What is Lamictal again?

[Guest]

So after about 2 years being on Lithium, my doctor suggested to try Lamictal, since on Lithium I had many aggressive outburst on friends and would just rage, and the next day I would be the kindest person on Earth. So we could agree, that my Bipolar wasn't really doing its job anymore, so here comes Lamictal...200mg/day.

But after reading about it, I was confused... So what is it really? It says:

"

Lamictal (lamotrigine) is an anti-epileptic medication, also called an anticonvulsant.

Lamictal is used either alone or in combination with other medications to treat epileptic seizures in adults and children. Lamotrigine is also used to delay mood episodes in adults with bipolar disorder (manic depression)."

So far my mood swings are much better under control, especially compared to Lithium. I didn't even mind the regular blood tests, and such. However: My libido is completely gone, I get minor skin rashes if I stay out in the sun for more that 30 minutes. It has caused my suicidal thoughts. And I've never had any seizures or black-outs in my life {unless when it was Xanax WDs-ininduced). Also I often have double-vision, and weakness, and disorientation, 

I think I'm taking way too much for the 150mg Effexor, so there's something I need to talk to my doctor about. Lamictal should keep the manic episodes in check, but it does so strongly now, that it does the opposite, it totally nullify the Effexor's effect, and kicking me back to depression. The "can't-get-out-of-the-bed" kind. And on the warning label it's kind of odd, that that they barely mention stuff about Bipolar treatment with it. If you're on the same regimen or combo as I am, please share your experience!

So 200mg of Lamictal and 150 Effexor, and I'm depressed...?

 

[Smoka90]

I've read that Lamictal tends to be more effective at treating the depressive side of bipolar, so it sounds strange that you're still suffering from that...did your dr put you straight in at 200mg or taper you up gradually? I'm currently being weaned up on Lamictal (100mg daily eventually), but that's for epilepsy. Also, how long have you been on it? Sometimes it can take ages to adapt to a new medication...

The medication I'm being weaned down from is carbamazepine, because for one I still get mild epileptic episodes with it, but mainly, the constant tiredness. I can sleep for 9-10 hours and still feel like a zombie all day, every day. It got too much. But some people are fine with it. That is also used to treat bipolar, so if Lamictal doesn't work out for you, there are other options...

Also, I don't often talk about libido sort of stuff, but I think the Effexor on its own would really damage it, maybe the Lamictal just tipped it over the edge... but SSRIs/SNRIs are just so notorious for killing libido...

 

[Guest]

I've read that Lamictal tends to be more effective at treating the depressive side of bipolar, so it sounds strange that you're still suffering from that...did your dr put you straight in at 200mg or taper you up gradually? I'm currently being weaned up on Lamictal (100mg daily eventually), but that's for epilepsy. Also, how long have you been on it? Sometimes it can take ages to adapt to a new medication...

The medication I'm being weaned down from is carbamazepine, because for one I still get mild epileptic episodes with it, but mainly, the constant tiredness. I can sleep for 9-10 hours and still feel like a zombie all day, every day. It got too much. But some people are fine with it. That is also used to treat bipolar, so if Lamictal doesn't work out for you, there are other options...

Also, I don't often talk about libido sort of stuff, but I think the Effexor on its own would really damage it, maybe the Lamictal just tipped it over the edge... but SSRIs/SNRIs are just so notorious for killing libido...

That's exactly how it happened, gradually increased from 25 to 200, raising 25mg/week. When I told him about the libido thing, he told me to decrease the Effexor from 200 to 150, it's a bit better, but still not myself. And I'm a second-year RN student, I really don't care about saying stuff, if I remember I even opened a thread about Effexor or constipation too, haha. That might have been on another forum, but it's not a big deal, we're human. This Lamictal just seems so "broad-spectrum", it takes care of epilepsy, depression, bipolar, an anticolvusant too... I don't know. So all in all, I've been on them for about 3-4 months now. I have days, when my girlfriend has to put up a barbed wire around her, I'm so horny, but other days, I'd rather watch Cosmos

 

[Smoka90]

To be honest, I'm a bit obsessed with constipation. Well, I've had IBS for at least 10 years and now I suspect I have some sort of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (because life is that good..!), so I'd be curious to know how you think Lamictal has effected you in that, er...'department'. For me, best cure for constipation is magnesium citrate, flaxseed, oatbran and figs. Sometimes even with all that I can't poo, maybe because of op!@tes. But when I do go it can be grim. Grand...

