I’m Firing My Psychiatrist
I’m firing my psychiatrist.
So, I go to my monthly appointment this yesterday. I should point out that my psychiatrist isn’t the stereotypical shrink you see on T.V. or in movies (gah, I wish I could find one of those). My appointments are basically to track symptoms and medication progress, side effects, etc.
So, anyway, I go to the appointment. I tell him I’ve decided to stop taking Lamictal. I’ve been on it for a year - various milligrams and various different times of the day - and honestly I don’t know if it’s working. (I had a serious manic phase this past winter; on a scale from 1-10, ten being the worst, it was about a 7 or 8. I also had a severe depressive phase just last month that lasted for around three weeks; scale of 1-10, around an 8.)
I tell him I don’t think it’s working, and that the side effects just aren’t worth it. (Of those 23 side effects, I’ve had 18 of them.) Admittedly, there have been times when the medicine has really seemed to work; but, again, I’m not in the mood to deal with the side effects of Lamictal anymore.
So, my doctor tells me to go ahead and start taking a dose that’s 150mgs less than what I’m taking now. I was a bit shocked at the sudden drop. Then he tells me to start taking a dose 100 mgs less than what I’m taking now. A bit better, but still sort of steep. THEN he tells me I can just stop taking it altogether if I want to.
What?!
Your doctor will probably decrease your dose gradually. If you suddenly stop taking lamotrigine, you may experience seizures. - MedlinePlus.
Seizures may occur if a patient taking Lamictal suddenly stops taking it. - National Alliance on Mental Illness.
It should be noted that those quotes were taken from information written about taking Lamictal for bipolar disorder and not epilepsy.
I’ve talked with many other people taking Lamictal for the treatment of bipolar disorder who have been told by their doctors and confirmed that if you suddenly stop taking Lamictal you are at risk for seizures.
Strangely enough, there is no seizure-related information (regarding a sudden stop) provided on Lamictal’s Web site.
Some of you may be thinking, “Well, if it’s not on Lamictal’s official Web site, and if your doctor says it’s OK, then it must be safe.”
Forget that. If reliable sources such as NAMI and other people who have experience taking Lamictal for bipolar disorder tell me about the seizure risk, I’m definitely going to take note.
Anyway, my gripe isn’t about the lack of information on Lamtical’s Web site and informational inserts. My gripe is that my doctor told me I could stop taking Lamictal - an anticonvulsant medication - cold turkey. My gripes is that my doctor is either A) not taking note of these warnings, or B) oblivious.
Part of me is hesitant to stop taking it. Like I said, it seems to work most of the time, and side effects are often something consumers just have to deal with. I worry about making the wrong decision. About eventually having to start all over again with something. Or having some kind of freakish manic or depressed phase that proceeds to throw my life way out of control again.
But then I think about life without those 18 almost always present side effects.
I guess it’s just a risk I’ll have to take if I want that life side effect-free life again. And, if it’s the wrong choice - well, I’ll just have to start over.
Anyone have any stories about a time you stopped taking your medication? Successful? Unsuccessful?
POSTED IN: Bipolar Disorder, Current Affairs & News, Depression, Doctors & Scientists, Medications, Men, Mood Disorders, Rants & Raves, Resources, Women
32 opinions for I’m Firing My Psychiatrist
Kiri
Sep 15, 2007 at 7:54 pm
I have been taking my Lamictal and Lexapro as normal (one each every night, and I am on the highest mg for each) and now out of no where I am an insomniac. I spoke with my therapist about it and she said it is common with bi-polar and I just need to work through it. Well I have never had insomnia before in my life. And it is serisously affecting my days. Since reading your blog I have figured out you are awake during the earlier hrs also. Do you suffer from insomnia due to bi-polar/medication? I plan on speaking with my psychiatrist the week about changing medication. Did you also know that Lactimal can significantly decrease the effectiveness of hormonal birth control? Not good for me.
Alicia Sparks, NAMI Affiliation Leader
Sep 17, 2007 at 2:39 pm
Ah, that’s what I was on, too - Lamictal and Lexapro. I quit the Lexapro after about a year and switched to Cymbalta - I think it’s actually working better.
