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Lamictal - It's making my husband unbearable!!
Mon, 05/15/2006 - 16:49Topic: Medication Issues
My husband has been on Lamictal since January 2006. About a month ago, his dosage was increased to 600mg/day. Since he has reached the 600mg mark, he has become increasingly unbearable. It seems like he always irritated about something, snaps at me very easily, is constantly tired and just doesn't really seem "all there." When I try to talk to him about it, his response is usually "please just leave me alone. I don't want to talk about it." While I am doing my best to be a supportive wife through this meds adjustment, it really is taking a toll on our marriage. I feel as though I have to walk on eggshells around him and always watch what I say and do. Furthermore, the Lamictal doesn't seem to be alleviating his seizures at all. (He has grand mals when he doesn't get enough sleep.) We have an appointment with his neurologist this Friday. My biggest fear is that she will tell us that this is normal and that he should continue with the Lamictal.
Has anyone else had similar experiences with Lamictal? Is this "normal?" Am I a horrid wife for complaining about this in the first place?
Comments
in the 12 years i have lived
Submitted by sali_ on Mon, 2006-05-15 - 18:13
in the 12 years i have lived with my partner we have had some serious relationship problems due to medication reactions. my partner would become depressed and non-responsive and it took a while and some serious conversation to realize that a good deal of the problems were due to the personality change brought on by medication. all i can say is that you need to go in with your partner to the neurologist and explain what he is acting like and that you are convinced this is due to the medication... (are these changes occurring within the timeframe of using the medication or from increase) let your husband and doctor know that you too are also involved in this process... and your input should be counted (after all you are living with and caring for this person)... if you get no satisfaction from your neurologist... have a talk with your husband and look for another neurologist... that's what i did... and it helped ... funnily enough lamictal is the best medication my partner has taken... i beleive there is a mood stabalizer in that medicine and it worked well... but there were other medication taken that after a year... we had to revisit the dr. and seek a change...
Re: Lamictal - It's making my husband unbearable!!
Submitted by scorpio on Wed, 2006-05-17 - 13:37
600 mg/d is quite a high dose of Lamot to take......and irritability is one side-effect of the drug that can manifest itself in some people, if less common than dizziness, headache or diplopia.
Chris
(I take Lamot myself - 200mg/d)
Re: Lamictal - It's making my husband unbearable!!
Submitted by jy on Mon, 2006-05-15 - 18:03
jy Sarah, My daughter does not take lamictal, but she is on another med comb. and she has just about the same problem as your husband. She is 19 and she has had teribble behavior outbreaks that we don't know is from her eplipsy or medication. This condition is so complex that you can hardly figure out what is what or what is causing anything. I have even asked doctors at he best hospital in town and they don't konw what to say. We had her seen by a psychatrist who put her on a medication that seemed to cool her down but made her very sleepy all the time that she refuses to take it. Ask his doctor for a medication that may cool his behavior. Any way this is my 2cent and hope the best for you. Don't feel isolated. We caregivers suffer as much.