WhenFacedWithTruth Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 I have been on Lamictal/Lamotrigine for 4 months now, currently on 300 mg. Over the past month, after they bumped my dose up from 150 to 300, I have noticed some speech issues. At first I though I was just being clumsy with words or just normal behaviors. Then they became more frequent. I am constantly stumbling during sentences, mispronouncing words I know how to say, poor word recall (even though I can tell you what it means, I can't for the life of me remember the damn word), and backwards speech. For ex. "love you=yove lou" or "bacon and eggs= eacon and beggs" I also do it with sentences like "Hey there= There Hey". Anyone had this issue? Oh! And spelling.. Can't remember how to spell or use correct grammar for the life of me.. and that's not normal for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tryp Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 It is not uncommon for people to have some cognitive trouble, especially at the higher doses. It will likely improve somewhat with time and you may be able to find ways to function around it. I noticed a lot of short term memory problems at first - it is better now and I can do what I need to do, but I still sometimes go blank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maybell Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 On 200mg, I seem to be mispronouncing words and struggling with spelling a bit more...hard to tell as that was happening on the lithium too...damn brain fog. It could be due to tiredness also as I am having a lot of vivid dreams which I think means I'm not sleeping as well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crtclms Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 I had this side effect, and it calmed down over a couple of months. Plus, as Tryp said, I think I learned to compensate for it. Each time the amount is bumped, I have a little trouble for the next week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhenFacedWithTruth Posted February 29, 2012 Author Share Posted February 29, 2012 Thanks for the input loves! I called my psychiatrist and am waiting to hear back. I really like the meds, but the speech thing scares me. I keep hearing that Lamictal is a nasty drug and blah blah blah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tryp Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 What do you mean by "nasty"? I find it to be quite good and I've had worse side effects on lots of other meds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crtclms Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 Lamictal actually has not had many side effects for me, the least of any AC I have taken. The only biggie I hear about with Lamictal is Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, which is rare, but needs to be watched for. Psychiatric meds are pretty serious meds, with side effects that need to be balanced against the success of the medication in treating your illness. Lamictal is pretty tame compared to some of the other ones. ETA: And you have been on it for several months, so SJS is not really much of a concern for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhenFacedWithTruth Posted February 29, 2012 Author Share Posted February 29, 2012 People just say that it has the worst side effects and yada yada yada. I'm already a paranoid person, so that made it worse ya know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tryp Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 When it comes to psych meds, side effects are extremely individual. Perhaps there are a few drugs that are known to be especially brutal but even for those, some people will take them and find them just fine. Unfortunately, all you can really do is try things out for yourself, knowing that if the side effects are truly intolerable you can always move on and leave them behind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhenFacedWithTruth Posted February 29, 2012 Author Share Posted February 29, 2012 Totally off topic, but do you know if you can have a beer or 2 on lamictal? I keep getting mixed answers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netsavy006 Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 I don't know the exact answer to that question. I would ask your prescribing doctor about that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tryp Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 I suspect that it's one of those "You really shouldn't but if you absolutely must it probably won't kill you" things. I would ask your doctor in order to be sure. If you do decide to drink, be aware that being on Lamictal may alter your alcohol tolerance, and make the effects different. I don't drink myself but I've heard a lot of people say that drinking on Lamictal didn't agree with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odetta Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 I occasionally drink a beer or two, or have a glass of wine or two. Not sure what my pdoc would say about that, but I don't tell her. What I've noticed is that I feel the effects faster on less of it. Not sure where you're hearing that lamictal is one of the worst drugs for side effects. I have heard the exact opposite from lots of sources. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhenFacedWithTruth Posted February 29, 2012 Author Share Posted February 29, 2012 I occasionally drink a beer or two, or have a glass of wine or two. Not sure what my pdoc would say about that, but I don't tell her. What I've noticed is that I feel the effects faster on less of it. Not sure where you're hearing that lamictal is one of the worst drugs for side effects. I have heard the exact opposite from lots of sources. People who got the nasty end of the symptoms, i guess worsening of their conditions, or weird side effects. I myself have only had mild headaches with every upped dosage and now the speech thing. I have only tested the waters with alcohol by having a single serving of wine or 1-2 beers over a 4-5 hours time frame with LOTS of water in between. The only thing that i have noticed on those few times is raised anxiety the next day, and hypo manic tendencies, and sometimes a weird pain behind my right eye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazy_cat_lady Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 My GP told me that Lamictal and Epival are generally the most easily tolerated mood stabilizers, with severe side effects being relatively uncommon. Having taken my share of ACs and AAPs (and side effects tend to hit me like a semi), I haven't noticed any serious effects on Lamictal. I do have some issues with balance and coordination (fell down the stairs last week), but I've always been a bit clumsy, so who knows if it was the lamotrigine. I'm on a really low dose right now though, and haven't noticed any therapeutic effects yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tryp Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 Yeah, I can't ice skate nearly as well as I used to since being on Lamictal. And I've had a few falls, but that was mostly the Seroquel. I have since learned to take my meds, get into bed, and stay there until I pass out. Attempting to have a shower after taking Seroquel