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Lamitrogine side effects


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I might. I'm not sure about my course of action. I'm just focusing on getting off of this stuff first.

Think kepra will be the next one to try again. At a lower dose coupled with the odd kolono.

I decrease down to 150 next week.

The dp/Dr hasn't been as punishing but it's still very noticeable. The depression is still really bad and I've been feeling incredibly spaced out over the past few days.

I'm just hoping that my body adjusts to these lowered doses. I'm thinking maybe it's when I went up past 300 it made me have all these side effects and the less that's in my system to easier it will be to come off of.

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  • 1 month later...

Well I drop down to 75mg on Monday. These smaller doses really pack a punch with the withdrawl effects. Weds I pretty much lost my mind it was the closest I've come to hallucinating since my trip. Horrible vs and dpdr. Ended up going for a 3 hr walk to try to calm myself. Next day went to emerg and they kept me for the night.

My thoughts are really fragmented and weird. Very weird sensations and I was so aggressive the other day I was snapping at everything.

Took a benzo Friday and felt much better

One thing I have noticed tho is that through the madness I'm getting glimpses of my old self. Like I will find things funny again. Or I'll have a genuine emotion that I used to have. It's fleeting but it's there. which I guess shows,me,I'm on the right path getting off this shit.

I plan to be off it by the end of the month. I've been prescribed desipramine for my depression and I have flunarazine but I'm scared to take it because it makes depression worse.

Desipramine has helped my father and it's also used to treat migraines and anxiety I'm hoping it works on some of that for me.

This has been the hardest time of my life and I'm able,to,write this now because some,of,the benzo is still in my system. By later tonight I should be a wreck again but I know I'm going to get through it.

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Well that desipramine has really fucked me. It's set me back months. VS is the worst it's ever been and I was starting to feel like my old self a little and it's totally made me feel confused and flat again. I could feel it raping my brain in real time when I took it. Now I've had to hold off my taper.

Does anyone know if I've done permanent damage by taking it? It feels like it's given me hppd on top of what I have. Naturally when I was starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel too. It's so fucking defeating having this shit. One 25 mg pill can screw everything up.

Please someone tell me this isn't permanent

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If read your posts You still didnt understand that meds dont work even if you didnt had hppd its still make you a zombie and a lot people whant to come of and they exeperience double hell its just a narcotic atleast the most of it

There a better solutions then meds

I dont think its permanent because i did a trial 5 days after it geths worse i quited and a week later i was in the baseline

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^ I agree. I want to go med free but right now that is not an option.

Now the REAL withdrawal has started. Felt my first few brain swooshes today. DRDP like a motherfucker. On top of the withdrawal /side effects some of the hppd it may have been masking is now returning.

My brain has been broken and scattered throughout different dimension being poked and prodded by alien beings with vile intent. This is some next level shit. I have a shred of humanity left but I still have 75 mg to drop and even then who fucking knows how I'll be. I'm starting to think no meds will work for me. Nothing can beat this. FOR ME. Nothing can beat it except time. Maybe somehow through some miracle this shit will slowly fade. I can only pray.

But one thing is for sure. I'd rather deal with this in the nude sans meds than have to deal with the side effects and enevitable withdrawal from anything else.

But until then I'm going to force a few kolonos down the hatch. Even that might not work but lord have mercy on my soul, I NEED something to help me before I do something stupid. I'll only take them temporarily and hopefully can get off them once I've reached my baseline.

I know this thread has been turned into my personal journal but people need to be aware of the cosmic skull fucking these Meds can give you.

Lamictal has helped so many people don't let my thread discourage you from trying it. But be careful and titrate SLOWLY. I think there are other factors at play here in my damaged brain as to why it turned on me but I cannot deny that the lamictal side effects/withdrawal is spawned in hell and beyond the comprehension of our petty human minds. Well mine anyway

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  • 3 weeks later...

Been a minute. happy new year everyone.

I'm currently at 37.5 cutting by 12.5 every week. The 25 mg cuts are way too much at this point and I'd rather play it as safe as possible. I'm kinda bummed because I wanted to be off by Jan 1st but I'll take the extra month to avoid things really getting out of control.

