Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 301696

Shown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.

 

Is Lamactil safe? I'm scared of adding a 3rd drug!

Posted by ian32 on January 16, 2004, at 15:18:56

doc put me on low dosage of Lamactil. My question is this. Is this safe? Is this too much, ie, a "cocktail? I hate to be on 3 things it makes me feel like I'm on too much. Please respond.

 

Re: Is Lamactil safe? I'm scared of adding a 3rd drug!

Posted by HappyGirl on January 16, 2004, at 17:24:14

In reply to Is Lamactil safe? I'm scared of adding a 3rd drug!, posted by ian32 on January 16, 2004, at 15:18:56

Hi:
Your dx is Bp II? Then, three different meds. is fairly common, even some of Bp folks taking 4-5 different meds.
The reason why Bp needs more than two meds. is, ... in my guess, there are no 'formal med.' for Bp, except 'Lithium' that is only med to be legalized for Bp. Then, most of pdocs. need to research/find which/what meds. are 'RIGHT' for each Bp patients.
H.G.

 

Re: Is Lamactil safe? I'm scared of adding a 3rd drug!

Posted by girl1969 on January 16, 2004, at 21:07:05

In reply to Re: Is Lamactil safe? I'm scared of adding a 3rd drug!, posted by HappyGirl on January 16, 2004, at 17:24:14

I am on 3 meds, one of which is Lamictal. As long as you don't get the rash, you shouldn't have too many side effects.

I am BP1 and I am on 3 meds. One antipsychotic, one antidepressant, and one mood stabilizer.

It has taken about 2 years to get the meds right. Don't get discouraged if you have to try a few combos to find relief.

Best of luck,

Girl

 

Re: Is Lamactil safe? I'm scared of adding a 3rd drug!

Posted by psychophysicist on January 17, 2004, at 5:23:00

In reply to Re: Is Lamactil safe? I'm scared of adding a 3rd drug!, posted by girl1969 on January 16, 2004, at 21:07:05

I got a mild case of the rash. Stopped Lamictal several weeks ago and its still not gone. Be careful.

> I am on 3 meds, one of which is Lamictal. As long as you don't get the rash, you shouldn't have too many side effects.
>
> I am BP1 and I am on 3 meds. One antipsychotic, one antidepressant, and one mood stabilizer.
>
> It has taken about 2 years to get the meds right. Don't get discouraged if you have to try a few combos to find relief.
>
> Best of luck,
>
> Girl
>

 

which 3 meds? just curious

Posted by Lyrical13 on January 17, 2004, at 7:08:31

In reply to Re: Is Lamactil safe? I'm scared of adding a 3rd drug!, posted by girl1969 on January 16, 2004, at 21:07:05

I am currently on Effexor and Seroquel for what we thought was depression/GAD. Now think it's BP2. Doc wants to add Lamictal. I'm supposed to be coming off of Seroquel. I cut the dose in half last week. I am feeling fairly OK except have noticed not sleeping as well and a bit irritable. Thinking of d/c ing it completely now before I start Lamictal. Also concerned about too many drugs in my system. See pdoc on Tues. an he will be giving me starting dosage pack. I probably won't start it till Friday night. I always like to start new meds on the weekend so I dont have to worry about work. Never know what they'll do to me.....

L13

 

psychophysicist- please describe your rash

Posted by contemplative1 on January 17, 2004, at 10:28:17

In reply to Re: Is Lamactil safe? I'm scared of adding a 3rd drug!, posted by psychophysicist on January 17, 2004, at 5:23:00

> I got a mild case of the rash. Stopped Lamictal several weeks ago and its still not gone. Be careful.

I also have the beginnings of a rash. It is an itchy dryish rash on my neck and has not spread. It is not the spotty rash described at http://www.stevensjohnsonsyndrome.net but I would very much like to hear what your rash is like and what part of you it has decided to nibble on.

Thanks.

