Posted by bleauberry on July 6, 2009, at 16:08:08
In reply to Discontinuing Lamictal -- how fast?, posted by fires on July 5, 2009, at 12:05:59
I think any med, Lamictal included, should be tapered at whatever rate is comfortable and tolerable for the patient. We don't want to shock our already fragile systems. If there is time to do it right, I think it should always be slow and in tiny steps. For example, no dosage decrease larger than a 12.5mg step. Better still, 6.25mg steps.
A general guide of thumb is to decrease dose no faster than 10% per week. That usually pertains to antidepressants. But with mood stabilizers that do mysterious things we have no clue about, I think it becomes even more important.
Sometimes there isn't enough time to wean slowly. But if given a choice, it is in your benefit to avoid any potential trauma of withdrawal, worsened depression, or any other unpredictable thing that might happen. Some people can wean relatively quickly without much discomfort or complications. Others are very prone to complications. I think it is important to totally disregard what someone else did, disregard what any book or instructions might say, and instead listen to your own body's reactions to what you do. Your body will tell you if you are going to fast or too slow, or if the steps are too large or too small.
poster:bleauberry
thread:905084
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090630/msgs/905287.html