Lamictal rash?

No Black just the Lamictal. Thanks for the well wish with the doctor visit. I am building my list.

Hi Martina. I am sorry you are dealing with so much of the same things. Wouldn't it just so much easier if we could have a doctor who we didn't have to second guess all the time. Or feel a need to comply because disagreeing itself is too triggering. What a relief that would be. Wouldn't it be even better if we could have a doctor with even an incling of what is really going on. I know some exist and I am happy and maybe a wee bit jealous but none have come across my path yet.

I really thought this guy was going to be different then the others but it is not looking like that. He is a nice guy but I don't need a nice guy. I need a doctor.

Perhaps this is meant to build our character or something. There has to be some purpose even if it is not visible yet. wishing you well. I agree it sucks!!

I have a tip I just discovered to help with the dry mouth.... chew gum. It is working for me. I am not much of a gum person but anything to stimulate some saliva is good with me. So far it is working really well.

I also bought some hard candy thinking sucking on it might do the same thing.

Persistance is the mother of invention they say.

I am pretty wasted from the mornings drama. My son is making dinner so I can relax some more. I am so grateful.

OK, less panic..I looked at the link Kymaro posted and mine doesn't look like that...here's another picture that shows it on the legs:
http://health-pictures.com/rash/lamictal-rash.htm

Hi PT. I did notice your absence around here so it is nice to hear from you again.

Yea, mine is about 3 inches or so across too. It does show up on my left arm but not as bad as the right one. And it is somewhat like hives especially when it really starts to act up.

We will have to exchange notes after we see our GP's. I am going to make a note of it too for when I see a pdoc at the end of the month.

Good luck, and lets agree not to get anymore anxious about it. Thanks for chimming in PT.

It is good to know this querie is benefiting others too.

I saw that picture too PT and no what I have is not like that at all. Looking at pics of exzema are a much closer match.

I have 3 different meds that cause dry mouth - Biotene is made specially for dry mouth. They have toothpaste, mouthwash, gum. It tastes a little weird, but it helps.

I will keep those in mind PT. I just picked up a package of Trident. I should have gone for the original mint. The tropically twist is kinda giving me a stomache ache.

Mine is more like this, minus the hairy man arm .... but with some much reder welting of sorts across the crease when it is really acting up. Boy there are some really gross pics if you google exzema. This one is pretty tame.

http://www.eczema.org/Infected_Eczema.jpg

Thanks again Kymaro for the link. That poor guy with it all over his lip. How painful must that be. You cleared up any doubts for a few if us it seems. Most appreciated. Exzema I can handle. I will have to ask my sister what that cream was she used on her daughter when see was young and had it really bad in places. I can see the tin container in my head so I would probably recognize it. I will wait until the doctor looks at and maybe he can suggest a good cream. I think it was called Peniton cream or something like that. Quite greasy to keep the area lubricated if and when it gets dry and crackly. Prevents further cracking.

I am feeling more at ease now that I have some assurance it is not JS. Maybe it is not related to the Lamictal but if not it sure is coincidental. Or as someone mentioned (forgive me forgetting who right now) Lamictal weakens the immune system somewhat. I think I read that somewhere among the posts here. I wonder if there is something that can be taken to counter the effects. Like echinacea maybe. I can harvest that from my garden. Just have to find out what to do with it. lol.

Glad that it looks different....

Me too Black. I am resting better having solved the puzzle. phew!! I feel really sorry for those folks who have or are being afflicted with JS. I can't image the pain and suffering.

It is really rare...... but very frightening....
Hope the lamactil works for you.....

The exyma is much less bothersome and even the thirst is less problematic. The gum worked wonders but I think the aspirteem in the sugerless gum didn't agree with me because I had a bit of a tummy ach. No biggy if it could stimulate more saliva. Still drinking a lot of water but not as bad as the last few days when I may as well have just stuck a hose in my mouth. My typing is still frustrating but I am managing one way or another.

I am pretty sure at this point that i will stick with the lamictal but I am going to ask about splitting it up to take it twice during the day instead of all at once.

I hope your day is going well. I was thinking about you today as I struggled to write a report. It got a bit overwhelming at one point and I just needed to stop for awhile to destress. The challenge was not to obsess about it when I was suppose to be taking a break. It was rough so I empathize with you and think you should be proud of what you are accomplishing while coping with some of the crazy symptoms that can dog us. Well done and I hope it gets easier as you progress onward.

Wishing you well.

I thought I would drop by and give another update on how things have gone regarding symptoms etc.

I ended up cancelling both the lung test and the doctors appointment. I just felt that the lung test was not necessary given the doc didn't get that hyperventilating is a result of high anxiety not a lung issue. It wasn't worth the cost of gas (I am beyond broke right now and my truck is a gas guzzler) nor the stress of going into a hospital. It is still a trigger for me. Just the familiar smell shoots the anxiety up and I will be left exhausted from the effort to keep it down.

As for the doc by the morning of the appointment symptoms had subsided enough that it wasn't critical and considering his response to the hyperventilating I doubt he would even know if they were the result of the meds. There is such demand for doctor time I figured I would free up the time for someone else who needed it more.

I have an appointment next week with a nw pdoc that comes to town once a month so I think it better to defer questions for her now that the drama has passed. The GP would likely say the same thing so its all good.

The rash is much less active. My typing is still a problem but I am getting faster correcting mistakes. Word recognition and spelling familiar words is still an issue. I have learned to copy and past every post before sending it because anything more then a few sentence with cause me to time out.