Anyway, “insomnia” is common with BP; however, it’s more “I can’t sleep because my mind is racing and there are a million things I want to do” than normal insomnia, and the Lamictal and Lexapro are supposed to nip those hyper feelings in the bud - well, at least help get them under control. So, if what you’re experiencing is actually insomnia and not what I described above, I definitely think you’re doing the right thing by talking to your psych. I’ve sampled a plethora of things for insomnia, and have found that Lunesta works best for me.
It’s funny you should mention the birth control - I didn’t know that until I wrote this post. Strange thing is, I almost started taking the pill again last week, but something told me not to fool with it. Huh! Have you talked to your doctor about that? Has s/he said anything?
Taken Leave Of My Mind
Sep 28, 2007 at 10:22 pm
[…] Weaning myself off the Lamictal seems to have been a good idea; I truly feel like I’m on my way to being my “old” self again. Of course, the long term benefits of that have yet to be determined, ha. […]
Withdrawing From Antidepressants
Oct 1, 2007 at 12:04 am
[…] some of you know, I made the decision to stop taking Lamictal. Lamictal is a very well-known, and highly-praised, anti-convulsant and was originally intended to […]
Cymbalta: The Withdrawal Symptoms From Hell
Oct 2, 2007 at 6:46 am
[…] took the responsible approach at weaning myself from Lamictal - and was successful, I might add. However, I took the not-so-responsible (a person with an English […]
Laura Judd
Oct 18, 2007 at 3:21 pm
I previously weaned off of Depakote. I am currently weaning off of Effexor and Lamictal. Effexor has been a slow process. I have been countering the “discontinuation symptoms” (as my doc would call them. She had the nerve to say that there are no withdrawl symptoms, as the medications are not addictive) with several forms of Amino Acids, which has helped tremendously. Will I have these symptoms withdrawing from Lamictal?
Alicia Sparks, NAMI Affiliation Leader
Oct 18, 2007 at 7:16 pm
Hi Laura, thanks for chiming in with your experiences. It never fails to blow my mind when I hear about a doctor who flat-out tells patients there will be no symptoms of withdrawal, or that the symptoms are either all in their head or due to some other medical happening (for example, on another forum, I read that one lady’s doctor told her that her Cymbalta withdrawal symptoms were actually a sinus infection that she just happened to be having at the same time - yeah, OK - I guess we’re all having sinus infections over there).
As for Lamictal, I weaned off it surprisingly well. I was scared, because there were a couple of times over the past year or so that I just stopped taking it altogether - bad move, I know - and was absolutely miserable. I thought I would lose my mind. This time, however, I weaned myself off by taking 50 mgs less every 3-5 days (depending on how I felt). In just a couple weeks, I was Lamictal-free with no major withdrawal symptoms that I can think of. I may have gotten a bit dizzy here and there, but really, nothing that stands out in my memory. And this was just last month, so I’d remember, haha.
Too, the less I took, the more I “felt,” if that makes sense. A lot of people I’d talked to while I was taking Lamictal referred to the “flat feeling” they had while on it. I never noticed it, but once I was off the medicine, I could definitely tell that I’d been somewhat “flat” while taking it.
Good luck, and keep us updated!
Stephanie
Oct 26, 2007 at 5:26 pm
I am taking lamictal and lexapro. I just quit taking lexapro cold turkey due to the fact that it made me gain 12 lbs in 4 mths. (not a good reason to quit taking it huh) For the past week, I have been feeling pretty weird. I’m not really sure how to explain how I’m feeling. I know that my head feels weird; maybe it’s just that I’m feeling dizzy and my heart races and I feel like my lips are going numb and I’ve been real nauseated. When I go see my therapist all she does is ask me how I’m feeling and writes me more prescriptions. I thought going to a therapist would help me but they don’t really act like they care. All they want is there money. Does anyone else have these symptons or am I just going crazy? Please help.
Alicia Sparks, NAMI Affiliation Leader
Oct 26, 2007 at 8:52 pm
Stephanie - yes, lots of folks have these symptoms when they stop taking anti-depressants, especially, but not limited to, when they stop taking them cold turkey.
Are you familiar with antidepressant discontinuation syndrome? I’m not suggesting you have it, as I’m not a doctor, haha, but you may want to talk with your doctor about it.
Key word there - TALK. Make your therapist listen to you. Remember - YOU are paying HER for help, so make her ante up.
