I'm confused about lamictal.

[Faux_J]

Hello all! I have had attention problems since icould remember. Im 24 now. But only in the year or so I've realized that it has actually caused a lot of problems study wise for me. I feel constantly bored or loos interest in the smallest tasks and tend not to sleep allot because it feels like I can't switch the conversations off in my head. I only really realized that my behavior was a bit odd, when my friend kept telling me that I walk around and interrupt allot of people in class. We are in our final year of study so class time is very important. Even though I always hand everything in onetime, I always find it difficult to just sit and do it. I always get distracted! I can't help it if the patterns on my desk or the lines on my hands are more interesting than my dissertation. haha. I first went to my GP and he gave me same anti anxiety meds. Can't remember what, think stressam or something like that. I thought it was a load of bull because i am a very relaxed person. I just get annoyed very easily and end up wanted to punch people (i never do, physically that is, i do in my head..) anyway.. i gave the meds a try but didn't  see any difference. The GP then gave me sleeping pills. They were good... for making me high but not for any of my other problems. so this lasted for another wile and then he put me on ritalin. Can't remember what mg's but it was actually working. The time i took to get focused on my work was minimal but i found myself getting back into distraction at about 13h ish.  So then at the end the GP gave me a referral to see a psychiatrist. I find this annoying. It feels like all I ever do there is fill out random questionairs! So the first time I went there the PDoc said its sounds like adhd. He gave me concerta 18mg for a month. I didnt see much of a difference but did realize that i do focus a bit easier. But realy not much. Then after a month he put me on 27mg concerta. I didn't feel a very big difference but did realise that I was more focussed and felt more tired at night and got more sleep. So after that month the concerta dosage stayed the same but the pdoc gave me 25mg lamictal with it. He said something about having a mood disorder, this after i filled out another questionair that, to me, sounded exactly like the adhd questionair. I told the doc that i really don't want to just keep changing the meds the whole time. I'd rather not take any but he said we have to figure out the dosage etc and that will take a couple or allot of months. So I said ok. So after that month I went back. I told him that I didn't feel vey much like me anymore and that i felt a bit depressed but not suicidal just detached. I thought it might be the limictal because that is the only change that I went through. So I asked him if i can go off it. So he said he's going to take me off the concerta and up the limictal to 200mg. I am not a doctor so I suppose he knows what he is doing. Obviously. So I've been without concerta for a month and on 200mg limictal for a month. I dindn't realize it when i was on the concerta but it really helped with the "static" in my head. My concentration is back to zero and im not realy sure what the limictal is suppose to do but i don't feel like myself. I am usually hyperactive, hilarious, very out going and outspoken and now i just want to stay in bed and not talk to anyone. Is this what the limictal is supopse to do? Make me a zombie. I am annoying myself! I am seeing my doc in 3 weeks again but i'm scared that if i go and ask him to take me off it, he'll just up the meds again. Any suggestions? I'm so tired of just going back and forth to the doc again and changing the meds the whole time! Any comments will be appreciated. Thank for reading my venting :)

[jennyfreeb]

Oh wow.. !!! How would I be overdosen when still alive? Just don't knw to much about Vyvanse???...

[Faux_J]

Phoned my doc today. Only got an appointment in two weeks.

Thanks @allmymarbles. I was typing so fast i was affraid I might leave something out.

Come to think of it, I don't read long posts without paragraphs.

[Sandman2]

   Check my other posts to you.  Good chance you are taking an overdose.  The standard dose for Vyvanse is one pill per day.  Not  3 times a day.  Call your doctor!

[jennyfreeb]

Sorry meant 4 PM... I sleep just fine also. I sleep hard too. Just getting aggervated cause my insurance is running out soon and I can't afford to buy anything at this time. Plus if I called my Phyc. Dr. not sure he would really do anything?

[Sandman2]

   Wow Norman, great site.  Thanks for the link.  Its gonna take me  awhile to get through all of it, but a great resource.  The only thing that surprised me is that 10 to 20% of ADHD kids also have OCD (granted, a pretty small number), but I didn't see any ADHD references on the site.  But I didn't take a detailed look.   Anyway, lots of great info there.
    By the way, welcome to the forum.  Please keep adding your experiences to the forum.

[Norman209]

Zoloft is what I use, and it works wonders for me. There are others, but I don't have experience with them. I have tried celexa, but with really bad side effects. Plus, the specialist I see says they have never seen celexa work for OCD, even though it's advertised for it.

[Sandman2]

  Hi Jenny, welcome!
      Quick question.  You said, "but by 4 am tired as can b"  Did you mean 4 AM or 4 PM.  And were you tired before you started the V?  Will get back to you with an answer for the second question later on tonight.

[jennyfreeb]

Also, what is better for Add Vyvanse or Adderall?

[jennyfreeb]

What kind of med's are out there for Ocd? I got diagnoised with OCD and ADD? Put me on Vyvanse 30 mg 3x's daily,but by 4 am tired as can b? Hmmm!!!

[allmymarbles]

A small suggestion. When you post a question, or a response, try to break up you message into paragraphs. It makes it much easier to read. As for myself, sometimes I do not read long, long entries that have no breaks.

[Faux_J]

Thanks Norman. Will also have a look. Will keep you all posted.

[Norman209]

Oh and OCD is often misdiagnosed as bipolar as well, occording to a specialist I've seen

[Norman209]

Take a look at this site. To be honest you have very coherent and detailed explanation, which probably an ADHD person would not be able to do. But ur consentration issues could actually be OCD. I've had similar issues and learned that OCD is often misdiagnosed for ADHD.
http://www.ocfoundation.org/expert.aspx

[Sandman2]

    Ya, the name of that site kind of puts you off at first, but its got tons of useful info.  
     Keep in touch and let us know how the next meeting goes.

[Faux_J]

Thanks allot for the comment. That website is actually very funny and helpful! I will givemy PDoc a call in the new week

Thanks!

[Sandman2]

   Ya, sometimes I wonder about Docs - but he must have his reasons.
    Typical Lamictal side effects
Rashes, photosensitivity, rashes, lethargy, rashes, insomnia, rashes, memory and cognitive problems, rashes, and headaches that are sometimes really bad. Did I mention rashes and assorted other skin problems? The rash thing is overblown, serious rashes aren’t all that common. Other skin problems, and mildly annoying, short-term rashes happen all the time. The Lamictal headache is usually temporary, and if you do get it, the odds are it will be when you change the dosage. The lethargy, and stupids usually diminish and may even go away, especially if you take folic acid. The insomnia is one of those side effects you’ll know is temporary as soon as it stops.
    This is from a good site (you might want to check it out).  The site is - http://www.crazymeds.us/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Meds/Lamictal?from=Lamictal.Lamictal#.T-YbsnDV3Nq
     Click on the link to taking folic acid.  It sounds like it might help.
     By the way this is a med that if you go off it - you definitely want to taper off of it slowly.
      I would call your doc.  Remind him that you have been on it for a month and that you feel like a zombie and all you want to do is stay in bed.  Don't wait another 3 weeks.
      When you see him - after reading the site I gave you - I think that you need to have a discussion with him about what he thinks is going on with you.  He certainly is not treating you for ADHD.
      Hope this helps, and I can certainly understand why you feel like venting.  Best wishes.