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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
[email protected]Shown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by lucyfly on July 28, 2008, at 12:25:03
Hi everyone,
I've seen multiple posts on this and it's nice to hearing other peoples stories. I thought I'd share mine because it game me comfort to hear. I believe I was misdiagnosed last November when I was told I was bipolar. I was going through a rough time in my life and the doctor talked to me for a an hour and suggested Lamictal.
I tried it. Started on 25mgs and went up slowly. I noticed I started having anxiety issues, just freaking out and being afraid of death and all sorts of other stuff I've never contemplated much before. I got up to 100mgs and told my Dr. I was getting anxious. He said I sounded depressed and wanted to bring me up to 150mg and maybe a few other things.
I got the prescription but in my heart I said this isn't going to help. I started weaning myself off of it because he didn't seem to listen to my needs.
I went from 100mg to 50mg for a week. Then to 25mg and I have been on that for 3 weeks now. The anxiety has gotten terrible. But I've managed to deal with it with a therapist. My therapist tells me that I have no sign of bipolarism.
I went to my Dr. and he said I weaned off just fine. He said there weren't many withdrawals. Because I didn't trust him I went to another Dr. he said that I should stay on this low dose for a little while so that way getting off of Lamictal completely won't be as dramatic.
Since last week I have had major anxiety. Debilitating and scary. I've also been very dizzy. As the week has gone on my anxiety has gotten better, but it still exists. I'm wondering how long this may last. I'm dealing with it in other ways, but living like this is exhausting and frankly scary. I just want to know how long it may last.
Sorry so long. I wanted to be detailed because I know going through this I wanted some comfort that I wasn't going crazy and there is hope.Thanks,
lucyfly
Posted by Phillipa on July 28, 2008, at 12:33:58
In reply to Lamictal Withdrawal, posted by lucyfly on July 28, 2008, at 12:25:03
Hi Lucy welcome to babble lots of good info that I see you've read. No your not crazy and sounds like good advise from the second pdoc. You say your therapist is helping you deal with the anxiety and it's getting better right? If so sounds like you will be better when it will vary as we are all different. But again welcome and hope you continue to use this site. Phillipa
Posted by lucyfly on July 28, 2008, at 12:58:42
In reply to Re: Lamictal Withdrawal » lucyfly, posted by Phillipa on July 28, 2008, at 12:33:58
> Hi Lucy welcome to babble lots of good info that I see you've read. No your not crazy and sounds like good advise from the second pdoc. You say your therapist is helping you deal with the anxiety and it's getting better right? If so sounds like you will be better when it will vary as we are all different. But again welcome and hope you continue to use this site. Phillipa
Thank you Phillipa. I just know how hard all of this is and its hard to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Luckily for me.. I have a good support system.
Thanks again for your help.
Posted by dbc on July 28, 2008, at 13:31:15
In reply to Re: Lamictal Withdrawal, posted by lucyfly on July 28, 2008, at 12:58:42
I dont know what to tell you because the amount of people posting about going off lamictal is very small. From my experience of messing with my doseage it seems to induce serious anxiety.
I dont think i would attempt it without a large amount of benzos (probably klonopin in case of seizures).
Posted by bimini on July 31, 2008, at 21:49:53
In reply to Lamictal Withdrawal, posted by lucyfly on July 28, 2008, at 12:25:03
My first try with Lamictal I got a rash with every increase of dose. It looked like fine grained sandpaper, started a couple of hours after taking it and spread quickly within 3 hrs all over my body. I increased 12.5mg at a time and was almost up to 100mg. Then my lymph nodes started to swell everywhere, by the next day I looked like a horned creature and wasn't able to move my head. The nodes where very painful. My pdoc was on vacation, no alternate. I called my primary care doc and he told me that he wasn't going to give me advice because he wasn't the prescribing physician. I quit Lamictal cold, scared and having no instructions.
I got very dizzy, needed to hold onto walls, people, anything. Hyothermia, dropping to 92. Headache and pretty pattern halucinations.
But those were some of the symptoms I had before that had improved with Lamictal. Now it came all back again. So, I think most of all I was angry at my lymph nodes for interfering. I asked my pdoc to let me give it another try after a while. She made me wait over a year. This time I started way slower than prescribed. I really wanted it to work. I take 150mg now since almost 2 years, average body temp is 96, still dips but hasn't freefallen. I can walk without cane and can imitiate movement faster. Visual symptoms have improved with vision theapy. Main problem remaining is comprehending motion. I still see patterns, lines or sticks at times. But that doesn't interfere with anything I do. Not even driving.bimini
This is the end of the thread.
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