Serotonin syndrome

[joeylittle]

especially when I read it was for bipolar and seizures,

I was on lamictal for depression for awhile. It’s got a number of different applications.

I’m glad you’ve got a doc you feel good about. Follow your doctor’s orders very closely, as far as dosing goes. Lamictal is titrated up fairly slowly. There’s a rare but serious abreaction that some people do have - you’ll probably be told to watch out for hives or rash.

The thing that ultimately made it ineffective for me was a combination of the slight shaking I developed, and problems with short term memory - both known side effects. They just happened to be directly at odds with some of the work I do. Also, I found it difficult to access some of the ways I deal with my own suicidal thinking. It didn’t increase my suicidality - but it diminished some of my coping skills.

Having said all that - probably not a stellar recommendation - it’s an effective drug for many people, in many different circumstances. I’d encourage you to keep a log of your mental/emotional state, as it’s a longer ramp-up, and it takes a bit more patience to track the effects.

 

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@joeylittle Thank you for that information. They did warn me about the side effects and to watch closely for a rash. I will document everything closely. I am waiting until tomorrow to take it so that my husband will be home the first 3 days I am on it to monitor me as well.

With my new healthcare team, my T and Psychiatrist are in the same building and my P-doc is just around the the corner. Having all 3 working together makes me feel a bit more comfortable in case of a reaction. I just might get a notebook to record my moods and symptoms as you suggested.

 

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So far my biggest complaint is that it is making me so tired. I am sleeping better, but yawning so much during the day. It also did not help my migraine that I had yesterday and the day before which was disappointing, since I usually have to resort to botox injections for migraines.