[leomama]

It’s been two weeks of 250mg after being on 300mg for most of 11+ years.
I went back to my original prescribing psychiatrist even though I’m paying out of pocket before I meet my deductible. He is in network for a health plan that was too expensive for me.
I don’t know how I feel, I can’t tell if the 50mg less makes a difference or not in other words I don’t feel any worse then I did except I am sleeping better and one of the side effects of lamictal is insomnia.
I wasn’t feeling good on lamictal and I was sick of taking something that wasn’t helping. I got my lab work done and now I have to make my next appointment.
I see my therapist today to talk about something that happened at work this week. The situation was already resolved at work but I am supposed to see my therapist every two weeks while I’m lowering my medication.
****
So, now my critics know exactly what I am doing when I say I am going off my medication.
I’m doing so with a psychiatrist, therapist and blood work to guide my psychiatrist.
I hope everybody is clear now.
Thank you.

[rwwff]

Well, I wish you the best of luck with the attempt, hopefully it will all work out well and you can reach your goal.

[~Christina]

I’m glad you made this thread to explain exactly what your wanting to do and why.

I think the confusion on your other threads resulted in you being frustrated not receiving the support you are wanting, expecting.

[Guiness187055]

I also wish you the best of luck. I hope you get your desired effect.

[bizi]

May I ask you why the blood work is necessary for your taper down?
bizi
just curious. As I have never had blood work done specifically for lamictal in these 10 years that I have been taking it.

[leomama]

Originally Posted by ~Christina

I’m glad you made this thread to explain exactly what your wanting to do and why.

I think the confusion on your other threads resulted in you being frustrated not receiving the support you are wanting, expecting.

No it was other peoples ideas that ruined my thread. I’ve taken that option away.

[leomama]

Originally Posted by bizi

May I ask you why the blood work is necessary for your taper down?
bizi
just curious. As I have never had blood work done specifically for lamictal in these 10 years that I have been taking it.

You are supposed to do blood work once a year if not twice. That is the whole reason I’m going off lamictal, I don’t want to take something that affects my liver, thyroid, cholesterol. I was the one who suggested it , since I hadn’t seen my primary doctor since I started working.

[leomama]

Originally Posted by Guiness187055

I also wish you the best of luck. I hope you get your desired effect.

Thank you, I don’t need luck, I need strength, courage and determination .

[leomama]

Originally Posted by rwwff

Well, I wish you the best of luck with the attempt, hopefully it will all work out well and you can reach your goal.

Thank you I don’t need luck and it will work out if I preserve with strength, determination and courage. It will take will power which I gained doing a Whole30 preceded by the advent fast.

[~Christina]

Are you just wanting advice and support only you agree with it ?? I just don’t understand your getting so worked up and become aggressive and honestly rude if you get a members personal experience, that you don’t want to hear . I’m just confused about what you really want to hear

I’m out of this as I just don’t understand your need and wants and anger.

I hope you find whatever it is your looking for.

[leomama]

Originally Posted by ~Christina

Are you just wanting advice and support only you agree with it ?? I just don’t understand your getting so worked up and become aggressive and honestly rude if you get a members personal experience, that you don’t want to hear . I’m just confused about what you really want to hear

I’m out of this as I just don’t understand your need and wants and anger.

I hope you find whatever it is your looking for.

Seriously? Aggressive and honestly rude because I was looking for people who also went off lamictal with their psychiatrists supervision? Aggressive and honestly rude because I didn't like how people were discouraging me?

What I want to hear is any other person who successfully went off lamictal with their psychiatrists and their therapists supervision. I guess I'll be the first then.

My anger? Try not liking being told that I'm a danger to others because I'm going off my medication, or did you forget the comments in my first thread that got hijacked by people's issues that had zero to do with my intent.

[piano97]

Hi there. I've been on lamictal for awhile now, probably 2 years or a little more. Might actually be 3 years I've lost count.

Several months back, I told MD I felt like I was on too many things and he bargained with me a little and said we could try reducing lamictal some and see how it goes.

I went from 200 BID to 200 AM and 100 PM. The plan was to drop the morning dose to 100 after a few weeks.

Everything was fine initially. Several days in I started getting bad headaches. I didn't think anything of it. Then they got worse and worse by the day, started having bad nausea alongside the headaches. By probably day 7, the nausea turned into puking and just feeling awful. We all get headaches sometimes but I have never thrown up from one or had nausea like that associated with a headache. I also felt really irritated and internally agitated and moreso each day. Which is how I have felt when I skipped doses before.

