![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 11 to 35 of 36. Go back in thread:
Posted by Garnet71 on January 10, 2009, at 18:28:40
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please » Garnet71, posted by JadeKelly on January 10, 2009, at 14:59:28
Thanks Jade.
Yes, I am really jaded about psychiatry. But if you think about it, what other field of medicine prescribes meds by 'trial and error'?
Imagine if docs said, uh, she has the symptoms of cancer, let's try radiation therapy and see if it works.
It sounds ridiculous. The brain is just too important of a body part to treat via trial and error....
I'll keep you posted. I just hope insurance pays for this.
Posted by Phillipa on January 10, 2009, at 19:48:54
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please » JadeKelly, posted by Garnet71 on January 10, 2009, at 18:28:40
Garnet good luck glad had the excessive salivation and had to abort trial. Love Phillipa
Posted by yxibow on January 11, 2009, at 4:43:45
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please » JadeKelly, posted by Garnet71 on January 10, 2009, at 18:28:40
> Thanks Jade.
>
> Yes, I am really jaded about psychiatry. But if you think about it, what other field of medicine prescribes meds by 'trial and error'?All.
There are no guarantees in life, but it isn't necessarily exactly by "trial and error". Its evidence based.
That is, the evidence that particular substances have been beneficial far more than harmful and have shown proven peer reviewed clinical use are employed.
> Imagine if docs said, uh, she has the symptoms of cancer, let's try radiation therapy and see if it works.
Well, actually cancer agents are considered excellent for some heartbreaking situations if they work 10% of the time. This is why ethically cancer drugs are usually tested against other cancer drugs and not controls. It would be a travesty to receive a sugar pill if your life could be prolonged even by a prior agent.
Cancer is unpredictable. The best detection of certain types of cancer are examinations done in annual physical or gynecological exams.Prostate cancer caught early can be operated on, radiation therapy, and other means. Caught late, well I can't go into it but lost a neighbor to it.
50% of men are likely to have some form of prostate problems when they reach a senior age. Most are BPH, or benign prostate hypertrophy. Colonoscopies are a valuable but imperfect tool in determining benignity.
Childhood leukemia of certain forms are fairly treatable today, although also there is no certainty.
> It sounds ridiculous. The brain is just too important of a body part to treat via trial and error....
We live in the middle ages in psychiatry. This is just a matter of fact, of what we have in 2009. Stem cell and other genetic research will allow us to probe further into many disorders into this century if we allow research. Sometimes, even if you fail to respond to new agents, time tested old agents may be of better use.
We do not live in the 1940s, before chlorpromazine (Thorazine), which though an ancient drug today and one not to be taken lightly, helped the lives of many seriously ill patients who were subjected to insulin shots, drills, lobotomies, and other things that would be inhumane today.
It is all better living through chemistry, in a sense, to use a very dated phrase.
You either choose to live with what you have, or take into account that there will be side effects of agents that may well benefit your functionality. Sometimes living with what ails you may be better than high risks that won't allow you to benefit as much as you can from life and your friends and family. This is one of the choices of patients facing cancer.
> I'll keep you posted. I just hope insurance pays for this.
Lamictal is now generic, lamotrogine.
But the same very slow titration is still the same, to protect you and your safety not from the small rash, but the rare BIG one (SJS). Hopefully your doctor is following the standard protocol, which takes several months to get to a typical dose of like 200mg.
You do have a right to know the benefits and risks of a voluntarily taken agent. If your doctor is not providing this, it is hasty or a disservice to you.At the same time, reading the entire PDR or PI of a medication would probably well put off people from any medication.
And two of the most useful and mass produced agents out there would probably not be allowed today -- aspirin, and especially acetaminophen (paracetamol). I won't go into LD50 issues but they are severe. Yet, they can stop some pretty nasty fevers cold.
Yes, there are some pretty serious agents out there like drugs used for heart patients, amiodarone which has a plasma life of like a year, and heparin. But they are also life savers too, potentially.Don't take this as any criticism of your skepticism. It is always good to have a healthy balance of skepticism when entering anything.
