Lamictal Backfiring

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I started taking Lamictal for panick attacks about a month ago. Im 29/female who has never needed prescriptions for this, but panick attacks have been hitting me out of nowhere lately. Anyways, the nurse practitioner started me on 25mg for 2 weeks, 50mg 2 weeks, and 100mg this week. The weekends before my dosage needed to be increasesed, I would have HORRIBLE panick attacks, I mean worse than the first ones before the meds. I'm tiny 5"0 and I've lost 8lbs due to panick attacks every 2 weeks for over a month. I just can't put anything down. Now I'm on 100mg a day and see no signs of improvement. I cry every time I try to express myself, im starting to develop agoraphobic behavior, and I'm terrified to travel now, which is ridiculous because I am a touring musician. I have to express myself and travel everyday!!! My life is at a standstill and all they keep saying is wait and we will increase it more... I'm so exhausted, any tips on what I should do? Anyone experience this?

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1

Lamictal contains the active ingredient Lamotrigine, which is an anticonvulsant and, while it has been known to help with some mood disorders such as bipolar, it has not been shown to be helpful with anxiety/panic attacks.

Learn more Lamotrigine details here.

And I think the main concern here is that it does indeed seem to be backfiring in your and making your symptoms worse, which some of these medications do to some people.

When this happens, rather than insist the person keep taking it, their doctor should switch them to a different medication.

What type of doctor have you been seeing?

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2

Thank you for replying. I saw a nurse practitioner and a doctor at a clinic, and they prescribed me Lamotrigine after I had my first panic attack ever. About 5 years ago, a psychologist told me I was bi-polar, yet I have never taken medication for that in my life. Anyways I informed the clinic doctor of that past diagnosis and I think they were treating my bi- polar and not my panic attacks. Now I am on my 2nd day without taking Lamotrigine (weened off on via psychiatrists permission,didn't just stop taking them) and I feel better but I still experience the general anxiety. The psychiatrist prescribed Trileptol for me to start, but I'm too scared of trying any meds now. Now I just feel extremely depressed and at a loss for what to do now. Maybe I will get out of this
Funk once the Lamotrigine is all out of my system?

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You may even out all together once you go off of it. I have BP disorder and have tried SO MANY drugs. You wouldn't believe the side effects I have had that the Drs told me were bipolar, I would take myself off and get better. Sometimes (like in my case) you do have to be medicated, but it is a matter of finding all of the right meds. Sometimes you don't. You could try going off of them and doing yoga or deep breathing (with a teacher)
I would suggest to be very very careful. I tried triliptal and I heard voices and was very manic. It went away while I was using it. I have no doubt the lamicital or is generic caused your panic attacks to lesson.

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4

You may even out all together once you go off of it. I have BP disorder and have tried SO MANY drugs. You wouldn't believe the side effects I have had that the Drs told me were bipolar, I would take myself off and get better. Sometimes (like in my case) you do have to be medicated, but it is a matter of finding all of the right meds. Sometimes you don't. You could try going off of them and doing yoga or deep breathing (with a teacher)
I would suggest to be very very careful. I tried triliptal and I heard voices and was very manic. It went away after I went off of it. . I have no doubt the lamicital or its generic caused your panic attacks.

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5

Is is possible that the lamictal get in your system in only four days? I dont know if im imagining it but i feel way more emotional than before. The Psychiatrist just said i had a mood disorder. Is it possible that its making me worse this soon? Ive heard such good things about it. Please help....i feel like im going.crazy.

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6

I'm so sorry you are going through these changes right now, but I promise (in time) it will pass. You will feel the difference the first day or two on the medication. I did when I was only on the lowest dosage and it just got worse from there. I waited it out and kept taking it and upping the dosage as directed by my Dr, but I kept getting worse emotionally after the first week of almost feeling okay. I am by no means a Dr, but I am someone who has felt the same as you did while on the medication for about 2 months before almost feeling like I was going crazy. It took a while to taper down and let the meds leave my system, but I learned that the higher the dosage, the harder it is to taper off without side effects. If your meds don't feel right, trust your gut and ask your Dr how to safely taper off of your meds, especially if its lamictal. I posted this original post a year ago, and staying off lamictal was the best decision I ever made.

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7

Wow hey hun same here. I was 29 when I started taking the lamictal.. it has been 6 months now. And I agree with all the side effects ya and the sensitivity . Have you tried anything sense?

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