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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 17 of 17. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by gardenergirl on October 15, 2006, at 22:40:16
I think I'm going to wind up going off this med. I've had this stupid "rash-like" thing going on for a few weeks. I thought they were bug bites of some kind, since I'm a mosquito magnet. Well, we've had a couple of frosts, mosquito season is over, and they're not getting better. And it's spreading. They started on my shoulders and are now showing up on my back, chest, sides, and neck. They're pin-prick type spots that itch a lot when they itch, although it's not constantly. Hydrocortisone doesn't help much.
Looking on the web, this seems similar to what others have described about the non-SJS Lamictal rash. And searching the archives here, I came across my own post describing the same thing some time ago, also when I had recently raised the dose. It's even about the same amount of time between raising the dose and getting the itchies as it was back then. Bah! Pdoc at the time said it couldn't be the Lamictal since it didn't happen right away. But this seems too much of a coincidence. Plus, I've checked out all the alternatives I can think of: other allergic reactions, flea bites (I have a dog), other nasty stuff.... .
The other thing is that for some time now I've had word-finding and word-substitution problems. I often have to describe what I'm trying to think of. For example, today I said, "You know, that thing you swing. It's heavy. Not an axe..." My M-I-L finally said, "sledgehammer?" "That's it!" It's very frustrating. And my distraction and losing my train of thought in the middle has been much worse recently. Again, I also noticed word-finding problems in the past, not long after increasing my dose, and again pdoc said it couldn't be Lamictal.
I think that maybe I just develop these effects a couple of weeks later than the norm. I don't know. I don't think I'm just over-thinking this, but feel free to tell me if it appears that I am.
For now, I'm going to take the dose back down to 125 mg. I see a new pdoc Friday, so we'll see what he says about this and my whole med plan then.
But if I'm right....bah!
Thanks for reading. If anyone has any comments or feedback about this, please share.
gg
Posted by crazy777girl on October 16, 2006, at 0:14:41
In reply to Lamictal, dang it, dang it, dang it!, posted by gardenergirl on October 15, 2006, at 22:40:16
the cognitive issues you describe could most definitely be attributed to the Lamictal.
I don't know what your other psych meds are - but but my pdoc backed my Lamictal dose down for this very same reason.
I didn't experience a rash - just the cognitive impairment, specifically as you describe. I also take other meds that would cause the same type of impairment - but decreasing the Lamictal seems to have made a positive difference.
Best wishes, A
i> I think I'm going to wind up going off this med. I've had this stupid "rash-like" thing going on for a few weeks. I thought they were bug bites of some kind, since I'm a mosquito magnet. Well, we've had a couple of frosts, mosquito season is over, and they're not getting better. And it's spreading. They started on my shoulders and are now showing up on my back, chest, sides, and neck. They're pin-prick type spots that itch a lot when they itch, although it's not constantly. Hydrocortisone doesn't help much.
>
> Looking on the web, this seems similar to what others have described about the non-SJS Lamictal rash. And searching the archives here, I came across my own post describing the same thing some time ago, also when I had recently raised the dose. It's even about the same amount of time between raising the dose and getting the itchies as it was back then. Bah! Pdoc at the time said it couldn't be the Lamictal since it didn't happen right away. But this seems too much of a coincidence. Plus, I've checked out all the alternatives I can think of: other allergic reactions, flea bites (I have a dog), other nasty stuff.... .
>
> The other thing is that for some time now I've had word-finding and word-substitution problems. I often have to describe what I'm trying to think of. For example, today I said, "You know, that thing you swing. It's heavy. Not an axe..." My M-I-L finally said, "sledgehammer?" "That's it!" It's very frustrating. And my distraction and losing my train of thought in the middle has been much worse recently. Again, I also noticed word-finding problems in the past, not long after increasing my dose, and again pdoc said it couldn't be Lamictal.
>
> I think that maybe I just develop these effects a couple of weeks later than the norm. I don't know. I don't think I'm just over-thinking this, but feel free to tell me if it appears that I am.
>
> For now, I'm going to take the dose back down to 125 mg. I see a new pdoc Friday, so we'll see what he says about this and my whole med plan then.
>
> But if I'm right....bah!
>
> Thanks for reading. If anyone has any comments or feedback about this, please share.
