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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by barbaracat on July 8, 2005, at 13:44:22
In reply to Lamictal Skin Rash, posted by Miriamne on July 8, 2005, at 10:59:00
I got SJS quite badly ending up with a visit to the hospital. The interesting part is that I got it after I'd been off Lam and was taking another drug. I know it was Lam that was the instigator and primed the pump however.
My symptoms began at 125mg with intense itchiness, a stinging bitey feeling especially in my scalp. My skin felt sensitive and raw and was irritated by anything - a watch band, a collar. I didn't actually get a rash at that time but felt externally and internally inflamed.
My doctor didn't seem too concerned because it wasn't an actual rash and kidded I must've caught fleas from my cats - Ha ha - but to lower the dose anyway. It scared me and I simply stopped taking Lam with no negative mood effects, thankfully. Two months later I started a sulfa med which I've never had any reactions to before and within a week was covered in blisters inside and out with true Stevens Johnson Symdrome. I've now developed allergies to most kinds of antibiotics and any drug whose side effects include erythema, or skin rash.
The thing with erythema is that is can take many forms. A simple rash is annoying, can look like chicken pox or small red dots, many forms. It becomes serious when it moves into the mucous membranes, mouth, intestines, genitals, ears, and then it becomes Stevens Johnson. From a simple rash, SJS develops with prolonged exposure to the allergen, plain and simple.
Any kind of skin sensitivity should be taken very seriously while on Lamictal. Titrating down "to see how it goes' sounds like a sensible idea util you realize that once the inflammatory reaction appears on the surface of the skin, you have developed an allergy and taking the allergic substance even in a small quantity puts great burden on your immune system.
> I'm a recently returned member of this site with a question about a Lamictal side effect.
>
> I've been taking 200 mg of Lamictal/day for several years, with good results. My dr has always emphasised that I need to be concerned if I get a skin rash. Just recently I went up to 250mg/day, and my skin seems to be reacting to any slight irritation. I have a welt on each forearm-- they seem to be getting larger, itchier and ickier by the day. When I put band-aids over them, the skin under the sticky part of the band-aid turned red and itchy, too.
>
> I use an estrogen patch, and that skin area turned bright red and hot to the touch. So now I don't know which is worse, to continue to irritate my skin, or remove my source of estrogen (not a pleasant thought.)
>
> I have calls in to my shrink and my gyno, but I would love to hear from anyone, medical or otherwise, who has experience and knowledge of the skin problems associated with Lamictal. I understand that the rash can be extremely serious and I don't want to take the risk of this getting worse.
>
> Many thanks for any help!
> Miriamne
Posted by Miriamne on July 8, 2005, at 19:33:08
In reply to Re: Lamictal Skin Rash » Miriamne, posted by barbaracat on July 8, 2005, at 13:44:22
Well, I must say you all have my attention with regard to this rash. I will get back with my shrink and try and resolve this with my family doctor/and or a dermatologist. "Teams of doctors, working round the clock...", as Jerry Seinfeld put it.
I'm not thrilled about stopping my meds and my estrogen. The patch had really helped with some other problems. Whether I can go back to it is something else I'll have to find out, I guess, but for now it seems wise not to mess with anything on my skin.
Thanks again.
Miriamne
Posted by barbaracat on July 8, 2005, at 20:12:18
In reply to Lamictal Skin Rash, posted by Miriamne on July 8, 2005, at 19:33:08
I use sublingual hormone drops which I like alot. They're custom formulated and bioidentical. I get mine from Women's International Pharmacy. It avoids the skin thing and you can also get your progesterone and any other hormones mixed in, avoiding the problems in absorbing orally.
Please don't go off your hormones if you can help it. Taking them orally is not optimal but until you get this rash thing cleared or opt for sublingual, at least you'll have something. I was taking Estrace and Prometrium, both bioidentical vs. synthetic, and they worked well enough before I switched to cream and then to sublingual. Messing with your hormone levels is guaranteed to send you into the emotional crap-hole in a big way. - Barbara
> Well, I must say you all have my attention with regard to this rash. I will get back with my shrink and try and resolve this with my family doctor/and or a dermatologist. "Teams of doctors, working round the clock...", as Jerry Seinfeld put it.