I am still showering 2 or 3 times a day because I am always clamy. No odor thank goodness but it is very uncomfortable and I am doing more laundry which I hate because I don't like wasting either water or laundry soap.

So nothing major just very annoying. I look forward to seeing what the Pdoc has to say about everything.

I will post again after the appointment next week.

Thanks again everyone for talking me through the worry. Wishing you all peace and wellness.

hope the new pdoc can help you through the side effects... and excellent that the rash is getting better
I had some memory loss, word recognition and nominal aphasia when I was on topamax, it was really hard so I sympathise with you. I am back to normal now but did need to go off meds.
Thinking of you and hoping for the best in this situation

I was told by my pdoc that with the high doses of many psych meds, over such a long time, leaves me wide open for TD. What he did was to prescribe high doses of supplements to prevent TD in the first place, and he treats his TD patients with this method: 3000mgs vitamin C..3000 mgs Niacidimide (B-3)...B6 200mgs, Manganese 60 mgs, Over 50 yr old multi vitamin/multi mineral, Vitamin D 4000IU's...Vitamin E 1000iu's. It is his philosophy that mega doses of these supplements can ward off getting TD. This is my first time posting on this site. Has anyone else had their pdoc take this approach? Thank you in advance, Tall One

I did the "starter pack" and went from 25mg for 2 weeks to 50mg. Once I did that, by third day I had a rash all over my back and felt like my hands and face were sun burnt. I ended up in the hospital for days. It was an allergic reaction. I concur you should definitely take notice of all your symptoms and get checked out Stevens Johnsons is rare......the 5 or so specialiss during my hospitalization were astounded by how severe my reaction to Lamicital was. Be proactive and good luck!

Sounds like you will have it Checked out. I got a rash on only 25mg of Lamictal and was told to stop immediately. Even if it might look like eczema I think it's better to be safe and get it looked at. I agree 100% with Sweet Surrender. It can be serious stuff.

You also said: "Another recent occurance, totally unrealated to JS, that I have noticed since starting the higher doze is that my typing is messed up. I am usually a fast typer with very few mistakes... unless they are spelling, which has always been a problem for me. But even there I will sit and ponder how to spell even the most basic words. Now I can barely type three letters without having to go back and fix the mistyped letter and even then it may take 3 or 4 tries to get it right. I am constantly back spacing to just get one word right or I may need to stop to think what letter is next. I will write a word that sounds the same but is spelled differently depending on the usage. EG... I had to correct the use of write when I meant right. I have been doing that throughout all of this post. I don't know if it is related but this has never happened before. Is it related to the lamictal?"

I have this problem, and it started before I was on meds, during mana. I used to drink 5 years ago & got really paranoid that my family thought I may have relapsed for all the text blunders I made. My mind is clearer now on meds, but still have it happen. The typing of a related word and everything. I'm glad there is an edit feature on PC. I used to pride myself on my vocabulary and most of the time feel discouraged & even brain damaged. Sigh.

At least I know I'm not The only one. Grey - didn't know you had that too and your side effect to Abilify, I am so sorry.

Sounds like you will have it Checked out. I got a rash on only 25mg of Lamictal and was told to stop immediately. Even if it might look like eczema I think it's better to be safe and get it looked at. I agree 100% with Sweet Surrender. It can be serious stuff.

You also said: "Another recent occurance, totally unrealated to JS, that I have noticed since starting the higher doze is that my typing is messed up. I am usually a fast typer with very few mistakes... unless they are spelling, which has always been a problem for me. But even there I will sit and ponder how to spell even the most basic words. Now I can barely type three letters without having to go back and fix the mistyped letter and even then it may take 3 or 4 tries to get it right. I am constantly back spacing to just get one word right or I may need to stop to think what letter is next. I will write a word that sounds the same but is spelled differently depending on the usage. EG... I had to correct the use of write when I meant right. I have been doing that throughout all of this post. I don't know if it is related but this has never happened before. Is it related to the lamictal?"

I have this problem, and it started before I was on meds, during mana. I used to drink 5 years ago & got really paranoid that my family thought I may have relapsed for all the text blunders I made. My mind is clearer now on meds, but still have it happen. The typing of a related word and everything. I'm glad there is an edit feature on PC. I used to pride myself on my vocabulary and most of the time feel discouraged & even brain damaged. Sigh.

At least I know I'm not The only one. Grey - didn't know you had that too and your side effect to Abilify, I am so sorry.

I tried Lamictal last Sept and at 25 MG
I started itching. My pdoc had me discontinue using it. I'm trying it for the second time, started at 25 mg for two weeks. Now I'm at 200 MG and no rash.

Everyone is right, in my view. Please have yourself checked right away for the syndrome condition.

If it turns out that it isn't a syndrome related to Lamictal--and I hope it isn't because you can no longer take that med if it is-- turn to something else for a possible clue to what's causing it.

I read a couple of weeks ago that wheat is known now to be the cause of skin
rashes, often ones that start on the elbows, the knees, etc. You may wish to
ask an allergy specialist about that one because not too many doctors at this point
are aware of the causes of it. So often it is treated with steroids when all that needs to be done is to stop the use of gluten in any form.

Take care and be sure about checking right away with your psychiatrist for the
condition that is an allergic reaction to Lamictal.

The post was started 3-7-11 , But it is always good to have a Lamictal thread going on.