[Ursula Shackleton]

I am on day two of a 50 mg dose of Lamotrigine after being on 25 mg for two weeks, and it seems like within an hour of taking it, I'm exhaustedly tired and pretty much done for the whole day... but unable to sleep, which is why I'm not taking it at night. My pdoc seems to think this is because my body is getting used to the med, but I wonder if anyone else has experienced this and, if so, what they did to help with this side effect. My mood has already lifted some, so it is helping. It would just be nice to feel a little more awake. Thank you!

[CANDC]

@Ursula Shackleton welcome to MSF My Support Forums. I am sorry you are feeling so sleepy but glad your mood has lifted.

I find when I exercise or do yoga that it helps me get more energy. 5 minute Tai Chi on youtube has 8 5 minute segments. Adrienne complete beginners yoga is good when I only have 20 minutes. She has dozens of longer programs too.

Walking helps me. I usually have to do things later in day.

When are you going to sleep at night? Are you getting a full night's sleep? Sometimes people need a med to help them sleep as well, so if this persists you may want to ask your prescriber if there are any psych meds that are suitable for your situation to help you get to sleep and stay asleep.

@CANDC

[*Beth*]

Originally Posted by Ursula Shackleton

I am on day two of a 50 mg dose of Lamotrigine after being on 25 mg for two weeks, and it seems like within an hour of taking it, I'm exhaustedly tired and pretty much done for the whole day... but unable to sleep, which is why I'm not taking it at night. My pdoc seems to think this is because my body is getting used to the med, but I wonder if anyone else has experienced this and, if so, what they did to help with this side effect. My mood has already lifted some, so it is helping. It would just be nice to feel a little more awake. Thank you!

I used to take Lamictal in the morning and it caused me to feel sleepy. Now I take all of it at night.

[Ursula Shackleton]

Originally Posted by CANDC

@Ursula Shackleton welcome to MSF My Support Forums. I am sorry you are feeling so sleepy but glad your mood has lifted.

I find when I exercise or do yoga that it helps me get more energy. 5 minute Tai Chi on youtube has 8 5 minute segments. Adrienne complete beginners yoga is good when I only have 20 minutes. She has dozens of longer programs too.

Walking helps me. I usually have to do things later in day.

When are you going to sleep at night? Are you getting a full night's sleep? Sometimes people need a med to help them sleep as well, so if this persists you may want to ask your prescriber if there are any psych meds that are suitable for your situation to help you get to sleep and stay asleep.

@CANDC

Thanks for the thoughts and the help. I walk almost every day and work in my big vegetable garden, but that's not helping. Today I was outside in the garden, and it only seemed to make me more tired.

Sleep isn't really an issue for me anymore. I've alternated melatonin with CBD for a long time now, and I sleep well. I get between 7 and 8 hours. The problem I have with getting to sleep is only with this med. After the sleepiness wears off, I have this really energized/revved up kind of feeling. So I end up taking it at one in the afternoon so that the energized feeling wears off by bedtime... but then I'm sleepy all day. I did have about a week of choppy sleep where I was trying to figure out how to time this thing, but I've been doing my normal 7 to 8 hours for the last three weeks. Thankfully I work for myself, so I end up doing all my work in the morning.

Thanks again!

[Ursula Shackleton]

Originally Posted by BethRags

I used to take Lamictal in the morning and it caused me to feel sleepy. Now I take all of it at night.

The thing that's weird for me is even though I get really tired, I can't seem to sleep with it. Then I get this really energized feeling after a few hours and *really* can't sleep with it. Maybe that'll pass once I'm on a higher dose though, and I'll just be able to take it to sleep. Thanks for the thoughts!

[Soupe du jour]

I hope you will not get too discouraged about it yet. Lamictal never made me tired, but I know of others who've said it did to them. Like many medications, such initial sedation can wear off when you get used to the dose. If your mood is lifting that's a very positive sign. Please be patient and tolerant as you grow used to the medication. It is even possible that at higher doses you will no longer feel such sedation. That's not uncommon with certain medications.

[Ursula Shackleton]

Originally Posted by Soupe du jour

I hope you will not get too discouraged about it yet. Lamictal never made me tired, but I know of others who've said it did to them. Like many medications, such initial sedation can wear off when you get used to the dose. If your mood is lifting that's a very positive sign. Please be patient and tolerant as you grow used to the medication. It is even possible that at higher doses you will no longer feel such sedation. That's not uncommon with certain medications.

I was on a 200 mg dose about five years ago and was on it for quite some time; I remember it helping my mood but that the sedation was an ongoing problem, so I'm trying to be proactive. Thanks for the encouraging words

[MickeyCheeky]

i agree with the other wise and wonderful posters about Hoping that you won't get discouraged! i don't have much to add myself since id on't have bipolar and i don't take those meds! i Hope that your Pdoc will be able to assist you and that you will find the right meds! Sending many Safe, warm hugs to BOTH you, @Ursula Shackleton, your Family, your Friends and ALL of your Loved Ones! Keep fighting and keep rocking NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, OK?!

[Ursula Shackleton]

Thanks, @MickeyCheeky!