-- best wishesJay
Posted by Garnet71 on January 11, 2009, at 9:47:31
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please » Garnet71, posted by yxibow on January 11, 2009, at 4:43:45
Thanks Jay. BUT-your missing the whole point. In treating a cancer patient-there is evidence of cancer to treat.
In treating 'our' disorders-they do not collect evidence. AND-the mechanisms of how some of the drugs work are a mystery according to the researchers and drug companies themselves.
I think part of the reason there are few tests designed and/or used for us (such as brain scans, neurotransmitter tests) is that people like 'us' are still devalued by society.
Also-why are alzheimer's, parkinson's, epileptics etc., NOT treated by psychiatrists, but people like 'us' are resorted to the trial and error medicine?
I think its archaic, medically unprofessional, irresponsible, and unethical to prescribe so many people SSRIs w/o conducting any tests. I seriously think they cause permanent damage or dependence. So many people are given these drugs with no investigation.
I realize these drugs really help a lot of people, but my main concern is with SSRIs and their widespread use and lack of testing for the disorders they are prescribed for.
By the way, I also do not take over the counter medicines--ever-for coughs, colds, or flu. Only aspirin or advil for headaches if absolutely necessary.
Posted by Phillipa on January 11, 2009, at 19:26:36
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - Garnet71 + » Phillipa, posted by Sissy35 on January 8, 2009, at 0:48:08
Sissy isn't that vistaril? Added lots of times to demerol? For pain relief. Before and after surgery. So you do find it sedating? Love Phillipa
Posted by Sissy35 on January 11, 2009, at 20:47:50
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - Garnet71 + » Sissy35, posted by Phillipa on January 11, 2009, at 19:26:36
I was given it because I had hives for almost 2yrs. No one knows why. But it wasn't good for hives so I used it sometimes as a sleep aid and sometimes for anxiety. I still do.
Sissy35
Posted by Phillipa on January 11, 2009, at 20:58:10
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - Garnet71 + » Phillipa, posted by Sissy35 on January 11, 2009, at 20:47:50
Sissy great info you have a lot to offer the site. Please check a thread on health when you have time . Thanks. love Phillipa
Posted by yxibow on January 12, 2009, at 1:46:03
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please, posted by Garnet71 on January 11, 2009, at 9:47:31
> Thanks Jay. BUT-your missing the whole point. In treating a cancer patient-there is evidence of cancer to treat.
I can sense the anger and frustration, I'm not missing the point.
> In treating 'our' disorders-they do not collect evidence. AND-the mechanisms of how some of the drugs work are a mystery according to the researchers and drug companies themselves.
".... drug X does not affect transmitter Y, the mechanism is not exactly known...." yes, I know about the phraseology, but the same can and is said about medications for other disorders, pain medication for example.
And I do believe that if you can't treat anything else in a condition, while at the same time attempting to do no harm, treating pain is important.
> I think part of the reason there are few tests designed and/or used for us (such as brain scans, neurotransmitter tests) is that people like 'us' are still devalued by society.Well that's one way of looking at it, there is and has always been a stigma about mental illness not being on par as it should be recognized as a biological disorder.
But also, even the best MRI or even a SPECT will not tell you how to treat a complex psychiatric disorder. We don't have transmitter level scanning, and I don't think that will really trump things more than genetic testing, stem cell research, genomic tests for P450 metabolism in this century. It just isn't possible.
About the only thing a MRI can possibly show is the tissue damage caused by some severe forms of schizophrenia and related disorders, at this point.
> Also-why are alzheimer's, parkinson's, epileptics etc., NOT treated by psychiatrists, but people like 'us' are resorted to the trial and error medicine?
Well if you put it as an US thing, it doesn't really serve well -- there is just the facts of how psychiatry has evolved. I still say we have come a long way from the sanitoriums of yesteryear but we do have a long way to go. Only research and time will tell.
Alzheimer's is also a trial and error condition at the moment, you realize -- the few medications out there prolong wellbeing and memory functionality in those who respond to them, but it is ultimately a fatal condition, just as life is itself. But that doesn't mean that one shouldn't have a purpose and be happy, I'm not trying to be dour.