>
> gg
Posted by Phillipa on October 16, 2006, at 11:44:52
In reply to Lamictal, dang it, dang it, dang it!, posted by gardenergirl on October 15, 2006, at 22:40:16
GG now is not the time to be casual about the rash. It seriously could be SJS as I googled it when I tried lamictal . No rash for me but it said it can start anytime. I think a call to the pdoc or ER should be a priority. Your health is at stake. Read what crazymeds.org says about lamictal rash. Love Phillipa
Posted by wacky on October 16, 2006, at 11:49:28
In reply to Re: Lamictal, dang it, dang it, dang it! » gardenergirl, posted by Phillipa on October 16, 2006, at 11:44:52
I was thinking the same thing - about how dangerous the Lamictal rash is!!!! I don't remember where I read it but it was VERY serious.
n
Posted by iforgotmypassword on October 17, 2006, at 21:32:48
In reply to Re: Lamictal, dang it, dang it, dang it! » Phillipa, posted by wacky on October 16, 2006, at 11:49:28
augh! best of luck. :(
do you have to stop lamotrigine forever if this happens? can you ever give it a break for a month or two and start again?
maybe you could look at this as an opportunity to give another med a try! how about memantine (prolly low-dose like 20mg, higher if you don't get any cog. s/e), have you tried that? NDMA receptor anatgonism sort of approaches a lamotrigine effect and goal. some say that how the resultantly attenuated glutamate release causes less NDMA receptor activation is HOW lamotrigine has such positive effects, and its mineral ion channel effects just give acts as a built in MOOD STABILIZER AUGMENTER, essentially potentiating the postive anti-gluatamate effects! (i sorta hypothesized the last two bits.)
i sorta worry that i will get this. i throttled to my current dose of lamotrigine to 100mg in literally the last few days! yes i am crazy and pretty much asking for it, i know. i am just so impatient over really losing my life.
Posted by psychobot5000 on October 18, 2006, at 15:48:55
In reply to Lamictal, dang it, dang it, dang it!, posted by gardenergirl on October 15, 2006, at 22:40:16
I never had the rash, but I had the same type of cognitive difficulties you describe, on Lamictal. It showed up very gradually, over the course of weeks of treatment, and took weeks to disappear after I stopped the Lamctal, but I am quite certain that the drug was the cause of it.
There are web sites that describe in detail SJS rashes, and what they look like. As I understand it, many rashes on lamictal are not SJS related, but since you are risking DEATH (!), I'd want to be a sure as possible. Any risk of SJS is not something to mess around with!
Best of luck,
P-bot
Posted by iforgotmypassword on October 19, 2006, at 1:25:00
In reply to Re: Lamictal, word finding, rash, posted by psychobot5000 on October 18, 2006, at 15:48:55
Posted by psychobot5000 on October 19, 2006, at 15:12:03
In reply to word finding would be my death! augh! how common? (nm) » psychobot5000, posted by iforgotmypassword on October 19, 2006, at 1:25:00
I don't know--I think I've read that lamictal is useful to some people to 'slow down their thoughts...' but my pdoc at the time insisted it was relatively good on side-effects, and was surprised to hear about this.
With a little searching, I found others with similar stories, but there certainly seem to be a large number of people who take lamictal without any problems like that. I'd hazard a guess and say the likelihood of cognitive problems is something under 50%, maybe well under. ...Just a guess though.
Posted by monserrat on October 20, 2006, at 3:31:02
In reply to Lamictal, dang it, dang it, dang it!, posted by gardenergirl on October 15, 2006, at 22:40:16
Lamictal absolutely causes cognition issues. I also found myself forgeting words mid-sentence and my train of thought. Remember that Lamictal is an anti-epileptic/anti-psychotic. While it may be helpful for manic-depression I personally don't believe it's very useful for uni-polar depression.
Posted by gardenergirl on October 20, 2006, at 9:17:28
In reply to Re: Lamictal, dang it, dang it, dang it! » gardenergirl, posted by crazy777girl on October 16, 2006, at 0:14:41
Thanks for your kind words. I meet with a new pdoc today, so I'll be discussing this issue. I backed down from 150 mg last weekend, and the itchiness has stopped. I also have not noticed as many word-finding problems, though it seems a bit odd that I would feel better so quickly. Hard to say. Whatever works, right?
Thanks again,
gg
Posted by gardenergirl on October 20, 2006, at 9:21:55
In reply to Re: Lamictal, dang it, dang it, dang it! » gardenergirl, posted by Phillipa on October 16, 2006, at 11:44:52
> GG now is not the time to be casual about the rash. It seriously could be SJS as I googled it when I tried lamictal . No rash for me but it said it can start anytime. I think a call to the pdoc or ER should be a priority. Your health is at stake. Read what crazymeds.org says about lamictal rash. Love Phillipa
Thanks for your concern, Phillipa. It's not SJS. That's a very rare side effect. This is just an annoying itchy rash, but it's rather mild. It's not progressed beyond that, and it's not at all blistering. It's improved now, and I see a pdoc today.
