Today my doctor decided to try me on lamotrgine, has anyone alse ever tried this and has it been effective?
Hi Janine,
Is that lamictal? I am going to start it later this week. Iāll follow this thread.
Lily
Janine,
I was prescribed Lamotrigine 3 months ago after seeing a neurologist and complaining that Neurontin was interfering too much with my ability to work and think since it made me so drowsy and feeling doped up.
I am very pleased with the results. Iām not tired at all and it is working quite well in staving off TN pain. I started off on a very low dosage of taking one pill (50 mg) three times a day. After about 6 weeks, I asked to increase my dosage as intermittent pain was returning. Now Iām taking 2 pills three times a day. Sometimes I forget to take my afternoon dosage but remember within an hour or two because I start to feel it. Iām guessing the key is staying ahead of the pain. I havenāt had to find out whether Lamotrigine works in numbing pain, only keeping pain from starting. This next week will be the true test at how well it really works as my divorce will be finalized next Friday and my soon-to-be ex-husband is leaving the state and leaving me to raise our two sons, one of whom has Down syndrome, alone. I have found, in the past, that my episodes of pain kick into high gear during times of stress.
The coming weeks will be stressful, no doubt.
Back to Lamotrigineā¦I was warned before starting the drug, that there could be side effects, the most serious among them being the development of a rash. I was told if this happened to stop taking it immediately. Side effects are supposedly rare and I have to say (knock wood) I have experienced none. Canāt speak for others, but for me, Lamotrigine, has been a Godsend. And the pills are so tiny, but they sure pack a preventative punch.
yes lily it is the same!.. Thank you Karen I was unsure if I was going to try it, but now I for sure will! I was just a little worried because my mom uses it as a mood stabalizer and she said she doesnt have many highs or lows in her life everything is just mellowā¦ But if it is going to hopefully improve my pain I will try anything!!!
Yes, My doctor mentioned the possibility of the rash too, but Iāve read that it happens to only 10% of people. He said that if I titrate up really slowly that it should reduce the risk of a rash.
Lily
Lily said:
Yes, My doctor mentioned the possibility of the rash too, but I've read that it happens to only 10% of people. He said that if I titrate up really slowly that it should reduce the risk of a rash.
Lily
I started with one pill a day for a week. Then two pills a day for another week. Then three pills a day. When I increased my dosage I did it the same way again. I started by increasing my bedtime dosage since I figured if there were any side effects theyād happen while I was asleep, rather than on the job. I did that for a week, then added another pill to my mid-afternoon dosage and finally, after another week, my wake-up dosage. So far so good.
Yes Janine,
I took 600mg daily for over a year, with a $5.00 co-pay. Then for some reason, Medicare part D decided it should be 450mg and I should co-pay $51.15 a month.
In January, I had an āadverse-reactionā (one of several) to another medication [Ativan] and many of my meds were titrated.
I no longer take Lamictal, though I tolerated it well.
At my ācareer highā (my sense of humor) I took 51 pills each day! I truly couldnāt say what worked or did not. I do know that I CAN NOT take anything in the Tegretol familyā¦or medication names ending in āpamā.
I hope Lamictal works for you! Take care, bob
Hi,
Okā¦I just started at 50mg. The pharmacist said that it is a possible respiratory suppressor, and I take narcotics too, as well as valium, so I decided to make it a morning pill, and will just watch for the side effects during the day. The doc said that we would only start downwards on another of my anti-seizure meds AFTER I had titrated up on this. So I feel loaded for bear, with lamictal plus gabapentin, trileptal, nortriptyline, methadone, dilaudid, valium, and toradol. Yikes! Poor kidneys and liver. I try to take my meds with a healthy dose of water, just to dilute them in my system.
Lily
Thanks everyone for your feedback! I find this site so amazing and am so happy to find it! For awhile there I thought I was the only one suffering from this and there was no one that would understand! But as I have found there is!!!
Lily have you found that methadone works bettere than other narcotics? my doc wanted to put me on it because he said it works the best for nerve pain, but I was affraid due to the stigma around itā¦ Recently I have found that the morphine just isint working as well as it used to.
Janine said:
Dear Janine, My pain doctor put me on methadone when the percocet stopped working. I was very afraid to go on long-term narcotics that I would have to keep taking regularly, but I finally gave in. The methadone works to a degree, like everything else - it doesn't stop the pain, but I think that it is helping becuase the pain takes a little longer to hit, and I therefore have a little more time in the day before it takes me down. Most of the time. I had to get used to the stigma as well. I get around that though, because if I need to tell someone what I am taking, I call it 'dolophine', which is the other name for it. Most folks don't investigate farther than that. So if you keep your meds away from others, and pick them up yourself at the pharmacy, The name 'dolophine' should work fine and you won't have to lie. Hope this helps, and good luck! LilyThanks everyone for your feedback! I find this site so amazing and am so happy to find it! For awhile there I thought I was the only one suffering from this and there was no one that would understand! But as I have found there is!!!!
Lily have you found that methadone works bettere than other narcotics? my doc wanted to put me on it because he said it works the best for nerve pain, but I was affraid due to the stigma around it... Recently I have found that the morphine just isint working as well as it used to.
