for what younger my active people do. I like that you excercise so much and ENJOY it. My med. doc. says that I need to find a activity(excersice), that I like, so that I will continue with it. I have a beautiful 1yr. old Shih Tau, that needs to be walked twice a day, and I did that for about one and a mos., than the depression got worse, so I justt started staying indoors, which was the exact wrong thing for me to do. So I have to get motivated again. I weigh 210lbs, am 5'8", diabetic, and have all these mental health issues, not to metion that I am a smoker as well. Did you smoke and just quite cold turkey? One of the ladies on this board suggested that I somok 20 cigs. for a week, than 19, for a wk, than 18 for a wk, etc. She said she didn't have any withdrawls, b/c I do so worry about gaining the extra weight that I can not afford to do. So any suggestions would be so welcome. How did you get psychial shape? What motivated you? Are you on the Lamictal for bp. As I said I have bp type 2,. I called pdoc, about the rash, and he had me stop for 3 days, and than start for again at 12.5mg. a night, b/c of the rash. He is being very careful, IMO. So it will take me a long time to get to the theruputic dose. He said that it will take about 2-4mos. to start working. So in a way, I'm glad that he is taking it slowly, but wish of course that it would work faster for me. You said that you were put on 100mg. and luckly you didn't get the dreaded Lamictal rash. I'm happy for you that you didn't. Why did your pdoc. start you off at such a high dose, from everything that I have read on Lamictal, most people start out at 25mg. b/c of the rash. My sister and I have mended our fences. Even if it is just held by glue right now, I'm glad that we settled some things between us. Still a bit awkward, but I pray everything goes well.
Donna
Marci,
Sorry to here about you being dx'd with diabetes, it
Donna
dONNA,
I was reading your post and have the exact same problems here.It's a wonder we get depressed lol.I was dxd with insulin resistace
Gracie,
Sorry about your weight gain, like I said earlier, I would just start a discussion on this board, and see what feedback you
Donna
Jeannine,
You know I wish you the best of luck. It's hard being a diabetic. I have to learn how to eat healthy, check my blood sugar 3 times a day, haven't been doing all three keep forgetting, so really have to get in the habit of it. I see my med. doc. in 2.5wks. You are the 2nd person who has mentioned byetta, so I looked it up, and am going to ask the doc about it when I go and see her. I am allergic to medformin, and as I said am insulin resist as well, so the only diabetic med I take is glipizide, she just increased the dose, cause at this time my diabetes is out of control. How are your numbers. Do you have it under control and if so how? Yeah I agree with you, we have enough problems as it is and who the heck need diabetes thrown in,lol. Take care,
Donna
Donna
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