Is it better to take Lamectil in the a.m? On 25 2x's daily but don't know if that's am & pm or all at once.

Question

This is for mood-stablizing not seizures. I suffer from anxiety and depression. I have tried several meds. I'm allergic to alot of them. I can't call the doctor every other day and I just can't tell if this stuff is working. My nerves are more shot than they've ever been. I don't know if it's from med or what. I'm not taking anything else w/ it. I'd love to be able to enjoy my children more but right now they just aggrivate me. I've taken Xanax and it doesn't do it for me. I just can't calm down. I think I'm beginning to get insomnia again which just adds fuel to the fire. Any GOOD suggestions that I haven't heard? Even if it's a long, drawn-out, dramatic suggestion, I'd love to hear it. Try to suggest something that won't make my sex life any worse.

Answer 1

I take the mood stabilizer Topamax for OCD, and am very sensitive to side effects. So I spread the dose equally through the day. I've had better success and lesser side effects using this approach with any med.

I think you should try this method with your Lamectil. I also believe Lamectil has to be ramped up very gradually. So it may take a couple of weeks or more before it "kicks in".

I hope the new med works, but if it does not have your Dr. try Topamax.

For me it seems things around me cause my thinking to run too fast, like trying to watch a movie in hyper fast forward. So the thoughts aren't clear, I get stressed, aggrivated, and have to keep re-thinking and re-checking.

The Topamax stops the hyper speed, and puts things in real time. There is no sense of being tranquilized. Just sort of being in phase with time again.
I'm taking it with a small dose of Busbar. Busbar is pretty useless on its own, but as an augmenter, it can be quite helpful.

It's a great change from the Anafranil I'd been taking. While terrifically effective(it literally saved me), it has an endless array of side effects.
The docs had tried seven other antidepressents before and after Anafranil. Most made me sleep all the time and didn't work,and a couple made me hyper, along with other unpleasantries.

The point I'm making is it's may take time to find the right med or meds to do the trick. But you've got to hang in there. Do some research on anxiety and depression, you never know what they're trying. I found Topamax searching on the web and suggested it to my doctor. I found one study that showed great results on OCD using an anti nausea drug for chemotherapy, weird huh. That was going to be the next thing if the Topamax hadn't worked.

The key having a Dr. that is willing to be open to new treatments.

I hope the Lamectil works, and maybe some of my words have been a help. Charley

Answer 2

I've taken Lamictal for a few years, for seizures, and it works great. Like all drugs, you have to keep a schedule perfectly. I have taken it every morning at six 'oclock. I'll get up and take it, usually go back to sleep for an hour or so while the drug enters my system, then I get up and eat a good breakrast.
Don't worry about your sex life yet. Just worry about getting the seizures under control. The rest will happen naturally as your life improves. You can't force improvement on things like depressiona and anxiety - believe me, I know. You have to allow yourself to deal with them directly. Don't try to lie to yourself, it will just make it worse. Just be honest with yourself and realistic in your coping strategies. It is humbling and at times will feel like you are back at zero self-esteem, but that's just an illusion. Don't give up - you are an awesome person. Your life is going to be incredible, partly because you have passed through this darkness. Life is going to be spectacular again, you'll see. Better than it ever was before.

Answer 3

I have been taking lamictal for 6mths now. for bi-polar disease. I stated out on 25mg twice daily. Took one in am and second one around 4pm. I have been slowly increased so i am to teh point of 200 mgs 3 times daily. My kids calls these my happy pils. I am not as short and snappy with them as I was. I can tell when I am due ofr my next dose cause I start to feel as what I call 'road rage'.
Lamictal must be increased slowly or you can develop a fatal rash
These pills also halped me sleep better. I am more calm and relaxed. Hubby no longer wants to throw me out the window.. he is just joking but had told teh doctor I had become impossible to live with.
I still have some bad days but on those days I grab an afternoon nap and that seems to help alot.
Hang in there... thsi meds does work wonders.
(((((HUGS)))))

Answer 4

I'm a R.N. and the directions for your mood stabilizer are for you to take it at two separate times each day. Often it is taken at 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. (12 hours apart ) so that your blood level of Lamectil remains stable without high and low spikes of the medication in your blood. It sounds like you are just starting this medication so you won't be able to accurately assess how it is working for you for 6 to 8 weeks. If you have the additional problem of insomnia, try to implement measures at bedtime that will help you fall asleep since poor sleep habits will have an extremely negative effect on your ability to manage your anxiety and depression. Some suggestions include:
- No eating or drinking after 8 p.m.
- Having a consistent bedtime nightly at 10 p.m.
- Having a warm bath or shower nightly just prior to bedtime.
- No reading books or watching t.v. in the bedroom prior to bedtime. (too stimulating in room designed for sleeping)
- Listening to relaxation tapes at bedtime often is helpful as well as meditating for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Also 10 to 15 minutes of sexual activity at this time as part of your usual nightly routine can be helpful for some people.
- And finally, some people find it necessary to take 25 m.g.of Benadryl (an over the counter antihistamine) at bedtime in order to fall asleep quickly such as within 15 to 20 minutes following the completion of your regular bedtime routine. The Benadryl is usually taken at 8 p.m. along with your mood stabilizer.
Hopefully these suggestions will prove helpful for you. Good luck to you.