Stephanie,
My neurologist started me on 25 mg a day for a week. Then 50 mg a day for a week. Then 75 mg a day for a week. I now take a total of only 150 mg a day, spread out over three doses and this seems to do the trick.
I think the reason your doctor started you out so slowly is to assess whether you suffer from any of the side effects, which can be serious. Your dose will be increased based on how you handle it. It takes some time and Iām sure thatās the last thing you want to deal with when youāre hurting. Sorry for you pain. Good luck with the Lamotrigine.
I loved Lamictal but really suffered from the side effects. Not the rash, but the double vision. Just know if you get double vision, you will feel it coming on so get somewhere quick if you are driving. And if it does happen, close one eye. It will give you a headache to go too far like that but you will be able to see. You will just need to lower you dose. But I think it was due to the combination of whatever else I was taking with it. I had that happen with another med, too so my brain might be more inclined to have that happen. But it was the best for pain relief. Good luck with it! I hope it goes well for you!!
What a sick company to take advantage of ppl that are so desperate to be rid of pain!.. Has anyone ever noticed double vision with the lamotrigine? My dose just went up to 50mg yesterday and in noticing that it has become really bad!!! if I need to focus on anything kike typing I have to keep one eye shut.
Lamictal (Lamotrigine) is wonderful!!! Ihave been on every other favored med for TN and nothing works like it. I started at 25mg and increased to 100mg which worked great for about 3 months. My TN progressed to the worst it has ever been and I went from 200mg to 600mg in 4 days. Still I had very little side effects. My thinking was a little cloudy and I got sleepy sometimes but after about 10 days I was able to start reducing the dosage. I am now at300mg per day and having very little pain and zero side effects. Please try it. Do watch for the rash but I think you will be very pleased with the results! Keep us posted.
has anyone been on lamotrigine and trileptal at the same time ive been getting different thoughts on these 2 some say they interact and others say there fineā¦ So confused?
Hi Janine,
I am currently on both trileptal and lamictal. I take 450mg of the trilepal and 100mg of the lamictal. Thatās on top of 3,000mg of gabapentin. The neuro and I are hoping to titrate down on one of the other meds as soon as I am up on the lamictal. So far I have noticed no difference with it.
Lily
Janine said:
has anyone been on lamotrigine and trileptal at the same time ive been getting different thoughts on these 2 some say they interact and others say there fineā¦ So confused?
I have taken Lamotrigine (Lamictal) for years for bipolar, but never specifically for TN. Apparently it doesnāt work for me for the TNā¦figures.
I now take Dialantin 3x/day. So far, so good.
Yes, the Lamictal for bipolar and Trileptal for the TNā¦I didnāt notice any adverse reactions. HTH
Janine said:
has anyone been on lamotrigine and trileptal at the same time ive been getting different thoughts on these 2 some say they interact and others say there fine..... So confused?
For high times of stress - clonazapam is great - and its on the TN meds list ā I take it for restless leg syndrome ā but I took extra with my first episode - I have a special needs son - 17 now and in times of raising him and his sister alone after their dad died in 2001 ā clonazapam has been able to take the Edge Off the stress.
Karen Brown said:
Janine,
I was prescribed Lamotrigine 3 months ago after seeing a neurologist and complaining that Neurontin was interfering too much with my ability to work and think since it made me so drowsy and feeling doped up.
I am very pleased with the results. I'm not tired at all and it is working quite well in staving off TN pain. I started off on a very low dosage of taking one pill (50 mg) three times a day. After about 6 weeks, I asked to increase my dosage as intermittent pain was returning. Now I'm taking 2 pills three times a day. Sometimes I forget to take my afternoon dosage but remember within an hour or two because I start to feel it. I'm guessing the key is staying ahead of the pain. I haven't had to find out whether Lamotrigine works in numbing pain, only keeping pain from starting. This next week will be the true test at how well it really works as my divorce will be finalized next Friday and my soon-to-be ex-husband is leaving the state and leaving me to raise our two sons, one of whom has Down syndrome, alone. I have found, in the past, that my episodes of pain kick into high gear during times of stress.
The coming weeks will be stressful, no doubt.
Back to Lamotrigine...I was warned before starting the drug, that there could be side effects, the most serious among them being the development of a rash. I was told if this happened to stop taking it immediately. Side effects are supposedly rare and I have to say (knock wood) I have experienced none. Can't speak for others, but for me, Lamotrigine, has been a Godsend. And the pills are so tiny, but they sure pack a preventative punch.
Janne Dolma said:
I'm now tree weeks on Lamotrigen. Just 25 mg takes 90 % of the pain.... so itās very effective. BUT I get nauseas and dizzy to a point where I have to lay down five times a day, which makes work impossible. Now I donāt know if I should give it a few weeks more to see if the side effects disappear - or start on Lyrica. Did any of you had a longer adjustment than tree weeks to a med?
I always call my pharmacist about meds -- they know them more than the doctors do!!! I had to quit my job because of Lyrica - it says in the literature that it will make you "high" - and it did ....but maybe high is better than wantiing to throw up---- pls call /find a pharmacist you can have a relationship with/ or one you can trust where you get your meds -- they should know if 3 weeks is too long for this to go on!!