Lamotrigine/Lamictal

[alivenwell]

I have a question for ya'll...when you increased your dosing..did you notice any changes..headaches funny-headed, racing heart or anything? Last night I felt awful after I went to the increase in dosing. My heart was racing and I felt terrible..very restless. My head hurts this a.m. I am trying to discern if last night it was anxiety over increasing my dosage(which for me is totally possible because I really hate taking meds) or if is from the increase. I don't have a rash thank goodness. I just feel kind of crappy! Why can't it just be easy,Huh? I am trying to be open-minded because I know some people have opinions on meds and bad experiences..and there are side effects to every med.and it doesn't mean I will get them. Maybe I just need to balance out.

Thanks,
Michelle

Do you take it all at once or split up throughout the day? I split mine up in half - half of it at breakfast, and half of it in the evening.

[Georgiagirl88]

Well..I am still going onto the packet..so I took it as recommended and the 2 pills all at once. It is not a lg. dose as of yet, but I have such a migraine today. Maybe it's unrelated..

[alivenwell]

The migraine, from reading earlier posts, could be an after effect of a seizure or an actual seizure itself. Maybe if you take some Advil, that might help. That one's OK for me and doesn't seem to conflict with the meds.

Also, you might have a low blood sugar count or hunger. I need to eat something with this med (chocolate is my fix). Maybe something bland in your diet would help?

[Georgiagirl88]

That was my thought also.maybe I had a smaller seizure and didn't really realize it. I do get bad headaches typically afterwards. Last night I was having what I thought was a nightmare and suddenly screamed HELP at the top of my lungs and scared my husband half to death. I never do that. Rather odd. I will try the advil..that'll usually help me too. Tylenol does nothing for me. Thanks again!
Michelle

[alivenwell]

Wow, that's an incredible coincidence. One morning a few years ago, I also yelled in bed at the top of my lungs. It only happened once. I must have had a nightmare or something.

[RobinN]

This is a great site to see what is happening to others:

www.askapatient.com

[spinnymommy]

My doctor never reminds me to titrate. except when I first started. My med was raised 50 and then 100mg at a time. I forgot about titrating one of the 100mg increases. I got a horrible headache. If there was any other reaction, I wasn't very aware of it because of the headache. I have heard people call it the "Lamictal headache" You can also get it from going off it to quickly.

I keep my older smaller pills so that I can use them for titrating. I would hate to have to break up a pill, but if I had to I would. That stuff isn't good to increase too quickly.

[wvueers]

Three weeks ago the doctor added one more lamictal. I am up to six. It seems to me that it had slowed my responce when someone would ask me a question. Also felt drowsy. Dave

[sarahj]

as you move the glass to your lips, keep it under your tongue - no tastebuds! take it with juice - strong flavour, and dont do the back of throat thing cuz a) you might choke, and b) you can somehow even taste it at the back of your throat, which is a mystery to me why!

hope it helps xx

[spinnymommy]

Three weeks ago the doctor added one more lamictal. I am up to six. It seems to me that it had slowed my responce when someone would ask me a question. Also felt drowsy. Dave

Dave, you mentioned that Lamictal has seemed to slow your response time. My cognitive abilities are damaged by my brain injury (which caused my EP) however, this seems to be getting worse. The brain injury should not be making things get worse.

My neurologist told me he prescribed Lamictal because of all the anti-epileptic drugs, it seems to cause less of this type of problems than other ones. (at least that is what I think he said) ON the Lamictal page, it doesn't list cognitive problems as side effects.

Do any of you have side effects that affect your thinking? If the Lamictal is doing this to me, it didn't happen until I had been on the drug for a year or two. can side effects start after being on a drug for a while?