[Bark]

I was just curious: do you get your pills in their original boxes or in a small cylindrical container?

I buy mine from the pharmacy in their boxes. I'm not sure where you could find the latter here other than maybe in a hospital.

[Umbral_Seraph]

I didn't ever have a choice. Most of mine came in the orange bottles.

[onionknight]

If you're in the States, you're probably getting them from a pharmacy in the orange bottles with the childproof tops. Maybe you could get a sample from a doctor in a box, but aside from that, I've never heard of it...

[Miswimmy1]

I get most of mine in the orange bottles with the white screw on top. but i get stratter in their original bottle because the pharrmacy doesn't carry it and orders directly from the company.

[-jimi-]

Original boxes with blister packs. Or original sealed bottle. I would feel very insecure having more people handling my meds so I'm glad I'm not in the States. My friend started counting his pills (narcotics) and came out his pharmacy always cut him short of 3-10 pills. Like WTH!

[retro_chic]

I live in Australia and as far as I know it is pretty standard to get the original boxes. I think the generic versions come in a bottle (but not that orange/white lid one). I can't be 100% sure though because I always get the brand name. I have only ever got the generic once when the pharmacist made a mistake.

[sunrise]

I get mine in the little orange bottles. The blister packs would not be childproof so wouldn't be used frequently in the U.S., I would think. A few times, I have gotten my Wellbutrin in the original bottle from the manufacturer, but it has a childproof cap. The other day, though, I saw someone at the hospital who brought in his own medication from home (not hospital prescribed), and it was Lamictal, from the manufacturer, in a kind of folder with blister packs. Perhaps it was a free sample? I can't imagine a pharmacist dispensing that for home use.

[Bark]

Originally Posted by sunrise

The other day, though, I saw someone at the hospital who brought in his own medication from home (not hospital prescribed), and it was Lamictal, from the manufacturer, in a kind of folder with blister packs. Perhaps it was a free sample? I can't imagine a pharmacist dispensing that for home use.

It could be one of the starter packs they have for Lamictal. Titration can be so complicated that they've made packs that take away all the guesswork.

[-jimi-]

Yea it's the starter pack.

Is it because people there are so sue happy? Here we take for granted we keep meds in a locked cabinet if there are children around.

[metamorphosis12]

Usually with lamictal pdocs prefer using the starter paks. Just to make it clear and easier for the patient to titrate up slowly. Lamictal can cause Stevens Johnsons syndrome. A rash that can be life threatening. So slow titration is a perquisite when prescribing. You do not want to jump from 25mg-100mg or more overnight.

About S-J rash:

nearly all cases appear in the first 2 to 8 weeks of therapy and if medication is suddenly stopped then resumed at the normal dosage.. Not all rashes that occur while taking lamotrigine progress to SJS or TEN. Between 5 to 10% of patients will develop a rash, but only one in a thousand patients will develop a serious rash. It is thought that one in 50,000 exposed patients may die from the rash. Rash and other skin reactions are more common in children.Side-effects such as rash, fever, and fatigue are very serious, as they may indicate incipient Stevens–Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, DRESS syndrome or aseptic meningitis.

from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamotrigine

Usually you will know within 24 hrs. if you have SJS. Your tongue will swell up as well as the bronchus. Ulcers and other lesions begin to appear in the mucous membranes, almost always in the mouth and lips but also in the genital and **** regions. Those in the mouth are usually extremely painful and reduce the patient's ability to eat or drink.

I take lamotrigine as a mood stabilizer. It has been very effective for me. Besides the rash, lamtotrigine can cause other skin problems including "acne" on the back and chest. Lamictal acne isn't real acne,; it is a cutaneous drug reaction. And can cause small benign rashes that are not S-J.
As a beginner, a link to lamotrigine acne:
http://www.skindermatology.com/lamictal-acne/

Here is a meta-anylasis of lamotrigine and skin rashes ( 2011, accepted 2012) The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.
http://www.elsevier.es/sites/default...12)00091-X.pdf
One of the key points in these studies is the potential for developing a rash or other dermatological conditions. It increases by going off and then back on the medication, not keeping a regular daily dosing schedule and titrating up to fast.

