missyou009 Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 I was just diagnosed as BP II on Friday, and started on Lamictal. I am on 25mg for 2 weeks, then 50mg for 2 weeks, and I see my pdoc again at 3 weeks, and will know better where I'm going then. It is very sedating for me, as my pdoc told me it would be, so I take it at night. It is pretty sweet because it helps me to sleep through the night which is a huge problem for me. I have gotten more headaches than usual, but I'm not entirely sure if it's from the Lamictal or from hormones since I have my period right now (how convenient, I start a new drug and my period at the same time)... I'm also paranoid about the rash, even though I know it's super rare. But I'm hopeful about Lamictal. It's the first mood stabilizer I've been on, and it's got the least side effects of all the meds I've tried so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klingon001 Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missyou009 Posted April 20, 2011 Author Share Posted April 20, 2011 I've heard of people (mostly from this board, as this has been a major source of info. for me) who have had headaches when starting/titrating up on Lamictal. I also have also headaches on my period. Ibuprofen is my best friend on those days. Yeah, it seems like headaches are probably the most common side effect of Lamictal. I have one of those headaches that doesn't respond to much of anything...ibuprofen, Tylenol, sleep, lots of water...no help at all. The only thing that's helped at all is putting my glasses on. (I don't wear them all the time, just in class, and when I get headaches since I have a bit of astigmatism, so it makes a difference in how hard I have to focus and whatnot). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damik Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 I had headaches when I started out, too. They went away and now I only have my normal run of the mill headaches. I was paranoid about the rash, too. I worked myself up to a state were I was itchy all over and was certain I was going to die an itchy death. But it was all in my mind and I got over that too. Good luck. I will think "go away headache" thoughts for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SashaSue Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 Lamictal is a great med for a lot of people. The headaches do go away over time, but they can tend to come back for a bit with every increase. Once you're at a stable dosage though, they'll go for good. I found taking a LOT of ibuprofen, like, really a lot, helped. And yoga stretches for the neck helped as well. Don't be surprised if, as your dosage increases, you find it activating rather than sedating. It happens sometimes, and it's really not a big deal. You just switch to taking it in the morning. I'm really, really, glad you're getting started with a new med. I hope it starts working for you soonest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missyou009 Posted April 21, 2011 Author Share Posted April 21, 2011 What do you define as a lot of ibuprofen? I took 600mg, and it did absolutely nothing for my head (but did make my menstrual cramps disappear). I could try what usually works for my worst headaches...500mg of Naproxen and 1000mg of acetaminophen...but I think I'm out of Naproxen If at higher doses it activates rather than sedates me, I will be pretty upset...because then I'll probably need something else for sleep...insomnia is a huge problem for me, and currently, Lamictal is fixing it which is absolutely awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tryp Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 I'm starting too and it does seem to go back and forth between activating and sedating. I was also having a lot of mood swings and headaches. so I started splitting the tabs and taking half in the morning and half at night. Now, on 50 mg, I take 25 twice a day. It helped even out the mood swings and the headaches. Something to think about if the headaches get too unpleasant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missyou009 Posted April 21, 2011 Author Share Posted April 21, 2011 My pdoc told me to take it at night, and since it's very sedating for me, I have to take it at night. If that changes, well, I'll cross that bridge when I get there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missyou009 Posted April 21, 2011 Author Share Posted April 21, 2011 I've been reading a lot on Lamictal generics...it worries me a bit, to be honest. I have the Zydus lamotrigine, but after doing all this reading on bad generics here and elsewhere online, I'm thinking maybe I should go with the brand when I get my next prescription? With my insurance, generics cost $5, and brands cost a max of $20 I believe...so while it's a $15 difference, the cost isn't bad, and if the brand is that much better, then the difference is probably worth it. Should I ask my pdoc about getting the brand instead? I realize that there are bad generics of every drug, but it seems like the generics of Lamictal are often among the worst. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarquin Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 I'm just finishing my first week on it, nothing much to report either way on it. I've had some headaches, but I had the worst one I ever had just a day before i started on lamictal. I think it was from going off Luvox. But yeah, so far so good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missyou009 Posted April 21, 2011 Author Share Posted April 21, 2011 I've taken it for 6 nights... The headaches are getting to me...I think that Lamictal might force me into wearing my glasses more. I can't completely blame my headaches on Lamictal seeing as the weather has been crappy, and I have my period, but since regular meds aren't really helping, I think it's definitely at least partly because of the Lamictal. I'm still sleeping better though. Like this morning, I woke up around 6:30 because I had to go to the bathroom and was hungry. As soon as I took care of that, it was probably only about 15-20 minutes until I fell asleep again. Before Lamictal, it would've been about 2 hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SashaSue Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 I've been reading a lot on Lamictal generics...it worries me a bit, to be honest. I have the Zydus lamotrigine, but after doing all this reading on bad generics here and elsewhere online, I'm thinking maybe I should go with the brand when I get my next prescription? With my insurance, generics cost $5, and brands cost a max of $20 I believe...so while it's a $15 difference, the cost isn't bad, and if the brand is that much better, then the difference is probably worth it. Should I ask my pdoc about getting the brand instead? I realize that there are bad generics of every drug, but it seems like the generics of Lamictal are often among the worst. I've taken several different kinds of lamotrigine, and never had a problem with any of them. Maybe wait to see how you do on the generic, before making the switch? Some people seem to do best on whatever formulation they started out with, so there's that too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tryp Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 My pharmacy keeps switching the kind of generic and it's making me sort of nervous. I've had 3 different generics in the past 4 fills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missyou009 Posted April 21, 2011 Author Share Posted April 21, 2011 I've been reading a lot on Lamictal generics...it worries me a bit, to be honest. I have the Zydus lamotrigine, but after doing all this reading on bad generics here and elsewhere online, I'm thinking maybe I should go with the brand when I get my next prescription? With my insurance, generics cost $5, and brands cost a max of $20 I believe...so while it's a $15 difference, the cost isn't bad, and if the brand is that much better, then the difference is probably worth it. Should I ask my pdoc about getting the brand instead? I realize that there are bad generics of every drug, but it seems like the generics of Lamictal are often among the worst. I've taken several different kinds of lamotrigine, and never had a problem with any of them. Maybe wait to see how you do on the generic, before making the switch? Some people seem to do best on whatever formulation they started out with, so there's that too. I've never even heard of Zydus before...and that's another thing that kinda turns me off. I usually go to Target for my prescriptions, but Price Chopper was on the way back to school, so I went there...but I know that Target primarily uses Teva for generics. So the likelihood that I'll get Zydus again is fairly low because at home, we don't even have a Price Chopper, plus, I absolutely hated that pharmacy, so I have no intentions of going back there again anyway. But I mean, by the time this Rx runs out, I will have been on Lamictal for a month and a half or so...and I will need a new prescription when I need more because the one my pdoc gave me has no refills, probably because there's always a chance that a med won't agree with you, and I'm titrating up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lysergia Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 that's weird, tryp. i'd feel, um, cautious too, even if they all end up working the same. i'm taking generic lamictal, the brand changed on me once and i didn't even notice. and i've had reactions to those kinds of changes from other meds, so i was pleasantly surprised. i get headaches at every increase. they do go away, but they're annoying to be sure. while titrating, pdoc had me split the dose to AM & PM to help avoid the headaches and such, maybe that's worth a try. bright light, especially sunlight, makes it way worse. i often wear sunglasses even in the house during these times, and it helps. i only feel sedated when first starting. after that it becomes activating so i take it in the morning. everybody's different though. if you can, i'd wait it out and see if the headaches go away. if lamictal's gonna work for you as well as it did for me when i started, you'll be very glad you did. hope your head feels better soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missyou009 Posted April 21, 2011 Author Share Posted April 21, 2011 My pdoc said to take it at night, and I find it sedating, so I'm gonna keep taking it all at night. Right now I'm still only at 25mg anyway...I have another week to to until I increase to 50mg. I can handle the headaches, as I'm used to getting headaches often, including the occasional migraine...it's just really annoying. The thing I've found to help the most is to wear my glasses. I have a mild prescription that I use primarily for distance (reading the board in class), but I also have astigmatism, so when I wear them, headaches tend to dissipate if not fully disappear. I wore them most of the day yesterday and most of the day today, so maybe I'll just start wearing them all the time. Funny enough, a couple of weeks ago my roommate told me that I should wear them more often because she thinks they look really good on me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancesintherain Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 because it's a wonder drug for so many people--particularly people with your symptom history/drug reaction history--i'd really try to stick it out. maybe