[Ursula Shackleton]

Just wanted to say thank you to everyone here for all the support and encouragement! I've been through this before and tried to do it on my own for four years before finally having a major manic episode. Then my mother got diagnosed with a pretty ugly cancer a couple years ago and died this year. It was so hard for me to hear people complain about the pandemic and their little problems while I was taking care of my mother, my son with autism, and having to deal with my father's mood episodes as well as my own in the middle of a pandemic. After a major meltdown depression, I got in with a new pdoc, so I know it's a process. I was well on Lamotrigine for almost six years, back when I was seeing a different pdoc, but that's a whole other long story, so I have faith that I'll be well again. I like my new pdoc even more than my previous one. That's a great start :-)

Thanks for the warm welcome and all of your insights!

[leomama]

Originally Posted by Ursula Shackleton

I am on day two of a 50 mg dose of Lamotrigine after being on 25 mg for two weeks, and it seems like within an hour of taking it, I'm exhaustedly tired and pretty much done for the whole day... but unable to sleep, which is why I'm not taking it at night. My pdoc seems to think this is because my body is getting used to the med, but I wonder if anyone else has experienced this and, if so, what they did to help with this side effect. My mood has already lifted some, so it is helping. It would just be nice to feel a little more awake. Thank you!

Hey girl I’m back on lamictal after being off it, I’m on 50mg, my psych told me to take it at night because of the drowsiness . He also told me it takes time , so he put me on Wellbutrin to lift my mood quicker .

[leomama]

Originally Posted by Ursula Shackleton

Just wanted to say thank you to everyone here for all the support and encouragement! I've been through this before and tried to do it on my own for four years before finally having a major manic episode. Then my mother got diagnosed with a pretty ugly cancer a couple years ago and died this year. It was so hard for me to hear people complain about the pandemic and their little problems while I was taking care of my mother, my son with autism, and having to deal with my father's mood episodes as well as my own in the middle of a pandemic. After a major meltdown depression, I got in with a new pdoc, so I know it's a process. I was well on Lamotrigine for almost six years, back when I was seeing a different pdoc, but that's a whole other long story, so I have faith that I'll be well again. I like my new pdoc even more than my previous one. That's a great start :-)

Thanks for the warm welcome and all of your insights!

Yeah I was on it for 10 years then I came off it then I had a marijuana induced manic episode so I went back on it. I was trying to manage my moods on my own and it finally got to be too much.

[Ursula Shackleton]

Originally Posted by leomama

Yeah I was on it for 10 years then I came off it then I had a marijuana induced manic episode so I went back on it. I was trying to manage my moods on my own and it finally got to be too much.

If life was less stressful, that would be a big help, right? For me, I think I managed fairly well for so long because I had a routine in place, did aerobic exercise every day, and had a great deal of stability, support, and coping mechanisms in place. Then my mom got cancer, then the pandemic, then she died of cancer.... Things just get to be too much sometimes.

[leomama]

Originally Posted by Ursula Shackleton

If life was less stressful, that would be a big help, right? For me, I think I managed fairly well for so long because I had a routine in place, did aerobic exercise every day, and had a great deal of stability, support, and coping mechanisms in place. Then my mom got cancer, then the pandemic, then she died of cancer.... Things just get to be too much sometimes.

I’m sorry for your loss. I’m not sure what’s causing my symptoms at night, the lamictal or the Wellbutrin. I called my doctor and left a message .

[Ursula Shackleton]

Originally Posted by leomama

I’m sorry for your loss. I’m not sure what’s causing my symptoms at night, the lamictal or the Wellbutrin. I called my doctor and left a message .

Thank you for the kindness. It's hard but gets a little easier every day. I did Lamictal for years without issue in my thirties, but this time, yeeeeah. Not so great. At 50 mg, I had five days where I could only sleep for about four hours, anxiety went full-on supercharge, and I was massively paranoid about random things for about a week. Apparently a rare side effect. So you just never know the way something is going to effect you. Hopefully you get it figured out soon!

[leomama]

Originally Posted by Ursula Shackleton

Thank you for the kindness. It's hard but gets a little easier every day. I did Lamictal for years without issue in my thirties, but this time, yeeeeah. Not so great. At 50 mg, I had five days where I could only sleep for about four hours, anxiety went full-on supercharge, and I was massively paranoid about random things for about a week. Apparently a rare side effect. So you just never know the way something is going to effect you. Hopefully you get it figured out soon!

My pdoc says it’s the Wellbutrin as I’ve never had problems with the lamictal before . In 6 months I’d like to go off the medication . We’ll see .

[Ursula Shackleton]

Originally Posted by leomama

My pdoc says it’s the Wellbutrin as I’ve never had problems with the lamictal before . In 6 months I’d like to go off the medication . We’ll see .

Thank goodness (right?) It's so much less scary to change antidepressants. Hopefully you find something that's a better fit.

[leomama]

Originally Posted by Ursula Shackleton

Thank goodness (right?) It's so much less scary to change antidepressants. Hopefully you find something that's a better fit.

I’m still taking the Wellbutrin, I don’t really have time to mess around. I haven’t increased the dose yet though. I was supposed to go up to 200mg today . I figure I’ll wait till my day off to go up on a new medication.

[Ursula Shackleton]

Originally Posted by leomama

I’m still taking the Wellbutrin, I don’t really have time to mess around. I haven’t increased the dose yet though. I was supposed to go up to 200mg today . I figure I’ll wait till my day off to go up on a new medication.

That's a good idea. Starting on new meds at work just sucks