Parkinson's is also a potentially fatal and debilitating condition, especially early onset, as in Michael J Fox, but there are time tested medications that can prolong functionality and give people a better grasp on life. Some of those, anticholinergics, by the way, are used in psychiatry to counteract side effects.Parkinson's and epilepsy are neurological conditions. Neurology is also a young frontier. Only this past year was tetrabenazine approved as an orphan drug for Huntington's Chorea -- off label it is a trial treatment that has shown some use in other dyskinesias, including TD, in psychiatry.
I have been unfortunately affected by certain psychiatric medications, in a condition really never seen by science exactly, I am probably the only one in North America on the combination of medications and the condition I have. And I have been to a neurologist about the non-tardive orobuccal tic I have.
I can tell you that neurology is a heartbreaking field, a frontier. There are some relations between some psychiatric disorders and neurological conditions, but often and it has been sad for me, that diagnoses are often just that, a diagnosis.
Medications, yes, there are some available for the tic and the probable dystonic (multiple) iatrogenic disorders, but the benefits are not always better than the risks.If someone has a really bad tic disorder, botox can be used, with the caveat that sunken jaws and drooling can occur.
But contrasting that with psychiatry for example, it is known that those who suffer from Tourette's and other tic conditions can be worsened by the use of amphetamine and stimulant substances. By the same nature, reducing dopamine levels at particular transmitters has been successful in some types of tourette's (such as Orap [pimozide]). I don't know that Orap would be used now because of risks, probably atypical neuroleptics would be employed.
> I think its archaic, medically unprofessional, irresponsible, and unethical to prescribe so many people SSRIs w/o conducting any tests. I seriously think they cause permanent damage or dependence. So many people are given these drugs with no investigation.
Let us just say I had the opportunity to work for a leading scientist at the time when SSRIs were just coming to this country -- Luvox came out first in Europe (after a previous disastrous drug) but Prozac came out first here after it had already been in use in Europe.
There radioactive dyed PET scans clearly showed that both the use of SSRIs in OCD and/or behaviour therapy were both effective. It was groundbreaking work. So yes, investigation has been done.
And still continues to be done for other disorders. But these are research tools -- it is not yet the time when PET/SPECT can be an individual thing, both for its cost and because it will not diagnose something beyond evidence based trials involving multiple controls and those who are afflicted by a particular disorder.
> I realize these drugs really help a lot of people, but my main concern is with SSRIs and their widespread use and lack of testing for the disorders they are prescribed for.
Sometimes SSRIs are overprescribed, but there is a chicken and egg question about the lurid publications of suicides in teenagers.
Yes, its conceivable that they can accentuate it -- its also much more possible that the patient was already suicidal in the first place.
Luvox was made generic and the company fled most likely because of one incident -- Columbine.
But the perpetrators could have easily been prescribed something else as well, and from multiple examinations may have suffered something much more than depression.
> By the way, I also do not take over the counter medicines--ever-for coughs, colds, or flu. Only aspirin or advil for headaches if absolutely necessary.
Well a lot of OTC medications are a big business, they don't do anything to particularly cure a cold, you can't, but if you really have a nasty flu or cold and you want to address a particular symptom, I'd say generic acetaminophen, guaifenesin, and in sparing doses dextromethorphan, pseudoephedrine, and chlorpheniramine maleate have their uses, provided they do not clash with anxiety, depression, or medications you are taking for those conditions.The trouble is the combination medications that you can't adjust your own dose, I don't believe in things like NyQuil and the like which are full of alcohol and other things that are unnecessary
I never took medicine for my OCD when I was hospitalized some years ago. I did take Prozac afterward and it was helpful in continuing my behavior therapy. I never used to take a lot of medications out of fear -- I have never normally taken aspirin because of the risk of Reye's syndrome even though I am well past it.I do take Pepto-Bismol now though, although Imodium is more effective for some things.
But that's just my story. You're still welcome to be skeptical and critical as a number of people are, and I have never said that I am not either at times.