Alicia Sparks, NAMI Affiliation Leader
Oct 26, 2007 at 8:54 pm
P.S. We have a comment discussion about Cymbalta withdrawal symptoms going on over at this link:
http://www.mentalhealthnotes.com/2007/10/02/cymbalta-the-withdrawal-symptoms-from-hell/
I know you’re dealing with Lexapro withdrawal, but some of the information may help you.
Rob
Oct 28, 2007 at 11:31 pm
Boy am I glad someone other than me feels the same way! I’ve been taking Lamictal for bipolar disorder for almost two years now. My psych recommended it to me after I complained about weight gain with Depakote.
I, too, question its efficacy. Until this past February I was taking it in conjunction with Lexapro. When I was told by him that “the outlook isn’t good” for those with bipolar disorder taking both a mood stabilizer and anti depressant I got off the lexapro. Now it’s just Lamictal and I can’t stand the person I’ve turned into.
What I’d like to know is if anyone has been able to successfully wean themselves off this medication? If so, how did you do it? Is it something that should be done under close supervision of a doctor? Would I have to do something drastic, like plan to take medical leave from my job for a month or two while going through such a transition?
Alicia Sparks, NAMI Affiliation Leader
Oct 28, 2007 at 11:42 pm
Hey Rob -
I successfully weaned myself off of Lamictal, and had been taking it for about 15 months. My quack doctor told me I could “just stop taking it,” but I’d done my research (and had prior experience) and realized that was not the brightest of ideas. So, I just lowered my dose 50mgs every three days. In other words, I took 200mgs for three days, then 150mgs for three days - so on and so forth, until I was off.
Now, I was on Cymbalta while I was doing this - whether or not that helped, I don’t know, but in any event I had no noticeable problems weaning off the Lamictal.
Coming off the Cymbalta was a completely different story, but that was due more to the drug rather than my need for it.
Have you talked to your doctor about weaning from the Lamictal?
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Nov 2, 2007 at 1:05 pm
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dawn
Jan 24, 2008 at 2:56 pm
I have been on lamictal for about a year now and was almost forced off of it suddenly. Once I got up to 300 mg I would throw it up as soon as I took it. And then shortly afterwards I got a chest infection and puke up everything so none of my meds were able to stay in my system. I started taking 2/3 of my meds again and decided to not take the lamictal again since it was making me so sick. I’m scared to tell my dr because i dont fell that she listens to me. she recently gave me a sleeping pill that made me very ill and so i am hesistant about taking anything else. well now i have a splitting migrane and my stomach hurts, could this be from stopping the lamictal or could it just be the side effect of that sleepling pill that I took only 2 days ago? anyone have any advice?
Alicia Sparks, NAMI Affiliation Leader
Jan 24, 2008 at 3:12 pm
Dawn, please don’t be scared to contact your doctor. It’s her job to help you. Make her do her job! Those side effects could be typical, or they could be indicative of a serious problem. It’s your body - it’s your brain - and it’s your right to know.
desiree
Feb 5, 2008 at 12:10 am
hope it’s not too late, and i hope you got a second opinion. i would’ve started weaning myself as slowly as i weaned up or slower if i couldn’t get in with another shrink, but i’m controlling like that and have had some negligent docs that never call back. you are right to disregard that advice, it was bad. -desiree
Alicia Sparks, NAMI Affiliation Leader
Feb 5, 2008 at 12:14 am
desiree: Sadly, I’m finding that to be a common theme here among Mental Health Notes readers - having doctors who are either hard to get a hold of or hard to hold the attention of once you get a hold of them.
Fiametta
Feb 13, 2008 at 10:46 am
After 4 years on Zoloft and Lamictal (100mg and 200mg, respectively), I went to a gynecologist and she suggested that my bipolar symptoms are actually a result of hypothyroidism! After 3 months of thyroid meds, I feel so much better. I am able to function normally (whereas with the other meds, I was barely functioning– sleeping 15-20 hours a day and not able to concentrate when I was awake). So, now I want to wean myself off the Zoloft and Lamictal. Since I now live abroad (Italy) and go to a doctor only to have my American prescriptions ‘translated’ into the Italian system, I am going to wean myself.
I know that there are repercussions to the Lamictal, but what should I do about the Zoloft?