I'm way too awkward to discuss libido, haha. To be honest, half the time I don't need it (reasons I won't go into..), but I want to avoid SSRIs because of their effects...

 

[Guest]

@Smoka90

Yeah, I think the Lamictal and Effexor combo cause the problem in the bathroom, I use milk of magnesia, which helps a lot, and if it's really bad, I keep some Glycerin suppositories in the fridge, that does that job in about 15-20 minutes, but obviously it's not pleasant. 

The libido problem actually to really a libido problem, I have no problem instigate sex with my beautiful girl, but what sometimes happens is, midway into action, the flag goes halfway down the pole, and I just can't pull it all the way again. It's frustrating as fuck, especially because my girl starting to blame herself, that I go down, because "she's fat" or "not attractive anymore", which are both bullshit, she is perfect. Obviously I can't be objective here, but she really is a 9/10.

Anyway, I'm trying to remedy this problem with Ciialis, until my brain adjusts to all the shit I have to take and had to raise it to the maximum working dose...

Hopefully I won't have to suffer too much longer.

Hey man, never be ashamed of any problems, it's not your fault. Being shy about your libido is like being shy because you lost an eye, because of a hunting accident, or something. We're human beings, and our genetics, our "engine" is a super weird and fascinating thing. 

ps: Thanks for the tips for the the constipation problem, I've seen many members mentioning figs, and watermelon, I pick some up from the store tomorrow@

Heads up, it always gets worse before it gets better

 

[Smoka90]

@Jackie Chiles I'd personally be cautious about going near Cialis and that sort of drug. Have you tried any natural remedies? I think they all work differently for different people; they work for some, not for others. So there's things like Maca, tribulus and tongkat ali that *some* people swear by. It just might be worth considering, plus I'd imagine they're safe to take in the longer term. I'm quite into my ethnobotany, so I'm interested in a lot of uses that plants have.

Phenibut helps some people as well, but that has massive issues with tolerance and dependance, so it would have to be a once a week thing.

I'm definitely getting more 'open' as times goes on. I mean, before I met my girlfriend two years ago, I'd just been on my own my whole life, so saw any physical intimacy as animalistic and shameful, probably just to make me feel better. So even though it still has a feeling of shame around it, I now know that it's an expression of love, and that's not a bad thing.

Anyway, back to figs, haha, don't have too many! I really like the fully dried type, but they're hard to find and expensive, so most places just sell the 'partially rehydrated' figs, not as nice, but they get the job done!

 

[Guest]

@Smoka90

Actually I just remembered that I have generic Viagra. So far I've  only used once, and it worked great. I only ordered a blister pack (10 pills), because I don't want to use it longterm of course, only while my brain cooperates with me. It's been only 2 months, since I've reached the maximum dose, so it needs time to adjust.

My girl is very understanding, especially that we're working on having a kid, she knows I've been under a lot of stress lately, but I don't want to bore you with the details, private matter, family stuff. And when I'm stressed out, sex is the last thing that comes to mind.

Viagra doesn't really increase my libido, but it certainly won't "let me down" for 3-4 hours  Plus I'm relatively young I'll be 33 in October, So for a another 20-25 years, I should be good without the blue pills. 

Yeah, I got some figs, it's pretty cheap here on the market, home-grown and everything, they also sell watermelon too. I'm only getting ugly chemicals from Earthfare (it's like a hippie, everything-super-organic supermarket - in case you don't have it in the UK.