Found a post from beyond meds that seems to be very similar to what I'm going through in terms of the light sensitivity

"I stopped a generic Lamictal about 5 weeks ago. I’ve taken it for about a year and at one point I was taking 300mg. It killed my short term memory and concentration. I dropped to 150 mg and felt disoriented so I increased the dose on my own as I wasn’t able to function at all for that weekend. I felt better at 225 mg. I used this summer break to discontinue the med as I didn’t feel the stable mood I had felt on 300 despite the side effects. I went down 75 mg a week, but at zero I felt incredibly confused, fever, migraines, mild and occasional twitching, sensory problems, ect, ect. I immediately told my doctor and he said it was withdrawal seen in some people taking antidepressants, but I’m not on antidepressants. He hadn’t had or heard of any users experiencing it with Lamictal. Even so he compared it to being on LSD and after reading many descriptions this really does feel like a “bad trip”. I have been taking ativan for the panic. I was strangely unemotional aside from fear until about 2 days ago. I began feeling intense emotions. Good and bad. I felt that I was making big improvements but now feel like I’m getting worse. The major problem has to do with senses. Trails behind moving objects, brighter lights, sensitivity to flashing lights(sometimes painful), noticeably increased intensity of colors and sounds, sounds have an echoed or tunnel quality. It’s an overall dreamlike feeling and I cant quite describe it accurately. I do know I can’t drive or carry on with normal living. School starts in august and I have to get better before then. Not only is it exhausting to deal with but I cant imagine carrying on normal responsibility while feeling so impaired and uncoordinated."

Damn and he's 5 weeks off the stuff!

Current symptoms

DP/DR - still bad and constant although it has been worse. Last week I had that sensation where everything was much taller than it is I can't remember what it's called but I hadn't had it in a long time. Awful feeling.

VS/halos etc... - worst it's been. That despirmaine certainly set me back.

Light sensitivity - still bad. Artificial lights are blinding

Fatigue - always tiered. my muscles feel flat and my joints ache. Really hard to work out I just feel gross inside

Depression - some improvement here. I have a little more optimism but the depression comes in waves so we will see

Anxiety - varies but not as bad the past couple days

Cognitive function - pretty low. I feel borderline brain damaged most of the time. Can't think of words, having really stage thoughts, trouble communicating and my co ordination is caput. Like I don't know how to operate in a fluid way. Everything I do feels rigid and weird. I went to the dr a couple days ago and when I spoke my own voice startled me and freaked me out.

Still a long road ahead of me to even reach my baseline but I'm getting there..

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Once your done with it trow it in the garbage if it make it worser there is no point to use and trying something new can bring you in the same road so its just noth worth it buth yea you think this time maybe it wil help or cure i think you should stick on klono only

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Lamictal decreases glutamate transition so withdrawals could lead to excess glutamate. This in turns leads to overly increased acetylcholine levels. I find that people with HPPD are very sensitive to the glutamate acetylcholine balance. I know exactly how your feeling though man. I took a supplement that increased my glutamate levels by 20 percent and it's been absolute hell. Suicidal thoughts, extreme sadness, tearfulness, inability to experience pleasure. Horrible horrible sleep. Here's a list of symptoms for high acetylcholine. Only thing that has helped me is getting on Lexapro to increase serotonin to "compete" with the acetylcholine and benzos. Hope to be off both when I settle down.

http://mindrenewal.us/page13.html

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  • 2 weeks later...

Been on 25 mg for a week now. I had a couple almost barely okay days over the weekend. Today however I'm really feeling last weeks drop.

My deralization is so fucking intense. I can't concentrate and it's like I'm having CNS issues. My face is cold then hot. My body feels different. Like something has switched and everything fells dull and numb. My depth perseption is screwed and my mind is constantly spinning with random nonsense. i was getting brain shakes today too. Anyone had that feeling before? My visuals are even worse than last time I posted.

I'm seriously afraid. I'm not myself and I don't feel like anything can help me.

If you're reading this maybe send me an encouraging word or two. Everything helps and I think we really need to support each other.