I eventually started to make the connection after asking myself "what is different". I bumped the night dose up again to 200. Headaches stopped, and have never came back.

Told MD about it and he was a little perplexed but said there was obviously a connection and to stay on the 200 BID, which I have done since. I don't recall a headache, even mild, ever since.

Was weird.

As you reduce the dose, just keep a watchful eye on things. And go as slow as possible, even if it seems like you are going too slow.

I know that was kind of a doom and gloom story, but wanted to share it.

I do think it's possible for you to successfully reduce the dose.

Keep focusing on non-med stuff too, be it exercise, not isolating, good sleep hygiene, etc.

I wish you the best.

[leomama]

Originally Posted by piano97

Hi there. I've been on lamictal for awhile now, probably 2 years or a little more. Might actually be 3 years I've lost count.


Several months back, I told MD I felt like I was on too many things and he bargained with me a little and said we could try reducing lamictal some and see how it goes.


I went from 200 BID to 200 AM and 100 PM. The plan was to drop the morning dose to 100 after a few weeks.


Everything was fine initially. Several days in I started getting bad headaches. I didn't think anything of it. Then they got worse and worse by the day, started having bad nausea alongside the headaches. By probably day 7, the nausea turned into puking and just feeling awful. I also felt really irritated and internally agitated. Which is how I have felt when I skipped doses before.


I eventually started to make the connection after asking myself "what is different". I bumped the night dose up again to 200. Headaches stopped, and have never came back.


Told MD about it and he was a little perplexed but said there was obviously a connection and to stay on the 200 BID, which I have done since. I don't recall a headache, even mild, ever since.


Was weird.


As you reduce the dose, just keep a watchful eye on things. And go as slow as possible, even if it seems like you are going too slow.


I know that was kind of a doom and gloom story, but wanted to share it.


I do think it's possible for you to successfully reduce the dose.


Keep focusing on non-med stuff too, be it exercise, not isolating, good sleep hygiene, etc.


I wish you the best.

That’s all I was looking for. I’ve been on 250mg for almost three weeks now and am ready to go down again, I’m waiting to hear back from my p doc. Lamictal is the only drug I am on.

[piano97]

Cool. If you are feeling OK, keep reducing (and slowly). Some peeps say 10% to 15% cut is all you should do at a time. Then hold for a few weeks.

I think that is really conservative, but is wise to do and minimizes odds of having problems. Since you are at 250 now, reducing to 200 is probably OK but do what doc says.

Wish the best for you and let us know how things are going. Sorry to hear it sounds like some peeps were riding you. Let it float off your shoulder

[leomama]

Originally Posted by piano97

Cool. If you are feeling OK, keep reducing (and slowly). Some peeps say 10% to 15% cut is all you should do at a time. Then hold for a few weeks.


I think that is really conservative, but is wise to do and minimizes odds of having problems. Since you are at 250 now, reducing to 200 is probably OK but do what doc says.


Wish the best for you and let us know how things are going. Sorry to hear it sounds like some peeps were riding you. Let it float off your shoulder

My p doc initially suggested 200 but I wanted to go 250 then 200. I’m ready for 200.
Certain posters have been harassing me for months if not years, they end up back on my ignore list. They don’t change. I wish they’d ignore me but apparently they’d rather net nanny or police me.
It’s so utterly aggravating.

[piano97]

I'm sorry to hear that and makes me really feel for you. This should be a safe and supportive place and usually is. Ignore the noise and hang in there. If you can, find some other outlets that are similar either on-line or in person. Wish you the best.

[leomama]

Originally Posted by piano97

I'm sorry to hear that and makes me really feel for you. This should be a safe and supportive place and usually is. Ignore the noise and hang in there. If you can, find some other outlets that are similar either on-line or in person. Wish you the best.

It’s a supportive place if you’re a nonthreatening person. I actually edit Facebook pages and moderate YouTube chats. This is my place where I deal with my stuff.
I recently had my ptsd dx scraped off the top of my bp dx for lab purposes so this is the first time I’ve self identified as having bp. The majority of the bp community doesn’t accept me because I smell like ptsd as that was my primary dx. Regardless of what they think of me I too have been slapped with the bp label and have to deal with it.