And yes, when I was on Tramadol for a few months for a stupid car accident, I had the worst constipations for a fucking week or more, plus I had a terrible withdrawal they forgot to mention, when they sent me home with 3 month's worth of 50mg Trams. That somehow makes it harder to urinate too, hahaha.

I don't know what people really like in opioids, I've been on Percs, Vicodin, Oxicodine and Oxycontin, even Dilaudid in my the decades on this Earth, and of course as an idiot teenager, or youngster in my 20s, I experimented with all of them, but all I achieved is, I was itching like a mothafucka, and was nauseous, the big hyped euphoria never came. Probably its's even better this way. Actually I've never experienced a clean euphoria since my first panic attack, 16 years ago, the doc came out for a house call (universal healthcare  ), because there's no way I was going anywhere, when I was "dying". So he brought his little bag with the goods in it, pulled out an amp of  Seduxen (Hungarian diazepam brand, pretty good!) " And bammm, seduxen landed on my right cheek, and 30 seconds later I was smiling and felt like I was floating, and having sex and falling in love, and get a dream job  all at once. If you're never experienced it, it's hard to describe, but I'm sure you have

Aight, I already wrote a novella in this thread, be careful guys, have a nice day a go fuck yourself San Diego!

 

[Smoka90]

I guess if Viagra works for you then it's fair enough to use sensibly... just one of those things (along with psychedelics and dissociatives) that I don't think I'll ever go near...

I shouldn't have any issues since I'm only in my mid-20s, but my physiology and mind are both well and truly aged and decaying. Yaaay!

And yeah, you're definitely very, very lucky to not see the appeal of op!@tes. My first time on them, I was careless and took a stupid amount, got very ill for a couple of days. Then I just did it again and, wow...just warmth, blissful apathy...that feeling's been and gone, haha. Then because I didn't really care about the future, I just took them daily. These days the closest thing I get to that old euphoria is actually nitr@zapam. Have you ever tried it? The wonderful, happy calm that comes over me is wonderful. I only take it once or maybe twice a week, so hopefully it won't go anywhere any time soon. I've never had injected stuff, though. I know with me, it would just lead down a very bad road. I'm tempted, but I've been taking what I do for all this time, I know I can remain this way without trying more dangerous ways of taking them...

 

[Guest]

@Smoka90

I ordered a sample pack of Nitrazepam, only 10 pill. To me it was everything, but euphoric.. took it,and kkkk me big time, but while I was waiting to kick in, I feel relaxed, but nothing more that would top a Pfizer purple football does during "warmup". Unfortunately it made me me very nauseous in the morning, so I had decided to drop it forever.

About Psychedelic drugs... There's no way I'd go near any psych drug , given my family's mental history....

From Paranoid Schizophrenia, go alcoholism,  depression...so no thanks, I don't need that one fingertip-push down the cliff.

About the Viagra. It's not the first or second, or third time thet I've put SSRIs and SSRIs. Downstairs always worried itself out

 

[Smoka90]

@Jackie Chiles It's a shame nitr@z didn't work for you. I'm honestly in love with it. To be honest, I'm sort of on it right now...eep...just so blissful. But then again, you'll probably get loads from a bnzo that I don't, so it's no loss for you I guess. Like with x@n@x that I tried...it was just depressive and empty...Di@z makes me quite irritable and is too subtle...apart from nitr@z, et!zolam is my favourite. Ever tried that? It's obscure but is prescribed in many countries, the best brands being Towa from Japan (never tried, but reputation is enormous), and etizest from India. Love it. =)

I'm the same, with the mental issues stopping me from using psychedelics. One time I stupidly took a synthetic cannbinoid (I was young, knew no better..) and it felt very dissociative. In fact, it was hell. I saw myself from the corner of my room. Out of body experience, and I thought I'd died. Still remember it, and it was nearly 10 years ago now. No thanks! =p

Even the forbidden green herb, I've had to take huge breaks from that because the very mild psychedelic effects are often too much. Maybe I'm just a wimp.