I have never been this desperate and hopeless in all my life. Please there HAS to be a pay off in this. it HAS to get better.

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I think you should take klonopin if you have you should take it until you tapper of this med and you need distraction the best way you should go for walks even if you dont like it its can geth harder buth you should do it in a routine after you done with your walk you wil geth a relief for sure

A walk is a good way to refocus in the now and dont giving hppd attention so hppd can shrink with time, 1hour a day can do wonders

Yea and i took lamogotrine 25mg to long time ago buth the side effects was horrible i stop with it after a week

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Thank you ddiddy for the kind words.

The past 2 days have been absolute fucking hell. My hppd is back with a vengeance. My visuals are so intense and so is my dpdr. I dropped my dose the Tuesday before last. Experienced some w/d. Then it kinda tapered off (didn't get better but I was kinda feeling okay) then when I got up Friday everything turned to shit. The panic, the body buzz, the rushes of anxiety, INTENSE visuals, dpdr off the charts it all just fell apart. I'm cold,then hot. Numb all over. I forgot how bad this feels and it's even worse than last time.

I don't know what to do. I seriously can't handle this. My quality of life is the lowest it's ever been. I'm thinking about ending it but I don't want to. But I can't go on like this. I'm suffering immensely every minute of everyday and now that I know it can get this bad and Im not even off the lamictal yet I'm not sure I'm going to be able to keep going.

Should I titrate back up? Should I introduce Keppra? Should I do TCM? Should I jump off a bridge?

I took a benzo just now so the panic has subsided a bit but the depression is front and centre.

Being med free is NOT an option for me right now I have to accept that

Off to a shitty start this year so far was really hoping things would improve

Man this really really sucks

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I know its sucks hppd buth nobody dont want to realize that meds dont work for hppd even for other disorders that have market even there is no cure how big are your changes for hppd? And you alrdy having hell with lamogotrine and you want try keppra is this a good idea? I think you should stay on klonopin or increase the dose until you come off and think about find something you like to do or something you like it in your childhood and stick on it and keep ignore hppd and concentrate on what you want to do, a normal life with hppd isnt that far

Like i say like doing something that stimulate you brain is still the best cure in long term buth nobody take it serius and they think just popping a pill wil cure and yea every time the geth disapointed

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  • 2 weeks later...

Been at 25mg for a month now. Scared to increase or decrease. My symptoms are so intense I can barely cope with my day to day. Not sure what to do but I regret the day I ever touched this shit

Seriously this stuff makes you suicidal, homicidal, angry and insane. It can make everything to do with hppd worse. On top of all the already existing hppd symptoms becoming exasperated I now have extreme artificial light sensitivity and I've just read that it is most likely permanent. Fuck.

This stuff is poison and at this point I urge everyone to really question and think it through before you start taking it.

Read these reviews

http://www.askapatient.com/viewrating.asp?drug=20241&name=LAMICTAL

It fucks with your bones too. Many people I'm in contact with have lost teeth because of lamictal. I had zero cavities before starting it. Over a couple years in and I need to have teeth pulled and root canal. It messes with your skin. Mine doesn't look as healthy. My veins bulge out all the time and it's really loose and wrinkly and I'm only 30. And my hair has been falling out like crazy this whole time. Luckily it's long enough where it's not that noticeable but it's much thinner than it was before starting. Some people have ended up bald as a result of this med.

What you're going through now is not worth the risk with this med and judging by the extreme reaction people have it should be pulled IMO

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Thanks dude I really appreciate it.

It was really weird my symptoms somewhat decreased in severity for 24 hours there. my vs wasn't as punishing and I felt somewhat competent. Went to the gym yesterday then out with a friend for dinner. As soon as we went out my symptoms came back HARD. I couldn't think or talk. Its like someone reaching into your head and turning off all cognitive function. I just got extremely anxious and my friend could tell. I was shaking in the car on the ride home and she asked if I was cold.

Waking up today I feel like utter shit again.

There is zero rhyme or reason to this condition and even when I was experiencing the decrease I tried to make the best of it because I knew it wouldn't last. And it didn't.

