Maybe my dose is too high?

Hi guys

I have my pdoc appointment day after tomorrow, I am just thinking what to say to her when she'll ask me: DO you feel better?

Who knows. At one point, yes, I think I swing even less than before.
At other point, no. I got even more flat, my period got a bit messed up, I still swing, maybe not as much, but still. I feel nothing and my motivation is at zero.

On 100mg (Lamictal) even though they were short, I had moments of "just being me". The longest lasted almost whole afternoon and evening (!!), and that was the on the last day I took 100mg.

When going on 125mg, those short (and longer) moment "of feeling me", are gone. And that's surely not good?

To put in on a scale, what's better? To be flat and swing less, or to swing a bit more but from time to time, feel yourself in the right way?

Maybe my dose is too big and 100mg made the state of my mind better?

Hugs guys** have a good day

No one can say what is most right for you. If you are seriously bothered by your dosage. Make it known. I hated my life on my previous bi polar meds, it wasn't until i switched medication was i even able to find any joy in life.

If you are dissatisfied , make it known. Find yourself what goals matter to you and fight for them

You should not be having to put up with feeling like this - I think this is worth taking to your dr to see if anything can be done to get you feeling more like you whilst still stable

Hugs

Cracked

Flat is no good, neither is swinging so much. I hope you and your doc can adjust things so you can feel like yourself and feel stable. It's possible! It can take some time and adjustments of course.

I feel like myself and I'm stable 95% of the time. I have the occasional mild upswing, nothing major. If my dosages are higher, I feel foggy or flat. So this is what feels right for me and allows me to live my life how I'd like to rather than how moods used to control it all.

Hi,
I just consulted Dr. Wiki and found out that Lamotrigine is used in the treatment of the depressed phase of bipolar.

Here is where my wondering begins:
If it is to treat depression, then more drugs should mean less depression. - For you, its having the opposite effect. That is strange.

I would bring it up with your psychistrist when you see them. All they have to work on is the feedback you give them. I hope you and the Dr. are able to find a suitable balance for your medication.

take care,

Hi,

I just wanted to chime in and essentially echo what others have said... Clearly, the 'flat' feeling you describe isn't the goal of treatment, so it's worth being open with your psychiatrist about exactly how you're feeling, and seeing if they can work with you to make some medication adjustments. Finding a medication (or combination) and dosage that are effective without intolerable side-effects can be a long trial and error process that requires a great deal of patience.

However, if you have a good doctor, they should be taking your concerns on board and responding to them to find a balance between stability and such side-effects. I know it can be done as I've achieved this in the past, so it doesn't have to be a stark choice between out-of-control swinging or feeling flat. There should be some middle ground to be struck.

I can relate somewhat at the moment as, although I've been in remission for over a year, I'm currently struggling with some sedation from my medication (Carbamazepine, 600mg), which is preventing me from taking on a fuller schedule and working full time etc.

When I told my psychiatrist this, he said it's better to leave things for now, as until last year, I'd had over two years of constant mood instability. He wants to see that I can maintain stability for a little while longer before making changes. It's not easy but I have to accept this for now, and have hope that over time, the dosage will be reduced to what it was a few years ago.

Good luck with your appointment and I hope you get to discuss these issues and what could be done about them. Take care.