-- tidings-- Jay
Posted by Garnet71 on January 12, 2009, at 13:02:59
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please » Garnet71, posted by yxibow on January 12, 2009, at 1:46:03
Jay,
Some of what you said makes sense. I still stand by that it is unethical and medically unprofessional to widely prescribe SSRIs to such a large population w/o conducting tests (or at least explaining possible biological reasons for symptoms and their associated tests to individuals).
I've found so many articles concerning nutrient deficiencies and depression/anxiety symptoms-and from reputable sources (I know there's a lot of rip off information out there). People with mental illness symptoms are found to be deficient in zinc, vitamin B, magnesium, etc.
Would it not make sense to give a round of simple blood tests to people before prescribing SSRIs?
I also came across a recent article from a researcher who revealed his patients who were so called schitzophrenic--tested positive for Lyme disease. I wonder how many of us have Lyme. I uderstand the tests are not always accurate, but this has never been brought to my attention by any doctor.
i've read countless stories of people who suffered and went undiagnosed for years only to find out they had lead or mercury poison when tested.
Prediabetes and hypoglycemia cause anxiety as well. Glucose tests are not expensive.
Andrenal and pituatary problems--same thing, people going undiagnosed for years before problems are revealed.
This is unacceptable. I disagree with the person who said it is economically impossible to test people with symptoms of depression/anxiety. At the minimum, they should be given, or at least spoken to, about the following:
- Blood test for nutrient/mineral deficiencies
- Blood test for glucose issues
- Screening by neurologist and endochronoligist
- Lyme
- Thyroid
- 24-hr cortisol testI don't understand how the above tests are economically impossible. My insurance company paid $500 a month for SSRIs and psychiatry visits, which would go on indfinitely since these meds only treat symptoms since no one bothers to find the actual cause of the symptoms.
Perhaps the problem is with the medical field itself-treatment revolves around treating symptoms and not curing/finding the actual cause. This is a phenomena I've expeirenced over and over and over as a patient.
Over the past 10 years, I have seen about a dozen or more doctors for depression and anxiety. NOT ONE told me about the above possiblities (excluding thyroid) before reaching for their prescription pads! Several of them did bring up thyroid testing. Before prescribing dangerous medications and some that equate to chemical labotomies, doctors should at least inform the patients about biological conditions and tests available. I feel medically raped.
Now, I ask physicians if they keep up with current research (regarding my condition). I always get the deer-in-the-headlights look.
Oh-about OTCs, remember, some cold medicines (a particular ingredient) were proven to cause stroke. This is not worth the risk, in my opinion, no more than smoking is worth the risks.
The thing about cold/cough medicines, is they supress symptoms which are our bodies natural way of fighting illnesses. Same with some psychiatric care. Masking depression with SSRIs causes emotional numbness in such a way that we never address the psychological issues that may have led to depression. This keeps the problems in our system indefinitely, and can worsen the situation, imo.
Like I said, I feel medically raped, so I am a little biased. However, I don't understand how anyone could disagree with the biological screening I listed above.
Posted by desolationrower on January 12, 2009, at 13:58:50
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please, posted by Garnet71 on January 12, 2009, at 13:02:59
Well, they are going to cost hundreds of dollars, and either not show anything (Lyme) or always show the same thing (you're vitamin D and magnesium deficient). ANd doctors will 'reach for their pad' because noone is going to start eating asparagus instead of potato chips no matter how many times they are told its going to kill them. Just because you want their to be an easier, more certain way to decide what to prescribe doesn't mean their is one.
-d/r
Posted by JadeKelly on January 12, 2009, at 14:26:14
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please, posted by desolationrower on January 12, 2009, at 13:58:50
> Well, they are going to cost hundreds of dollars, and either not show anything (Lyme) or always show the same thing (you're vitamin D and magnesium deficient). ANd doctors will 'reach for their pad' because noone is going to start eating asparagus instead of potato chips no matter how many times they are told its going to kill them. Just because you want their to be an easier, more certain way to decide what to prescribe doesn't mean their is one.
>
> -d/r
Potato Chips are going to kill me?~Jade
Posted by Garnet71 on January 12, 2009, at 15:26:30
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please, posted by desolationrower on January 12, 2009, at 13:58:50
It's worth a try. I've been suffering for 10 years, much like any of us.
