Posted by Janelle on July 15, 2001, at 20:54:05
In reply to Re: Thanks, CHLOE: what dose are you now on?? » Janelle, posted by Chloe on July 15, 2001, at 17:23:04
Chloe - thanks again for your further response. Wow, you take "only" 1 and 1/2 mgs of Celexa and feel good on that amount - neat! You sure are sensitive to the meds! I titrated up on Celexa from 10-20-30-40, and got mostly side effects (headache, foggy-heavy headed, detached feeling) which did NOT dissipate and only slight lift from the depression.
So I got off that and am now on EffexorXR (which I'll be changing from - this trial/error process is so frustrating) because as I titrated up on that from 37.5 to 75 and eventually to the therapeutic 150 mg, I got racy, edgy, etc.
My pdoc backed me down to half (75 mg/day) but it still makes me too energized and I get the shakes, that feeling of being caffeinated (and I stopped drinking coffee for the time being!). It is too stimulating and activating for awhile, then when that wears off I feel fatigued. Yuck. Effexor is NOT the a-d for me!
As for Lamictal, because of my sensitivity and the rash issue, my doc started me at what she called a "Pediatric" and what you so aptly referred to as a MICRODOSE - 4 mg! It would have been 5mg, but all she had left of samples were 2mg, so I'm taking 2 of those/day. I'm frustrated that I'm having to start so slowly on this med, but everything I read indicates that "LOW & SLOW" is the way to go! (hey, that rhymes!)
I have a feeling that if/when Lamictal kicks in, I will be one of those people who needs a relatively "low" dose (like 50 mg or maybe a wee bit more) to feel good. I sure hope so.
What dose did you START on Lamictal that after "only" two days, it hit you hard? I'm guessing maybe 25 mg?
My pdoc said the SAME thing you did - Lamictal is a perk-you-UP med (which I need, but I have to be careful not to go too high and get hyper from it).
Thanks for mentioning the sun reaction you got while on Lamictal because I live in an area where the sun is INTENSE year round. If I get that red prickly rash as I titrate up on the Lamictal (and thanks for giving the name of it - "actinic"), at least I'll know what it is.Where I used to live there were 4 seasons, and I was NOT on ANY meds, but would get a red prickly rash the first couple weeks of summer heat and sun, which always cleared up on its own (I guess my sensitive skin got acclimated to the stronger summer sun).
poster:Janelle
thread:70133
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010714/msgs/70260.html