[Thomi]

Hi! I started a new med last week, carbamazeppine, and I was taking 200 mg once daily. I started a week ago and was doing well until I started getting dizzy Thursday. Not really dizzy so much as that weird feeling you get when you stop taking a med abruptly. So, I stopped taking it as of last night and the sensation is going away. So, now I get to try a new med and the clock is ticking. My boss said that my leave is approved through March 18th and after that, he doesn't know what will happen. That doesn't really help me with the stress thing. I was wondering about lamictal. I can't take lithium because of my thyroid but I was thinking that perhaps lamictal may be a good direction to go. Any thoughts?

[lenjan]

Lamictal is the best thing that ever happened to my mood and the worst thing that ever happened to my body. Be very, very careful with it.

Candy

I'm not on Carbamazepine, but I'm on Oxycarbamazepine (Trileptal). I've been taking it since the summer, I think it's a little easier on the body than Tegretol. I get some very weird side effects about 20 minutes after taking it, which last for about a half hour. I get a weird feeling-- not really dizzy, but kind of "stoned." However, I do find it tolerable, and it doesn't last the whole day. When I first started taking it, the side effects were pretty minor-- headache, a little stomach upset, nothing too bad. The only problem? It's not really working. But other than that it's great. Haha. I wish you luck in finding a medication. I am still on that search myself, and I know how frustrating it can be. I am so scared of side effects, I don't even want to tell my pdoc that I don't think it's working because at least this med was tolerable. I am scared to go on something new, but I guess, what is the point of staying on something that doesn't work?