get a prescription for stronger painkillers temporarily? and wearing the glasses doesn't seem like that big a pain. I know it can be a pain in the neck (or head), but it can be really, really worth it if it's the drug for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missyou009 Posted April 21, 2011 Author Share Posted April 21, 2011 because it's a wonder drug for so many people--particularly people with your symptom history/drug reaction history--i'd really try to stick it out. maybe get a prescription for stronger painkillers temporarily? and wearing the glasses doesn't seem like that big a pain. I know it can be a pain in the neck (or head), but it can be really, really worth it if it's the drug for you. I'm not talking about stopping it...I'm not sure why people seem to think that. I'm just saying that these side effects are annoying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catnapper Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 I think people are concerned about you stopping because lots of people aren't willing to put up with early side effects for a later payoff, and so we encourage each other if a drug has been worth it for us. I also had headaches when I started Lamictal, and for a few days at every titration, but after I got to the dose I'm on now they went away after a couple of days, and I seldom get headaches at all. Although I also can give myself a bad vision induced headache if I'm not careful about wearing my glasses. I take my Lamictal at night since it's sedating for me as well. My pdoc said about 20% of his patients take it at bedtime. I hope it works for you as well as it has for me. One trick my GP taught me about pain relief is to take Tylenol and Advil at the same time. They work on different receptors so the combined effect is greater than either one alone. If I'm hurting I'll take a 500 mg generic Tylenol and 600 mg of generic Advil, and it works well, and lasts for a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missyou009 Posted April 22, 2011 Author Share Posted April 22, 2011 This med has the least side effects of any I've been on, so if I put up with more and worse side effects for longer periods of time with other meds, I can deal with the ones I get from Lamictal. I also just know better than to give up on a drug after such a short period of time unless there's something severely wrong...like when I took Effexor, my doctor took me off it after just 2 days because it was so terrible for me... I've found that with the Lamictal headaches, drugs don't touch it so I don't even bother...no sense in taking more stuff if it's not gonna help. But with my worst regular (not Lamictal induced) headaches, 500mg of Naproxen and 500-1000mg of Tylenol works great! And for less severe ones, but still pretty bad, 600-800mg of ibuprofen and 500-1000mg of Tylenol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missyou009 Posted April 23, 2011 Author Share Posted April 23, 2011 Guess what! I woke up today, and no headache! *Knock on wood* If I'm lucky, this will continue I hope they don't come back when I up my dose though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancesintherain Posted April 24, 2011 Share Posted April 24, 2011 glad to hear it's going better...it might come back when you go up dosage levels, but should still go away after a bit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missyou009 Posted April 24, 2011 Author Share Posted April 24, 2011 I'm definitely happy about it. I did get a headache later in the day today, so I might not be completely in the clear, but it's better than before. I didn't take anything for it and was alright. So if the headaches do come back when I increase the dose, I at least know there is hope for them going away, or at least dissipating a great deal after a bit. Lamictal also isn't the only med that has given me headaches. Prozac did as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missyou009 Posted April 29, 2011 Author Share Posted April 29, 2011 Update: 1) The headaches stopped. 2) I guess it must be working at least a bit...my T said that I seemed less irritable and generally irritated. I guess that's true...I haven't really noticed, but I also haven't really been around very many people this week because I've been sick. 3) Also, tonight I go up to 50mg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missyou009 Posted April 30, 2011 Author Share Posted April 30, 2011 First 50mg: Knocked me out (surprise surprise, although I'm also sick and was absolutely exhausted by the time I got home and took it)...have had a headache today, but not nearly as bad as the ones that I got when I first started the Lamictal. Been super tired/lethargic today though...I've barely gotten out of bed because I have no energy/motivation to do much of anything. Oh well. It was like this the first couple of days at 25mg and then I was fine, so I'm expecting it to be the same this time around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missyou009 Posted May 1, 2011 Author Share Posted May 1, 2011 Tonight my best friend, my roommate and I were all hanging out...we went out Chili's for dessert, and we were talking and whatnot, and I said something about being so much less of a b*tch lately since I started Lamictal, and my best friend went "That's why I wanna hang out with you again, to be blunt." ...Yeah...kinda stung, but I know it's true...and we have a relationship like that where we don't sugarcoat anything, so it's alright. Guess it must really be starting to work though since my counselor said I seemed less irritated/irritable yesterday and my best friend said that tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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