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Junior Member
Member Since Jan 2019
Location: California
Posts: 15
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#1
Hi All,
I'm wondering if anybody with experience with Lamictal and insomnia has any input to my current situation. **** 9 months ago I was on 200mg lamictal (generic) taken in the morning. I thought it worth a try to go back up to 250 which I was on a year prior (sucked going down to 200). So after a week on new 250 mg I started having bad sexual sideeffects (not good for starting a new relationship) so after 2 weeks I dropped back down to 200mg (morning) (-50 mg per day). After the 10 days of mental hell subsided this god awful insomnia started. However this is different from other bouts of no sleep... This time I am not tired during the day until day 3-4, yet I screw things up, terrible memory and all exacerbated from no sleep . When I go to bed I am tired , calm, cool , not in a bad place ( a little indica hours earlier shifts my mood to a better place). So my mind isnt going , physically I'm relaxed... yet I JUST LAY THERE , drowsy, too tired to read or do anything... but I just don't fall asleep and if I do, a couple hours later I'm up . Ive had mixed results with prescription meds and non prescription meds. My current working theory is going up 50 mg of Lamictal then back down 2 weeks later screwed my brain up some how? My psychiatrist, psychologist and primary care doc have no idea. The only possible culprit is the Lamictal... However going off it is hell for me and I dont want to put myself thru that if I dont have to . Here some background info: I wasn't too stressed about it cause I know there can be some kick backs when adjusting meds (so being anxious about it wasn't always a factor ) but the weeks turned into months ...I am not bipolar, I have General anxiety and some depression from being worn down with issues.. and alitle ADD (no hyper). My life does really suck at times for the past 10 years with stress daily (have been doing some mindfulness to help with it) .However these issues are nothing new. I currently take 200 mg Lamical 150 mg wellbutrin (generics) and trying different sleep things on and off. Any ideas? similar experiences? opinions or recommendations? Thankyou in advance. |
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Legendary Wise Elder
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#2
Wellbutrin can be activating. Do you take it in the morning ?
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Poohbah
Member Since May 2018
Location: Toronto, Canada
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#3
I used to be on 300mg Lamictal and there was a time I had problems with sleep. I would be tired and would fall asleep after about an hour but I would wake up and stay awake a few hours later.
I tried Seroquel at 25mg an hour before going to bed for a few months and it worked. I was able to stay asleep. I stopped it after a few months because I found I was able to stay asleep again on my own. I used to take Lamictal at night though since it made me really dizzy after I took it but it was ok by the morning. I hope things improve for you. __________________ * Dx: Unspecified Bipolar and Related Disorder * Rx: Remeron, Prozac, Klonopin, Vraylar My avatar picture is a photo of the Whirlpool Galaxy I took in April 2023. I dedicated this photo to my sister who passed away in July 2016. |
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Threadtastic Postaholic
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#4
Its the wellbutrin.
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Elder
Member Since Mar 2017
Location: Florida
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#5
Wellbutrin can be activating but I find lamictal activating also. So do some others for these reasons I take both pills in the morning
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Member
Member Since Jul 2019
Location: Florida, US
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#6
I take 200 mg lamotrigine which is the generic form of Lamictal. I take it at night, which, alongside trazodone, help me fall asleep... I am not sure why, from 4 or 5 months onI wake up a couple or three times and can't seem to go back to sleep, so I usually either take a cup of chamomile tea, or 3 mg melatonin. In extreme circumstances I am also prescribed Klonazepam, and, if I have a function I need to attend in the morning, I take a quarter of my dose, that seems to take the edge of my awakened... However, if I take clonazepam more than once or twice, my forgetfulness and absentmindedness increases.
No sure if any of what I wrote will help, but that's my experience with it all. Good luck to you. Peace, ed |
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Junior Member
Member Since Jul 2018
Location: Texas
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#7
Lamictal affected my sleep (frequent wake ups) and made me drowsy when initially taken (dose).
Lamictal also affected my memory and cognition. |
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Member
Member Since Jul 2019
Location: Florida, US
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#8
Hey Edgy, I can relate... You said affected (in the past tense), curious to know what you take now, or if you quit taking meds altogether...
