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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by cache-monkey on December 30, 2004, at 15:11:19
Hey,
So, I'm in the process of starting up on Lamictal and have felt really out of it after each dose increase. Tired all the time. Foggy in the head. Can't think straight, and mildly agitated in the background.
I feel like it's cleared a little about 10 days or so after the dose increase. But even then it's a little up and down, and I still feel like I need to sleep more than normal. Of course, after a couple of more days it's time for the next dose increase, and I go back to square one.
Has anyone else experienced this with Lamictal? I'm especially curious if it's (as I think it is) a transient start-up/ramp-up side effect. Since I haven't gone longer then two weeks at the same dose, I'm worried that Lamictal is possible just fundamentally sedating for me.
TIA,
cache-monkey
Posted by Piquet on December 30, 2004, at 16:33:13
In reply to Lamictal Exhaustion/Brain Fog, posted by cache-monkey on December 30, 2004, at 15:11:19
> Hey,
>
> So, I'm in the process of starting up on Lamictal and have felt really out of it after each dose increase. Tired all the time. Foggy in the head. Can't think straight, and mildly agitated in the background.
>
> I feel like it's cleared a little about 10 days or so after the dose increase. But even then it's a little up and down, and I still feel like I need to sleep more than normal. Of course, after a couple of more days it's time for the next dose increase, and I go back to square one.
>
> Has anyone else experienced this with Lamictal? I'm especially curious if it's (as I think it is) a transient start-up/ramp-up side effect. Since I haven't gone longer then two weeks at the same dose, I'm worried that Lamictal is possible just fundamentally sedating for me.
>
> TIA,
> cache-monkeyHi. You don't say whether you're taking it as an augmentation or not, or what dosage you're currently on, so my situation might be very different to yours. Anyhow I'm trd depressive and take 80 mg Parnate per day, I recently started on Lamictal augmentation and I've been on the 'second step', ie, 50 mg for about a week. (I'll be titrating every two weeks.) Both with startup and with the increase I experienced exactly the same symptoms that you have. I'm fairly confident that these are transient side effects, and compared to starting up and titrating with Parnate I find them quite tolerable. I hope this helps allay your fears a little, and I wish you success with Lamictal.
Piquet.
Posted by cache-monkey on December 30, 2004, at 17:04:02
In reply to Re: Lamictal Exhaustion/Brain Fog, posted by Piquet on December 30, 2004, at 16:33:13
Oh, I just hit 50 mg, after 10 days at 25 and two weeks at 12.5 mg. In addition to the Lamictal, I take 7.5 mg of BuSpar per day. (Any more than that and I feel more anxious, and get dizzy spells.)
Anyway, thanks for the info. It's good to know that I'm not the only one, and to have hope that this is transient.
The other thing that I'm worried isn't going to subside completely is the weird muscle/tendon tension that I've been experiencing since starting Lamictal. It's worst after a dose increase, but lingered to some extent for the whole 10 days at 25 mg. Have you experienced this, too?
cache-monkey
> > Hey,
> >
> > So, I'm in the process of starting up on Lamictal and have felt really out of it after each dose increase. Tired all the time. Foggy in the head. Can't think straight, and mildly agitated in the background.
> >
> > I feel like it's cleared a little about 10 days or so after the dose increase. But even then it's a little up and down, and I still feel like I need to sleep more than normal. Of course, after a couple of more days it's time for the next dose increase, and I go back to square one.
> >
> > Has anyone else experienced this with Lamictal? I'm especially curious if it's (as I think it is) a transient start-up/ramp-up side effect. Since I haven't gone longer then two weeks at the same dose, I'm worried that Lamictal is possible just fundamentally sedating for me.
> >
> > TIA,
> > cache-monkey
>
> Hi. You don't say whether you're taking it as an augmentation or not, or what dosage you're currently on, so my situation might be very different to yours. Anyhow I'm trd depressive and take 80 mg Parnate per day, I recently started on Lamictal augmentation and I've been on the 'second step', ie, 50 mg for about a week. (I'll be titrating every two weeks.) Both with startup and with the increase I experienced exactly the same symptoms that you have. I'm fairly confident that these are transient side effects, and compared to starting up and titrating with Parnate I find them quite tolerable. I hope this helps allay your fears a little, and I wish you success with Lamictal.
>
> Piquet.
>
>
>
Posted by rudialexander on December 30, 2004, at 22:30:46
In reply to Re: Lamictal Exhaustion/Brain Fog » Piquet, posted by cache-monkey on December 30, 2004, at 17:04:02
I take Lamictal and geez, do I feel foggy. For me, it has persisted for a year. But I do take a lot of other meds-- Effexor, Trileptal, Depakote, Abilify-- so my psych doc thinks the mixture might be causing the fog.
Posted by bimini on December 31, 2004, at 0:00:12
In reply to Lamictal Exhaustion/Brain Fog, posted by cache-monkey on December 30, 2004, at 15:11:19
I have read a little while about other's effect of Lamictal. It had almost the opposite effect on me. I'm still sorting out the logic of this. I am in a permanent state of fog since brain damage 2 years ago and leave what is now 'normal fog' for, well I don't where, many times a day. Lamictal diminished this yo-yo-ing into incohesion and the day resembeled more of a day than a vague dream of someone else's memories.
I had to stop cold turkey at 200mg because of a toxic reaction. My functioning got better at every dose increase.