This link is to the publication-
Bi-Polar Pschopharmaclogy
(second edition, 2011)
-Chapter 4 is on the psychopharmacology and use of lamtotrigine
http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&...page&q&f=false

How lamotrigine works:
In addition to its action on voltage-sensitive/gated sodium channels, Lamictal also:
-Potently blocks voltage-sensitive sodium channel alpha subunits.
Which may even be Lamictal’s primary mechanism of action.
-Blocks/modulates the calcium and potassium voltage channels
Which means glutamate and other excitatory (i.e. seizure-inducing and/or crazy-making) neurotransmitters are reduced to a greater extent than originally thought.
-Lamictal may block neuronal α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). That’s of interest mainly to pharmacology geeks and people who deal with nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy2.
-Maybe having a little effect on sigma opioid receptors (which are now being studied for all sorts of things). This could be one of the reasons for Lamictal’s antidepressant action.
-Another reason for Lamictal’s antidepressant action could be a positive effect on the 5-HT1A receptors. The data are mixed on this, and lean toward this being a wrong guess.
-All evidence points to Lamictal still being one of the least GABAergic AEDs around.

Finally from RxList a pretty thorough run down on lamotrigine and user reviews:
http://www.rxlist.com/lamictal-drug.htm

And as always you can find anecdotal reports at askapatient.com. Always keep in mind the length of time the posters have used said medications. Often they report negative responses and discontinuation prematurely after a week or so. Of course, this would be necessary when SJ. appears. But usually the feedback taken as a whole can give valuable insight.
http://www.askapatient.com/viewratin...&name=LAMICTAL

[sunrise]

Originally Posted by Bark

It could be one of the starter packs they have for Lamictal. Titration can be so complicated that they've made packs that take away all the guesswork.

It's good to know those are available. Thanks. I have seen providers here give a set of sequential instructions to put on the bottles of the prescriptions for Lamictal, e.g. take 1 25 mg tablet for the first 2 weeks, then take 2 25 mg tablets for the next 2 weeks, etc. I can see people might lose track and the starter pack would help with that, kind of like birth control packaging for a 28 day cycle.

Originally Posted by jimi...

Is it because people there are so sue happy? Here we take for granted we keep meds in a locked cabinet if there are children around.

I don't know why. I think it's a safety thing, and perhaps liability concerns did provide the impetus. Also, maybe people here are more stupid than where you live and would not think to use a locked cabinet. In any case, it's been the law here for quite some time, longer than I can remember. Kind of like there is a law that people must wear a seat belt when driving in a car or a helmet when riding a motorcycle. (The only medicines I keep under lock and key are controlled substances.)

[-jimi-]

LOL, maybe we are smarter. I don't have anything locked up, but when I visit people with kids I ask where I can put things where it is safe. They appreciate that. Old type apartments here always came with a lockbox where you were supposed to keep medication and strong household cleaners. A good idea I think.

[-jimi-]

Plus if something is childproof, I can never figure out how to open it!!! Sometimes I have to find a child to help me!!! LOL.

[Bark]

Originally Posted by jimi...

Plus if something is childproof, I can never figure out how to open it!!! Sometimes I have to find a child to help me!!! LOL.

I remember seeing those child-proof covers over sockets for the first time. They's complicated!

[Odee]

I've only ever gotten the orange bottles plastered with instructions. However, when taking the brand form of wellbutrin I began receiving full bottles from the manufacturer instead of having them re-dispensed into an orange pharmacy bottle.

I've seen a lot of people recieve packets of ambien or lunesta in the blister packs. Never recieved them that way myself. And honestly, I hate how stupid the orange bottles look.

One time the pharmacist dispensed half as much venlafaxine in a bottle as prescribed. I only caught on when I went to get a refill and was told I already got one two weeks ago. I should have caught on way sooner -- the bottle was less than even half the size than usual! Lol. Gotta count them after that.

[SingDanceRunLife]

Other than the times I've gotten samples from my pdoc, all my prescriptions have come in orange (now red since I use Target Pharmacy) bottles with childproof tops with my name, my doctor's name, pharmacy name/number, med name and dose along with instructions and warnings.

I always transfer them into my own pill organizer though, because it's much easier for me to keep track of whether or not I've taken my meds when I do that. If I can't remember if I've taken them or not, all I have to do is look at my organizer and then I know for sure

[Moreta]

A lot of the time my meds come in the original packaging. They still have the child proof caps on them. 2 of my drugs, pravastatin and mobic, come in blister packs.