Alicia Sparks, NAMI Affiliation Leader
Feb 13, 2008 at 1:49 pm
Fiametta: Hmm…that’s a good question. I don’t have any experience weaning off of Zoloft. I was on it for a couple of years, and at one point I stopped taking it for a couple of days and felt horrible - the brain zaps, spaciness, all the usually SSRI discontinuation syndrome effects. I immediately got back on it, later switched over to Lexapro, then Cymbalta, and started the vicious cycle from there. In my experience from talking to people who write in here at MHN, it seems many doctors go for the “just quit taking it” route - yuck. And, after my experience that was the hell of withdrawing from Cymbalta, I’m a big supporter of weaning off of any drug as opposed to quitting cold turkey.
On another note, I’m happy for you that your doctor discovered the cause of your BP and that you’re now getting proper treatment! It must be such a relief, zoning in on the exact cause of a medical condition and finally knowing the most effective way to treat it. That’s awesome, and your gynecologist rocks.
Patrick
Mar 9, 2008 at 9:18 pm
This discussion of lamictal is quite educational for me. I really don’t like the person I’ve become, the edginess, being short tempered and irritable all the time but my shrink won’t even consider changing it. To get past the racing thoughts and to get some rest they have me on trazadone and xanax at bedtime. It makes for good sleep but that seems to be the only peace I get in a 24-hour period. Just changed to a new therapist (5 sessions) and am ready to give up on him. Any advice?
Before Calling It Quits With Your Therapist
Mar 10, 2008 at 2:22 pm
[…] in September I posted I’m Firing My Psychiatrist. In short, the post explained the reasons I had for firing my psychiatrist. Actually, the post […]
Alicia Sparks, NAMI Affiliation Leader
Mar 10, 2008 at 2:31 pm
Hi Patrick. I gave your situation some thought, and decided to respond in a post dedicated to it. I hope you’ll check it out:
Before Calling It Quits With Your Therapist
Sandy Reilly
Mar 28, 2008 at 8:56 pm
I have been on Lamictal for a year now and am also weaning off - I have no concerntration, major headaches every day, aching stomach, blurred vision, could this all be from that? My Pshyc has actually weaned me off 25 mg’s at a time for 2 weeks at a time - she has not been GREAT but knows her meds I think - hope I will feel normal again some day and also start to “feel” normal. I am aslo on Klonapin for sleeping at night but am nervous about weaning off of that too when I hear all about the insomnia….anyhow glad I found this sight and that it’s all open for discussion. Thx
Alicia Sparks, NAMI Affiliation Leader
Mar 28, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Hi Sandy :) The symptoms you’ve listed sound just like the symptoms (side effects) I experienced while I was TAKING Lamictal - are these symptoms you’re having now that you’re weaning off, or symptoms you had while you were taking the medicine regularly?
It’s great that your doctor suggested weaning off at 25mgs at a time - unlike mine :( I really hope it works out for you! If it makes you feel any better or gives you any reassurance, for me weaning off the Lamictal wasn’t half as bad as I thought it was going to be. So hopefully it will go relatively smoothly for you, too. Feel free to keep me updated and good luck!
Sandy
Mar 30, 2008 at 8:22 pm
I had these symptoms when I 1st started Lamictal and now that I am weaning off I have them again….I am sooo tired too and obessesive thougts again too. Will let you know how it goes hopefully I have good luck like you did and feel great without them. Thx for the advice and helpful tips. BTW I got like a back achne when I 1st started them and it has still not gone away - it’s not “The Rash” but not a pretty sight - when I asked my Pshyc she said it was foliculitis…have heard that before - I did read of someone else that had it and her’s told her the same thing. Thx again
lauren
Apr 15, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Hi, I had been taking celexa and lamictal for about 2 years, and nuva ring as birth control. I got fed up with bipolar and depression and about a week ago stopped cold turkey. I have had some really strange side effects lately, and i’m wondering if anyone else has or knows if they will go away. I’ve been feeling detached from reality, when i turn my head my consciousness takes a bit to catch up. When i move my eyes i feel like a rush of adrenaline, or my heart beat in my head. I had trouble writing, my grip was almost gone. I’m anxious, have been waking up tons during the night, and my body is “achy”.
Anyone know what’s up with me?
