Lamotrigine

[suewatters1]

I was talking to my pharmacist today and I asked her if Lamotrigine was used for depression because I know it is for mood disorder. She said no but I went on the internet and found a place that said yes but it says While some people notice the antimanic and antidepressant effects early in treatment, others have to take a therapeutic amount of lamotrigine for up to a month before being aware of a significant amount of improvement.


Therapeutic amount is that when you get to the maximum dose then 1 month later? I just started 100 mg. I was on 25 mg and he increased by 25 mg every 2 weeks. He will increase me till I get to 200 mg.

I know I am more moody during my time of the month which is now and I am ready to have a drink. I feel I need it. So I wonder when will the Lamotrigine kick in for me. It can't happen soon enough for me.

Thanks

Sue

 

[texasgirl]

Lamotrigine (Lamictal) is one of the drugs that I take. I am on 300 mg a day, along with Lexapro, Perphenazine, Cogentin, Klonopin. Lamictal really helps me to stabilize and although I have tried getting off it, I didn't do well off of it. I have been able to stay out of the hospital for almost a year. But the one thing is that my doctor told me not to drink on it. It takes about a month to six weeks to build up to the right level. Hope this helps. Take care,

TG

 

[suewatters1]

Thanks. My doctor started me at 25 mg then increases 25 mg every 2 weeks till I get to 200 mg. So right now I am only on 100 mg and he takes the summer off so I don't when I will get to 200 mg.

I am taking that and my ADHD medication. I don't take pills for my depression so I hope this works.

Sue

 

[suewatters1]

What happens when somebody goes off Lamotrigine cold turkey?

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Why are you asking?

 

[suewatters1]

I have had a problem swallowing pills till I was about 25 years old. I still had problems after that with some especially if they were not coated.
I noticed this year having a harder time with some pills and in July with one medication it hit me real hard. I was taking Lamotrigine 25mg every 2 weeks till I got 100mg at night. Then I got the 100mg pills which is bigger but easier to swallow. Now I went to 100mg of the morning pill 1 month ago and when I went to the pharmacy they noticed that my Dr had told to take 100mg but he wrote 4x25 mg pills.
The pharmacy told me to take the 100mg tablet in the morning because ODSP won't accept 2 different prescription it has to 1 tablet twice a day so take 2 of the 100 and when I run out then we will tell ODSP the problem.

We'll it seems my Dr wants me to take 4x25 every morning but by then I was freaking out and said I can't the 25mg. Just the thought of it freaks me out. So I continue to take 100mg twice a day till I ran out. Than I told the pharmacist that I will not take the 25mg I will go cold turkey first. Well I had one weeks worth at home and my Dr emailed me because I had emailed him and he said I told them to give 1 tablet twice a day for 2 weeks. Well only got 1 tablet in the morning for 2 weeks. I told them it was suppose to be 2 tablet a day but they said you had one week at home that makes it two weeks. Now I will be out Sunday morning and I don't want to take the 25mg. I emailed my Dr and he said take the 100mg at night and 4x25. In the morning. But I don't have any left overs of the 100 mg after Sunday morning and I don't want to take the 4x25.

I think the problem got worse in July because my brother Gilles died July 24th 1976 in the early morning hours and my parents anniversary is on July 23rd. At that time I was 13 years old on antibiotics and I remember my Mom crushing the pill with 2 spoons and added water and I was forced to swallow it. Just thinking about it make me cry and I get into a panicked thinking about it.

I love having 100mg twice a day of the Lamotrigine . It is amazing the difference in me. My Dr reason is that when I see him in September he might want to make changes to the dose because he feel I got on them so fast that that I might side affects which he might have to change the dose. But I think why not wait till I see him. But no he wants me to take 25mg pills in the morning and 100's at night which I will run of.

My Dr is on holidays from July till September. I see him September 5th. It was suppose to be the 6th but he told me today that he could see me on the 5th.
Now I don't want to take 25 mg pills and I am freaking out but I love the dosage of the pill I feel amazing but I am scared feeling the need to go cold turkey.

Sorry for the long post

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Cold turkey is a bad idea. In your case, it's also against medical advice and even against your own experience.

Find another way. Crush it and mix it into some applesauce or jam or something if you have trouble swallowing. Or get a pill cutter and cut them in half.

 

[Retired]

Difficulty to swallow pills is not uncommon and even has a name: dysphagia!

There are many methods and even devices sold to help people with this condition, but before resorting to making purchases of contraptions, have a look at this article How To Swallow A Pill: 12 steps - with pictures.

Please note tip #12, and check with your pharmacist to find out if your prescription is the extended release form, in which case it should not be crushed.

