Not Sooo bad

Well. Today was a day I had been worrying about, but yet anxious to have come all at the same time. I have been away for awhile and wanted to let some of you know why I had been out.

Things have been pretty crazy here. Started to get a little manic, and the irritability had become a significant issue. To the point that I was like, I will just leave so my wife didnt have to deal with me and my issues. Breaking things, hitting walls, etc.

Finally today was the day that I was to go to Mental Health and see the doc. I tried to prepare myself for this. Printing out all my patient assistance forms for the medicine that I was expecting to go on. I get there for my appointment and come to find out, I had seen the doc (actually nurse practitioner) a few years back. I like him, and he is very open and honest. Understands my life, what I have been through, and didnt try to reprimand me for my behavior.

After talking with him for awhile, I got him to sign my form which will release my military medical records to their office. Pisses me off though because he said they cannot re-release them to me. How the hell am I supposed to get them for ME? He did say that I can read them though. I guess that is better than nothing. A little later we started to talk about medications. Told him that the last medicines I was on worked really well. We talked about the weight I had put on, and because of this, we decided that maybe going back on the Depakote might not be a great idea. We are going to use that as a backup in case the new med doesnt work. I just hate trying new things. Having to learn the side effects, etc.

Put back on the Geodon (60mg), and will start titrating up on Lamictal. Only problem, I have NO clue about this medicine. He told me that there is a chance that it can cause me to get a rash. I guess time will tell... I just dont want to deal with the whole Zombie pills we have had to deal with in the past.

It sounds like it worked out pretty well! I'm glad you got to see someone you already trust and that he is going to let you read those records. I've never been on Geodon, so I don't know anything about that one, but I've been on the generic Lamictal for over a year now and I was also terrified of the SJS side-effect when my pdoc wanted me to try it. A pdoc in the past had wanted me to try it but I refused because I was so scared, but this time I didn't have many alternatives left so I went for it...and I'm SO glad I did! It has been working very well since Feb. 2009 with only one minor adjustment in the dose about a month ago, and it has worked better than anything else ever did. I've heard that it does make some people a little bit tired, but I don't think it generally causes the zombie effect. As for me, it actually gives me a bit of energy so I have to take it in the morning and late afternoon.

You can read some info on the rash side effect and help in preventing it here: http://epilepsy.emedtv.com/lamictal/lamictal-rash.html

Thanks for letting us know how you're doing, I hope the meds work well for you!!