 

Re: which 3 meds? just curious

Posted by ian32 on January 17, 2004, at 15:48:09

In reply to which 3 meds? just curious, posted by Lyrical13 on January 17, 2004, at 7:08:31

Klonopin 1.5 mg lexapro 15 mg and lamactil being added. Ive been diagnosed as depression anxiety and ocd. But sometimes I think its a bp2 thing but pdoc says no bc I have anxiety not mania. Nonetheless, he's giving me lamactil due to compulsive behaviour

 

Re: Lamictal, cocktail

Posted by HenryO on January 19, 2004, at 0:46:22

In reply to Re: which 3 meds? just curious, posted by ian32 on January 17, 2004, at 15:48:09

I think Lamictal is safe. They know about the rash. That's why you're statring small. I take 200mg of Lamictal. It is the best med I've ever been on. I also take Klonopin. The Klonopin has been great too. I think the combo is terrific (for me.) I worry a tad about the longterm use of a Benzo, but I end up hurting without it so I like it.

I have been taking Conterta when I need it. But I've decided to stop. The rebound effect gives me a small headach and irritability at the end of the day.

I have been on some serious cocktails in the past I look at it as a packaging issue. If they got all those meds in one pill and called it substance X then nobody would think twice about swallowing it.

Use what works. Watch your liver enzimes.

 

Re: which 3 meds? just curious

Posted by Lyrical13 on January 19, 2004, at 2:32:59

In reply to Re: which 3 meds? just curious, posted by ian32 on January 17, 2004, at 15:48:09

I have a lot of anxiety too when the depression is bad. But now I'm OK moodwise but very irritable and somewhat agitated. Every now and then I'll have a moment of panic for no particular reason and then it goes away. My pdoc says that BP2 can look a lot like depression with GAD. But it's really the agitation of BP2. And you can have a mixed state...depressed and agitated/slightly manic at the same time. BP has been in the back of my mind for a long time b/c of the spending sprees and the tendency to get way over my head with so many projects and commitments that I get overwhelmed and then the depression hits. But I always thought the same thing that your doc says, "But I'm not manic" Then my pdoc told me about BP2. It's depression with hypomania. Literally "low mania". Can be much more subtle and look like just a really good mood, lots of energy...but can also come with impulsivity (spending, sex, etc.), insomnia, talking a lot/too loud/fast, irritability/agitation, feeling like there's no time to eat/sleep because there's so much to do! It's very sneaky because it's to a much smaller degree than full blown mania. And I feel like after being depressed for so long, I really didn't have a perspective. It was like, "Is this normal? Cause I feel GREAT! Ecstatic. Better than I ever felt in my life!" My old pdoc brushed it off. Said it was hypomania..just a bit above normal functioning. But said that in our fast-paced Type A driven world, if we medicated everyone who was hypomanic, half the country would be on meds (I think half the country IS on meds personally...) So I didn't worry about it. But when I brought up the same concerns to this doc and told him what my old doc said, he said, "Well, hypomania can sure do a number on a marriage." That's for sure. I've had recurring periods where I'm spending all this money that I don't have. Then it comes time to pay the bills and I have no idea where all the money went. I mean I really didn't think I spent THAT much. But when you start adding it up... I spent probably $600 in the span of a few days on garden supplies and craft supplies. The garden stuff I actually used. Our yard looks great now. But most of the craft stuff is still sitting in our cupboard untouched. And when I look back, I can count about 15 projects that I started virtually simultaneously. I finished a few but most are still in the limbo state. Cause then the depression started creeping back in. Slowly and insidiously.

I dont' know if that helps any but if you think you might be BP and your doc is downplaying it, do some more research. Looking up BP and mood disorders online and at the library really helped me. As I read about BP2 I felt like I was reading about myself. And it is often confused with depression/GAD. If it rings true for you, bring the info to your pdoc. If he/she still doesn't think so, I'd think about a second opinion. Or if the line of treatment is working for you, then stay. But you are the expert on your body. No one knows you better than you. And remember...this is always hard for me but I have to remind myself... the doc is working for YOU. YOU pay their salary. So don't let them bully you or make you think that you HAVE to do what they say just b/c they have the initials by their name. You're in charge. You are asking for their HELP but you're not asking them to take over your life.

OK..I'm off my soapbox now...good luck with whatever you decide to do.

L13


This is the end of the thread.


Show another thread

URL of post in thread:


Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ


[dr. bob] Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD, bob@dr-bob.org

Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.