I started drinking green smoothies/whole foods a couple of weeks ago. Quit smoking cigarettes too.
For example, the smoothie I drank today had raw: 1 beet, 1/2 bag spinach, 2 pears, 1 banana, grapes, berries, frozen mixed papaya/mango/pineapple mix. I've felt better physically, lately but not mentally. Experiencing cognitive decline and I am young.
Just because people don't follow dr.s advice, though, doesn't mean they shouldn't be told about other options. Lucky for those who can afford it, I guess. My insurance should pay for some of it.
As far as eating healthy goes, pureeing all the veggies and fruit is so quick and easy; a great way to get 15 servings a day using only a blender and a knife, maybe a peeler...I wish I had thought of this before :)
Posted by Phillipa on January 12, 2009, at 19:24:40
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please » desolationrower, posted by Garnet71 on January 12, 2009, at 15:26:30
Garnet just left my endos after seeing the endo himself yearly is all. But he did test me a while back for Vita D and my D is fine at 42 with low being below twenty so don't have to take the l000mg of D. He stressed taking 2000mg of calcium for bones and magnesium. Since have hasimotos more labs as changed dose he drew a bell curve and wants mine to be between l and l.5 as that is the normal of tested individuals of what normal is. Also have had MRI's brain, spine, Spinal fluid taps and multiple antibiotics for chronic lymes and being on medicare cost isn't that high. So there are some tests you can do. And lots of those conditions cause anxiety/ depression. Great about the healthy foods and no smoking. Love Phillipa
Posted by yxibow on January 12, 2009, at 22:53:10
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please » Garnet71, posted by Phillipa on January 12, 2009, at 19:24:40
> Garnet just left my endos after seeing the endo himself yearly is all. But he did test me a while back for Vita D and my D is fine at 42 with low being below twenty so don't have to take the l000mg of D. He stressed taking 2000mg of calcium for bones and magnesium.
There's nothing wrong with 2 grams of calcium for older individuals, just as for younger and nursing mothers -- typically its about 1.5 grams but 2 grams probably doesn't make that much of a difference. They should be taken at intervals of 500mg approximately throughout the day for older individuals (well even younger people can get this) because of the slight risk of kidney stones.
Since have hasimotos more labs as changed dose he drew a bell curve and wants mine to be between l and l.5 as that is the normal of tested individuals of what normal is. Also have had MRI's brain, spine, Spinal fluid taps and multiple antibiotics for chronic lymes and being on medicare cost isn't that high.Spinal taps are a very risky thing and can lead to infection and spinal cord dysfunction if not done properly -- for you, it may be necessary but it is a risky procedure in the wrong hands.
So there are some tests you can do. And lots of those conditions cause anxiety/ depression. Great about the healthy foods and no smoking. Love Phillipa
Lots of things can cause it, but there is -- mmm... I won't exxagerate, but yes, some misinformation out there about heavy metals and Lyme disease, both of which are rare occurrences. That doesn't mean they don't happen, but skepticism isn't a bad thing.-- Jay
Posted by desolationrower on January 16, 2009, at 1:52:43
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please » Phillipa, posted by yxibow on January 12, 2009, at 22:53:10
most people don'g need 2g of calcium; its just that most people are so deficient in vitamin D, K, magnesium, and some other stuff that they need the extra calcium to avoid major problems.
-d/r
Posted by Jeroen on January 16, 2009, at 2:27:18
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please, posted by desolationrower on January 16, 2009, at 1:52:43
lamictal is a dangerous drug
Posted by Phillipa on January 16, 2009, at 19:21:07
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please, posted by Jeroen on January 16, 2009, at 2:27:18
Jeroen sorry you had bad experience on lamictal. But many have very good experiences on it. Love Phillipa
Posted by yxibow on January 16, 2009, at 20:00:29
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please, posted by Jeroen on January 16, 2009, at 2:27:18
> lamictal is a dangerous drug
We are all sorry you had a bad experience, but repeated posts of this really are exaggerations and do disservice to those who have benefited alot from the agent.
