lamictal withdrawal

[pontlyn]

Hi im currently taking 150 mgs seroquel 25mgs Paxil In 08/08 i was given starter pack for Lamictal afraid of rash so i started on 12.5 mgs got to 6days on and i couldnt take dizziness,nausea,and feelings of being emotional so i stopped taking it after 2 days off i noticed real bad headache and nausea,then the next week i started getting panic attacks that proceeded to crying jags however in these 2  weeks i really wasnt depressed so i thought the best thing to do was to go back on same dosage it now been 7 weeks and i havent been able to work In 9/08 i really did'nt leave house very sensitive to noise I couldnt drive either In beginning of 10/08 i started to drive thought i was getting better than started to actually feel depressed starting to improve a little my question is what the hell happened When i googled lamictal withdrawal i find im not the only one however with me i went back on so WHAT HAPPENED

[tres1965]

My Daughter stopped taking her Lamictal (200 mg) on her own. She had convinced herself that she didn't need it anymore *sigh* & once I found out, due to acting out & her OCD returning, the P-doc said she had to start over from the start & build the Meds up again in her system. She did have headaches & nausea too. But after a short time period she was again back to her wonderful self! Good Luck...Tres

[Lizz67]

Withdrawl from Lamictal can be rough and happens fairly quickly.  It can be less than 48 hours after your last dose.  I've experienced this when I accidentally ran out while stranded during an ice storm.  I was very irritable and just felt funny and nasty.  Headache-y with flu-like symptoms.  Really bad.  My doctor's nurse told me that it was well-know that Lamictal w/d can be bad.  And fast. Just like I experienced it.
As ILADVOCATE said, that's why doctors bring people off these medications gradually.
Don't be afraid to discuss your concerns with your doctor about any of your meds.  That's what he/she is getting paid for and what they've chosen to specialize in.  There are many medication options out there to try.

[ILADVOCATE]

All medications have withdrawal symptoms even if they aren't medications such as Benzodiazepenes where a person builds up a physical tolerance to them. I'm sure there are ones specific to Lamictal but there are for any medication. Dizziness and nausea can happen with Lamictal and did with me but I got used to them more so then Depakoate and Lithium that caused vomiting for me. As for "being emotional" I have spoken to my psychopharmocologist about that and in me after a while the Lamictal made me manic (I am on another medication now) and he said that is noted that Lamictal is better on depression than mania and in some cases it can worsen mania which is one reason they use it less often now than other mood stabilizers or use an anti-psychotic instead despite the Lamictal having less side effects. However, for many people its a safe and effective medication and the rate of Stephen's Johnson Syndrome (the rash) is one in a thousand and that risk decreases over time so its something to guard for but not to get stressed about although I did. Actually its hard to find a psychiatric medication that doesn't have some withdrawal symptoms when its discontinued. That's why psychiatrists are careful in titrating medications down slowly and cautiously and any discontinuing of medications should be done under a psychiatrist's care.