shannathan Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 Hi, I have been taking lamictal for 6wks now starting at 25mg and raising to 200mg for a wk now. I felt decent at 100 bad at 150 and when I first raise for a few days I feel worse. About day 3 of 200mg I actually had some days I felt pretty normal so thought this is it finally feeling better. Now yesterday ha a shitty anxious day. I take 0.5mg xanex as needed also which my anxiety is one of the worse things. I also take latuda 20mg which i don't know if it's helping or not. .i.go to doc on Friday curious to see what he will do. This med was miracle drug for my sister. Would I need to give the 200 dose more than a wk to feel full effect? I have only had to episodes of this since I I had my son 3yrs ago this time after getting off meds. Abilify and Lexapro made me completely well last time so maybe I'm expecting to much. Abilify I tried this time and had horrible side effects I don't remember having last time. I also wondered if the latuda was making anxietyworse. I just have a weirdness come over me all the sudden some days out of the blue. Certain things can make me feel strange like even movie it's the strangest feeling not sure if it's anxiety or what. I'm also completely obsessed with all this and can't quit talking or.thinking about it and sure I'm making my family nuts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wonderful.Cheese Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 Hi there! Yes, after each increase of a med it can take 4-6 weeks to notice a full effect. That's what I've been told anyway. For some people it's shorter and for some it can still take longer. YMMV. I hope your appointment goes well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shannathan Posted January 10, 2016 Author Share Posted January 10, 2016 I was told by one person that it gets into your blood level by 5 days so you should be better. And some say it may not work if I'm not stable yet. I do think I'm stable and much better than I was but still have my times. I haven't been on one certain dose longer than 2wks and I would think it could take longer to see if it works. I don't think the meds I'm on have helped with my anxiety or obsessing much though. I also take 20mg of latuda. Guess I will see what the doc says. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowan77 Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 Last year my lamictal was raised from 200 mg to 300 mg due to breakthrough depression. I didn't feel better until I was on the 300 mg for 2 or 3 weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shannathan Posted January 10, 2016 Author Share Posted January 10, 2016 (edited) I know lots of people it has helped so much my sister included. I don't want to give up on it but I'm getting discouraged but the again just been on 200 a wk. I'm wondering if my doc will leave it at 200mg raise it again. Edited January 10, 2016 by shannathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowan77 Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 2 hours ago, shannathan said: I know lots of people it has helped so much my sister included. I don't want to give up on it but I'm getting discouraged but the again just been on 200 a wk. I'm wondering if my doc will leave it at 200mg raise it again. Don't get discouraged! Honestly, you need to be on that dose for a few weeks before it has any effect, and maybe longer, so try not to worry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crtclms Posted January 11, 2016 Share Posted January 11, 2016 With Lamictal, you often have to find a "sweet spot." Some people will do well at, say, 300mg, but do poorly at 275mg or 325mg. Whether a med will work for you is a crap shoot. But to be honest, I don't think you have to give the lamictal a real chance to work. As Cheese said, you have to give each rise in dosage 6-8 weeks to see what is genuinely going on. It is common to try meds on family members which have worked on other family members previously. This does not automatically mean it will work. Do you know why your pdoc did not put you back on the cocktail you felt was working? Sorry if this is a little discombobulated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shannathan Posted January 11, 2016 Author Share Posted January 11, 2016 Last time I took Lexapro and abilify I can't take an antidepressant alone anymore so we tried lamictal for a month or so I had gotten off everything stupidly and it all came back. I did try abilify this time again and my restlessness and anxiety were awful do last time I gained 50lbs which isn't good for me. So now I'm on Lamictal and latuda which I wonder if the latuda is making me worse anxiety wise. I do think I have been better with this last increase for 4 days I felt well last two awful, and today better. So I'm kinda all over the place but I have at least had some good days. I just haven't stayed on a certain dose more than 2wks so didn't know if it needed longer to stablize. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shannathan Posted January 11, 2016 Author Share Posted January 11, 2016 So you all do think it could take 6wks on a certain dose to see full effect? I wasnt sure if lamictal worked like that or not I know antidepressants do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crtclms Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 Unfortunately, 6-8 weeks at your target dose. So in terms of deciding if it will help your mood, 12.5-75mg doesn't really give you a clear indicator. Some people do okay at 100, and I did for a while, but right now I am at 400mg, and that is what works best for me. I actually don't absorb Lamictal well, so while 400mg is usually considered the upper end for bipolar illness, I could go up to 600mg if needed. But right now, I'm fine. It is normal to be labile, to have very good, and very bad days when you titrate up on lamictal. There are also physical side-effects (headaches, back aches, pain in legs, etc). These tend to go away once you reach the dose that is right for you. I would say my only side effect is an off and on *teeny* tremor. My husband is on 600mg/day for seizures, which is more than is usually used for bipolar illness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shannathan Posted January 12, 2016 Author Share Posted January 12, 2016 I'am getting pretty discouraged I had 4 great days and then bam since sat bad. I wonder if it's the lamictal just not working or if it could be the latuda. Or maybe my dosages just aren't right yet. I just don't know doc on friday so ready to see what he says. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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