Jessica
May 6, 2008 at 6:56 pm
hi!
i have been on lamictal for bi-polar, xanxax for sever anxiety and Klonapin for insomnia for about a year. The first 6-8 months i guess the lamictal was “working” I was a little calmer, but I was also training for a marathon, eating right & not drinking often. so i’m not sure if it was the lamictal or change in lifesyle. I did notice my anxiety levels go WAY up, I have always been prone to panic attacks but they became increasingly common…which made me more reliable on the xanax. About the end of OCT’07 I started having manic episodes and about a month & a half ago fell into a depression I can’t shake. So, I told my therapist I wanted off the lamictal. I’ve been weaning off for the last week and feel aweful! I’m sick to my stomach, having hot & cold flashes, bad headaches and I am EXHAUSTED…so much so that for the first time in my life i DON’T have insomnia! I’m still depressed and am now very over-emotional, but too “out of it” to care. I also am having a terrible time remembering anything and have the same conversations w/ people over & over, not even remembering that we had the conversation once they remind me. It is getting very frustrating…are these normal symptoms of getting off? BEFORE starting to take the drug, i didn’t feel like this during manic episodes, at least not all at once or consistantly. I don’t know if it’s just another “transistion phase” and will go away once I completely stop taking the pills? I’m just sick of feeling like this, any suggestions would be helpful. thanks.
Alicia Sparks, NAMI Affiliation Leader
May 6, 2008 at 10:57 pm
@ Sandy - It’s been about a month since you commented, and I’m wondering how the withdrawal went for you? I hope you’re well!
Alicia Sparks, NAMI Affiliation Leader
May 6, 2008 at 10:59 pm
@ Lauren - It sounds like many of the typical withdrawal symptoms (from medications) I’ve experienced and read about others experiencing. Are you still dealing with them? Did you (or have you) consulted with your doctor about ways to safely go off the medication?
Alicia Sparks, NAMI Affiliation Leader
May 6, 2008 at 11:03 pm
@ Jessica - I’m sorry you’re having such a tough time withdrawing from Lamictal. Surprisingly, Lamictal was the easiest medication for me to wean off of; it was the Cymbalta that kicked my tail. Have you talked with your doctor about the symptoms you’re experiencing? Even to just update him/her on how it’s going? It’s SO important to do so, because you don’t want to risk what may seem like manageable withdrawal symptoms turning into dangerous symptoms. Keep me updated, and good luck!
Sandy
May 6, 2008 at 11:39 pm
Hi Alicia
So I am about 2 months into the weening and I feel very, very healthy. I am also still having the blurred vision, also very tired, I sometimes feel anxious about the fact that I am sleeping more, my energy level is not great but I do go up and down. Some days I feel so happy and stable and the next just really down. I have just started weening off of the Klonopin and besides being anxious about that I am also waking a little more than ususal during the night - not sure if that is all in the mind. I also get sick to my stomach some days and a little dizzy at times but generally speaking I am feeling healthier. So in a nutshell I am also seeing alot of side effects but am feeling like it is time to ween. I am on 75mg Lamictal, down from 250mg & .75mg from 1mg. BTW headaches a still a big side effect. I would not suggest just stopping cold turkey at all as I can only imagine the side effects - this has taken me 2 months almost and I am still feeling them……Thx again Alicia for all the input - very helpful.
Alicia Sparks, NAMI Affiliation Leader
May 10, 2008 at 12:38 pm
@ Sandy - So many of the side effects you’re describing sound exactly like the ones I experienced during Cymbalta withdrawal - the headaches, the blurred vision, the lack of energy - all of it. If it helps any at all, those finally passed in time, and it’s really almost as if you wake up one day and think, “Wow. I feel better today.” (Of course, we know it’s a battle to get to that day, ha!)
As for the Klonopin and waking up at night - were you on the Klonopin for insomnia, or something else? If it was insomnia (or, perhaps even if it wasn’t) have you and your doctor ever talked about medicine for sleeping? I took Lunesta for a while (which I think was manufactured by God and sent down from Heaven!) and had absolutely no problems at all when I stopped taking it (in other words, I didn’t become dependent). Of course, like you said, the waking up at night could be a side effect (and not a primary problem), but I just thought I’d throw that out there.
Thanks so much for updating with me!
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