P.S. I love our conversations here, you're cool to talk to. =)

 

[Guest]

 No, I've never got to tried etizolam, to be honest I'm kinda through with experimenting. The only reason I "experimented" with Ativan a few weeks ago (and I'm staying on it now), because I just couldn't believe that Ativan is a big pile of shit in the US. I've been prescribed to it numerous times and it was like when the breeze moves a single leaf on a tree, while I wan waiting for a big fucking tornado. Not even the IV Ativan was that good, IV Diazepam kicked its ass, and rolled it down the cliff, packed in to grandma's old rug. So I ordered some from my main vendor from the Balkans, and the 2.5mg Ativan is not just beautiful, it's a joy to touch with its light coating, (but unfortunately there was no hole in it, hehe).  So it's a super medication, very underrated, unfortunately the modern Western World only makes 2.0 mg max, and terrible quality. My insurance doesn't cover brands, or if my doctor sent them a letter, that I HAVE TO take brand, they would jack up my premium and deductible so bad, I would have to drop it, and sign up for Obama care, But this "brandiess" light blue 2.5mg pill is absolutely the best fitting benzo that fits and takes care of my kind of anxiety problem, when it happens, and it's the best for sleep.  

So, I've thought about maybe trying 'shrooms, but I backed out, because I didn't want to become a drooling idiot for the rest of my life...Same with acid, and the other psychoactive shit. Oh boy, I can't even  smoke weed without freaking out, let alone those psych-active shit.  IMHO anybody who touches hardcore psychedelic drug and taking any kind of anti-depressants, (SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, Tricyclic)...etc, is an idiot

ps: Right back at ya!

 

[Kalsima]

@Jackie ChilesI feel for you and your partner. Being a woman I can relate to your girl. My husband was on opiates, pills, heroin, then methadone. It was a huge factor in the destruction of our marriage. It would me months to a year if we had sex because he could not stay hard. And just like your girl I blamed it on myself. I thought he just wasn't attracted to me and it began to really hurt my self esteem. I also suffer from depression and ptsd from a rape. @Smoka90 I also used Phenibut at the suggestion of my therapist. It's not FDA approved and I only used it for less than 2 months because it's not recommended but it helped me a lot with anxiety and PTSD. And one more thing @Smoka90I absolutely think you are one of the most kind caring people I know. I saw this thread and was shocked to see you were the only one that show kindness by responding! Love you dude! @Jackie Chiles I'm so happy for you that the meds are working out. We are all three from alcoholic parents, my mom smokas dad, it is a wise choice not to try any psychedelic drugs. I'm so happy your thread hit me hard cause I understand how she felt. And I understand your problem too. Also whenever I'm on opiates I always am constipated, my husband said we saved money on toilet paper. I would go for a week without pooping and whenever I do go they are little pellets, so I join the constipation problem also!

 

[Guest]

@Heavenlee

Thank you for sharing your experiences about such intimate details. If you think about it, when the male partner happens to be in that place, that suddenly no matter how much we try, it just won't stay up....now that totally destroy our self-esteem. I understand that you blame yourself too, but you must understand it's not you.

It could be anybody in the bed with me, from Scarlett Johansson to Victoria Beckham, my dick would still go down...

But good news is, I think I'm adapting to the high dose bipolar meds right on schedule, and I'm ready to throw away the blue pills.  To me and her it was very important that I was honest, when she asked me "you're not really into it today, huh?", and I didn't come up with excuses an said "no". Even though I instigated the sex that occasion. I plain and simple told her "I need you to understand and to know, this has absolutely nothing to do with you, it's all me, and I'm fixing the problem". I took a few good weeks, until I had take a helper, but not anymore.

Well about taking away your toilet paper, there's always the sink... I'm not saying that I shit in the sink everyday, but there are times when I "Ohh fuck, I know what I forgot to buy at store!!" while I already on the third step.

