Lamictal

[Helen1010]

Hi Everyone!  I recently posted that I had been increased to 400 mg of Lamictal, going from 200 mg.  To say that was a bad idea is an understatement!  One day, out of the blue, I literally couldn't use my legs!  My brain would say walk but the message did not register in my legs.  Trouble is, it wouldn't last all day so the first time I thought, well maybe, I had been given too much anthesia when I had dental surgery, so I shrugged it off.  After the surgery, I laid around and didn't do much at all.  If I got up I would get dizzy and would get help to walk to the bathroom, slowly dragging my legs.   A week later I go for a follow-up dentist appointment.  I woke up fine - to my medicine like every other morning - even drove to her office.  I am so glad my husband rode with me that day!  I got out of the car and got dizzy.  I told my husband I didn't feel just right would he walk with me to the door.  He walk me to the counter and left to do errands while I was there.  I was talking to the girl at the counter and the dizziness got worse - then my legs didn't want to hold me up!  If it weren't for my knuckles turning white holding on to the counter so tightly, I would have fallen right there!  I was scared to death.  I asked the girl to reschedule my appointment and call my husband to get back quick.  In the meantime I clutched the counter and wouldn't let go.  He opened the door and the tears flowed - he asked what was wrong - hell I didn't know but I was freaking out!  He literally carried me to the car.  I told him to take me home - he said he was going to the hospital - it will go away.  Of course, I hadn't told him about the other times.  I asked him to wait and let me think.  If we couldn't figure something out I would go to the hospital.  I pulled the internet up on the phone looking up things such as loss of balance, legs quit working, anything I could think of - what I read really scared me.  Then my brain started kicking in - what had I done differently?  I was taking the same medicine - NOT!!! - I looked up lamictal and sure enough there it was.  Your body starts having REALLY bad side effects when it detects an OVERDOSE.    I called the doctor and sure enough - he gets on the phone with me - we talk.  I would take the medicine and fine, then when it starts being absorbed all hell breaks loose. I stayed off the medicine for one day - went back on the next day at 300 mg.  This was a long story just to tell ya'll to be careful but I want everyone one to realize what MAY happen - just in case it shows up on your end - it doesn't happen to everyone but just in case it does, you will know what to look at first.  You guys take care!  

[jimgreg]

I went from 25,50,100,200,to 400.i did fine, took me 3 yrs to realy feel it..no side effects..i know it was in 2011..was kind of wondering how you are now???

[Shanna1969]

I almost overdoes last nite was the scariest thing I ever went throw.. I thought I was taking ultram for muscle aches.. I took quite well a lot.. I have high tolerance for pills.. What I didn't realize was some lamictal was in my bottle of ultram. My boyfriend came home from work n I was sleeping.. I felt like I was sleeping soundly. He tried to wakened up n walked out of the room.. I tried to lift myself up with my arm n immediately started shaking and fell to my pillow.. I was extremely tired n thought I was just tired.  When he said to get up again I tried to stand n my legs were shaking so bad very wobbly I couldn't hold tael with my legs or stand and fell to the floor.. I drug myself back to the bed and said I need to sleep.  He asked what was wrong with me I said I needed to sleep.  He pulled me up to stand n I fell to the floor screaming key me sleep. He asked what I took and I said ultram.. He didn't believe me cuz I never acted that way..he couldn't understand me and in my brain I felt like I was making total sense . He kept saying I don't understand you ! So I screamed at the top of my lungs I NEED TO SLEEP! He grabbed me up and drugged me from under my arms to stand and I kept falling all over the place so he took me to the living room to the couch saying what did you take! Everytime I talked he said I can't understNd you.. So I started to scream my responses but he could hardly understand .. He said I sounded like a demon.. I kept saying I need to sleep n he was yelling I'm calling an ambulance whT did you take! All the screaming woke my 5 yr old up.. I tried to get up and get her I fell down knocked the tv over and grabbed my daughter.. My arms head and legs were thrashing around n I took my daughter then fell on the floor.. He started to friek out saying if you don't stop I'm calling e m s . He didn't realize I couldn't stop so he pretended to call thinking u would stop.. In my brain I was aware of everything but I couldn't control nothing.. My head was thrashing up n down like a headbanger. He Kaye's me on the couch n I said I need to throw up .. I jumped off the couch n fell to the floor trying to drag myself to the bathroom n I couldn't so I. Grabbed my daughters toy bin n was gonna throw up n it.. He drug me to the bathroom as I was flopping all over n made it to the toilet .. He called my mom n she came and was in the bathroom holding my hair as I threw up till I was dry heaving I was sweating profusely as she blew on my neck. I couldn't leave the toilet. The only way I could throw up more was if I banged my head back n forth well shook it.  Eventually I started to calm down n I wasn't shaking so bad . He took me to the couch about 2 hrs later and I soon fell asleep. I woke up in the morning my stomach hurt I had a fever my muscles ached and still a little shakeup.  I cried so hard realizing what had happened there were lamictal pills in my ultram bottle.  I cried so hard .. I couldn't stop thinking I could have died . My boyfriend n girlfriend calmed me down as the day went on u calmed down and ached as the day went on. I imagine  I'll feel ok tomorrow
I just wanted to post this so I could help anyone to be so careful with this drug.. This is my first m last experience ... I will not take anything tonite but I will so much more careful what I take

Shanna

[Helen1010]

Oh yes!  I'm fine now - thank you for asking.  It sure did remind me to talk more to the doc about these meds I take.  I tend to get complacent and just so OK - whatever.  Sometimes it just gets to be a pain in the butt dealing with all of this crap.  Must be having one of those negative kind of days.  Sorry :-)

[Helen1010]

None at all - it just didn't seem to be doing the job  any longer so the doc upped the dosage - must have been too much of a jump for my body to tolerate.  I tell you what though - that was one heck of a scary incident!

[rogelio63]

By the way,,,how rude of me,,, how are you now?  Did the numbness go away?  

[rogelio63]

I take 400 of Lamictal but my Psych NP gradually built it up going from 200, to 300 to 400 and those split up into twice a day doses (i.e. 150 x 2, etc,,,)
I've never had any drastic side effects that I know of but I'll bet it was from doubling your dose suddenly.  Did you have any side effects with the 200 mg dose?  just curious
Rogelio