>
> I'm not thrilled about stopping my meds and my estrogen. The patch had really helped with some other problems. Whether I can go back to it is something else I'll have to find out, I guess, but for now it seems wise not to mess with anything on my skin.
>
> Thanks again.
> Miriamne
>
>
Posted by doradynamo on July 16, 2005, at 2:59:50
In reply to Re: Mild Bipolar - moodstabl-- lamictal, posted by Dali on July 23, 2003, at 13:34:46
i'm on lamictal right now - write to me if you want to talk - dora_kravitz@yahoo.com
Posted by Justin Brown on August 16, 2005, at 21:51:17
In reply to Re: Cyclothymic music / creativity, posted by yardena on September 1, 1999, at 18:23:31
I think i posted at the wrong place first. I was wondering about my Cyclothymic cycling periods. I seem to cycle anywhere from half a day to three days. I do have an inbetween time where i feel normal. Is this unusually fast. By the way, I'm an artist and just started topamax.
Posted by KarenRB53 on October 13, 2005, at 20:35:33
In reply to Re: Just Diagnosed BarbaraCat » polarbear206, posted by BarbaraCat on November 11, 2002, at 23:18:12
> Hi Laura,
> Another update - again you were right on. I've stopped Remeron completely. I wanted to give it a week before coming to any conclusions, but now that over a week has passed, I definitely feel sooooo much better after ditching the AD. Major reduction in anxiety, less somatic tension. I've also doubled lithium from 300mg to 600, which I think is enhancing Lamictal's positive effects, but ditching AD has stopped the negativecycling. What a blessed difference. - BarbaraCat
Just wondering if you're still on Lamictal and how you're doing with it?
Thanks, Karen
Posted by barbaracat on October 14, 2005, at 11:33:32
In reply to Re: Just Diagnosed BarbaraCat » BarbaraCat, posted by KarenRB53 on October 13, 2005, at 20:35:33
> Just wondering if you're still on Lamictal and how you're doing with it?
> Thanks, Karen
>
**Wow, that was a while back and so much has happened since then. No, I'm not on Lam. I was doing fine on 75mg for about 4 months or so. Then my mom died suddenly and threw me into a tailspin and the depression came back with force. My pdoc had me slowly titrate up. With every increase I'd feel agitation which subsided, but I wasn't getting the antidepressant relief.At 125mg I started itching ferociously, like stinging little needles or tiny biting gnats. So bad I couldn't go to restaurants cause I'd embarrass myself needing to scratch everywhere.
I didn't associate it with Lam because we'd just taken in another stray cat and I blamed it on finally becoming allergic to our many cats. Besides, I thought the Lamictal rash was just that, a rash and my pdoc didn't associate it either. When I got up to 175mg I was itching so badly I had goudged bloody tracks on my head and body and my skin was looking puffy and inflamed, but still no 'rash'. So we backed down and then off completely because it no longer worked for the depression I was dealing with. Eventually went to nortriptyline which got me over the bad spot.
A few months later, after Lam was out of my system I took an oral chelator, DMPS, to get rid of mercury toxicity. I had an immediate awful reaction to it that turned into Stevens Johnson Syndrome, or the dreaded rash. I have theories as to why this happened and not all attributable to Lamictal, but I now know that that itchiness and inflamed skin was a 'prodromal state of Steven's Johnson'. The pumps were primed, an allergy had been already born and was waiting for the scales to tip to activate it. They sure did tip and for 5 weeks I was miserable and scared that it was going to progress into TENS, which is very bad news indeed.
So now I'm taking a very small amount (approx 5mg) of Cymbalta, just an index fingertip full of the pellets, and along with lithium I'm doing well. The depression is gone. That micro-dose (5mg vs. typical 30-60mg) is just right for me. Iv'e tried more and went from extreme agitation to extreme lethargy. And how about you? - Barbara
Posted by zefdie on October 19, 2005, at 13:59:14
In reply to Re: Just Diagnosed BarbaraCat » KarenRB53, posted by barbaracat on October 14, 2005, at 11:33:32
I've been reading this thread about Lamictal and in a lot of ways it sounds right for me but I'm still incredibly confused about my diagnosis and my options. I've been on Zoloft for a while and am up to 200 mg; I feel less despondent but very, very unwell, bland and flattened out with all the same troubles yet no motivation. Because of intense negativity, occasional hypomania, a racing mind, and a recurrent depression since childhood, my doctor has diagnosed me as Bipolar II and suggested I add Depakote to the Zoloft.