Thanks again,
gg
Posted by gardenergirl on October 20, 2006, at 9:24:40
In reply to Re: Lamictal, dang it, dang it, dang it! » Phillipa, posted by wacky on October 16, 2006, at 11:49:28
Hi wacky,
Love the name, btw! You're right that SJS and certain types of rashes are dangerous and associated with Lamictal use. It is important to take rashes seriously and have them evaluated. But not all rashes associated with Lamictal use are dangerous, and the more serious ones are much more rare.gg
Posted by gardenergirl on October 20, 2006, at 9:30:44
In reply to DANGO!, posted by iforgotmypassword on October 17, 2006, at 21:32:48
> augh! best of luck. :(
>
> do you have to stop lamotrigine forever if this happens? can you ever give it a break for a month or two and start again?Thanks. I'm not sure. I believe I've heard of others who have backed it down and found some relief. When I looked back at my old post, I think I had just gone from 75 mg to 100 mg. The rash then eventually went away, and I think the word-finding problems must also have decreased. So it could be that you don't have to go off of it completely, though if you have the serious, dangerous rash, I think you do.
>
> maybe you could look at this as an opportunity to give another med a try!I'm definitely looking at whether it's time to make changes. I see a new pdoc this afternoon, and I'm looking forward to his input. I'll keep your suggestions in mind. I admit that I didn't quite follow your reasoning, but mostly because I didn't want to work that hard to remember my neurochemistry. ;)
> i sorta worry that i will get this. i throttled to my current dose of lamotrigine to 100mg in literally the last few days! yes i am crazy and pretty much asking for it, i know. i am just so impatient over really losing my life.I can understand that. Is it helping? Any problems? If you're feeling some relief and plan to increase further, maybe you can take the next increase slower, if you're feeling a bit better.
Good luck, and thanks for your input.
gg
Posted by gardenergirl on October 20, 2006, at 9:36:04
In reply to Re: Lamictal, word finding, rash, posted by psychobot5000 on October 18, 2006, at 15:48:55
Hi,
I'm sorry you've had cognitive troubles with Lamictal, too, but it's good to have some validation that the med might be the cause for me. I'd hate to think of non-reversible reasons for it being a factor. So I'm glad to hear it got better for you, too.My rash is improving now that I've backed down. Either that or the hydrocortisone has finally had some effect.
At any rate, things are improving, which is good. Not sure what that means for my meds, but we'll see.
Thanks,
gg
Posted by gardenergirl on October 20, 2006, at 9:41:43
In reply to Re: Lamictal, dang it, dang it, dang it!, posted by monserrat on October 20, 2006, at 3:31:02
It's interesting. I attributed the problems I was having with losing my train of thought as worsening symptoms of ADHD. My former pdoc thought this might be due to increased anxiety, though she made no suggestions of any kind in what to do about that. I was feeling rather frustrated and a bit helpless about it, so the idea that it might be Lamictal is heartening.
On the flip side, it has helped me keep the Nardil dose down to levels I can tolerate without too many side effects. So if I go off Lamictal, I'm not sure what that will mean for my current treatment.
Thanks for your input,
gg
Posted by Phillipa on October 20, 2006, at 19:25:30
In reply to Re: Lamictal, dang it, dang it, dang it! » monserrat, posted by gardenergirl on October 20, 2006, at 9:41:43
GG so did you see your pdoc and did you like him/her? I hope so any changes or just take it slower on the lamictal? Love Phillipa
Posted by bimini on October 21, 2006, at 9:48:59
In reply to Re: Lamictal, dang it, dang it, dang it! » monserrat, posted by gardenergirl on October 20, 2006, at 9:41:43
I've got a rash looking like tiny little whitish bumps each time after increasing dose. It started around neck and chest first, 2-3 hours after taking it, and spread all over the body within the next 6 hours or so. After a couple of days it became less and less. My rash was not the dangerous one linked to Lamictal, which develops dark red, very fast and painful.
When I developed a severe lymphatic reaction I had to stop cold. I had such a relief from Lamictal that I was open to try again. This time I titrate excruciatingly slow.
Side effects were headache, change in vision and problem with balance and got better. Don't know about cognitive issues, I live in a permanent fog since brain injury. I've been told on epilepsy boards about cognitive compromise. The benefits must outweight the adverse effects.
bimini
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