Well, I have been traveling for a week- first to Texas and now in Florida. It has been great, but I have had a lot of sleep and medication problems.
I am really uncomfortable as I write this- I have what I call the Lamictal twitches and I feel like I’m going to crawl out of my skin. I hate it. I’m pretty sure I took my dose this morning, so this is odd. It’s amazing how uncomfortable these side effects can be. It’s hard to live with sometimes- but the Lamictal is worth it for me.
Actually, I should say Lamotrigine as I am now on the generic. Who knows if the side effects worsened because of the medication change. I have not seen a change in my moods, so that is all that matters. There is a big discussion on the generic Lamictal on the blog- if you go to the right side menu and click on Lamictal, you can see all of the entries.
OK. I have to stand up or I am going to twitch out of my chair!
Julie
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Hi Julie,
I just read all the blogs and comments on Lamictal (and the generic) and they really answered a lot of questions for me. First off, and I know you’re not supposed to do this, but my daughter had some left over when she tried it so I used those up before I refilled my prescription. I noticed a couple of different things that happened to me while taking her prescription but I blew them off not even thinking about them until I read the blogs. The first one was a twitch I got in my left hand when using the computer mouse and the second one is the rash that I got on my chest just above the breast. I am very thankful that all of you talked about the Lamictal side effects. The only thing is these symptoms didn’t show up until I used my daughter’s prescription. Could it have been because of the age of the pills? Everything else about them is the same as mine. I just wasn’t sure if there is an expiration date on them or not but this is my only explanation of these 2 symptoms. What do y’all think?
Tamara
Hi Tamara,
It’s always best to talk with your doctor regarding the rash. There is one serious rash, but very few people get it- I know of one who had to stop the drug out of the hundreds of people I know who take Lamictal. The rash is often benign and can be treated with benedryl. Defintely call your doctor though and just give them an update. I have to stress that a mild rash is very normal. A rash that really itches with oozing sores like poison ivy is not ok! I still get a lot of itching from the drug, but I live with it. I always say it’s best to check in with a health care professional. My coauthor Dr. John Preston is my source of info, so I’m lucky I can call him with all of my questions and he mentioned that most are benign.
Remember, I am not a medical doctor!
As for the twitching- you should see me when it really gets going! It’s pretty comical. It’s very uncomfortable- especially in the legs. I know it means my dose is not correct. There is NO question that my side effects increased when I had to start the generic Lamictal, but the meds are working and that is all that matters to me. I’ve found that the side effects calm down over time.
Regarding taking your daughter’s pills, I use my mom’s pills if I forget mine. She is on Lamictal as well. I say it’s a lot better to take what is there than to go without! The age of the Lamictal is a question you can ask you doctor or pharmacist. If you switched between regular and generic that may be the problem. This is beacuse the way they make the pills can be differnt and we absorb the drugs differently. I assume my body will adjust.
I love this drug as you know, but the side effects can definitely be strong. But not as strong as Zyprexa for example. I can live with them.
Thanks for your question and definitely check in with your doctor about the rash if it continues, spreads or oozes! Mine comes and goes so I can live with it!
Julie
I found your blog a couple of days ago and it is the best bipolar blog I have found yet! I think you show amazing courage to write and talk about everything, even when it’s not all happy stuff or perhaps not easy to do.
I don’t have experience with the generic of Lamictal. However, I know from experience with other medications that the generics are not always as good as the brand names. Even though they have the same ingredients, the bioavailability can be different and the absorption uneven and sometimes that makes the side effects worse.
Hope this helps!
HB
** Hello!
Thank you for your kind comments. Sometimes it’s hard to be honest, but I so want people to know they are not alone and that there is hope. It’s a rotten illness though! I get mad at it.
Feel free to tell more people about the blog- I especially want to help family and friends understand the illness.
Thanks for your comment!
Julie
Julie
I too am on a Lamictal, generic. At first it was fine. When I refilled my prescription (my son is on it too and also filled his) the pharmacy gave us a different generic brand. This made us both so sleepy and irritable. I was very upset and disgusted. It took a lot of doing but got the insurance co. to accept a new prescription and I asked for the generic I had previously. Now I will only take the one I know works. I’ve had this happen with Ativan generic also. So,this leaves me to wonder how often people take a generic for the first time and it doesn’t agree with them and it could possibly be just fine if it were another company’s generic.
As if it’s not hard enough to have BP Disorder we have to monitor the meds too.
Stay healthy!!