lamactil withdrawal symptons

I have a doctor who prescribed me Lamictal, when I was on last check up. Unfortunately, after a week and a half of taking it, I finished in the hospital. I had a rash on every inch of my body, and I had a temperature. Moreover, since I had to stop to Lamictal while in the hospital, I had many seizures as well. Can anyone tell me more about Lamictal withdrawal symptoms, because now I am not sure this is appropriate medicine for me?

I could share my experience with you, because Lamictal has not been great for me either. I started with Lamictal last July, ramping up slowly, and the only major side effects so far are loss of short time memory, dizziness, and dry mouth. I finally reached a dose that worked, at least for a while. After being on Lamictal for 6 weeks, and increasing weekly by 25mg, it went so far, until I spent the last two weeks on 100 mg. Then I realized I have the same problem, because a rash appeared. Although the rash stayed on my legs, I had spots beginning to appear on my arms and my stomach. Everything was beginning to itch, and I felt like my skin was so bad. My problem with the rash was bright red and just kept spreading. That is why, my doctor told me to go ahead and stop taking the Lamictal. What is interesting, she did not think I should have to back off slowly, so I guess there are no withdrawals symptoms. However, few days I was off the Lamictal, I am begun having problems with dry eyes, headache, fatigue, and dizzy all the time. I guess those were Lamictal withdrawal symptoms, but now everything passed.

lamictal withdrawel--yes, I have been going through and am thoroughly pissed that my neurologists aarnp ever started me on this. At the time of prescribing, she noted that I was on lyrica (for my fibromyalgia) and stated that the lyrica had so many bad side effects, she didn't know why anyone would want to go on it. Obviously she doesn't have a clue as to the side effects of lamictal. It was prescribed for ?bipolar 2. I really did notice a great difference in my thinking--things were so much clearer to me--no more periods of confusion,--etc.---it was a wonder drug.--after using the initial starter pack--gradually increasing doses--then on to 100 mg twice a day--I did well--for about a month on 100mg twice a day. Then I got a (rash)--more of a flush, over the lower arms and lower legs and had such itching that I was going crazy with it--used all sorts of anti-itching creams, benedryl by mouth etc. with no relief. I could see upon examination, that I had very tiny blisters--almost imperceptible, that were causing all this itching, and as I sctrached, it created sores, then my skin began peeling--all of this in a few days. I stopped the lamictal abruptly. After my 3rd missed dose, I was so "drunk"--unstable on feet, not able to think clearly--kept feeling like I was drunk--and then started hallicinating, which I had never experienced before in my life. The thing is that while I was hallicinating--I knew it--very scary. Well, I realised that no matter the scary skin condition, that could be fatal. I needed to wean myself off this drug, just like I had to move up gradually, I would have to come down gradually. I resumed with 75mg twice a day for 3 days, then 50 mg twice a day for 3 days, then 50mg a day for 3 days, then 50mg every other day for 3 days. All this time, I continued to have increasing skin problems--itching, sores, peeling skin---and TERRIBLE HEADACHES! I have now been totally off lamictal for one week, I have a constant headache. It's excruciating, it does not stop. I am very close to loosing my job due to my disorientation when I tried to stop "cold turkey" because I was so fearfull of my skin "rash". I still have an area which hasn't healed and seems to have deep tissue infection. I will never go back on this drug. Can anyone give me any advise as to how long this excruciating headache will last? If I thought it would never end, I would just shoot myself--it hurts that bad.[/b]

Seroquel and Lamictal have commonly been prescribed for a variety of mood disorders, however, the method the drug uses to work is unknown. Unknown?!! If I had known I'd be in this living hell I would have killed myself long ago. They are experimental and can kill you just by taking them and once they're in your bloodstream forget it. You are screwed. Expect living in a nightmare for a few months, then decide if life is still worth living. I hope you have it in you to do it and live free. We can do it. Don't fear it, just let it be, and pray. That did something for me. My thoughts are with you dear sufferer. Peace be upon you.

