[babs92]

Due to see my pdoc on Monday. I am on Lamictal, now up to 100mg a day and Zoloft 100mg a day for BP2. During the last month or so my gp has given me valium as I have been particularly anxious and stressed out. Up and down like a yo yo!

Anyway, I don't want to take valium anymore as I feel I am becoming hooked on it. GP and pdoc keep refusing to give me anything else for anxiety as they said they are waiting to see how I get on with Lamictal. Was titrated from 25mg for 2 weeks, then 50mg for 2 weeks and now the 100mg which I have been on for 2 weeks now and continuing.

I am going to have to be firm and put my foot down about this on Monday, but I don't want to be fobbed off again!!

[Direction]

Good!

Clonazepam is what I take for anti-anxiety, buproprion for anti-depresant, and just started on Lamictal for mood stabilization.

Clonazepam is lighter than the valium I believe?

[darkeyes]

clonazepam or also known as, klonopin, is "milder" than valium, but then dosages can matter too.
I was given clonazepem to use when needed, and doesn't make me drowsy (I can drive while on it) it comes in handy when I will be under high stress situations, preventing me from getting that horrible feeling that comes from an anxiety attack (which I've had a few) I never knew they really could happen without warning, in fact I didn't know that is what I had when it first happened, what a horrible sensation.
Lorazapam or known as Ativan, is more as a "hits stronger" so when I have a need for that, it is usually when it's near bedtime.
I think my pdoc said the klonopin used during the day is more or similar to a time release thing.
I am satisfied with Lamictal, I've been on it about 3 -4 yrs.
I wish you lots of luck.
Take care,
DE

[babs92]

Hi Direction & DE

Thanks for your responses. I switched from Depakote to Lamictal some 6 weeks ago now and am now on the maintenance dose of 100mg. BUT it doesnt seem to be helping my moods. I have been escalating into mania on and off for the past week or so and dare I say it, have become hypersexual and spending like crazy - I know these are sure signs with me that hypomania is coming on full swing.

The only reason I came off Depakote was the worry of weight gain, I am already overweight. I eventually persuaded my pdoc to try me on Lamictal because of the no weight issue - but it doesnt seem to be working as I had hoped with my moods. I also don't think having Zoloft either (anti d) is helping the mania, more like triggering it!! I am just not sure which one is not helping me.

Or is it too soon with Lamictal to say that its not working?

Thanks for advice on the different anti anxiety meds - I will talk to pdoc too about these.

[undertheradar]

Hi Babs,

I am totally relating to you and your med battles. I started on Lithium, got toxic and went to Depakote. Did Depakote and Lexapro for a couple of weeks and got the deadly rash as well as a shot into mania, due to the lexapro. Door number 3 opened: Got on Lamictal, titrated up to 200 in hospital environment, lexapro and seroquel. i believe the seroquel was the key to this particular combo. Doing well so far. I can't take anything for anxiety, (recovered drug addict) so I just breathe through it and i survive. Good luck with finding a combo that will work for you. YOU WILL FIND ONE!! Take care...

[Direction]

Babs, talk with your doctor - 100mg may not be enough to delay the mood swings and you maybe able to get something to bring you down clonazepam seems to help me as it has some mood effect - at least for me.

I take 300 mg of Lamictal daily so you may be on too low a dose. I also take klonopin at night to help reduce the anxiety that keeps me up at night. I've only had to take it a few times during the day. Usually during the day I just ride out the anxiety & talk to myself that it will pass. I get physical things like chest pains, numbness of my hands & feet, as well as the usualy racing thoughts & inability to concentrate, etc., but I'm afraid of taking it during the day--that it might cause sleepiness.

I'm also on Abilify, Concerta, Trazodone, Provigil--so you can see that it took a lot of time to work that combo out! But I've been on it 6 years & have done fine until an episode last Aug.--Suzy

[bizi]

I thought 200mg was the reccomended dose for lamictal!
You are half way there.
Valium has the longest half life of all benzos and is the easiest to taper off of when you choose to do this.
4-6 weeks is usually short enough to not cause you problems getting off of it if this is what you want to do.
I wish you wellness.
bizi

[babs92]

Thanks everyone for advice. Yes I thought this dose is too low (its maintenance dose here in the UK at 100mg) so I suppose pdoc on Monday will tell me he will up it. What worries me is that I have been getting irritable bowel and recently had Diarrhoea for 2 weeks straight - now am constipated. Could be stress, could be Lamictal - anyone else had this while titrating up?

