rapid lamictal discontinuation

[seven]

Hi,

I was taking 250mg Lamictal and 100mg Seroquel. But I got pregnant so, I'm going off the meds. So, my pdoc had me jump straight to zero seroquel and 100 lamictal.

Do you think this is safe? Now day 2, emotionally I feel fine but physically I feel bad, my arms feel twitchy and I feel like I can't rest. (I'm also itchy, which you'd expect going up but not down!) But, I'm ok with grinning and bearing it as long as I don't get a seizure. Are these physical withdrawal symptoms normal? And how long do you think before they go away?

Thanks for your thoughts,

7

[Loon-A-TiK]

obviously, the choice to stay on your meds or not is a private one between you and your doctors. no one can tell you what to do there.

however, do your research on lamictal before you pull it. there has been a long, ongoing registry on the health of babies/toddlers born to mothers who took lamictal during pregnancy. the results have been so good that the makers of lamictal applied to the FDA for a catergory B rating, the same as prenatal vitamins, as a safety rating. that's just an application, but if you look at the results of the registry, you'll see that it could be worth the risk.

you're considering what is best for you as well as your unborn. your moods are his/her moods. everything in your body is in his/her body. there is obviously so much to consider.

i'd call around and consult with a pdoc who has had multiple pregnant women on lamictal. some pdocs haven't and may not know about all the info there is. sound professional advice is really going to help you.

good luck! i know your baby will be born strong and healthy, no matter what course of action you take.

oh, and you asked about rapid discontinuation of lamictal. it puts you at a higher risk of seizures, but doesn't mean you'll have one. i'd personally ask the pdoc about going slower, since lamictal is less hazardous to the fetus than a seizure.

[mejeba]

Hi Seven,

congrats on the babe, and I agree that you should find out from other pdocs or knowlegable people on the pros and cons of rapid disontinuation of Lamictal while pregnant.

If this is any help, I jumped down from 400 mg Lamictal to 250 cold turkey, on pdoc's reccomendation. I had no side effects except that the problems from the higher dose went away. Of course I was not pregnant, so this may be a moot point.

all the best to you,

trix

[seven]

Loon and Apterix, thanks very much for your replies and good wishes. The results thus far for the lamictal registry really help ease my concerns...maybe i'll hold at 100 lamictal.

[crazynotstupid]

At the beginning of preganancy, I 9though not a doctor) wouldn't be too concerned about a fast taper. However I (not a doctor) also wouldn't be concerned about a fast drop--i mean, you're still on it, and at a decent dose. It's not like BOOM, 250-0. (I did 200-0 once, and came out fine. But that's just me, and I had a tube down my throat--kids don't try that at home! Plus I had like four doctors watching me.) Certainly, if you like, consult your doc about the symptoms. Don't ask if they're normal or ow long it'll be before they'll go away; you, my dear, are (I hope) a rather unique case around here. I would hope they won't last long--I should think not, probably only as long as it takes to wash everything out of your system and get it to reset to "normal".

Do talk to your doc about the registry. Of course, I want your baby to be the picture of health, but I hate to see YOU suffer during the whole time.