I have been on lamictal for a year now. It's for bipolar My dosage is 150 mg. twice a day. I only take 150 though, because I'm just really scared. I have to say that I actually feel better, my episodes before where considered rapid cycling. I still have episodes,but not as often. I can live with that.

In the past week I have tried to quit cold turkey. It didn't work, which brought me here to check out withdrawal symptoms. I just want to be able to manage it myself

It was pure hell. I could not function, I felt dizzy, drunk, no coordination, tired, my head felt lop-sided. IT truly was like being in a different world. I became so ill, I didn't even look like myself. I started feeling a manic episode coming on.

You may ask WHY, I would put myself through that? It's simple. It is totally scary to me to depend on something that you can't live without. What if sometime, for some reason I can't afford them, or simply can't get them???

I have resolved to ask my doctor to take me off of them after the holidays. At the risk of going into the hospital!! My doctor's office like to send you to a rehabilitation facility, without your consent if you even ask!!! Actually IT'S A MENTAL INSTITUTION!!There has to be something better then lamictal... Does anybody know of anything?

BTW I went back on it today....

Thanks for your time.

Lord, where do I begin.
Let's see, I am 28 years old and was prescribed Lamictal for Bipolar II.
Well, everything was fine, I ramped up to 200mg as I was supposed to.
I was on this for 8-10 months and I decided that I was on too many medications and Lamictal wasn't really helping that much anyhow, so I stopped taking it one day.
Well, on the third day with no Lamictal I began to feel really, really strange.
I have stopped taking Paxil and Lexapro before, so I expected the headaches and feeling crappy stuff. This was very different.
I was at one of our schools (I work for a school district) and I ended up wondering around the basement. I was down there to get something, but then I was just, lost or someting. I had no idea where I was or what I was supposed to be doing or anything!
I ended up having a Dr. appointment right after that and I drove to the office (I really should not have) and got lost at least twice.
I go to this office once a week at least and it is less that a few miles away from where I was. I just suddenly had no idea what I was doing again.
I kept thinking I was in Tennessee for some reason! (I live in Indiana)
At the Dr's office, I started to lose the ability to focus. I couldn't really control my movements very well and it was getting worse and worse.
Anyway, I ended up going to the hospital, and they ran all of these tests on me. I forgot that I was not taking the med anymore until later that night. The next morning, they gave me all my meds, including the Lamictal, and suddenly I was fine again!
Oh god!
Are you kidding me?
Then, two weeks after that I starting noticing all of this itching.
I though I was perhaps allergic to something.
All of these tiny bumps, almost like braille starting appearing on my groin, ankles, feet, and forearms. The Dr. gave me all of this stuff, creams, anti-biotics, anti-fungal meds....
Nothing.
I went to the specialist and he said that it was Pityoriosis Rosia?
A mystery virus you get for no reason.
Months later, it is still there, barely, but it is.
Could this just be from stopping Lamictal suddenly and re-starting it?
I don't really even want to be on this anymore.
I missed ONE dose and I felt like I was going crazy after about 30 some hours since the last dose? Has anyone else experienced that?
Thanks,
Jay

I went through Lamictal withdrawal so severe I had a tonic-clonic seizure that almost killed me. Be careful when attempting to go off of this medication.

I'm trying to find a recommended plan for going off lamictal. My constitution is very good, and I can usually tolerate a rapid reduction in drugs. However, I have never gone off Lamictal, and am worried since the withdrawal symptoms seem to be worse than most other drugs?

Can anyone recommend to me? I'll talk with my psychiatrist, but at this point I really don't trust them. I'm thinking of cutting bak to half - 100mg immediately for maybe a week or two, then 75 mg and see how I react.

At 200mg I'm finding the side-effects of Lamictal too intolerable. My hair loss, sexual dysfunction (ED) and lack of concentration threatening my job performance, it's time to get off this crap. Doctors are horrible at masnaaging lamictal. All they want to know is how my depression and BP2 are feeling, and never ask about the side effects. They are convinced that the side effects are trivial compared to the benefits. And over time this can change drastically as in my case.

Ironically the symptoms of hair loss and sexual dysfunction are causing more stress and depression than the drug is preventing. So it's time to get off the drug.

