Lamotrigine and loss of balance?

Roaming_bird · Feb 29, 2016, 11:14 AM

My pdoc recently upped my dose of lamotrigine (lamictal). About a week or so into the increase, I noticed I was losing my balance frequently, especially when going from sitting to standing, but at times when I'm simply standing.

This is not a reason I would go off of it, but I was wondering if anyone else had the same problem.

pirilin · Feb 29, 2016, 12:07 PM

It's not a common side effect. Dizzyness is.
It was increased from how much to how much.
I'm on 200 mg.

Roaming_bird · Feb 29, 2016, 12:47 PM

I was at 300 -- now I'm at 400, so 200 twice a day.

Icare dixit · 01:42 PM

Yes, been there: vertigo.

It is probably caused (in your case) by a temporary loss of sufficient oxygen. Standing takes effort, certainly in comparison with sitting.

Another possibility would be (slight) hyperventilation. It's subconscious and probably due to some proprioceptive changes which make you react to them.

In both cases you need to give your body/mind some time to adjust.

Lastly (for me), vitamin deficiencies could cause it. Induced by the lamotrigine increase or not.
If I had to guess: try D; is often deficient, certainly in us.

For me it went away after a while. Hope you feel better soon.

Also, still make sure to check there is no rash.

Roaming_bird · Feb 29, 2016, 01:38 PM

Wow, I had no idea. Thanks icare.

kkrrhh · Feb 29, 2016, 02:42 PM

I definitely had a lot of dizziness at first. I remember titrating up while working a job where I was on my feet, and being worried I was going to fall one day.

It goes away after a bit, though. Good luck!

Roaming_bird · Feb 29, 2016, 02:58 PM

kk - I'm really hoping it will go down -- so glad it did for you! I had no idea about this side effect when I started, and wondered if I was going crazy. Well, I different kind of crazy. I'm wondering if people think I'm drunk, I stumble so much, lol

pirilin · Feb 29, 2016, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roaming_bird

I was at 300 -- now I'm at 400, so 200 twice a day.

What was the reason for the increase, if you don't mind.
My doctors refuse to go over 200. Just curious.
I've been manic on it. I use it as my AD.
Althought I see you're taking 2 ADs already.
Works well for depression. I have Lithium for mania.

Roaming_bird · Feb 29, 2016, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pirilin

What was the reason for the increase, if you don't mind.
My doctors refuse to go over 200. Just curious.
I've been manic on it. I use it as my AD.
Althought I see you're taking 2 ADs already.
Works well for depression. I have Lithium for mania.

I had attempted suicide and was inpatient. I can't do mood stabilizers or antipsychotics. Even lithium was horrible. I lost bladder control.

So it was a last resort. So far I haven't had any side effects from it, so I tolerate it well. I guess I won't know for sure until after my hypomania has passed and I'm in a place where I would normally get severely depressed. Anything we can do to prevent my extremely dark moods I'll try. My pdoc recently upped it when I was showing beginning signs of mania.

In the past year, I've been hospitalized three times. Before this, I had been probably 15 years without having to be hospitalized. So my moods are swinging much faster and my depressions (and manias) are getting far worse than ever before.

Hairball · Feb 29, 2016, 04:33 PM

Is it loss of balance or does it seem like your leg suddenly turns to jelly. Its almost like your knee disappears for a bit. No pain involved at all. Does it happen when u stand up? or when u are walking? or both?

pirilin · Feb 29, 2016, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roaming_bird

I had attempted suicide and was inpatient. I can't do mood stabilizers or antipsychotics. Even lithium was horrible. I lost bladder control.

So it was a last resort. So far I haven't had any side effects from it, so I tolerate it well. I guess I won't know for sure until after my hypomania has passed and I'm in a place where I would normally get severely depressed. Anything we can do to prevent my extremely dark moods I'll try. My pdoc recently upped it when I was showing beginning signs of mania.

In the past year, I've been hospitalized three times. Before this, I had been probably 15 years without having to be hospitalized. So my moods are swinging much faster and my depressions (and manias) are getting far worse than ever before.

I'm really sorry for what you've been thru.

Lamotrigine has very few side effects. Only be vigilant for rashes and mania.
It will help with depression.
Don't change brands though.
I switched pharmacies and never noticed the pills were different.
My wife prepares my pill box and I drink whatever she gives me.
I fell in the biggest depression of my life.
I went back to the previous brand and I'm doing much better.
The Lithium could be helping too. Althought is more for mania.
Good luck with your treatment.

Roaming_bird · Feb 29, 2016, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hairball

Is it loss of balance or does it seem like your leg suddenly turns to jelly. Its almost like your knee disappears for a bit. No pain involved at all. Does it happen when u stand up? or when u are walking? or both?

It's more like I get dizzy and lose my footing and balance. I was standing up at church (not going from sitting to standing this time) and I lost my balance twice and grabbed the seat in front of me. It's happened while I'm walking. My daughter was playing with something above my head and I felt like I was spinning around.

No pain, just embarrassment. I've noticed it more and more. Very strange. I've never had anything like it. But much better than losing total control of my bladder with Lithium.

superfly47 · Feb 29, 2016, 07:15 PM

I don't have dizziness from Lamotrigine. I suspect it has something to do with my deteriorated memory and I often struggle to think of common words and my verbal fluency isn't great. I can type and express my thoughts just fine when writing, yet struggle a lot more verbally.

Since I become very depressed if I don't take it, lamotrigine is definitely worth the drawbacks.

Roaming_bird · Feb 29, 2016, 07:45 PM

Superfly, I totally agree that it's worth the drawbacks. I'll gladly take some stumbling around rather than the deep depressions I'm afraid will come without it.

Row Jimmy · Mar 01, 2016, 12:08 AM

I take Depakote (same thing as lamictal) and I lose my balance here and there, especially when I'm rushing around. I haven't crashed into any old ladies or knocked down a display of canned corn yet so I'm not too concerned.

BipolaRNurse · Mar 01, 2016, 02:50 AM

I noticed a rather pronounced increase in stumbling and losing balance after going from 300 to 400 mg. Word finding also tends to be more difficult than it used to be. But I'd rather put up with a little lost equilibrium than be as depressed as I was in October 2014 when I had to be hospitalized. That's a no-brainer for me.

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