lamictal and sjs

[calimike]

Hi my psych. doctor prescribed me Lamictal to deal with persistent depression (initial dosing of 25mg).  I have already had a bout of steven-johnson's-syndrom due to the nasty drug tegratol.  It almost killed me when I was 17.  It gave me a severe rash that lasted well over 6 months from head to toe.  Made me lay on towels filled with ice to save my life, as well as taking steroids and many other uncomfortable measures.  I should have bought some stock in the company that makes cortaid! Well, as you can imagine, I am a bit apprehensive about taking lamictal knowing that it can cause s-j-s/life threatening rashes.  I don't want to die just from a stupid anti-depressant.  It is too bad and I believe conspiratorial that so many are so poisonous to our bodies.  Life is worth living, even a severely depressed one.  But yes, I would definitely like to improve my quality of life drastically.  My doctor says getting another reaction to the lamictal that I got from the tegratol is like lightening striking the same person twice.  Well, I am not confident about that conclusion.  What if my body is prone to a s-j-s reaction?  Anyways, I have been putting off picking up my lamictal for about 2 weeks now.  I am medicating myself with Sam E and had good results with it, but still not where I want to be.  I also recently switched brands from Virilife Sam E, purchased from wholehealth.com to NSI Sam E from vitacost.com.  I switched because I realized the Sam E from Virilife was only a 200mg dose from 400 mg of sam E tosylate disulfate.  They were kind of misleading about the dosage of usable Sam E.  Well, about the NSI Sam E, the verdict is still out on that one.  I am taking 800mg of Sam E tosylate disulfate, yielding 400mg of usable Sam E.  Well I have not felt the increased benefits of the increased dosage.  It could be possible that NSI Sam E is an inferior product.  Any information on the quality of NSI Sam E products would be helpful.  I read a couple of reviews that said it was not great.  There is also a report out by consumer labs that rates 13 brands of Sam E and said that over 1/2 were misleading on their dosage/potency.  I have not read the report however, because it costs 13.00 to read, and I can't find it anywhere else on the web. If anyone has read this report please post on the findings I think it was done sometime in 2007.  Well any advise on the Lamitcal situation described above and knowledge of NSI quality would be greatly appreciated.  I would like to know what it is like to feel good and happy again after almost 2 years of constant depression/isolation.  Thanks!

[Jaquta]

I think the Sam E probably presents a greater risk to you and your health than the med.
It is wise to be cautious about what meds you take, especially after your previous experience when you were younger.

If you have doubts about the diagnosis and don't have confidence in your own doctor then get a second opinion.

Psychotherapy is a good place to start for someone with depression.

Personality disorders can sometimes be confused for mood disorders as well.  Diagnosing accurately can be difficult.  You could always ask your doctor to clarify the diagnosis and how they came to that conclusion.
You need to disclose to them too that you have been taking Sam E.  Not sure if that will affect the other med.

[opus88]

Hi just for my 2cents abt Lamictal.
I have been on it for 1.5 yrs ....for resistant depression, not quite sure abt the BP? but my pdoc was at a loss to what else to try on me. ( he's a psyhopharacologist)

It is an MS however it does appear to be working on my resistant depression.

25mg is a low dose, so your doc is right to start you off slowly just in case of the s.j.s....I can understand why you would be so hesitant to try!
If you start low and slowly maybe you would catch to symptoms before they ever would get to that horrible stage and beable to quickly STOP this drug?

good luck and keep us posted with your decision...talk more abt your fears with your doc.

[whodunnit]

Hi again,

Maybe I can refer you to two reputable places or people for comment on Sam E.

First, the Sam E site. Nowhere does it claim to be an anti depressant. You know why? Because the FDA removed it from the list over a decade ago due to many problems such as Mammo has detailed for you. Here's what Sam E itself says about Sam E, from this site, theirs :

http://www.sam-e.com/about/what-is-sam-e

"When the body doesn’t make enough SAM-e on its own, taking a SAM-e supplement can support many important functions. SAM-e Complete is a daily over-the counter dietary supplement available from retailers everywhere, as well as online.

SAM-e is best known for restoring a healthy mood by promoting a balance of brain cell functions.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease."

Note the careful wording about FDA monitoring. Not intended to treat any disease. Get it yet?


