Posted by SLS on July 9, 2000, at 7:51:07
In reply to Lamictal side effects and doseage Qs, posted by Angela5 on July 8, 2000, at 11:48:23
Hi Angela.
I don't know why my post didn't show up yesterday. I probably forgot to "Confirm" it.
> I was just put on Lamictal to augment Wellbutrin. I am currently on 100 mg/day of Wellbutrin (I got a rash at 200 mg/day, so trying to see if it will go away at 100). They started me on 25 mg/day of Lamictal for a week, which didn't have any effect, then increased it to 50 mg/day. My pdoc said that if I don't notice an effect within 2 days on 50 mg to discontinue it, but I was reading in Dr. Bob's Tips that the minimum theraputic dose tends to be 100 mg/day. Does anyone have any experience with this?
The average dosage of Lamictal used to treat depression is 200mg. However, the range of effectiveness varies between 50-300mg. My opinion is that two days at an increased dosage will not allow you to determine whether or not it will help you. I would consider the absolute minimum to be one week, and would recommend at least two. You must remain at 50mg for two weeks anyway to avoid the rash that Lamictal can sometimes cause if the dosage is raised too quickly.
> Also, yesterday evening (my 2nd day on 50 mg), I got dizzy upon standing, felt very nauseous, and my vision was weird. I had pain in my right eye and felt like it was seeing higher than my left eye (?) - I guess, basically, it just all seemed out of whack, and very far-away things while driving were blurry. Are these common side effects of Lamictal, and do they go away?
Yes, all of the things you are experiencing are possible side effects of Lamictal. Nausea is common. I don't know if side effects can be used as a guage of what an individual's therapeutic dosage will be, but I think it makes sense to wait until they subside before you increase the dosage to 100mg. Most of the side effects of Lamictal are temporary, and usually resolve quickly. I would hope to see them disappear within a week.
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From Internet MentalHealth:
Adverse experiences in patients receiving lamotrigine were generally mild, occurred within the first 2 weeks of therapy, and resolved without discontinuation of the drug.Commonly Observed:
The most commonly observed adverse experiences associated with the use of adjunctive therapy with lamotrigine (incidence of at least 10%) were dizziness, headache, diplopia, somnolence, ataxia, nausea and asthenia.
-----------------------------------------------------------diplopia = double vision double vision
somnolence = sleepiness
ataxia = incoordination
asthenia = muscle weakness
headache = headachePlease post of your progress.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:39627
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000708/msgs/39871.html