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Been given Lamotrigine - So scared of taking it

Posted , 6 users are following.

liam28679
liam28679

Hi, I have been prescribed lamotrigine to try and help with my bipolar symptoms, mainly the depressed cycles.

I collected my prescription this afternoon of 56 25mg tablets - Starting on a low dose and slowly increase over coming weeks,

There is a big problem in that I am so afraid of starting taking them after reading all the side effects online especially about the rashes associated with lamotrigine which can turn out very nasty and even fatal!! 

Theres also a lot of other side effects which frighten me to death like organ failure, bone marrow problems etc....

Should I begin to take it or refuse it as treament? I have seem many positive reviews with this medication for bipolar but I really don't know if I want to put something so dangerous in my body! 

0 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • ally08356
    ally08356 liam28679

    Posted

    Hi Liam

    ​I had to start taking it too for Bipolar2, after a trial of Epilim (valproate). I read about the side effects too. The drug companies must advise consumers of every side effect otherwise they may get sued!!!! However, I have been taking Lamotrogine for a while now and have not suffered any bad side effects only the occassiolnal headache. When you have Bipolar, antidepressants can sdometimes act as a switch and increase the risk of depressive episodes. I went off it for a while and the depression came back really badly. For me, I have to accept that I will need to be on it for life.

    I am glad that things workled out differently for Rachel, and it sounds like prozac really messed with her, that's not always the case for others.

    ​Like any new medicaiton the doctor wants to give you, irrespective of the health condition you have, it pays to ask how neccessary is it, what evidence is there to support this option for treatment, what is the expected outcomea nd what are the alternatives.

    The decision to take it or not is yours, ansd you have taken the right steps in infomring yourself.

    Good luck

    Ally

    • liam28679
      liam28679 ally08356

      Posted

      Hi Ally,

      Maybe I shouldn't have scared myself to death reading all the bad things online about lamotrigine! But i like to know what I'm putting in my body...

      i've tried loads of pills over the last few years with only limited results, I'm probably running out of options as far as medication goes! Perhaps Lamotrugine will work really well and i'll have no/very little side effects! But I'll never know unless I give it a try. 

      Maybe I'll take it maybe I won't!! I'm seeing my CPN on Wednesday so i will discuss my concerns with him then. 

      I am a very anxious person and I do worry A LOT over most things, hence why I'm scared to take the new medication for fear having a very bad reaction/rash/death!!! 

      If I developed a rash I'd probably go straight the hospital in a massive panic. sad

  • ally08356
    ally08356 liam28679

    Posted

    Hi Liam

    Thought I'd see how you were going with the lamotragine? No dramas so far?

    Ally

    • liam28679
      liam28679 ally08356

      Posted

      Hey Ally,

      Unfortunately I haven't started taking it! sad 

      So I am still taking no medication for my condition so my moods are still all over the place, mainy low moods that I suffer from.

      Liam 

  • elizabethcarol
    elizabethcarol liam28679

    Posted

    My first psychiatrist, an intern, when I was 23 and I'm now 65, and I became friends over time. He did extensive research on lamotrigine. It is one of the few drugs for mood stabilization that becomes more effective over time. In the low-light seasons, I used to drop into the basement, as I thought of it, and have 'why live' thoughts. In fact, I'd get to that state about 4 times a year and in fall-winter just hang out there. Just terribly depressed. After taking lamotrigine--120mg 2x day, I seldom get that low. It has clipped off the drops into lows and clipped off the tops of the highs--have to admit I miss those. I still have bipolar II, frequent mood shifts, within any given day, but not the extremes.
  • janet28243
    janet28243 liam28679

    Posted

    hi Liam

    What's happening?

    Are you taking any medication yet?

    I am concerned you may be suffering unnesessarily

    LoopyLizzy

  • elizabethcarol
    elizabethcarol liam28679

    Posted

    Hi Liam--how's it going? Up and downs are so tiring! Any progress on the medication front?
  • liam28679
    liam28679

    Posted

    Hi, yes I am taking the Lamotrigine and have been for 6 weeks now and I'm up to 75mg, due to increase to 100mg tonight. All going well so far I'm noticing less severe ups and downs and a bit happier in myself.

    Only side effects so far have been some itchy skin at times but it's nothing major. 

    • elizabethcarol
      elizabethcarol liam28679

      Posted

      Glad you're experiencing some benefits, even just 6 weeks out. And titrating. Everybody lands at a dfiferent effectiveness amount. For me, it is 120mg twice/day. I'm lucky not to have itchy skin, or I haven't recognized the difference from dry skin as I age. :-(

       

    • janet28243
      janet28243 liam28679

      Posted

      Hi. i'm really pleased you decided to give it a go. Hope it continues to work for you. I have been taking 300 mgs of lamotrigene a day for about 10 years now, along with 2 anti depressants and I'm ok most of the time. Just the odd wobble now which don't last too long and are not as severe. Good luck
  • Sandy12345
    Sandy12345 liam28679

    Posted

    It's up to you. All drugs have side effects but not everyone will get them. Look at the incidence rate. You'll find organ failure and bone marrow suppression extremely rare. You're more likely to get hypertension from excessive salt intake, a heart attack from a fatty diet or lung cancer, bladder cancer or throat cancer from smoking. Put it into perspective. Don't be paranoid.

    In my opinion and also the evidence from trials show it, lamotrigine is an excellent drug for preventing depression. I wish I'd gone on it as soon as it was licensed for the indication. You have every right to not take it if you don't want to, unless you're on a locked ward of course. But it's a good drug and I haven't noticed any side effects from it. And believe me I know about side effects from other drugs I've been on.

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