[Mr. Radio]

Hello all of you people that have been very supportive to me. This is a great community to share problems and help people through them in times of need. Saying that I am grateful to have all of you on my path to everlasting recovery.

The news is good for me these past few days. I've been off my abilify because it was causing some irritability and I felt depressed on it. My psychiatrist told me to use some cogention to get the side effects out of my system. They're still there, I'm twitching and don't sleep the best. So I got off those meds for some days and went to see her on Monday. She prescribed me lamictal. The one that causes a deadly rash if not taken correctly. It's one you have to build up the dosage.

She gave me the option of go off the meds all together, but said she wouldn't advise it as I would be likely to fall back into a psychosis. I really wanted to do that choice, but against my best interest I decided to give the meds one more chance. So I got the prescription and have yet to use the medicine. I feel really clear, the best I've felt since I had my break. I am talking better and recalling information that was hard to retrieve before.

Last night I was in a social situation and I was quiet, but I do believe that this is due to some sort of social anxiety. I feel like I had things to say, but just kept quiet due to the fact that my confidence wasn't as high as some of those in the room. Before those people arrived I was able to communicate great. I think it's just a few more humps to go over and I'll be all set. The only problem is that all this is coming while being directly off the meds. I don't want to go back on, but will.

Has anyone had experience with lamictal? Normal kinda feels like mania because I haven't felt this good in a long time. My psychiatrist also said the lack of words could be due to depression. I don't know, all I have know is that I'm functioning better and even if I'm not back to 100% I can probably get there seeing a therapist. Thoughts???

[wotchermuggle]

Originally Posted by Mr. Radio

Hello all of you people that have been very supportive to me. This is a great community to share problems and help people through them in times of need. Saying that I am grateful to have all of you on my path to everlasting recovery.

The news is good for me these past few days. I've been off my abilify because it was causing some irritability and I felt depressed on it. My psychiatrist told me to use some cogention to get the side effects out of my system. They're still there, I'm twitching and don't sleep the best. So I got off those meds for some days and went to see her on Monday. She prescribed me lamictal. The one that causes a deadly rash if not taken correctly. It's one you have to build up the dosage.

She gave me the option of go off the meds all together, but said she wouldn't advise it as I would be likely to fall back into a psychosis. I really wanted to do that choice, but against my best interest I decided to give the meds one more chance. So I got the prescription and have yet to use the medicine. I feel really clear, the best I've felt since I had my break. I am talking better and recalling information that was hard to retrieve before.

Last night I was in a social situation and I was quiet, but I do believe that this is due to some sort of social anxiety. I feel like I had things to say, but just kept quiet due to the fact that my confidence wasn't as high as some of those in the room. Before those people arrived I was able to communicate great. I think it's just a few more humps to go over and I'll be all set. The only problem is that all this is coming while being directly off the meds. I don't want to go back on, but will.

Has anyone had experience with lamictal? Normal kinda feels like mania because I haven't felt this good in a long time. My psychiatrist also said the lack of words could be due to depression. I don't know, all I have know is that I'm functioning better and even if I'm not back to 100% I can probably get there seeing a therapist. Thoughts???

When I was on Lamictal (Lamotrigine), I had the word-recall issue as well. The best way I can explain it is from an experience when I was on vacation. I saw a beaver walking on the side of the road. I wanted to tell my mom "Look at the beaver!" but I couldn't recall the word beaver. I mentally went through a list of words (dog, duck, cat, seal, etc) but I couldn't find the word beaver. I had that experience often but it didn't hinder me enough to stop taking it, but it definitely was noticeable.

[wildflowerchild25]

I stopped abilify too and I feel better than I have in months. I cannot remember my lamictal experience except that it didn't help me at all. But that's just me. Maybe it will help you and you won't get the word recall side effect.

[Outdoorsman]

This is important: Bipolar will not go away but it can be controlled and beaten. The reason I say that is because if you're properly diagnosed with Bipolar, then the worst thing you can do is go off your meds.

Certainly, you and your doctor might have to find the right meds and/or the right combination of meds, but don't fall into the trap of thinking that because you feel good for a few weeks, you no longer need meds.

My experience has been that this is a very sneaky disease and does the most damage by tricking you into believing it's no longer there. You can't beat it by fooling yourself into believing it went away.

I've been on Lamictal for years, but it had minimal effect until I realized that meds are only a part of a treatment plan. You need every weapon at your disposal: Exercise, Meds, Cognitive Therapy, Education, Good Nutrition and a Regular Schedule.

I'd been fighting this disease for almost five years before I realized what I wrote in the paragraph above.

Now things seem to be getting better because I have invested the time into using every weapon at my disposal.

[Mr. Radio]

I will eventually get back on the meds, just enjoying this little vacation from them. My plan is to get back to as normal as I think I can be med free, and then start up on the lamictal. I see my social worker today, I can only imagine her reaction when I tell her I've been off the meds. We'll see how I function as well in front of her as I have been measuring myself every time I do something social.

[wildflowerchild25]

good luck with seeing your social worker. i disagree with the above poster that you cannot go med free when bipolar, since there are a few people on the board who do live med free with minimal problems. but most of us do need meds to keep us on an even keel. and i agree that meds are only one part of the equation. if psychosis is your problem, you probably will have to be on some sort of med, possibly for life. but enjoy your med-free days. hope you remain stable!

Lamictal works great for me, although it doesn't address psychotic features....

[Confusedinomicon]

I would take low doses of a mood stabilizer and then add a prn antipsychotic if mood becomes too elevated/too down.

This could possibly mean only being on lamictal and minimizing side effects.

Or learn to go without and learn when you need to reach out.

I believe that a person can learn to manage their illness without the use of meds.

I believe this after my onset was a young teenager. I am now in my thirty's.

[BlueInanna]

Good job - glad you got off that Abilify - I know some love it, but it was baaaad baaaad for me, agitation & anxiety to the hilt. Good luck with the non med approach, I believe it's fully possible.

[Mr. Radio]

Yea, like the commercial says "if abilify is not right for you contact your doctor." I did and now I'm feeling the most "normal" I've been since the BREAK! Snap back to reality and now here I am 7 months and 9 days latter feeling really well. Social worker said that I should give it the weekend and then plan to get back on meds. There's not really a point to the meds if I get on them when the symptoms start up. Doesn't really work that way. I see the doc again on the 23rd and she'll be expecting some time on the meds.

I know one thing, if I take these meds and they put me back into a state wheres I don't function well.... It will be a countdown before I take the risk of getting off them altogether, as my experience has thus far be extraordinary. I actually feel conscious and able to have some self-esteem/ confidence. Another thing that has been chilling me out is some stress relieving music. Here's to the future and hopefully normal will be better this time around then before. I hope to be more humble and a better human after everything. Thanks for the input.

[Confusedinomicon]

I actually increase doses during episodes and promptly go back down once it passes.

I know Christina does the same. (Well uses prn antipsychotics)

I also think it maybe hurting you by overthinking and tracking symptoms so closely.