Incredible how everyone reacts different.
bimini
Posted by Maxime on January 2, 2005, at 0:33:30
In reply to Lamictal Exhaustion/Brain Fog, posted by cache-monkey on December 30, 2004, at 15:11:19
I'm bipolar and when I started Lamictal I thought it was going to be the answer since I could not find a mood stabiliser. Long story short, I couldn't take it. The fog did not clear and I felt so depressed. Luckily I had one more stabiliser to try - Trileptal and it works.
In my case I KNOW it was the lamictal that was causing the fog and depression.
Maxime
> Hey,
>
> So, I'm in the process of starting up on Lamictal and have felt really out of it after each dose increase. Tired all the time. Foggy in the head. Can't think straight, and mildly agitated in the background.
>
> I feel like it's cleared a little about 10 days or so after the dose increase. But even then it's a little up and down, and I still feel like I need to sleep more than normal. Of course, after a couple of more days it's time for the next dose increase, and I go back to square one.
>
> Has anyone else experienced this with Lamictal? I'm especially curious if it's (as I think it is) a transient start-up/ramp-up side effect. Since I haven't gone longer then two weeks at the same dose, I'm worried that Lamictal is possible just fundamentally sedating for me.
>
> TIA,
> cache-monkey
Posted by cache-monkey on January 2, 2005, at 1:05:43
In reply to Re: Lamictal Exhaustion/Brain Fog - Cache Monkey, posted by Maxime on January 2, 2005, at 0:33:30
Hi,
I'm sorry to hear that your turn on Lamictal was so rough. I'm glad the Trileptal is working for you.
My increase to 50 mg has been... weird so far. First came the brain fog. Then came a couple of days of agitated hypomania. I'm interested to see where I land. The big problem for me so far has been in the libido department. I'm keeping my fingers crossed in both regards.
Best,
cache-monkey> I'm bipolar and when I started Lamictal I thought it was going to be the answer since I could not find a mood stabiliser. Long story short, I couldn't take it. The fog did not clear and I felt so depressed. Luckily I had one more stabiliser to try - Trileptal and it works.
>
> In my case I KNOW it was the lamictal that was causing the fog and depression.
>
> Maxime
>
>
> > Hey,
> >
> > So, I'm in the process of starting up on Lamictal and have felt really out of it after each dose increase. Tired all the time. Foggy in the head. Can't think straight, and mildly agitated in the background.
> >
> > I feel like it's cleared a little about 10 days or so after the dose increase. But even then it's a little up and down, and I still feel like I need to sleep more than normal. Of course, after a couple of more days it's time for the next dose increase, and I go back to square one.
> >
> > Has anyone else experienced this with Lamictal? I'm especially curious if it's (as I think it is) a transient start-up/ramp-up side effect. Since I haven't gone longer then two weeks at the same dose, I'm worried that Lamictal is possible just fundamentally sedating for me.
> >
> > TIA,
> > cache-monkey
>
>
Posted by Maxime on January 2, 2005, at 12:22:19
In reply to Re: Lamictal Exhaustion/Brain Fog - Cache Monkey » Maxime, posted by cache-monkey on January 2, 2005, at 1:05:43
I'll keep my fingers crossed as well. My doctor thought I would need to get to 300 mg. I went as far as 200mg and stayed there for a while to see if it would improve but it didn't so I stopped.
It's frustrating when this happens! Keep us posted.
Maxime
> Hi,
>
> I'm sorry to hear that your turn on Lamictal was so rough. I'm glad the Trileptal is working for you.
>
> My increase to 50 mg has been... weird so far. First came the brain fog. Then came a couple of days of agitated hypomania. I'm interested to see where I land. The big problem for me so far has been in the libido department. I'm keeping my fingers crossed in both regards.
>
> Best,
> cache-monkey
>
> > I'm bipolar and when I started Lamictal I thought it was going to be the answer since I could not find a mood stabiliser. Long story short, I couldn't take it. The fog did not clear and I felt so depressed. Luckily I had one more stabiliser to try - Trileptal and it works.
> >
> > In my case I KNOW it was the lamictal that was causing the fog and depression.
> >
> > Maxime
> >
> >
> > > Hey,
> > >
> > > So, I'm in the process of starting up on Lamictal and have felt really out of it after each dose increase. Tired all the time. Foggy in the head. Can't think straight, and mildly agitated in the background.
> > >
> > > I feel like it's cleared a little about 10 days or so after the dose increase. But even then it's a little up and down, and I still feel like I need to sleep more than normal. Of course, after a couple of more days it's time for the next dose increase, and I go back to square one.
> > >
> > > Has anyone else experienced this with Lamictal? I'm especially curious if it's (as I think it is) a transient start-up/ramp-up side effect. Since I haven't gone longer then two weeks at the same dose, I'm worried that Lamictal is possible just fundamentally sedating for me.
> > >
> > > TIA,
> > > cache-monkey
> >
> >
>
>
Posted by Toph on January 2, 2005, at 17:00:53
In reply to Lamictal Exhaustion/Brain Fog, posted by cache-monkey on December 30, 2004, at 15:11:19
I'm BipolarI successfully treated with lithium for over 20 years. I have been trying Lamictal for 7 weeks now (2 wks @ 25mg, 2wks @ 50mg, and now 75 mg). I can't say that I've noticed much of the mood elevation I was hoping for (I have some dysthymia). I have had some of the agitation that I've read about here. If I don't sense less depression when I get over 100 mgs, I may just go back to lithium alone.
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