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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Basia on December 22, 2003, at 9:42:40
Hi,
I have recently upped my dose of Lamictal to 50 mg for the next two weeks and am suffering immense irritability, anxiety and panic, increased heart-rate, grinding teeth and an unbearable 'knotted' stomach. Has anyone else had this and does it fade? It seems to get like this about two hours after taking the pills and then after four hours I calm down. VEry exhausting!
But better than anguish and paralysis of depression strangely enough...
Am taking Sulpiride and Tegretol REtard for Bipolar with psychotic elements and HPPD.
Thanks so much for any advice/help!
Posted by lepus on December 22, 2003, at 15:06:53
In reply to Lamictal causing hyper-anxious irritability ?, posted by Basia on December 22, 2003, at 9:42:40
I experienced an increase in anxiety and irritabilty on Lamictal. Frankly, I think it made me manic. For me it did not go away and I quit taking it.
Hopefully, someone else will be able to give you some better information. I have heard that the symptoms you describe may lessen as you get used to the drug (and exacerbate when you up the dosage but then calm down again) but I just couldn't handle it.
Posted by Tony P on December 22, 2003, at 15:17:02
In reply to Lamictal causing hyper-anxious irritability ?, posted by Basia on December 22, 2003, at 9:42:40
-- I am cross-posting this to two threads as it seems to go with both --
I am on Lamictal as a trial for BP2 or 3. Just got up to 100 mg/day 4 days ago, which sounds like the start of the effective range for most people for the depressive side of things, judging by postings here.
The couple of weeks I was on 50 mg/day, I noticed an edginess, sort of borderline anxiety plus anger. Complicated by having to go off the Serzone I had been on for a long time --- my main A/D, I've gone from 500 mg/day down to 0 over the last 3 weeks.
Today I am a mess. I called in sick to work. Mixed anxiety and depression, nausea, I couldn't get up the energy/decision making to take a shower, let alone get in to work; borderline suicidal -- which is unusual for me, I usually just retreat and isolate when my depression is severe.
30 mg Valium helped a lot - or I wouldn't even be posting here! But I'm supposed to only take 10 mg a day. I have an appointment this aft. to see my MD, and I see my pdoc in about a week. I'm having trouble imagining hanging on that long feeling like this. i hope my MD will prescribe a short-term benzo, but he is very reluctant to.
Any help/experience out there?? is this part of the early side-effect profile of Lamictal, i.e. will it get better if I hang on? I am feeling desperate today - like nothing really works, even huge doses of OTC muscle relaxants, which used to at least numb me out.
Tony P
> Hi,
> I have recently upped my dose of Lamictal to 50 mg for the next two weeks and am suffering immense irritability, anxiety and panic, increased heart-rate, grinding teeth and an unbearable 'knotted' stomach. Has anyone else had this and does it fade? It seems to get like this about two hours after taking the pills and then after four hours I calm down. VEry exhausting!
> But better than anguish and paralysis of depression strangely enough...
> Am taking Sulpiride and Tegretol REtard for Bipolar with psychotic elements and HPPD.
> Thanks so much for any advice/help!
>
>
Posted by Casey P. Thompson on December 23, 2003, at 19:16:42
In reply to Re: Lamictal causing hyper-anxious irritability ?, posted by Tony P on December 22, 2003, at 15:17:02
I just started the "Trial Version" of Lamictal a week ago.
Doing the whole-- 1 25mg every two days then on the 3rd week- take 1 25mg every day--
then double the dose to 50mg a day by the 5th week.Ive been having problems with anger and being irritable and annoyed by the smallest things.
Ive been on Prozac, Paxil (the evil drug), Zoloft, Depakote, Lexapro, and now Im trying the Lamictal. My psych- is going to put me on Effexor in 2 weeks.
Im so TIRED of trying all these meds...
Im bipolar-
But all these meds seem to make me more irritable.The anger itself--- is wearing me out.
Also, I tend to be borderline suicidal..
Which for me means..
I think about it... then it wears off.I hope to GOD this Lamictal works..
Im so exhausted.
Posted by Basia on December 24, 2003, at 4:12:49
In reply to Re: Lamictal causing hyper-anxious irritability ?, posted by Tony P on December 22, 2003, at 15:17:02
Hi, thanks for all the replies!
if it's any consolation the side effects seem to be wearing off - i am less irritable but having real sleep problems. At the same time, i have been waking on and off throughout the night for three years, most likely due to taking Sulpiride 800mg per night. I am hoping to change to Geodon in the New Year.
I reckon it's worth waiting for the effects of Lamictal to kick in. Am less depressed - not obsessed by suicidal thoughts.
I found Lorazepam (Ativan) helps with the anxiety but have only taken it once or twice. The edginess seems to have worn off though and I am feeling more mellow and benign on the Lamictal.
Hopefully I'll stay this way!
Good luck to you all. God knows being a pharmaceutical guinea-pig is a major pain..B
This is the end of the thread.
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