Lamictal and bruising

[Zeke]

I am new here, and I'm sorry if I am posting something that has been discussed before but I didn't see it anywhere obvious.  The article on Lamictal says get to your doctor immediately if you get peculiar bruising.  I mentioned this both to my pdoc, who didn't seem too interested (though he is a great doctor who seems to care about me) and also to my regular doc, who looked at the one on my leg and said it was probably because I'm overweight.

I have bruised easily all my life that I recall, but it has increased since I've been on the Lamictal.  I saw on another board several people saying this is common.  I have had standard blood tests fairly recently--would a CBC be a sufficient screening for the really bad things?  I have gotten a number of small light bruises on my shins, and just got an odd one on my thumb that I can't remember doing anything to, though it's a trick thumb that I think is probably arthritic.  Any kind of real bump will make me look like I've been in a fight. 

Sorry this is so long.  Does anybody have any comments on this?

Also, this is off the topic, but my hair and skin have gotten very oily since I've been on the Lamictal, and I have to wash my hair more often so as not to look like Severus Snape.  Does anyone have this experience?

Again, I hope I am not posting a duplicate of somebody else's thread.

Zeke

[pacanuck]

I am an easy bruiser too...but I've noticed the same thing...now, I'm not anything but a preschool teacher with a music education degree...so if you are worried pleased get it checked out again...ask for bloodwork.  Bloodwork never hurts for keeping up on things.

Also...are you perhaps Canadian?

And you do not need to apologize in all of your posts for posting.

[Zeke]

I am an easy bruiser too...but I've noticed the same thing...now, I'm not anything but a preschool teacher with a music education degree...so if you are worried pleased get it checked out again...ask for bloodwork.  Bloodwork never hurts for keeping up on things.

Also...are you perhaps Canadian?

And you do not need to apologize in all of your posts for posting.  It's what we are here for.

Oh yeah...the bad skin comes with it too.  Wifezilla had some really good ideas and recipes for skin care which I'm going to find now and read again.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm not Canadian, I have lived most of my life in Arizona and am here now as well.  I teach elementary school music myself, as a matter of fact.

I think I am going to check with my regular doc and make sure the tests I had recently included CBC, and ask if I ought to get another one even fresher.  It tends to make the children get rather concerned when my shin is black and blue, especially when it takes so very long for it to heal.  I had a situation a while back when I lost my balance and fell over in class(we were stretching a little bit and I bent over too far).  It was pretty embarrassing and I got up right away.  It didn't even hurt, but both of my legs looked bashed up for several weeks.

Fortunately I'm not breaking out, because I'm way too old to go through that, but my face always feels greasy and my hair starts going into strings almost as soon as it gets dry from washing.  Maybe it will keep me looking younger, ha ha.

[Zeke]

I am new here, and I'm sorry if I am posting something that has been discussed before but I didn't see it anywhere obvious.  The article on Lamictal says get to your doctor immediately if you get peculiar bruising.  I mentioned this both to my pdoc, who didn't seem too interested (though he is a great doctor who seems to care about me) and also to my regular doc, who looked at the one on my leg and said it was probably because I'm overweight.

I have bruised easily all my life that I recall, but it has increased since I've been on the Lamictal.  I saw on another board several people saying this is common.  I have had standard blood tests fairly recently--would a CBC be a sufficient screening for the really bad things?  I have gotten a number of small light bruises on my shins, and just got an odd one on my thumb that I can't remember doing anything to, though it's a trick thumb that I think is probably arthritic.  Any kind of real bump will make me look like I've been in a fight. 

Sorry this is so long.  Does anybody have any comments on this?

Also, this is off the topic, but my hair and skin have gotten very oily since I've been on the Lamictal, and I have to wash my hair more often so as not to look like Severus Snape.  Does anyone have this experience?

Again, I hope I am not posting a duplicate of somebody else's thread.

Zeke

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This isnt a duplicate. Good job *grin*

What specifically do the bruises look like? If they're following blood vessels it's more worrysome than just getting the big mothers easier. But if it's significantly easier than usual, and/or you're more tired than usual, and/or you're significantly more photosensitive than usual, get thee a CBC.

Kassiane

who's had 2 blood dyscrasias. Within 6 months of each other. ew.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What on earth is a blood dyscrasia?  It sounds disgusting.  The only nasty thing I knew about was aplastic anemia.

The bruises look just like regular bruises, just a whole lot worse than one might expect from the bump I took and a number of them I have no idea at all where they came from.

I tend to be tired anyway, because I have a lot of new responsibilities recently and a great amount of anxiety about them and about nothing.  That's a bit better than it was.  I think the tiredness I am feeling is mostly mental tiredness from working so hard to adapt to a lot of new things in my job.  I guess I need to keep an eye on it, though, right?

[roxyhead]

I am an easy bruiser too...but I've noticed the same thing...now, I'm not anything but a preschool teacher with a music education degree...so if you are worried pleased get it checked out again...ask for bloodwork.

[pacanuck]

lol...I'll say...they (the bruises) are pretty much in a line around both legs just below my knees...from walking into the small tables....

the kids are so cute...when they see me with a bandaid on a 'boo-boo' they ask me to take it off to see it....they even ask me if I want a kiss on it...how sweet is that?  They keep me wanting to come to work every day.

In fact..just got a new bunch in...(sounds like inventory... ) and they are doing quite well so far.

I'll bump into things so much that my new mantra is:

THAT'LL LEAVE A MARK

oh well

[NARS]

I was concerned about a bruise or two in strange places while taking Tegretol, but Kassiane described for me the nature of her bruising (I seem to remember something about a hug from a small child causing bruises all around her ribcage) and I sat down and shut up.

Then I realized that Tegretol was making me very clumsy as well as very spacey, and decided that I was probably just whacking myself against things more than usual.  As the clumsiness and spaciness went away, so did the bruises.

[Zeke]

I agree about working with children, especially the very young ones(I'm getting kindergarten for the first time this year).  They always get so very concerned if anything seems wrong, like a big bruise.  When you are having a crap day, a lot of times one of them will give you a big hug and say "I love you, teacher," and you get all mushy and figure maybe you weren't letting your nutsiness affect your job choice after all. [/tangent]