Venting is fine, but I don't want to put you down for your troubles at all, it sounds monotonous. Focusing on your future and letting the past be the past, because the present is all we have, all of us in life, will make you feel better in the end, at least in my opinion.
I could tell people who have taken Seroquel or Zyprexa not to take it because I got a non-tardive tic on Seroquel and am gaining weight as well, and I got a probable tardive dystonia condition on Zyprexa. I have mentioned these things before, but I also have pointed out that painful to me, they're rare. I'm exceptionally sensitive to some medications, especially neuroleptics, and yes, I am rightfully angry about it. Others, I metabolize extremely fast and are different.
I wish you the best, as I have always
-- tidings
Jay
Posted by Garnet71 on January 17, 2009, at 14:35:13
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please » Jeroen, posted by yxibow on January 16, 2009, at 20:00:29
Jay, I don't think this opinion is of any less value than the opinions of any others.
Imagine this the other way around--someone posts about how wonderful a certain medication is--then another person takes it and experiences a severe reaction or permanent damage...it works both ways..
No offense meant!
Posted by yxibow on January 17, 2009, at 23:55:24
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please » yxibow, posted by Garnet71 on January 17, 2009, at 14:35:13
> Jay, I don't think this opinion is of any less value than the opinions of any others.
>
> Imagine this the other way around--someone posts about how wonderful a certain medication is--then another person takes it and experiences a severe reaction or permanent damage...it works both ways..
>
> No offense meant!
>
>None taken -- but I worded it carefully -- I had a rare reaction too.
This wasn't meant as a pileup on Jeroen, at all. Its just an observation and I want to be as fair as possible without being crass, I have observed every time Lamictal comes up, there is a one word line from a certain person. This becomes a repetition by extension of view as per the board rules.
Far be it from me to not allow people to vent. I have too about the tic I have, its not fair at all. But what am I going to do about my situation? I know I'm sort of circling the waters in my treatment, but even in my darkest views suicide is not really an actual belief, because something pushes me that there are still some things in life that I can do.
And I hope to regain back as much of me, or a new me, as I can.
So I've vented now. But who shall I blame ? My doctor -- I won't say that things havent come up. The drug company? Or a never before seen reaction by trained professionals.
I can keep harping about neuroleptics -- and I do from time to time say that minus the weight gain, the atypicals are still the safest with regards to serious outcomes over time, and most people are on atypicals, at least in the US today, never mind lawsuits. They do save lives. Risperdal is still the only one that has a track record of TD at the moment.
I am a exception and I have to accept what I have, that I can't change the physical part, but there are a lot of psychological things behind my tic that make it much worse that can be improved.That is what I had meant by the post, that you accept limitations -- if you got arthritis, are you going to never try to use your hands again? I am being very simplistic, but Im just saying that to continue to self-examine details about your life can become somatic.
I won't mention other names and I'm also trying to be as civil as possible, there is instant mention of mercury and Lyme disease with every disorder that hasn't been diagnosed completely.
Anyhow I shall keep my tongue civil.-- tidings
Jay
Posted by Garnet71 on January 18, 2009, at 9:37:08
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please » Garnet71, posted by yxibow on January 17, 2009, at 23:55:24
Hi Jay. i understand what you are saying. The fact is, we all have our lens of experience, knowledge, and emotions in which we formulate our opinions and look at the world from.
I'm just a different person that you; I think the opposite. I would have appreciated if someone, when I started taking SSRIs years ago, told me "that drug is dangerous". That would have, perhaps, led to further investigation rather than blindly trusting the doctor.
Not to sound like a broken record, I hope, but I feel medically raped.
Be well, and thanks for always posting here.
Posted by Elanor Roosevelt on January 27, 2009, at 22:24:27
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please, posted by Garnet71 on January 11, 2009, at 9:47:31
Alzheimers is treated by neuropsychologists
Lamictal has helped a lot of people
the titration makes some people a little crankyanxiety and depression take their toll on body and mind if untreated
too bad there is so much trial and error involved
Posted by matt832 on January 28, 2009, at 1:44:24
In reply to Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please, posted by Garnet71 on January 7, 2009, at 23:55:37
I'd say study it carefully and see if the potential problems outweigh the possible good. To date I've been on 28 different meds for depression, Lamictal was the only one that worked and only for about 8 months. Then it stopped. The Dr. stopped it and waited a few months to restart it but with no luck.