I wonder about another strategy and wonder if anyone has been recommended this. To cut back to a half or third of the dose and keep some minimal (non-therapeutic) level in my blood, and then I can quickly increase blood levels if/when symptoms of BP2/depression reappear? I think lamictal is very fast-acting compared to other anti-depressants, and think this might work. I hate to self prescribe myself, but I fear that doctors are trained by the drug companies - where else would they get post-graduation training? I resent that the medical profession relies on the pharmaceutical companies for "objective" information on drug side-effects, training, and alternative dosing strategies.

In retrospect, I think I need to be much more inquisitive with my doctor, take responsibility and make them respond to my concerns about negative side-effects of the drugs. I can't blame my doctor alone.

Xana wrote:

I have been on lamictal for a year now. It's for bipolar My dosage is 150 mg. twice a day. I only take 150 though, because I'm just really scared. I have to say that I actually feel better, my episodes before where considered rapid cycling. I still have episodes,but not as often. I can live with that. In the past week I have tried to quit cold turkey. It didn't work, which brought me here to check out withdrawal symptoms. I just want to be able to manage it myself It was pure hell. I could not function, I felt dizzy, drunk, no coordination, tired, my head felt lop-sided. IT truly was like being in a different world. I became so ill, I didn't even look like myself. I started feeling a manic episode coming on. You may ask WHY, I would put myself through that? It's simple. It is totally scary to me to depend on something that you can't live without. What if sometime, for some reason I can't afford them, or simply can't get them??? I have resolved to ask my doctor to take me off of them after the holidays. At the risk of going into the hospital!! My doctor's office like to send you to a rehabilitation facility, without your consent if you even ask!!! Actually IT'S A MENTAL INSTITUTION!!There has to be something better then lamictal... Does anybody know of anything? BTW I went back on it today.... Thanks for your time.

Hi, I have been taking Lamictal for a year now. This is just one of the many drugs that I have taken for Bi-Polar Disorder. Over a fifteen year span I have suffered many withdrawal symptoms from various drugs. This mainly is part of the Disorder. There is something about taking Medications and knowing that they "control you". Unfortunately, this particualar disorder is very sneaky and will convince a person to believe that medication is not the answer and that they have perfect control of their lives. A couple of weeks ago I got on that wagon, just as I have many times previous, thinking I don't need to take Lamictal or any other mood stabilizer's. See, the very reason we take Medication's can be the culprut that gets us into trouble. Instead of discussing this with my Dr. I decided to "cut back" on my Lamictal. Yesterday, the headache from hell hit. If you haven't experienced one of these you could never understand the level of pain that is involved. I have a history of Miagraines and so it is hard to know why exactly it is happening. Is my Lamictal level so low that these headaches are beginning or is it just withdrawals. My mood's have been all over the place. I can't stand that feeling anymore and I know when I am headed for trouble and I mean big trouble. Sure, a person will definately have anxiety, depression, racing thoughts and the feeling of standing on the edge of suicide when they decide to stop taking the medication. Another thing that could happen is seizures. All of the withdrawal symptoms I am listing are the symptoms of the reason we are taking the medication in the first place. I think sometimes we just need to ask ourselves if all that is worth it if the medication is helping. Why break something if it is working. Most all medications have side effects and alot of times those do subside in time. However, their are those who really can't tolerate the medication and need an alternative. I speak out of experience and I know how we can complicate things when it comes to medications. I don't think there is any drug out there that can make us 100% better without the side effects or the withdrawals from discontinued use. When I start to feel that I need to stop taking my medication's because I just want to feel "normal", I stop and think that I am very lucky to have something to help me cope with life much better. There are those in this world that are not that lucky!

I just wanted to say that yes, we were put on the lamictal as a mood stabilizer or for seizures. But! the withdrawl symptoms are nothing like what it felt like before taking lamictal. I wasn't psychotic, nauseaus, I didn't have seizures, anorexia, didn't feel like I was in outer space, didn't have a 'tong' headache. Before the lamictal I was simply very moody.

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