[darkeyes]

bizi, 200mgs is not too low, the lowest therapeutic dose,I was told by my pdoc, is 150mg, I was on that but in time went back to my usual 200mg. I'm pleased with it, unlike some other meds, it doesn't zombify me nor gain weight.
Another plus, you do not need periodic blood work up, like some other mood stabilizers.
But everyone is different and so are the meds that work for some and not the other.
Best of luck,
DE

[darkeyes]

The chest pains may be the 2 stimulants together, I'd say the Provigil, it is faster acting, where Concerta (I take 36mgs) is a time release so that vs the Provigil I wouldn't think it's the Concerta. It's also most likely the Provigil will fuel racing thoughts and you figure the Concerta combined can really be interfering. I doubt it's the Lamictal, unless 300mg is too high for you? When we tried a 25mg increment added to my 200mg dose it gave me a slightly agitated feeling, but so amazing how only 25mg more could do that, sooooooooo we stuck with the 200mg. At 150mg, I did alright for a few months but then started to feel down, but pdoc and I said it may be all the stuff in my 3D that interferred so we stay at 200 mgs.
I never took Abilify, but can tell you Trazodone/Desyrel had knocked me out real bad,and terrible headaches so pdoc said I didn't have to use it, Seems like Lamictal has done the trick for me, I don't even have to use anti-depressants like before, while taking other mood stabilizers
I don't want to frighten you, but the chest pains should really be checked, to rule out any underlying heart related issues.I say this because my mother-in-law was "poo pooed" when she would tell her former doc that she was getting chest pains and tightness, she'd tell her that it was anxiety and give her loads of Ativan, this went on for a few years after she had beenin hospital with pulmonary emboli, then she got really bad pains she called 9-1-1, she was in cardiac arrest and required open heart surgery.
It would be in your best interest to look into the chest pains, sometimes it's not always coming from anxiety.
Didn't mean to upset you with that, it's just that some things have the same or mimic symptoms, which is one reason certain things can get overlooked.
Please take care,
DE

Thanks for the advise. My doc put me through all kinds of heart tests & everything is good there. She also did a sleep study & tested me for Cushing's syndrome (thank goodness I failed that test!). I had the anxiety caused chest pains before I got on these meds for years so I'm pretty confident they are not caused by meds but just my way of expressing stress & anxiety.

I've been doing very well on these meds until I had a bad episode in Aug. Doc changed me from Xanax at night to klonopin & Trazodone. I think the anxiety just hits me harder at night when I can't distract myself. It's hard for me to just lie there & feel the crushing sensation in my chest & the other added attractions that come with anxiety.

Thanks for the caring response.--Suzy

[Cheri]

Lamictal can actually cause mania in some people--that's what it did to me, and I had to be switched off it. Also, no problems with diarrhea or constipation, but I didn't have a period the whole three months on it.

[cherryblossom]

I know what you are going thru at night I do the same way.My doc has me on Trazodone.I really like it.I usually take it at 9:45 and by time I get to see the weather on the news I am sleepy.That way I don't just lay there and let my mind race.

[polarbear206]

Therapuetic doses of Lamictal average around 150mg and up. Keep in mind that Lamictal has AD properties which can boost your AD, thus possibly exacerbating your anxiety. I have soft bipolar and I take 200mg of Lamictal, 150 mg of Effexor and 150mg of Wellbutrin. I was able to cut back on my AD with the addition of Lamictal. A rule of thumb with bipolar is to keep the AD at the lowest possible dose to prevent mood cycling. You may want to consider swithcing to Klonopin instead of Valium. Klonopin has a longer half-life. You can use it as needed to get you over the hump. Too many people give up too soon with Lamictal. It is a wonderful drug, with minimal side effects for most of us who take it. It has given me my life back. Hope this helps.

Polarbear

Psychiatric Nurse