[sui generis]

I'm on 200 mg of lamotrigine and 3x 250 Lithium at the moment. My pdoc and I want to taper me off the lamotrigine since it's doing nothing. In the past I have tried doing this myself by reducing by 25 mg and it did not go well. The following day I felt so bad, could barely move, talk, was very depressed; I felt better after I went back to my usual dose. I told my pdoc this and she said that was extremely unusual as she would usually just cut the patient's dose in half. Our plan now was to reduce by 25 mg per week despite how difficult it was last time (I think she thinks other factors must have been involved and that a smaller dose would be ridiculous).

I did that last night. Today? Well I don't feel depressed but I feel bloody awful. Very nauseous and out of it. Even typing right now, doesn't feel like it's my hands. Very very tired, both physically and mentally like my head is in a cloud. Pdoc said she'd never heard of anyone getting lamo withdrawals so it's like...what am I supposed to do? I'm going back up to my usual dose tonight because I can't afford to be feeling sick when I'm starting an internship in a couple of days.

Man, I'm so p*ssed

[CANDC]

Hi Sui generis, sounds like you have many stresses in your life right now and changing your meds may be ill advised right now.

Some medicines work in conjunction with other meds and balance each other out in ways not always readily understood.

From what you say about cutting back, lamotrigine must be doing something even if it is not obvious what at this time.

[BlackSheep79]

I've been on Lamictal for seven years now and I don't see myself ever coming off of it ever, so I can't help you with the withdrawal. I just hate it when doctors are like I've never seen this before. I've had that, and she just looked at me like I was crazy and making it up. I was so pissed off. I did come off of Seroquel back in March, thought I was going to die. Messing with these meds totally disrupts your life. Everytime I do I end up on med leave. I decided Im just going to stick with regimen I'm on. I have no words of advice, except I understand what you are going thru right now. I hope this works out.

[LastQuestion]

I discontinued lamotrigine rapdily in January this year with practically no issues. I titrated back up to a smaller dose a few months later as a precaution. Needless to say living conditions on top of everything else totally ****ed me over and I had to titrate up to a therapeutic dose. I got a concussion due to sleep meds making me faint, my insomnia became extreme due to the concussion and not having any sleep meds which were safe to use. I was prescribed benzos at next app with pdoc, which helped, but developed tolerance, then dependance, and had to go through months of terrible withdrawal. My Lamotrigine was increased to help mitigate brain trauma...very very terrible withdrawal.

I recently tried to taper my Lamotrigine to 200mg, starting with 37mg drop. Felt terrible next day, worse second, byou third I was waking up at night in terror, heart beating out of my chest, with a kind of fear similar but nor the same as I experienced during withdrawal from the benzo. My theory, my CNS has been through too much and is now far more sensitive to changes to it.

I went back to 300mg and in a day was able to get decent sleep. Until withdrawal from the benzo I had never had any significant anxiety issues. The reality is that there is practically no research into what occurs during withdrawal from most psychotropics. Research of lamotrigine treating bipolar is scarce (there is no theory which suitably explains as to why it works as a mood stabilizer, data regarding its pharmacology is lacking), research specific to withdrawal while taking multiple psychotropics as well as any other circumstances is going to be found in clinical experience, which apparently your pdoc had not yet gained. Also keep in mind it takes an observant clinician to gain that expEtienne and those seem few and far between.

[jesusplay]

just quit it cold turkey

[~Christina]

Not a single problem dumping Lamictal. Lithium on the other hand was absolute pure hell ! Never figure on that since I have dropped kicked damn near every AP and ATyps with out a problem were most have to been done with a taper.

Proof everyone is very different .

Hope you can taper off and get back to feeling better

[sui generis]

Originally Posted by CANDC

Hi Sui generis, sounds like you have many stresses in your life right now and changing your meds may be ill advised right now.

Some medicines work in conjunction with other meds and balance each other out in ways not always readily understood.

From what you say about cutting back, lamotrigine must be doing something even if it is not obvious what at this time.

Lamotrigine did improve my depression a bit way back but then it pooped out. It doesn't affect my mood now I'm pretty sure. Btw my withdrawal symptoms this time around are physical and mental (in terms of concentration, focus etc not mood). Last time it was all that + exacerbating my depressive symptoms. I honestly just think my brain is used to having it around =\ I'm really sensitive to meds and tend to get the weird side effects that pdocs don't come across very much.

Originally Posted by jesusplay

just quit it cold turkey

[HALLIEBETH87]

I quit 400mg lamictal cold turkey (DO NOT do this) and I had no reaction at all...well except I went into mania after.

[MapleEsprit]

Originally Posted by ~Christina

Not a single problem dumping Lamictal. Lithium on the other hand was absolute pure hell ! Never figure on that since I have dropped kicked damn near every AP and ATyps with out a problem were most have to been done with a taper.

Proof everyone is very different .

Hope you can taper off and get back to feeling better

Hi Christina, what was so difficult about dropping lithium, when did you first experience withdrawals, what/how were they? Was it in consult with your doctor? Could you share?

Thanks

[~Christina]

[quote=MapleEsprit;4131955]Hi Christina, what was so difficult about dropping lithium, when did you first experience withdrawals, what/how were they? Was it in consult with your doctor? Could you share

I wanted off Lithium for a variety of reason , My pdoc agreed. I did a 3 week taper .. Day 2 of no lithium I felt like hell, fluish , fever, chills, headaches,deja vu, profound stupidity, brain zappy things, increase in hallucinations, it was terrible. I have been off them 5-6 weeks now and I still have some minor things slowly resolving. But My IQ is returning quickly.

Just seemed strange all the AP's I dropped with out a blink , yet something that most Pdoc prescribe as a very safe gold standard drug that has no major disadvantages, turned into a total nitemare.

Just proof everyones body is unique.