I've suspected I might be BPII for a long time but the symptoms seem so slippery and even after the diagnosis I'm wary!
I don't know what to do! I'm already sleeping too much and feeling listless. I'm more interested in Lamictal than Depakote but am a very allergy-prone, sun-sensitive person and some of the potential side effects worry me! In so many ways it sounds so much better for me than Depakote, but right now I'm unsure about absolutely everything in my life. All of these drugs (Lithium too) have these big drawbacks. And I have little trouble with hypomania--my mania presents itself as negative, self-damning, endlessly erupting and speedy thoughts in the midst of depression. Any hypomanic weeks feel like a welcome change and my only real troubling behavior is spending. Does Lamictal sound better for me than Depakote? I'm just not sure what's right and I want to research it a bit before calling the doc.
Posted by katia on October 19, 2005, at 14:59:13
In reply to Interested in Lamictal but nervous!, posted by zefdie on October 19, 2005, at 13:59:14
Hi there-
I know it feels important to get the right dx, but at the end of the day, what matters is what works for you.
I've been dxed as BPII as well and have been on a somewhat stable med regime for over a year now - Trileptal 450mg, PaxilCR 12.5, and Seroquel (for sleep) 6.25-25mg a night, fish oil, and a full spectrum light during winter months.
I'm also unsure of my dx but I also realize I'm stable and on meds and it's easy to forget the unstability...I had about two years of trial and error on meds before finding this. It takes time. Good luck.
Katia
> I've been reading this thread about Lamictal and in a lot of ways it sounds right for me but I'm still incredibly confused about my diagnosis and my options. I've been on Zoloft for a while and am up to 200 mg; I feel less despondent but very, very unwell, bland and flattened out with all the same troubles yet no motivation. Because of intense negativity, occasional hypomania, a racing mind, and a recurrent depression since childhood, my doctor has diagnosed me as Bipolar II and suggested I add Depakote to the Zoloft.
>
> I've suspected I might be BPII for a long time but the symptoms seem so slippery and even after the diagnosis I'm wary!
>
> I don't know what to do! I'm already sleeping too much and feeling listless. I'm more interested in Lamictal than Depakote but am a very allergy-prone, sun-sensitive person and some of the potential side effects worry me! In so many ways it sounds so much better for me than Depakote, but right now I'm unsure about absolutely everything in my life. All of these drugs (Lithium too) have these big drawbacks. And I have little trouble with hypomania--my mania presents itself as negative, self-damning, endlessly erupting and speedy thoughts in the midst of depression. Any hypomanic weeks feel like a welcome change and my only real troubling behavior is spending. Does Lamictal sound better for me than Depakote? I'm just not sure what's right and I want to research it a bit before calling the doc.
Posted by zefdie on October 19, 2005, at 15:55:24
In reply to Re: Interested in Lamictal but nervous! » zefdie, posted by katia on October 19, 2005, at 14:59:13
Thanks for the kind words, Katia! I'm wondering if I need to reduce Zoloft to avoid getting serious side effects with Lamictal. I want to research it before I call my doctor and think I saw this mentioned somewhere.
Posted by Miriamne on October 19, 2005, at 16:07:00
In reply to Interested in Lamictal but nervous!, posted by zefdie on October 19, 2005, at 13:59:14
Yes, it's a difficult process finding the right medication, isn't it? Let me encourage you not to give up on it-- you have to be willing to stick with something long enough to make an accurate judgement, yet willing to try something else if it is truly not helping you.