I also feel a drain in my cognitive abilities for being on meds over the years... |
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Junior Member
Member Since Jan 2019
Location: California
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#9
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Junior Member
Member Since Jan 2019
Location: California
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#10
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Junior Member
Member Since Jan 2019
Location: California
Posts: 15
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#11
I took trazadone for years. Not really knowing if it worked or not after awhile... but sleeping got better so I kept taking it. This time around doesnt really help (100 mg)... I only tried it for about 5 days then stopped .
This insomnia is weird in that none of the sedating drugs really work that well (they appear to when I havent slept for days.... then stop after a good nights sleep). I really need to cut off the lamictal and see if my hunch is right... its just a long ****** process if the last 3 times of going down on the dose are an indication. |
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Threadtastic Postaholic
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#12
Have you ever considered a sleep study?
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Junior Member
Member Since Jan 2019
Location: California
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#13
Yes, I have to wait until October though. Not to be pessimistic but lets say they confirm yes, you have a problem, what can they do about it? Another med? I dont have sleep apnea (I dont snore). I have pretty good sleep "hygiene" as Ive had issues before for a different reason. But hey, you never know and the study is a good "foundation" to figuring it out I guess.
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catches the flowers
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#14
I'm doing a sleep study in a couple of weeks, won't receive results until mid-October. No, if you have sleep apnea or one of the many sleep disorders that are possible, another med is not the only treatment. There are CPAP machines...supposedly over 100 types of them. I think it's worth trying, and sure can't hurt.
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Junior Member
Member Since Jan 2019
Location: California
Posts: 15
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#15
Surely cant hurt. I will go into it with an open mind. I hope you find the answers in your sleep study . Goodluck
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*Beth*
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#16
Hello ~ I am on Lamictal. Started on 12.5 mg 2 months ago and on my 3rd month I am now up to 25 mg at night.
I have found that I am now having significant insomnia. Where I have always struggled with insomnia, not like this. So, I now take one quarter of a 25 mg tablet of Seroquel to help me feel sleepy and get to sleep, but I do wake up 4 hours later. Then I take another quarter and back to sleep I go, but have to wait an hour in my recliner until it takes effect. Just recently added Benadryl to the mix and I do take .5 mg of Klonopin at night. In the morning I do have the sedation hangover and it takes half a day to work thru that and I am not capable of doing much. I have felt the Lamictal is activating and may try it in the morning instead. I have done numerous sleep studies. They found I have restless limb and restless legs and I have hundreds of wake ups throughout the night. So, the findings are that I have mild obstructive sleep apnea. I stopped using the appliance and machine in December 2018 because I could never adjust to all the appliances after years of trying. Now wearing my fitness tracker which translates to my apple app to track my sleep throughout the night. It still shows I have alot of awakenings all throughout the night and could be why I always wake up tired and have fatigue during the day. So, it's a mixed bag...... could be the Lamictal is playing a part in all the insomnia I am experiencing now which is worsening as I increase the dose. If it wasn't for the Seroquel I don't know what I would do for sleep. Keep posting as I am interesting in your experience with Lamictal. Thank you for posting this. Birdie Quote:
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Member
Member Since Jul 2019
Location: Florida, US
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#17
aha! you guys hit the nail right on the head. Sleep apnea! I have sleep apnea, diagnosed years ago... The machine was blowing more air than needed to keep the air flowing, so it was more of a hindrance to me than help... I changed insurance companies and never got the opportunity to readjust the airflow, so I ended up donating my machine to someone that needed it at the time...
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Junior Member
Member Since Jan 2019
Location: California
Posts: 15
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#18
Currently I take wellbutrin 150 xl ... My pharmacist said that as we get older things change and I should have the dr perscribe a non "xl" version to see it that helps... Ill hear back in aweek and see what she says
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Junior Member
Member Since Jan 2019
Location: California
Posts: 15
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#19
I talked to my pharmacists and she said body changes over time so its possible Wellbutrin is the culprit. I take the XL verson and she suggested I take a less kind that doesnt last for 24 hours. I should hear from my doc in a week and change that and see if that helps
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Junior Member
Member Since Jan 2019
Location: California
Posts: 15
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#20
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I would think the constant waking all night would be as good as no sleep at all.... Maybe a hot bath or shower will relax you more |
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