Posted by obsidian on January 22, 2009, at 21:19:13
In reply to Re: Lamictal versus Depakote, posted by Betsy122 on January 22, 2009, at 16:21:12
> My diagnosis is atypical psychosis. It has not been determined whether I am bipolar or schizophrenic or perhaps neither one. I'm on 5 mg of Abilify but have chest tightness so we're trying to cut down on that drug and supplement it with either lamictal or depakote, all just to cut down on abilify...just in case that's what's causing the chest tightness. I'm worried about the side effects of these drugs though. Which is more effective and which has less side effects?
I don't know about depakote, but...I take a little lamictal. The big thing that people are always concerned about with lamictal is a rash - "stevens johnson syndrome" I believe. Well, not too many folks get it, but since it can be serious everyone looks for it. The docs titrate slowly up on lamictal and check for it. If you don't go up and down on the dose (say by missing doses) your risk is lower.
So, I've been taking lamictal for quite a while. The only side effect I recall is a headache when starting it, then nothing... but now that I'm thinking about it, initially, I think it made me more irritable, but that dissipated. Other than that it's been a super easy med for me to tolerate.
My friend takes it too, no problems for her either, but she does report some weakness-low blood sugar like feelings if she misses a dose.(go figure, but I wouldn't know because I've only missed a dose once and was probably too preoccupied to notice)
She says that lamictal has been very helpful for her, that it's really evened out her moods. I can't tell really, but I am on a low dose.As far as abilify goes, it wasn't for me. Gave me weird acid like sensation coming up, like it was messing with my upper digestive system.
I take seroquel, again low dose, which probably helps by virtue of it knocking me out each night and therefore keeping my busy, busy head from ruminating, and ruminating, and did I say ruminating? ;-)
anyway,
good luck
let us know how it goes
poster:obsidian
thread:875433
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090104/msgs/875523.html