I've been on Lamictal for several years now, and except for a scare about a skin rash (which turned out to be poison ivy and which I researched on this website!), it has been a good med for me. It seems to stabilize my mood swings without being overly "flattening." I also take Effexor, and recently had to throw a low dose of estrogen/progesterone into the mix for menopausal problems... but that's another story! Overall, the Lamictal has been helpful in combination with my other med(s)for Bipolar II.
I'll be glad to keep in touch via this board to see how you're doing. I've received a lot of help here myself, so I encourage you to keep posting with questions and followups.
Sincerely,
MiriamneI've been reading this thread about Lamictal and in a lot of ways it sounds right for me but I'm still incredibly confused about my diagnosis and my options. I've been on Zoloft for a while and am up to 200 mg; I feel less despondent but very, very unwell, bland and flattened out with all the same troubles yet no motivation. Because of intense negativity, occasional hypomania, a racing mind, and a recurrent depression since childhood, my doctor has diagnosed me as Bipolar II and suggested I add Depakote to the Zoloft.
>
> I've suspected I might be BPII for a long time but the symptoms seem so slippery and even after the diagnosis I'm wary!
>
> I don't know what to do! I'm already sleeping too much and feeling listless. I'm more interested in Lamictal than Depakote but am a very allergy-prone, sun-sensitive person and some of the potential side effects worry me! In so many ways it sounds so much better for me than Depakote, but right now I'm unsure about absolutely everything in my life. All of these drugs (Lithium too) have these big drawbacks. And I have little trouble with hypomania--my mania presents itself as negative, self-damning, endlessly erupting and speedy thoughts in the midst of depression. Any hypomanic weeks feel like a welcome change and my only real troubling behavior is spending. Does Lamictal sound better for me than Depakote? I'm just not sure what's right and I want to research it a bit before calling the doc.
Posted by katia on October 19, 2005, at 16:30:39
In reply to Does Zoloft increase Lamictal levels?, posted by zefdie on October 19, 2005, at 15:55:24
> Thanks for the kind words, Katia! I'm wondering if I need to reduce Zoloft to avoid getting serious side effects with Lamictal. I want to research it before I call my doctor and think I saw this mentioned somewhere.
>
>My advice would be to first ask your pdoc and then add one thing at a time so you know what's causing what. Add the Lamictal VERY SLOWLY and see how you feel and tweek as necessary either med. Lam is definitely an activating med - makes you feel euphoric at first. The second time i tried it however, I went dysphoric, not fun.
good luck.
katia
Posted by KarenRB53 on October 19, 2005, at 17:09:29
In reply to Re: Just Diagnosed BarbaraCat » KarenRB53, posted by barbaracat on October 14, 2005, at 11:33:32
> > Just wondering if you're still on Lamictal and how you're doing with it?
> > Thanks, Karen
> >
> **Wow, that was a while back and so much has happened since then. No, I'm not on Lam. I was doing fine on 75mg for about 4 months or so. Then my mom died suddenly and threw me into a tailspin and the depression came back with force. My pdoc had me slowly titrate up. With every increase I'd feel agitation which subsided, but I wasn't getting the antidepressant relief.
>
> At 125mg I started itching ferociously, like stinging little needles or tiny biting gnats. So bad I couldn't go to restaurants cause I'd embarrass myself needing to scratch everywhere.
>
> I didn't associate it with Lam because we'd just taken in another stray cat and I blamed it on finally becoming allergic to our many cats. Besides, I thought the Lamictal rash was just that, a rash and my pdoc didn't associate it either. When I got up to 175mg I was itching so badly I had goudged bloody tracks on my head and body and my skin was looking puffy and inflamed, but still no 'rash'. So we backed down and then off completely because it no longer worked for the depression I was dealing with. Eventually went to nortriptyline which got me over the bad spot.
>
> A few months later, after Lam was out of my system I took an oral chelator, DMPS, to get rid of mercury toxicity. I had an immediate awful reaction to it that turned into Stevens Johnson Syndrome, or the dreaded rash. I have theories as to why this happened and not all attributable to Lamictal, but I now know that that itchiness and inflamed skin was a 'prodromal state of Steven's Johnson'. The pumps were primed, an allergy had been already born and was waiting for the scales to tip to activate it. They sure did tip and for 5 weeks I was miserable and scared that it was going to progress into TENS, which is very bad news indeed.
