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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 12 of 12. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Christ_empowered on August 24, 2011, at 16:07:56
I'm only on 50mgs/day Lamictal (I'm supposed to go to 200mgs/day) and I feel better already. Its not a major shift from the pits of despair to normalcy, more like a subtle shift from melancholy and a sense of being physically and mentally slowed down a bit to being faster with thinking and talking, more sociable, and less apprehensive and timid.
What experiences do y'all have with lamictal, and how does dose affect them? I'm kind of concerned that 200mgs/day might overshoot my "sweet spot," but considering that I'm prone to agitation and my doctor is willing to lower the 30mgs Abilify to 15mgs once I'm at 200 lamictal, I guess a somewhat higher dose makes sense. Or does it? I just don't know.
Thanks for any input you may have.
Posted by rjlockhart04-08 on August 24, 2011, at 19:11:15
In reply to Lamictal dosage, posted by Christ_empowered on August 24, 2011, at 16:07:56
I took Lamictal for about a couple months. It does slow some thoughts down but not like Zyprexa or Risperdal does. It's more suttle. You feel balanced if your at the correct dose. I don't know much about abilifty because I only took 10mg for a couple weeks. It made me angry for some reason.
Lamictal has antidepressaant properties.
regards,
Matt
Posted by Phillipa on August 24, 2011, at 20:05:07
In reply to Lamictal dosage, posted by Christ_empowered on August 24, 2011, at 16:07:56
CE I'd say from reading here that is a great target dose!!!! Phillipa
Posted by floatingbridge on August 24, 2011, at 21:33:19
In reply to Lamictal dosage, posted by Christ_empowered on August 24, 2011, at 16:07:56
CE,
I don't know, but maybe you can feel your way up? I'm glad you're having a positive response :-)
Is the titration 25mg a week?
Posted by mellow on August 24, 2011, at 22:42:20
In reply to Lamictal dosage, posted by Christ_empowered on August 24, 2011, at 16:07:56
I take 150mg and I'll say it agrees with me pretty well. Been on it in some capacity for 5 years or so. That drug saved my life. I immediately started making rational decisions like quitting drinking and I stopped job hopping. I'm still not perfect emotionally, but I function pretty well. I will most likely take a dose of lamictal for the rest of my life. If I could get to monotherapy I would be totally psyched.
mellow
Posted by Solstice on August 24, 2011, at 23:22:37
In reply to Lamictal dosage, posted by Christ_empowered on August 24, 2011, at 16:07:56
> I'm only on 50mgs/day Lamictal (I'm supposed to go to 200mgs/day) and I feel better already. Its not a major shift from the pits of despair to normalcy, more like a subtle shift from melancholy and a sense of being physically and mentally slowed down a bit to being faster with thinking and talking, more sociable, and less apprehensive and timid.
>
> What experiences do y'all have with lamictal, and how does dose affect them? I'm kind of concerned that 200mgs/day might overshoot my "sweet spot," but considering that I'm prone to agitation and my doctor is willing to lower the 30mgs Abilify to 15mgs once I'm at 200 lamictal, I guess a somewhat higher dose makes sense. Or does it? I just don't know.
>
>
> Thanks for any input you may have.A young person that I care very much about takes Lamictal. It's a long, gradual process of finding that 'sweet spot' because of the 'rash.' My understanding is that people are less likely to develop it if dosage is increased in very small increments. The young adult I'm speaking of takes 800mg a day, and that is the sweet spot for him. It sounds high, I know, but blood levels are taken periodically and for some reason his metabolism is such that it takes 800mg to have what's considered a therapeutic dose. It has been very, very stabilizing for his mood. Has practically eliminated over-emotionality. It enables him to feel more satisfied with life, or something. On this dose, he's no longer anguished and in emotional pain... he's happy most of the time. Interestingly, he used to be on Abilify too. As the Lamictal went up, the Abilify was taken down, and now he's off Abilify altogether, and has never been in better shape. Has lost a decent amount of weight too.
Solstice
Posted by floatingbridge on August 25, 2011, at 0:44:00
In reply to Re: Lamictal dosage, posted by Solstice on August 24, 2011, at 23:22:37
>A young person that I care very much about takes Lamictal. It's a long, gradual process of finding that 'sweet spot' because of the 'rash.' My understanding is that people are less likely to develop it if dosage is increased in very small increments. The young adult I'm speaking of takes 800mg a day, and that is the sweet spot for him. It sounds high, I know, but blood levels are taken periodically and for some reason his metabolism is such that it takes 800mg to have what's considered a therapeutic dose. It has been very, very stabilizing for his mood. Has practically eliminated over-
emotionality. It enables him to feel more satisfied with life
, or something. On this dose, he's no longer anguished and in emotional pain... he's happy most of the time. Interestingly, he used to be on Abilify too. As the Lamictal went up, the Abilify was taken down, and now he's off Abilify altogether, and has never been in better shape. Has lost a decent amount of weight too.>Solstice
Solstice, may I ask you (and anyone on this thread) a few questions regarding lamictal? (Excuse me, CE, please.)
