Lamictal and System Problems

[fireincarnation.livejournal.com]

Please excuse me if this doesn't make perfect sense, or seems disjointed. My mind's not all here right now.

I had my first serious blackout today. I'm missing five hours. I can't seem to figure out what I did, as nothing in the house looks differant, the tv was off the whole time, and I wasn't on the internet. (What *can* you do for five hours alone in a house with no books that produces no disturbance of *anything* in the house?)

I have regular blackouts, but they occur for under 5 minutes at a time, and ONLY while I am driving. This one is seriously differant. And it is a serious concern.

I think this has been caused by my Lamictal. The longer I am on it, the harder it is for me to think. It was very hard for anyone else to front yesterday, and impossible to front for over a minute or two, even when the intense desire existed. Today it has been hard for me to think and I can't get anyone else to front at all (except for the blackout.) Communication has varied from very spotty to not at all.

I've decided to stop Lamictal, and since I'm only on 25mg, it won't pose any risk of seizures. It only seemed to make my bipolar and anxiety worse anyway. I'm emailing my psychiatrist with my decision.

Ideas? Advice? Comments?

Comments

[jrasku.livejournal.com]

How long have you been on it? Have you given it a good enough oportunity to do what it should be doing? Are there other things that could be causing what you are attributing to Lamictal?

Jessica

[fireincarnation.livejournal.com]

I have been on Lamictal for a month now and seen a deterioration of symptoms. At 25mg, it shouldn't be doing much of anything. We upped the dose to 50mg before, and I had a major problem that made me go to the ER--I lost coordination and was running into walls, couldn't count, speak, or think clearly. Doctor said we should increase the dose more slowly, so I was back down to 25mg.

I cann't think of anything else that could be the cause of this problem. We have always been a system with a very high degree of communication, only one person in my system causes blackouts, and these are limited to driving. What is going on in the body is constantly on "TV" for everyone in the system to see. Durring the 5 hour blackout everything went swirly and black on the screens. I think there was some sort of crisis in MelaSpace, perhaps an earthquake or something. I still can't get through properly to find out.

[ksol1460.livejournal.com]

1. You're right to stop the medication and communicate with your doctor if it's not helping and is doing that to you. Standard procedure is to taper off slowly, taking a little less each week or every few days.

2. Drink a lot of plain water. It'll help wash it out of your system.

3. jason suggests milk thistle. If you're used to herbal medicine you know about this; it's used to clean toxins out of the liver, among other things. (Read up on it in Balch's Prescription for Nutritional Healing -- any library, bookstore and/or vitamin store will carry it.) Here's something on how to take it: http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/alt/milkthistle_faq.htm

Most people we've heard from get communication back as they detox. It can take days, weeks or months to get communication relays back on line reliably.

[fireincarnation.livejournal.com]

1. I haven't increased to a higher dose since I started Lamictal, so I think I should be ok stopping immediately.

2. I can't drink straight water, would tea be ok? What about koolaide?

3. I'll see what I can find out about milk thistle. Thanks for the info.

4. I'm writing notes to leave out so that if someone else fronts, we can communicate that way. I was just horrified to have five hours suddenly gone *poof* with nothing to show for it. Any advice on what should be in the notes?

[ksol1460.livejournal.com]

1. it's your decision but tell your doctor what you are doing. ... usually they want you to taper. more information here, note side effect list (http://64.233.187.104/search?q=cache:yWW8bFhiAH8J:www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcmed.nsf/pages/gwclamic/%24File/gwclamic.pdf+Lamictal&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=10&client=firefox-a) (he was lying when he said memory loss wasn't a known side effect)

2. water: not tap water -- distilled or purified. aquafina. put a slice of lemon in it. ....if you can't drink water for other reasons make it green tea, fruit juice or vegetable juice. stay away from stuff with refined sugar or corn syrup... also stuff with dyes in it if possible, although some people recommend gatorade.

3. you're most welcome.

4.a. dolist. what needs to be done today, tomorrow, this week... what bills are due for instance. phone calls to be made. appointments. times for work. deadlines. as each one is completed cross it off -- to show that it is done.

b. where important things are located... stamps, envelopes, money. .. where the mailbox is and the phone -- also clothes, cat food, the fire extinguisher. post a list of important phone #s & addresses in a prominent place. bus times. times for meals and what times to feed the cat. another prominent note; 'make sure cat has water'.

c. have a timer in the bathroom... even one of those clocks you can take right in the shower with you. if you lose track while showering the bell on the timer will help to reorient.

for tasks that you accomplish in stages... like projects for work... list the stages then cross off each one so it won't be repeated by the next person.

[fireincarnation.livejournal.com]

THANK YOU!, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. Mela has gone back from front again, and I am Detta, and I can help make this list as we know most of those things. This will be important if someone less familiar fronts, especially since we just moved, and nothing is where it's supposed to be. Fortunately, Mela's a big forgetter, so most of the stuffs are pretty do-it-themselves, (like we have an automatic cat-waterer.) We don't right know what's gonna happen if I can't get her to front before we have to pick up the girlfriend from work. I can't drive the car without the drivin program, (not workin) as I don't have any legs.

[ksol1460.livejournal.com]

understood. if she rests now, then you can start waking her up starting about half an hour before you have to leave; make her favorite tea or snack... or put on a record she likes. we have an awful time getting specific people to take the front @ specific times... if our essential programs failed & sethrenn wasn't around i don't know what we'd do & i will take this up at guardian council. luck to you.

[fireincarnation.livejournal.com]

We're thinkin of callin her work and seein if she can get a ride from someone else. She works at a large store, so it shouldn't be impossible.

The problem is that when Mela's gone, she's damn nigh impossible to get back. She's set it up that way to prevent her gettin called out of astral every five minutes. Didn't anticipate this problem.

[ksol1460.livejournal.com]

Yes, try setting up a ride -- maybe someone who can be ready to give her a ride frequently until you guys get things back on track.

From what we understand about astral projection, that can be a problem. Depending on where she goes, it takes some time to get back and get settled in properly anyway according to Muldoon. At least you know that the astral projection is working okay and hasn't been disabled by the meds.

[fireincarnation.livejournal.com]

Acutally, we're not rightly sure where she is. The idea that she no longer exists is also possible. We're also runnin up against problems because I have no legs, and the body does, and the house is not set up to accomodate someone of my height.

[ksol1460.livejournal.com]

You sound like you could use one of these (http://www.asseenontv.com/prod-pages/Gopher.html?gid=).

Who were we talking to earlier, like here (http://community.livejournal.com/multiplicity/527879.html?thread=7983367#t7983367), wasn't that Mela? Probably she'll come back if so. I think I understand what you're saying though -- in a situation like this you can't count on anything.

[fireincarnation.livejournal.com]

Yes, yes. We could definately use that very inventive tool.

Yes, that was Mela. Then she just *dissappeared* poof!

[ksol1460.livejournal.com]

forgot: vitamins. be sure to take them. esp. antioxidants c & e.

[stealthdragon.livejournal.com]

No relevant advice, but good luck.

[fireincarnation.livejournal.com]

Thank ya much

[ques-nova.livejournal.com]

Definitely stop the medication and tell the shrink what happened. That's a dangerous side effect that could get worse. Also, don't drive until it's out of your system.