Comments from another source are :

"I am medicating myself with Sam E and had good results with it, but still not where I want to be.", and

"I read a couple of reviews that said it was not great.  There is also a report out by consumer labs that rates 13 brands of Sam E and said that over 1/2 were misleading on their dosage/potency".

The source is you of course, your words exactly.

I live in Australia and the authorities here do not allow SamE to be sold here for one reason. It's not an anti depressant and has dangerous side effects. You're not so lucky and you can get it.

Ask yourself this. If SamE was effective for depression why isn't everyone just buying over the counter instead of wasting money on pdocs, docs and all that other apparently pointless therapy?

You also don't believe your pdoc's diagnosis either yet he could only get the information to make that diagnosis from you.

Isn't it time you started listening to someone other than yourself mate? The only word that springs to my mind is "denial". What's the point?

[mammo]

Too many people think that a "natural" product or supplement comes with no side effects, and this is just not true. SamE has some very serious side effects to include anxiety, aggressiveness, nervousness, hostility,extreme elation switching back and forth to a sad mood, agitation, panic attacks, rash, hives, itching, and the list goes on.  The more you take, the better your chances of developing a serious side effect. This is like an unregulated medication, and if you should ever need emergency medical care and are not able to tell them that you take SamE, could result in a serious problem.  Your age when you took the Tegratol may have played a big role in your reaction to it, but I can understand your fear of this new drug.  It is mainly used for bi-polar conditions and epilepsy, but many drugs are used to treat a variety of problems, so I wouldn't worry about this.  You're playing with fire in using the SamE, taking many chances of having a serious side effect.  Since rash and hives are also a part of SamE and the Lamictal, maybe if you stopped the SamE, and tried the Lamictal would be better.  I would go back to your doctor and ask him exactly what he feels your chances are of developing another severe condition with the new medication.  Keep in mind that he is well aware of your history and if he prescribes something that could cause the same, he is liable.  In this litigious country I don't think any doctor would open themselves up to a law suit.  Make sure you always do your research on anything with a company that isn't selling the product, this is how you get the real scoop on products.

[calimike]

Hi Thanks for your post.  I have been diagonsed with bipolar but am at odds with that diagnosis and believe that what I am actually experiencing is depression.  As far as the SamE is concerned, I have researched it pretty well and believe in the numerous studies that have been done that say it is effective in cases as an antidepressant.  It is actually not a vitamin.  It is a methyl donor compound.  I don't believe that it has had a placebo effect with me, my depression doesn't work like that.  Well any other posts about lamictal or the effacacy of NSI Sam E products would be appreciated.  Thanks  

[whodunnit]

Hi,

Lamictal huh?

Read here :

http://www.rxlist.com/lamictal-drug.htm

for info on the drug. It is actually for epilepsy but was noted to aid people with bi polar depression. Do you have BP? If not ask the doc what the hell he is doing. My understanding is it is mainly a mood stabiliser for bp people. I took it for a while and was equally afraid to try it without your experience.

As you say, why on earth would they prescribe stuff like this if it has the dangers it does. This is one of the few that actually has a fatal warning due to the rash, but you already know that.

Read here :

http://www.rxlist.com/same/supplements.htm

for SamE info. Bit thin as it is just a vitamen/supplement.

From what I know of this stuff it was originally an anti depressant about 13 years back but the FDA took it off the market due to some risks. Been a while since I read it but Google away, use SAM E and banned maybe as key words.

So, like Scientology changed from being a health advisor to a religion to avoid the law, so did the makers of SamE. It's a vitamen so they don't advertise it as an anti depressant. So it isn't and is certainly not as effective as most actual FDA approved meds. You'll note on the RXlist page that SamE is actually a chemical that occurs naturally in the body. Hmmmmm.

My strong feeling is it's cheap meds for those that have no health care with the same results. Sorry. If it helps you it helps right?

I saw a show on Tv last night about the placebo effect, on a number of illnesses, including chronic knee pain. They faked the corrective surgery for knee pain and most of those who got the fake surgery were as well as those who got the real surgery. They also had a lady who was given placebo and it cured a long term depression. Maybe that's how SamE helps? Or any of them come to that.

Obviously your doc has prescribed this in full knowledge of your background as you say so. My reaction after what you've been through would be to change docs as no one would take a drug that put them through what you experienced. I was scared enough with no history. But damned glad to be finished with Lamictal. Damned glad. It didn't help by the way but many say it does. Remember the BP statement though.