I have not read anything negative about lamictal except that
for some at higher doses get some memory or cognition problems (that remit upon discontinuance.)Are there any major downs? Negative changes in brain
matter? Diabetes? Besides the SJS rash. Wicked withdrawals? It seems begign.The young man you describe, at least what you disclosed fits my affective instability and emotional intensity.
I have read that lamictal posesses analgesic qualities as well.
I would love to remove the risperdone long term if lamictal works as well as it seems to.
Can it be combined with a tricyclic?
Thanks,
Nice to see your posts on the meds board.
Posted by Solstice on August 25, 2011, at 8:51:17
In reply to Re: Lamictal dosage » Solstice, posted by floatingbridge on August 25, 2011, at 0:44:00
you are very kind, Fb..
In the case of this young person, chaotic emotionality undermined cognition.. so from my vantage point, cognition seems to have improved. It`s hard to tell whhether baseline cognition is impacted simply because of the effect emotionality is such a problem.
Another thing I`m not sure of.. is whether it`s the actual milligrams that qualifies a dose as high or low - or whether it`s the blood levels. Like I said, it takes 900mg for him to have adequate blood levels.
I`ve been impressed with lamictal. and since it is actually an anti-convulsive med, it can probably be easily combined with psychotropics. Significantly, he was able to come off Abilify (which would be similar to risperdal, I think), once his Lamictal blood levels reached a therapeutic level
Solstice
Posted by Christ_empowered on August 25, 2011, at 10:37:33
In reply to Re: Lamictal dosage » floatingbridge, posted by Solstice on August 25, 2011, at 8:51:17
Thanks for your input, everyone. The Lamictal titration schedule works like this: 10 days 25, 10 days 50, 10 days 100, 200. At least that's how my doctor has me doing it.
I wish I could get off the Abilify. I'm much more prone to psychotic depression than I am psychotic mania, so one would think that sufficient dose of Lamictal would prevent the psychotic depression, right? Plus, I have a friend who takes 400 and it seems to have smoothed out the agitated upper end of his Bipolar II. I imagine it would do the same for Bipolar I. Or not?
Oh well. If nothing else, I'll be getting a dosage reduction in the Abilify, which I think is long overdue. I would go ahead and do it now--cut down from 30 to 15--but I'm concerned about cutting the dose by 1/2 w/o a sufficient dose of another medication on board to keep me calm. I think my doctor shares that concern.
Does anyone know if Lamictal helps with psychosis? I googled it and got mixed results. Yes for schizoaffective, no for paranoid schizophrenia (weird). Nothing replaces actual experiences, so has anyone seen it work in people where psychosis was an issue?
Thanks again.
Posted by Phillipa on August 25, 2011, at 19:22:55
In reply to Re: Lamictal dosage, posted by Christ_empowered on August 25, 2011, at 10:37:33
I've not heard of blood levels for lamictal as didn't do them when I was on it. Maybe it's for high doses? Mine was supposed to boost an ad. Phillipa
Posted by alchemy on August 25, 2011, at 19:36:45
In reply to Re: Lamictal dosage » floatingbridge, posted by Solstice on August 25, 2011, at 8:51:17
I have been on about 400mg on Lamictal for quite a while, not knowing if it was really helping. But I just recently came to the conclusion that I think it is - because I had to lower it in order to have ECT. I don't know how to explain it, but I definitely felt worse, kinda crazy (although aware that I was thinking crazy), and agitated.
Interesting that agitation has been one of my mood issues that has been helped by medication. The depression is still not resolved. At least Lamictal wasn't making me worse like about everything else. But..initially Lamictal increases my agitation. Why it makes it worse and then better...who knows?
It also initially gives me some acne break-outs, not the rash. Maybe it makes skin more sensitive or maybe it's screwing around with my hormones.I also take Celexa, Xanax, Wellbutrin, and Synthroid. Because I still have some rapid cycling (daily & weekly), I am interested that the one patient takes 800mg. That gives me some hope that maybe increasing Lamictal, and/or decreasing the antidepressants would be helpful.
Posted by Phillipa on August 25, 2011, at 21:17:32
In reply to Re: Lamictal dosage, posted by alchemy on August 25, 2011, at 19:36:45
Long article on lamictal. Phillipa
This is the end of the thread.
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