>
> So now I'm taking a very small amount (approx 5mg) of Cymbalta, just an index fingertip full of the pellets, and along with lithium I'm doing well. The depression is gone. That micro-dose (5mg vs. typical 30-60mg) is just right for me. Iv'e tried more and went from extreme agitation to extreme lethargy. And how about you? - Barbara
>
> Thanks for responding. What is somatic tension? I started out feeling pretty good with low dose Lamictal but couldn't get above 75mg. because of increased agitation. I also take Prozac which up till now has been the only antidepressant that helps me. But using them together even at low doses has not worked.
Karen
Posted by zefdie on October 19, 2005, at 19:54:49
In reply to Re: Does Zoloft increase Lamictal levels? » zefdie, posted by katia on October 19, 2005, at 16:30:39
I tend toward the dysphoric. I've been in a rage my whole life and antidepressants make me incredibly cranky. I just don't know what to expect right now! It's exasperating. I have a very important deadline coming up in a little over a month and really need to make some improvements before then or else I'll be in a world o' hurt. I'm afraid if I end up on the wrong med I'll miss that deadline and a bunch of opportunities that are riding on it.
> My advice would be to first ask your pdoc and then add one thing at a time so you know what's causing what. Add the Lamictal VERY SLOWLY and see how you feel and tweek as necessary either med. Lam is definitely an activating med - makes you feel euphoric at first. The second time i tried it however, I went dysphoric, not fun.
> good luck.
> katia
Posted by katia on October 19, 2005, at 23:38:03
In reply to Re: Does Zoloft increase Lamictal levels?, posted by zefdie on October 19, 2005, at 19:54:49
You'll know right away if you get dysphoric from it. I tend towards more agitation, anxiety, etc. too. I think that's why Paxil is the only AD that seems to help me. it targets the anxiety and is a sedating AD. Zoloft made me zombie like, but I took that alone without a mood stablizer.
Just try it and see what happens. It's the only way.
Posted by B2chica on October 20, 2005, at 9:22:06
In reply to Re: Does Zoloft increase Lamictal levels?, posted by zefdie on October 19, 2005, at 19:54:49
just a comment, i too tend to get very dysphoric with my hypomania and it gets pretty strong, have major depressive episodes. i finally found a combo that fits:
wellbutrin(450), zoloft(100), ritalin(20LA), zyprexa(10mg), xanax(2mg) and ambien as needed.i mention this cuz the two antidepressants together is what helped my depression and zyprexa is the only one that really helped with the hypomania/dysphoric. i've tried a slue of others including lamictal and they barely even touched it. unfortunately zyprexa made me gain 25lbs, However, i dont miss those moods that made me what to dismember myself.
so maybe consider zyprexa?b2c.
>> I tend toward the dysphoric. I've been in a rage my whole life and antidepressants make me incredibly cranky. I just don't know what to expect right now! It's exasperating. I have a very important deadline coming up in a little over a month and really need to make some improvements before then or else I'll be in a world o' hurt. I'm afraid if I end up on the wrong med I'll miss that deadline and a bunch of opportunities that are riding on it.
Posted by rabble_rouser on November 18, 2005, at 14:57:30
In reply to Re: Does Zoloft increase Lamictal levels?, posted by B2chica on October 20, 2005, at 9:22:06
I've been in and out of treatment for so-called unipolar depression for nearly two decades. I have had no success. I'm coming to realise that I have a lot of bipolar attributes - is it common for Bipolarity to remain 'hidden' from health professionals?
Ross
Posted by katia on November 18, 2005, at 15:12:45
In reply to Is it common for bipolar to remain undiagnosed?, posted by rabble_rouser on November 18, 2005, at 14:57:30
> I've been in and out of treatment for so-called unipolar depression for nearly two decades. I have had no success. I'm coming to realise that I have a lot of bipolar attributes - is it common for Bipolarity to remain 'hidden' from health professionals?
>
> Ross
Yes, definitely. Especially the BPIIs. There is a good book called "Why Your Depression isn't getting better" by Bartos.
get it. It says a lot.
good luck!
