Aspergers / Bipolar mix anyone taking Lamotrigine!! !

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Glad you're doing better. I'm taking Lamotrigine and Abilify for depression and anxiety (I'm not bipolar). I started both at the same time, and am still on a low dose of both, so I don't know if one is helping more than the other, but I do feel much better.

I was on Lamotrigine for a few years to treat bipolar disorder. It was great and never caused any side effects, until last christmas one of my other medications was being changed and all of the sudden I got a rash. There's a dangerous rash associated with Lamotrigine so I had to stop taking it. The doctor thinks that changing the other med made the lamotrigine levels spike in my blood. It worked really well though, so I wish I never had that reaction. It's rare to get a rash after taking it for so long.

I must say I really hope I don't get the dreaded rash. This is the first thing I've taken that has ever helped me with depression without sending me doolally. On the other hand, I've not been on it long, and am still at a relatively low dose (75) so I don't know what will happen when he's staggered it up to a higher dosage. He's taking it slow to avoid the rash.

Ya, been on it for a while now and it is the only thing that has ever worked. I'm a mixed bag of labels and give them a minute and they'll change their minds again, but Bipolar and ADHD seem to be a strong ones, the rest, and there are many, all add up to Aspie, but they don't want to hear it, so I no longer beat my head against that wall with the Vet's Admin, or even here for that matter. Antidepressants and other mood stabilizers did nothing for it, zero, zip, nada. Then after about 10 - 12 years we lucked out with Lamotrigine. Be very careful with the dose, a little more then what I'm taking now was seriously dangerous and I'm not talking about a rash. Those weren't the fleeting suicide thoughts at all, but when you've lived it for so long, you can tell the difference. Get on the phone and get on it fast.

Often I have noticed, for myself, that the label dose isn't the same with me, a little seems to have more of an affect then what the labels and the Doc's think, so be strong and stand up for yourself and let them know. After all, they're only reading a label, you live it. They don't often add Ritalin with a bipolar mix, even to treat the ADHD, but it worked and if I still needed to work I would be on it still, but the blood pressure made me drop it till we figure some more things out. No two of us the same and what works for one won't for another, it can get very complex with the drug cocktails and take a long time to find the one that works or you can fall right into the right one/s. But oh so worth it, so very very worth it. Just remember, there will be no perfect, you will still have to weigh the pros with the cons. Good luck.

Oh and, this is the only drug that I have had a good level of a dose and they/we wanted to see if it could be adjusted to make it better, play with it in other words. In the past anything that even was remotely better, when changed with bad results and then brought back to the one that sorta kinda worked a little, it no longer did at all. This one works even if I change it and go back, it's a winner for me.

The doctor has just prescribed me risperidone... is anyone else on this?

I'm on risperidone as well. I haven't had any problems from it save for a bit of fogginess that happened when I first started taking it but my body adjusted in a few days. I've been on it for a few years now.

Thanks. I always get a bit alarmed when I see the list of potential side effects, but so far, apart from weight gain, I haven't had anything apart from falling asleep, and vivid dreams.

The thing with bipolar is sometimes we feel great and then our moods change, but must admit I have had to have the dose doubled, but still quite a low dose and Lamotrigine is the one thing that does not put on weight, does not make me sleepy, just takes the edge off my extreme moods... I still having problems sleeping, but positive wise I still have that creative edge, extremes, which I quite like to be honest, as use to and takes me places I may otherwise never experience, extremities of mind make me more creative and in part who I am as an individual, I only started medication because as I get older life at times harder to deal with, my traits seem to be getting stronger, or partly maybe to exhausting to try and fit in, but before that mostly never really medicated. So would never advise to medicate or not, an individual choice, but I also do not want my life to be all about up the dose, down the dose etc... and not sure i will always take, but I am having to deal with an extremely stressful situation at present, which is making me even more anxious, so for now all good, as is helping me.

I am also a mixed bag so to speak. The main official ones are Aspergers, Dyspraxia, Dyslexia, ADHD, Bipolar plus, but I simply see myself as a combination of differences neurologically wise, as I am no label I have a name

And agree medication can help take the edge off parts of our differences, but we are who we ae and I would never want to chnage that...

me also and the fact a few small tablets at night time, I can handle that. Do not know about risperidone maybe someone else can help?

I don't know, I've had a bad manic couple of days, but my period started, and I seem to be feeling a bit better. Is it likely that my hormones can trigger manias?

My doctor told me my monthly hormones had nothing to do with my existing conditions, except they impacted because something else to deal with!

Well, I was just as bad when I was pregnant, and for the year before my periods started up again, so I suppose it isn't just hormones. I'm just trying to get a handle on it, so I can do what I can to reduce stress. Today I got a book that I'm keeping all receipts, and money in money out in, so that I won't go off the rails on wild spending sprees. Like that's possible on my income... but it feels like I'm beginning to get a grip.

I think my reactions to meds are very unusual. I have never been bipolar, only depressed and anxious. When I was on risperidone many years ago, it made me very happy and mentally active (I made an art exhibit and displayed it in my home, which was reviewed in the newspaper) but the effect only lasted about six weeks and then I was back to how I felt before.

About two months ago, I was prescribed Abilify (which is similar to risperidone) and Lamictal (lamotrigine) and I had the same exact effect that I did with risperidone. I was happy and active for six weeks (I started writing a book and wrote about 50 pages), and then the effect went away. I am back to how I felt before I started, even though I'm still taking both Abilify and Lamictal. I don't think the Lamictal did anything, I think all the effect was the Abilify, which has now stopped working.

I'll see your diagnoses and raise you a psychotic disorder - pdd...but that's my son, not me.

I'm reading this thread with avid interest as I'm not completely sure we've got the best treatment or even the right set of dx's for my son. That drug doesn't sound familiar but I might know it under a different name.

If you've got mood disorder issues be very careful about stimulants like Concerta. It can cause cycling. I take Concerta for ADHD and absolutely love it, no bad side effects, it helps a lot with the symptoms that are problematic for me without making me feel like a zombie or give up the good things about ADHD. If you are taking it to keep you awake, but then find your mood issues seem to get worse, you might want to look at the Concerta as a possible culprit.

My son has taken an awful lot of meds over the years and has had some pretty severe side effects from some of them (rage, increased psychosis instead of decreased and so on). This year he had to stop taking Focalin for his ADHD (a derivative of Ritalin) because it was making him cycle. Right now he's taking Geodon and it's giving him hand tremors, but not as bad as some of the other meds have. On the last stuff he was drooling a lot and the tremors were really pronounced. Tremors, drooling, and other side effects can become permanent, but if the symptoms are extreme the meds may be worth living with those things, but know that if you have side effects they can become permanent so take that into account as you decide what's best.

My son also takes Prozac and Lithium which help his mood. We've tried to cut down on the number of meds but then he gets worse. At this point we aren't sure he's going to be able to have any kind of normal life, ever, and although the meds have some unwanted affects, they are better than the alternative (him having to be locked up for safety).

We are supposed to meet with his medical team next week. I'll ask them about seizure meds. I don't know if we've ever tried that. We may have, just under different names. We've tried so many things I can't always remember.

How old is your son? I wish there was something we could do to help.