My whole family is/was hardcore alcoholic, my father and his mom (my grandmother), my mom is the exception, but her brothers and parents all died of schizophrenia and the  alcohol complications. My other grandfather committed suicide with a help of 1km long freight train and a few liters of red wine. Learning from all this, I have decided years ago, that I was going to stay away from alcohol altogether, to not to lose my mind and end up like them. Fighting my bipolar every day is bad enough, I don't need a side of alcoholism and paranoid schizophrenia too.

 

[Smoka90]

@Jackie Chiles I'm really sorry to hear about your grand father... I really am. God, bloody alcohol, it just wrecks lives. It's a sad fact that all three of us can relate to it, it just shows you how common it is... I'm annoyed that I have to walk past lots of bottles of cider and vodka while shopping. It's a pretty rough, constant temptation. I'm afraid one day I'll give in again, but it's been two years, and...from seeing my dad, this sounds awful, but I don't want to let that happen to me...

And if at!van works for you, I guess there's no need to try anything else. I think dosage and half life wise, at!van and et!zolam are very similar anyway... And I'm glad to hear you're adapting to the new bipolar med too, very good to hear you're ready to get rid of the blue pills. =) Ah, one thing I didn't mention was Picamilon. It's quite a mild anti anxiety substance developed in Russia (like phenibut). It's Niacin fused to GABA so it can cross the blood brain barrier. But Niacin is a vasodilator, so it might help you, er...boing (sorry, crap at talking about it). The GABA may also help anxiety surrounding ED a bit.

@HeavenLee (the tag thing wasn't working) Thank you so much for the kind words! =) I'm pretty humbled, but you're such a nice person as well, don't forget that! Erm... I'm really sorry to hear about your PTSD and what caused it... someone close to me has similar things, and it breaks my heart. I can't think about it. Just very sorry...

 

[Kalsima]

@Jackie Chilesthank you for responding I'm so sorry I'm late to get back to you ( I had a little relapse, actually two that got my head totally out of whack) but you're kind words really helped me learn a lot through a mans point of view. I feel horrible for not responding earlier. It's so strange but I never messed with cocaine until very late in life, I have always been into opiates and Benzos then my neighbor introduced me to it, what a good friend looking back that he knew I had substance abuse problems and still introduced me to such a horrible drug that causes instant psychosis! Now my sanity has returned and I can't agree with you more that being honest is always the best way to handle any problem. I think I already had a low self esteem from my alcoholic mother who also has mental issues. She's manic depressive where I'm more bipolar. Every different Doctor I see seems to give me a different diagnoses. I just wish I could stick with one medication that seems to work instead of myself stopping or a doctor changing it. 

        I'm so sorry to hear about your grandfather. That's a horrible sad story and happy to hear you are making sure you don't follow in his footsteps. I watched both my moms parents slowly commit suicide by literally drinking themselves to death and dying from alcohol related deaths in their 50's and can't even count my mothers endless attempts at suicide in front of us kids where she was on life support three different times. It wasn't that she didn't try, she was lucky enough to do it in from us so we could call 911. I look at my child and couldn't imagine doing the things my mother did to us to him. Me and my sister have battle scars from her drinking, broken bones and stitches so I definately keep my distance from alcohol I could never imagine hurting my son the way she did to me and my sister. I know it's a disease but I still struggle after all these years with the damage she's done to me and my sister. My older sister is so wounded she can't make it through the day without a six pack and a couple of shots of petron, but at least she is a functional alcoholic. She is a divisional manager of Eli Lily Pharmacuetical company so she does it but struggles. Alcohol is so barbaric I hate it!

         Sorry I didn't mean to takeover the conversation and talk about myself. I just relate so much to the struggles that me, you and @Smoka90 have had to overcome and still deal with. I don't really know if I would have become a heroin addict if it was because of her or not. But it certainly didn't help. I became very self reserved and shy from my mothers abuse and the only relief I found was from heroin.

