I’ve been taking 150 mg 2x a day for a while, but requested a bump in dosage....

All my pdocs have always increased it by 10mg/week...but not here...

I requested a 25 mg hike so I can just split 5 pills...but the MD was like 25 is nothing. Of course being prone to dissociating and zinging out of course agreed even though well knowing that we are med sensitive....I just want to scream!

So...what would you do? I’m thinking about breaking out the razor blade and doing it right....or would you?

I can pull out the ol digital scales and properly dress them...yes?

[Pookyl]

When I was in on Lamictal, increases were always in 50mg increments.

Originally Posted by Pookyl

When I was in on Lamictal, increases were always in 50mg increments.

Wow, I guess it was there way of keeping me in the hospital for 2 freaking weeks. I’ll give it a try the...but I‘m like med sensitive....enough to be scared.

[UpDownAround]

I just got bumped from 100 to 150 with no ramp up in between. If that doesn't help with recent depression within two weeks, I go to 200, again with no ramp up in between 150 and 200.

[cool09]

My Doc moved mine around a lot with no problems. He took it to 600 mg then I got cross-eyed and had to back down. Never did a thing for depression

[wiretwister]

do 300 then need more jump right to 400 ... play between those two ... never had an issue ... but everyone is different .. never hurts to go slow ... I do cut my pills if I feel the jump is too much ... drives my pdoc crazy ...

Wow....I never knew that one can do that. Sometimes just 25 makes me woozy...

I guess the rash thing gots everyone careful.

Thanks everybody.

[annielovesbacon]

When I started taking it I went from 25mg/day to 50, then 100 and then a few months later I went from 100 to 200mg/day. Of course everyone is different and our bodies react differently to medication.

[emgreen]

Originally Posted by cool09

He took it to 600 mg then I got cross-eyed and had to back down. Never did a thing for depression.

600 mg!!! That's quite a dose! I'm on 400, & thought that was the max. As for depression, it's so difficult to tell what can be attributed to meds, what is just organic, & what's between my ears. I wish I had a magic bullet I knew would manage depression better than my current treatment plan does.

I’ve heard of someone taking 800 once...it took forever for me to get to 400 and back down again...didn’t like the head throbbing...but the doctor said I went up too fast ??? After reading all this...really??? Lol

[UpDownAround]

My pdoc said she wouldn't go higher than 300. She didn't say that was the max; just that she would try a different medicine rather than going higher, at least with me. I am kind of a light weight with medicines and it is probably even worse now that I actually weigh considerably less. My dosage is usually lower than what other people take on nearly all meds.

Yeah, people with epilepsy can take a higher dose of lamictal to help with their seizures (e.g., 800mg), but anything beyond 400mg usually does nothing for bipolar mood stability and anything beyond 500mg has diminishing returns for people with seizures.

The other thing is that lamictal can be toxic at high doses (i.e., anything greater than 400mg). One guy died from 4000mg of lamictal.

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5167082/

So, as a bonus, people taking lamictal is protected against seizures, yes?

Yes, Lamictal can help with seizures; however, if one goes off Lamictal cold turkey (or titrates down too fast), they are at risk for getting seizures. That's the only potential downside. But there is no proof that you can get seizures from titrating up too fast. It's only the SJS rash risk that's been proven. But I've gone dir3ectly from 200mg to 300mg and had no issues. No SJS or whatever. (I'm on 400mg now, though.)

"Withdrawal Seizures: As with other AEDs, LAMICTAL should not be abruptly discontinued.
In patients with epilepsy there is a possibility of increasing seizure frequency. In clinical trials in patients with Bipolar Disorder, 2 patients experienced seizures shortly after abrupt withdrawal of LAMICTAL. However, there were confounding factors that may have contributed to the occurrence of seizures in these bipolar patients. Unless safety concerns require a more rapid withdrawal, the dose of LAMICTAL should be tapered over a period of at least 2 weeks (see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRA TION)."

Source: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugs...8s19s20lbl.pdf

Okay. Finally broke the seal and took the whole pill. (200 mg).