One side effect I've had is a very annoying tendency toward typos as has been reported on other sites. I first noticed it when I just started Lamictal, and I mentioned it to my Dr. at that point. It continues to this day and is getting worse and I've stopped
Lamictal over a year ago. Others have reported problems with handwriting and I too have noticed that too.For me these appear to be permanent. I would be less inclined to be upset if the drug was actually helping me, but it's not and I'm left with this problem. I will be watching to see if there are any law suits over this.
Posted by Phillipa on January 28, 2009, at 19:54:36
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please, posted by matt832 on January 28, 2009, at 1:44:24
Is this the Matt I know? Love Phillipa
Posted by detroitpistons on January 31, 2009, at 20:40:56
In reply to Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please, posted by Garnet71 on January 7, 2009, at 23:55:37
Lamictal has been a great drug for me. I haven't had severe depression in 3 years since I've been on it. Every time I think I'm about to spiral downward, I end up leveling out. It's sort of like a life preserver for me.
As far as side effects, I don't have any anymore. It's really a good drug in that respect. In the beginning, I had a little bit of hair loss, but nothing major, and it went a way after a few months.
Now, to the memory loss....At 200 mg, I definitely had memory problems, but not everyone gets memory problems with this drug. I'm now down to 100 mg and the problem is pretty much resolved. I started taking fish oil too, and now my memory is just fine. I don't think the memory loss associated with Lamictal would necessarily affect you in school as much as you think. You forget little things from one moment to the next (like why you went into a room), but if you are learning things in context and paying attention and studying, I bet it's different.
I would say, all in all, the side effects from this drug are nothing compared to other drugs I've taken. I've never had any sort of sedation or weight issues with Lamictal. For a lot of people, it's a wonder drug. Don't be scared to try it because of side effects. You don't have to be bipolar to get benefits from it. It's a very good prophylactic and has good antidepressant properties....If you get memory problems that are intolerable, you can always go off.
> I saw a new Pdoc today who prescribed Lamictal. However, I do not think I am the least bit bipolar. I feel he prescribed me that med based largely on the fact that I have a sibling who is bipolar, and a close relative with schitzophrenia. I reviewed hundreds of comments from people who have taken Lamictal, and reports of hair falling out, severe acne, weight gain and extreme memory loss were common.
>
> I have anxiety and lack of motivation. Had PTSD and severe depression about 6 years ago; Effexor and Wellbutrin worked great. Been off/on SSRIs and WEllbutrin ever since--mostly for anxiety. They are not working at all, as far as motivation-I know I should be better than this. The Wellbutrin is generic; I think that has something to do with it..still, I don't think I even have depression.
>
> I swear I have ADD-but I don't want to bring this up to a PDOc, because I will then be accused of drug seeking and will not even be able to try it.
>
> My son was diagnosed with ADD years ago, but he doesn't want to take meds because he doesn't want to eat at all when on them, and he thinks he will wither away to nothing. He has a high metabolism. I should have tried one of his pills when he had a script, but I didn't even think of it at the time.
>
> I am so disgusted. This was my first visit with new doc, and he didn'tseem to ask or learn very much about me. I asked the PDoc about the side effects of Lamictal, and he said just to call him if I get a rash. So I go home and do my online research and it appears the drug's side effects are worse than the problem it is prescribed for. You would think he would have at least discussed this with me. He was very evasive of the questions I asked about drugs.
>
> I can't take things that will give me memory loss while in graduate school; I also am very leery of medications that ruin your memory. To me it seems they are causing brain damage if they do that. I could care less if there is no scientific 'proof' that psychiatric drugs cause permanent damage-I don't believe it.
>
> Anyway, I have had one bad experience after another with psychiatrists. What to do?
>
> Sorry about the rambling and bad writing. I am just a little upset now.
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