Weird stuff - Lamictal/Clonazepam?

I talked to my psychiatrist and she told me just to write things down. I'm going to ask if anyone has experience with anti-seizure meds, specifically Clonazepam and Lamotrigine, because I've been experiencing really weird things.

Here's a short list:
-stuttering my words
-forgetting what I'm saying/doing/etc half-way through something
-slurring my words
-sharper sounds (agitating, certain sounds seem louder like sibilance and such)
-tunnel vision
-tactile hallucinations
-certain colours are brighter

Those are the ones that bother me every day all day, along with the "shakes and quakes". I'm always shaking and suddenly I'll just "quake" and my whole body basically snaps back. It's hard to explain. It's like having a mini-seizure without actually having a seizure. It seems like my entire body, every muscle, just tenses and then I go back to just shaking.

My hands are always restless. I can't freakin' stop moving them! I am really frustrated and irritated with myself right now.

I'm wondering if anyone can relate to this or has experienced this before?

I'm on the same two meds. But not having any of those side effects. I'm just depressed and tired.

I hope you and your pdoc figures that out.

That doesn't sound good...*worried*.

Those are symptoms that I would not tolerate if I were you.

Tell your doctor that writing your symptoms on paper doesn't make them go away.

You can always get a second opinion.

I can tell you that if you would present to an emergency room with those side effects your meds would either be discontinued or changed after consultation with your primary on the spot.

Post again to let us know how you're doing. I'm concerned about you as well.
Take care,
Okie

I'd rather have these side effects/symptoms than risk my education because I'm unstable for an undetermined time while trying to find new meds. Probably sounds really silly, but that's what is pressuring me to just make it work.

I have thought briefly of asking to be put on something like lithium or another mood stabilizer so I can go off Lamictal slowly, then add another medication like carbamazepine, then taper off the lithium or whatever mood stabilizer. I just know you can combine certain meds for better results or at least combine them in a safe way (lithium being the one that is often mixed so you don't have to use as much of it).

I'm just too scared to interject my opinions on medications. My doctors know I know a lot about them, and I do make some suggestions or recommendations but I don't know how to just say, "This isn't working, I want that."

Honestly though, I am scared of changing medications. My life has improved so much over the last 9 months or so and I don't think I could deal with what would inevitably ensue if I were to change medications.

My fear lately has been that the anti-seizure meds could be messing me up neurologically. I worry every time these symptoms get worse, thinking I'm going to have a seizure or something. Probably silly, but it's just a growing fear.

Hi, girlbassplayer!

I've been on Lamictal in the past and am now on Clonazepam but never both together so it's really hard to say if it's one of the meds or the combo causing your side-effects.

I had no side effects at all with either of these meds; however the symptoms you describe are EXACTLY what I experienced when I was on Wellbutrin. They were hideous! But then other people do very well on it. Psych meds can be a real crapshoot. *sighs*

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
girlbassplayer said:I'm just too scared to interject my opinions on medications. My doctors know I know a lot about them, and I do make some suggestions or recommendations but I don't know how to just say, "This isn't working, I want that."

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

My pdoc also knows I am very educated on meds and we tend to discuss options, but when something isn't working, I do exactly what you said - state what I want to try. We know our bodies better than our doctors (and I say that with all respect as I've been with my pdoc for about 15 years). Having been on meds now for so long, I can pretty much tell what a side-effect is that I can deal with and will probably go away after a few weeks on the meds vs one that is intolerable (like I had with Wellbutrin).

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
My fear lately has been that the anti-seizure meds could be messing me up neurologically. I worry every time these symptoms get worse, thinking I'm going to have a seizure or something. Probably silly, but it's just a growing fear.

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

I have been on Depakote ER (another anti-seizure med) for the last 15 years and have had no problem whatsoever with it. Every med, even aspirin, has potential negative side effects, but perhaps my long-term use of an anti-seizure med with no ill effect will ease your mind a bit.