Lamotrigine comes as a tablet, an extended-release (long acting) tablet, an orally disintegrating tablet (dissolves in the mouth and can be swallowed without water), and a chewable dispersible (can be chewed or dissolved in liquid) tablet to take by mouth with or without food. The extended-release tablets are taken once a day. The tablets, orally disintegrating tablets, and chewable dispersible tablets are usually taken once or twice a day, but may be taken once every other day at the beginning of treatment.

Source

Another option could be to ask your doctor to prescribe the orally disintegrating tablet, if it is available in Canada, a form of tablet adopted by many manufacturers to overcome the issue of difficulty in swallowing.

 

[suewatters1]

I know what you are saying Dr. If the pharmacy would not have screwed up I should still have 2 weeks of 100mg for at night and I would only have to worry about the morning pill. What is the big deal about giving the regular 100mg tablet that I have no problem swallowing till I see him?

The main problem is the texture of the pill. They are small enough I would not need a pill cutter but I would do it if it was the 100mg pills and if the DR wanted me on a lower dose which I doubt because I am having no side affects and I know I am on the right dose then I would do it.
I know I am on the right dose because I did something I could never do before. Stand up for myself and tell somebody what bothers me about them and that was my family Dr the other day which I was crying about just 1 month earlier.

I called the telehealth line last night and they told me to go see a Dr. Today when I thought I was going to run out today instead of tomorrow. I swallow other pills without much of a problem just this one that gets me to a bad panicked attack.
The other night I slept only 90 minutes and I had to go to work. Then I saw my family Dr about this and my blood pressure was very high. It all comes down to my first brother's death. I have deal with it.

Thank for trying to help me.

Sue

 

[forgetmenot]

I hope your doctor was able to write a new scipt for you stating you to have 100mg tab only

I know when i cannot swallow pills which is most time i take them with yogourt coat them in it and the pills go downs without even knowing there are there

Take are of You ok never go cold turkey hun that is just way to hard to deal with side effects of that hugs

 

[suewatters1]

My family DR wouldn't not do it be it's a psychiatric medication and should be done by my psychiatrist who thinks I should 2 weeks of the 100mg pills for The night

 

[grapefruit968]

Can you contact your pdoc's office and see what suggestions the office staff has to contact your pdoc or help with this situation?

 

[forgetmenot]

Your doctor and pdoc should be working together to help you keep stable if one is not available then the other should know your history ect and be able to step in
I don't know i think all who are involved in your care should work as a team.
If your pdoc ordered 100mg pills then the pharmacist needs to follow through with that order

 

[suewatters1]

My Dr order 100 mg pills which would mean I would a least have some for at night but not the daytime one. But the Pharmacist talked to the DR and the information he got was I was to get 1 tablet once a day for 2 weeks because because 1 already had 1 tablet once a day at home. But the email I got from my DR says otherwise and I should another Pharmacist the email but she said no.
I tried telling that to my DR also but is not addressing that situation.
My Pharmacist has contacting him many time over this issue. But I wonder why my Family Dr would not do it. It would not be changing the dose or anything just the pill form. At least till I deal with my brother's death.
But I also find I look at all of my pills I take and I am so fed up taking them I think is not helping matters.


And I finally found the right medication and the right dose and I feel they are screwing this up for me

Thanks

Sue

---------- Post Merged at 02:47 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 12:51 PM ----------

I am on vacation till after Labour day. I can chose to the right think and have a great vacation and a good life or chose to do the wrong thing and have a bad vacation and let fear ruin my life.
My other brother died September 12th 1987. His 25th anniversary of his death is coming up. I am not sure how I will handle that on top of my first brother's death. It always bothered me that they died so young. I know when my first brother died I was 13 years old and for many years I wished it was me that had died instead of him.

Sue

---------- Post Merged at 08:52 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 12:51 PM ----------

Can anybody find me a link about going off lamotrigine? I found some sites but got conflicting answers.
I will go to the Hospital tomorrow to talk to a DR there and see what he can do for me but want to know in advance what to expect so I can make a better decision. For me I know the answer already I won't take them but I want to be prepared for the symptoms of withdrawal.

Sue

 

[suewatters1]

Re: Lamotrigine/ Update

Well today I went to the E.R to ask the DR if I could get enough of the Lamotrigine 100mg twice a day till I see my DR and she had no problem doing that. She gave me 11 days worth. I see my DR September 5th.

While I was waiting for my medication at the pharmacy I checked my blood pressure. They have a smart card now so I got one 2 weeks back I checked it. It was 157/103. Pretty high but I was under a lot of stress lately and I knew it might be higher but not this high. I have been having some problem with my blood pressure this year. It goes up high then goes down to normal. So I am doing the happy:dance3:.

Sue

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Thread split to http://forum.psychlinks.ca/prescrip...vs-lamictal-differences-and-side-effects.html