Posted by BarbaraCat on November 18, 2005, at 19:10:19
In reply to Is it common for bipolar to remain undiagnosed?, posted by rabble_rouser on November 18, 2005, at 14:57:30
You bet, it happened to me after 3 decades of trying every antidepressant out there and getting worse. It wasn't until I started lithium things started becoming less than awful. I still need a small dose of an antidepressant, but I can handle it now without cycling all over the place.
I second the book "Why your depression isn't getting better" (Hi Katia!). It's a real eye-opener and you'll probably recognize yourself in there. The next step is finding the right mood stabilizer but at least you'll be on the right track. - Barbara
> I've been in and out of treatment for so-called unipolar depression for nearly two decades. I have had no success. I'm coming to realise that I have a lot of bipolar attributes - is it common for Bipolarity to remain 'hidden' from health professionals?
>
> Ross
Posted by musico on November 18, 2005, at 21:40:20
In reply to Re: Is it common for bipolar to remain undiagnosed? » rabble_rouser, posted by BarbaraCat on November 18, 2005, at 19:10:19
Hi yes yes yes! I am 43 years old, just diagnosed this past year after a gazillion meds and pdoc's and what not. NOT to mention near death experiences due to psychosis. After what I now know in retrospect was rapid cycling likely induced by trying every antidepressant on the market(as you know BAD news for BP)I am having a life-changing experience with the anti-psychotic Zyprexa, the mood stabilizer Lamictal...some weight gain issues so I'm looking at other options but will not hesitate to return to this combo if need be...also sexual side-effects with Zoloft blah blah. I hope that you find a good doctor like I finally have and you find some relief. Hugs!
Posted by CareBear04 on November 22, 2005, at 9:25:33
In reply to Is it common for bipolar to remain undiagnosed?, posted by rabble_rouser on November 18, 2005, at 14:57:30
yes, i was still undiagnosed even after lexapro made me manic and psychotic. it wasn't until after a psychiatrist added lithium on a trial basis that I was eventually and gradually diagnosed. good luck and stick with it!
Posted by cecilia on November 26, 2005, at 3:59:52
In reply to Re: Is it common for bipolar to remain undiagnosed? » rabble_rouser, posted by CareBear04 on November 22, 2005, at 9:25:33
As we all know, psychiatric theories come and go and one of the latest seems to be that depression that doesn't respond to AD's must really be bipolar. My question-how many mood stabilizers (and which ones are best) for proving or disapproving this theory? I haven't tried nearly as many mood stabilizers as I have AD's, just gabapentin and lamictal (and a brief trial of lithium, but I didn't like throwing up every morning-if I'm going to have morning sickness I should at least get a baby out of it). Oh, and clonazepam, which I guess is a mood stabilizer in large does, though not in the small dose I take (1.5 mg/day). Is there really any point in trying tons of different mood stabilizers just in case you might be bipolar? I'll have to see if the book Katia mentioned is available from the library. The Amazon review of it was pretty negative, though, and it sounded like it was mainly concerned with alcoholism, which isn't an issue for me. Cecilia
Posted by windygo on December 15, 2005, at 20:58:58
In reply to Re: Lithium Orotate, posted by mordewis on March 18, 2004, at 5:08:40
Those who are still monitoring this old thread on lithium orotate should be interested in the new thread beginning with the following URL:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20051025/msgs/586709.html
Thanks,
Wayne
Posted by justina on February 12, 2006, at 13:12:18
In reply to Hi All from Barbara! - Fluffy, Katia, Nicole, etc. » katia, posted by BarbaraCat on April 8, 2004, at 14:44:49
trying to figure out how long until your system is clean of seroquel. have to take a urine test cant have any antisycotics in my system been taking seroquel for 3 yrs now 100mg twice a day and 300 mg at night stopped cold turkey about10 days ago. not feeling very good but need to know if it will be out of my system
Posted by ed_uk on February 12, 2006, at 14:55:28
In reply to how long until your system is clean of seroquel » BarbaraCat, posted by justina on February 12, 2006, at 13:12:18
Whatever anyone is testing your urine for, they will not be testing your urine for antipsychotics.
Ed
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