I'm calling a clinic now it have a QEEG done. I know my brain is operating at an abnormal level and it will be beneficial to have documentation of it.

going to give myself another week and start decreasing the lamictal again . Urgh

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That's good man can't explain how but I'm sure having a day of reduced symptoms can't mean anything and probably means something good, keep fighting. Btw found a med that would help you a lot and you can buy legally off the internet, look up tianeptine

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  • 2 months later...

I've been at 25 mg for 4 months now.

even at this low dose it hasn't evened out and the withdrawal effects haven't ceased. I no longer think these are withdraw, effects but they are the actual effects of the medication

It looks like the damage its done to my vision in permanent

"The capacity of available tests to detect potentially adverse consequences of melanin binding is unknown. Clinical trials excluded subtle effects and optimal duration of treatment. There are no specific recommendations for periodic ophthalmological monitoring. Lamotrigine binds to the eye and melanin-containing tissues which can accumulate over time and may cause toxicity. Prescribers should be aware of the possibility of long-term ophthalmologic effects and base treatment on clinical response. Patient compliance should be periodically reassessed with lab and medical testing of liver and kidney function to monitor progress or side effects.[40]"

Wonderful

This shit has effectively poisoned my vision and it most likely won't get better even when I'm off it.

Here's another juicy bit

"Lamitrogine has been implicated in the apoptotic neurodegeneration of the developing brain.[49] "

No kidding

This shit has made me slow, taken away my humour, I can't remember ANYTHING, put me in a constant state of intense derealization and seems to be killing my fucking brain

I guarantee you you will see law suits against lamitrogine start popping up real soon. I strongly urge everyone to stay far far away from this shit.

My plan now is to switch to the brand name and start taking the pedicatric 5mg pills and reduce very slowly until I'm off. I know this shit has done permanent damage to me I was never this bad before.

HPPD is more than enough for anyone to deal with don't ad to it by taking lamitrogine.

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I'm sorry that you aren't feeling well, but at your dosage the chance that lamictal that is causing your issues is low. That's a quarter of the lowest therapeutic dose, which is 100 mg.

 

 

 

It looks like the damage its done to my vision in permanent

What vision problems are you having and why do you believe that they are linked to Lamictal?

 

 

 

Lamitrogine has been implicated in the apoptotic neurodegeneration of the developing brain.

In new born babies. Not adults.

 

Actually, lamictal has been shown to be neuroprotective

 

The cognitive impact of antiepileptic drugs

"For example, in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving children, there were no differences in the results of cognitive tasks assessing reaction time, recognition memory, attention, visual search and working memory [Pressler et al. 2006]. Positive effects on cognitive function in epilepsy have also been reported [Placidi et al. 2000; Banks and Beran, 1991]. Attention processes, short-term memory, and motor and mental speed were investigated in 25 epilepsy patients taking carbamazepine plus lamotrigine as add-on therapy [Aldenkamp et al. 1997]. There were no significant score decreases after adding lamotrigine, and most changes were in a positive direction."

 

 

A Systematic Review of the Effects of Lamotrigine on Cognitive Function and Quality of Life

"Lamotrigine (LTG) is a new-generation AED that is effective and well tolerated in both the elderly and children. Existing data suggest that the cognitive deficits commonly associated with AED therapy are not commonly observed in patients receiving LTG as monotherapy, and, when LTG is used as an add-on therapy, any existing cognitive problems are not exacerbated and in some cases are clearly improved."

 

"in many cases, the use of LTG is associated with improved cognitive functioning, which is not seen with standard AEDs."

 

 

Here is a list of studies on Lamictal and it's impact on cognition.

 

 

 

This shit has made me slow, taken away my humour, I can't remember ANYTHING, put me in a constant state of intense derealization

These are all symptoms of depression, anxiety and HPPD.

 

 

 

HPPD is more than enough for anyone to deal with don't ad to it by taking lamitrogine.

 

"Upon commencing drug therapy with lamotrigine, these complex visual disturbances receded almost completely. Based on its hypothesized neuroprotective and mood-stabilizing effects, the antiepileptic lamotrigine may offer a promising new approach in the treatment of HPPD."

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