         I'm very happy to hear things are working out for you and your girl. Both you and @Smoka90 seem to have found definate keepers in my book you are both so lucky to have found beautiful caring and understanding woman!

        One more thing @Smoka90 the last time I ever spoke to my mom was 15 years ago when I was raped. I was in ICU I was stabbed and my bowel was perforated and I had periotinis and the doctors gave me a 20% chance of making it. The first thing she said when I awoke from surgery was that I deserved it being downtown copping dope in a bad neighborhood. My sister knocked her out cold with one punch and she hit the floor with a cut that required stitches and a concussion. I couldn't be happier! Love you guys!

 

[Guest]

@Heavenlee

It's very good to see you in one piece... I'm sorry about your relapses, but  never punish yourself for them, they happen. Always look forward, it's not the end! Actually about 90% of recovering addicts relapse at least once. So chin up! It's weird what you said, because Manic Depression and Bipolar Depression is one and the same. It sounds like to me that you're more Bipolar Type 1 and your sister is like me, Type 2.

Yes, alcohol is the biggest destroyers of all and hate it with everything I got, I would erase that shit from the face of the Earth.

I'm happy that you didn't succeed 15 years ago, the universe would be less without you. Please take care of yourself, and you can always reach me here late afternoon US EST. I usually work 8-8 in the hospital. 

Here you'll always have a friend and someone to talk to, people like us.

Love you too <3  Never give up, because you're worth more than you think.

 

[Smoka90]

@Heavenlee I'd definitely echo the words @Jackie Chiles said. The world certainly is a brighter place with you around, and relapses do just happen. To be honest, I think relapses are part of the process of giving something up. Like I said earlier I think, that shame surrounding it is important in stopping you doing it again. I think with alcohol I've relapsed at least twice. It was sort of two years on, one year off. It would just take some sort of stress and I'd go and get a bottle of vodka and go to sleep numb. But it's been two years now, and when you know that you've beaten that cycle it's a really nice feeling. I mean, I still have a long way to go. There's so many monkeys on my back I could charge people to see it since it's pretty much a bloody zoo. But I guess things take time...

@Heavenlee It's a horrible story you told from 15 years ago... I'm useless in these situations, I never know what to say. I'm just sorry, and if you ever want to talk you can give me a shout. That sort of thing has never effected me directly, but it has indirectly. I'm sorry I can't elaborate any more on that, but...yeah... I just want to reek bloody revenge on all the scum out there that treat women like dirt. It makes me livid to think that they're still walking the earth living their lives. I get filled with rage when I think of it. Sorry, probably not helping...

Ah, but yeah, I shouldn't be too negative since the outlook looks good for all of us. =) Having this platform to talk to each other is a big help for us all, I'm sure. =)

 

[Guest]

@Heavenlee

Absolutely, if you ever want to just chat about the weather, or cooking or Justin Bieber or whatever - to take your mind off something bad, PM me anytime! I've been there, and sometimes I still am. You've been through a lot, but you stood up and you're going strong, and you'll be even stronger in a few months and the world can go fuck itself. 

Seem like @Smoka90, you and myself pretty much own this thread now, so I guess we'll be here as well

Remember, you don't have satisfy anybody in the world, you need to satisfy yourself and aim for happiness. Don't be the girl who was ashamed, because her husband's problems took her self-esteem. Don't be my ex-girlfiend who since took off and instead of supporting me during hardship, she left me in shame, when my blue pills arrived 2 days after she had left, a had never felt more pathetic in my goddamn life... But lesson learned, there are plenty of people, females out there in the world, who I know would be dying to be with me, and that's it.

 

[bud]

Of course everyone processes meds differently to an extent.

My first reaction was, wow 200 mg of lamictal is a lot.

I take 25 mg, but I'm a slow metabolizer and meds linger in my system a very, very long time.

I've found lamictal to be good with bipolar depression and also PAWS symptoms.