I'm so sorry you're having these awful side effects. I agree with the other posters - do speak to your Dr.

I had an appointment today.

She added Lithium to my med cocktail today. She wants to see if it helps with my depression and if it works try to see if we can lower my Lamictal dose. She thinks these weird side effects may have been caused by Cipralex, even though she has never heard of that side effect. It makes sense timeline-wise.

I'm hesitant, but if it works then I'm willing to give it a shot.

Hmm.. really weird.. I know this input won't help you most likely, but, those symptoms sound like Benadryl.. the allergy medicine? When it like, puts you to sleep, and just before you go to sleep, you hear a sound, buts.. its.. nothing more than just someone around you talking.. or something.. and it seems really really loud. Ya know?

Well... my doctor has put me on Lithium and taking me off Cipralex. The symptoms I was having started shortly after I started the Cipralex but because it's an SSRI I didn't think I'd have any of those side effects. My doctor even said she's never heard those side effects related to an SSRI but it would make sense.

She put me on Lithium to see if it would help with my "nosedive". I was manic for a week, didn't sleep literally for 4 days, renovated some rooms in my house, etc. Then I nosedived and I couldn't even function. My doctors have debated for a while if I was Bipolar 1 or Bipolar 2, hence why they put me on Lamictal (typically for Bipolar 2). She's hoping the combination of the two mood stabilizers will help.

She has me on both because the dosage my Lithium will need to be at will be lower if it's in combination.

Here's to hoping it works! Here is my current cocktail in case anyone has some advice.

10mg Cipralex (she's taking me off slowly, in one week I'll be at 5mg, then four days after on nothing)
400mg Lamictal
100mg Seroquel
2-5mg Clonazepam (depends on the day)
150 Lithium, next week 300mg, week after 600mg

Wow. Bi-Polar can be really bad and dangerous I guess. I am not that Bi-Polar myself, I was told I have Bi-Polar tendencies.. with Major Depressive Disorder. But.. I was on Seroquel 0.25 MG for like a week and a half and I couldn't be on it anymore because it just.. made me a complete zombie... and I felt like I was stoned all the timmeee.

All I can say is WOW! You should really get off the meds that are complicating things. You can defininatley have some really bad side effects. I hope everything works out for you. I wish you well. I'm concerned about you as other readers have expressed. I am particularly concerned as I had some really bad reactions to Clozaril. They were doing blood tests to check white cell counts; but, the usual allergic reaction was not what I had. I was on it for several weeks. Everything was going fine and all of a sudden I came out with cardiomyopathy. It's where your body attacks your heart and can be fatal. Thank god I didn't live alone at the time because when it happened things progressed to the point when I was so out there that I didn't even realize what was going on and was so out of touch with reality that I didn't realize what was going on. When I go sick, my parents took me to the doctor's office. The doctor almost stroked out. My oxygen level was at 60%. I spent over a week in ICU and a step down in the hospital. So you can understand my concern. Good luck and take care. Best wishes, Danielle

Hey... I know this is coming in kind of late but I'm still dosing up on lamictal while slowly reducing my dose of citalopram. In fact I'll be totally off of it in two weeks. As far as side effects go I've not had many with lamictal but I have experienced one case of hallucinations while on the meds. Maybe it's the combination. Things seem to be getting better though as my lamictal dose goes up and the citalopram is being weened.

I'm doing fine on Lamictal, Abilify (except for weight gain--so dosage has been lowered), Topamax, klonopin, Provigil, Trazodone & Concerta (ADHD), but had bad side effects from Lithium (kidney problems), Depakote (well, just plain didn't work), Geodon (knocked me out & made me really dizzy), etc. DX is bipolar 1 & anxiety (acute).

I just wouldn't put up with side effects like you describe. I work with my doc. I'm a major part of the equation in determining what my treatment will be. I won't rest until I have an acceptable quality of life & those kinds of side effects ain't it.--Suzy