is not a strong plan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhenFacedWithTruth Posted February 29, 2012 Author Share Posted February 29, 2012 I have a benign tremor, have always had it, and now it's much more noticeable, but not really bothersome unless people comment on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt07 Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 I have also heard that Lamictal is rather beneign side effect wise except for the word salad thing (and the possible rash in the beginning). I get along well on it. I've drunk beer and wine (New Year's) on it, and I didn't have any problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirmy Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 I got steven johnson syndrome taking lamictal it started on my face and scalp it crusted up around my eyes bad it is nothing to full around with it got me through miscomunication between me and a prescription change watch out for this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tryp Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 The OP has been on Lamictal for 4 months - it would be quite unlikely to develop it at this late date. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhenFacedWithTruth Posted February 29, 2012 Author Share Posted February 29, 2012 what is word salad? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crtclms Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 This is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phatemu Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 Never had good outcomes when mixing psych meds with etoh; particularly valproate. Skip the booze. IMHO, we've got enough to deal with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abitcrazy Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 Like others have said, and as I've experienced, the speech/language issues seem to mellow out after being on Lamictal for a while. Hang in there - there's a good chance it will improve. abitcrazy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted May 11, 2012 Share Posted May 11, 2012 I am constantly stumbling during sentences, mispronouncing words I know how to say, poor word recall (even though I can tell you what it means, I can't for the life of me remember the damn word), and backwards speech. For ex. "love you=yove lou" or "bacon and eggs= eacon and beggs" I also do it with sentences like "Hey there= There Hey". Anyone had this issue? Oh! And spelling.. Can't remember how to spell or use correct grammar for the life of me.. and that's not normal for me. I can relate with the poor word recall. That absolutely drives me crazy (no pun intended)! Idk though if it is from Lamictal or not. I am currently on 600 mg (divided doses) a day ... now I wonder if this med has something to do with it. Obviously I wont stop the med, but it makes me think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mnemosyne Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 It is not uncommon for people to have some cognitive trouble, especially at the higher doses. It will likely improve somewhat with time and you may be able to find ways to function around it. I noticed a lot of short term memory problems at first - it is better now and I can do what I need to do, but I still sometimes go blank. I'm finding that I have short term memory problems. The worst being that three days ago when I tried to use my debit card, my mind went blank and I couldn't remember my pin. Still can't. I can sort of recall - I know three of the numbers, I sort of know the sequence it should go in, but nothing I try is right. I also forget what I'm doing. How long did it take for your short term memory loss to resolve? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mnemosyne Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 Thanks for the input loves! I called my psychiatrist and am waiting to hear back. I really like the meds, but the speech thing scares me. I keep hearing that Lamictal is a nasty drug and blah blah blah. Yes, what DO you mean by nasty drug? I haven't heard anything bad yet (aside from a friend who is a psychiatrist saying wow that's a strong drug). I'm not really having as many side effects as with other drugs and I don't want to change but I dont want to be on a nasty drug either. Could you please elaborate? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catnapper Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 My research has shown Lamictal to have a low side effect profile, and I'm also curious as what "nasty" means in this instance. I do have occasional word-finding trouble, but nothing alarming. I'm on 200 mg. It seems worse if I'm tired or nervous, but I always manage to get my point across, sometimes by using a slightly different word than the one I'm searching for in my head. On the other hand, I've also gone through menopause in the last year, which is notorious for short-term memory problems, so it might not be the Lamictal at all. And I concur with an earlier poster who pointed out that if you haven't had Stevens-Johnson syndrome (the rash) after being on it four months, you're not going to get it. It shows up when you're starting the med, and is a very rare, but serious, side effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drumrchick Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 I'm taking 150 mg lamotrigine/day. My hands shake some. I'm trying to figure out if it's the Dr Reddy generic causing it or Watson's Wellbutrin sr 150 causing it. I was taking Wellbutrin XL 300 and zydus version of lamictal. Trileptal was the worst for messing with my memory!! I'm convinced it caused me to have higher anxiety and anger issues. Lamictal is sooo much better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 Thanks for the input loves! I called my psychiatrist and am waiting to hear back. I really like the meds, but the speech thing scares me. I keep hearing that Lamictal is a nasty drug and blah blah blah. Yes, what DO you mean by nasty drug? I haven't heard anything bad yet (aside from a friend who is a psychiatrist saying wow that's a strong drug). I'm not really having as many side effects as with other drugs and I don't want to change but I dont want to be on a nasty drug either. Could you please elaborate? Thanks. It is associated with getting a serious rash called Steven-Johnsons Syndrome (SJS). People sometime refer to it as THE Rash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wj74 Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 You can get SJS with a lot of different drugs, including Motrin. And it is rare. it kind of bugs me when people say meds are a bad/nasty,what ever have you drug when side effects only happen to a percentage of people taking it. Lots of people taking steroids and hormones do totally fine on them and I become a raving suicidal bitch, so I guess I should tell people they are nasty? And lamictal is a strong drug? By whose standards? Are the other psych meds "weak" in comparison? For the OP, I seem to have mild speech substitutions and always have, not sure it's related. Sometimes I lose what I am saying and that I think is med related, I never had that before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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