Lamictal Post Nasal Drip, Health Reasons, Regurgitation, Exhaustion, Nausea
Posted over a year ago
I have been experiencing a flu like symptom for over a year now. They started about 2 months after I began taking 350mg of lamictal a day. Symptoms include exhaustion, headache, soar/achy throat, post-nasal drip, TONS of nausea, lack of digestion & regurgitation of food. I am tired and feel warn out all the time... I have had everything checked by doctors and they've found no health reasons to explain these symptom's. ... more »
I have been experiencing a flu like symptom for over a year now. They started about 2 months after I began taking 350mg of lamictal a day. Symptoms include exhaustion, headache, soar/achy throat, post-nasal drip, TONS of nausea, lack of digestion & regurgitation of food. I am tired and feel warn out all the time... I have had everything checked by doctors and they've found no health reasons to explain these symptom's.
HAS ANYONE ELSE EXPERIENCED THIS????
Uonleeliveonce74 - yes! but not for as long as you...sinus drip keeping me up at nite from choking...naseu and complete exhasution probably from lack of sleep. did you doc do blood tests? how old are you? i'm gonna be 43 beginning of feb. email me we can chat more and compare notes and hopefully make this GO AWAY!
Sherri ~ uonleeliveonce@aol.com
Uonleeliveonce74 - i don't know if my reply went thru...email me at uonleeliveonce@aol.com
same symptoms...post nasal keeping me up at nite from choking nausea...tired all the time...lets talk maybe we can figure it out..i am a 43 (soon to be) female.
sherri
Drbstotka - Actually no, Lamictal has helped me tremendously. However I do take two medications and Lamictal is the medication in which I take in the morning hours. The other medication is to be taken in the evening hours.
I hope this can help you in some way, at first I was taking both meds at once and would be so tired, but I couldn't sleep something was keeping me up though. Now I am under control though, maybe that can help you though. My doctor said that Lamictal is capable of doing this though.
Silentserenity - I have had the same issue! I am on only 100 mg a day but about 2 weeks after I started on 50mg I started having a TON of post nasal drip, a sore throat (that was really bad for a while and then eased up and is now only mild), and a cough at night. Has anyone else had the nighttime cough. I know part of it may be contributed to by the dry winter air, but I have never had this problem until I started with Lamictal.
Bobskijo - YES, I have had most of these symptoms. I am dizzy and extremely NASEAU, I have went to the doctors and everything is normal. I take only 100mg a day but, I am so tired all the time, absolutely worn out. But I am also on prozac 20mg a day. I thought maybe it could be that but i'm not sure. If anyone else is etremely tired and has naseau please reply. Thanks Erin
Tanguayheidi - I just started Lamictal and I have weened myself up to 200mg over the past 5 weeks. I felt wonderful up until the 3rd day that I was taking the 200mg. I have such severe body aches and chills, I have to take 400mg of Ibuprofen to feel normal. I know that I am not sick because I have no other symptoms and was just sick about 3 weeks ago. I am going to wait a couple of days and then talk to my neuro. It stinks because most anticonvulsants cause severe acne and brain fog. This has been wonderful up until this point. Lamictal is known for side effects like flu-symptoms, body aches and chills.
Marycdw - I have had the cough night and day and it began when I began taking lamictal. I also developed some GERD (reflux etc.) and am taking something like nexium for that. I understand that you can have a bad night time cough from that condition. I have suspected the Lamictal; but my DR. and I don;t want me to go off the med. I am going to have some tests done this month to determine if I have developed asthma or vcd. If I have neither, I will go off Lamictal. Mary
Littlepixiesmum - my 8 year old daughter has been taking lamictal for 7 years it was only recently noted that her sickness was indeed due to her tablets not travel sickness as thought originally my daughter was introduced to epilim and the lamictal was getting reduced when the dr reduced the lamictal she stopped the sickness but it just caused her to take night time spasms so he took her off the epilim and put her lamictal back up to the original dose she is now feeling the sickly feelings again
Desiree88 - OMG!!! I thought I was the only one and that it was all in my head! I too have suffered from flu-like symtomps (reason why I found this article searching for why I have felt this way since I started Lamictal)! I have had body aches, constant sore throat, around neck is tender, post nasal drip at night to where I feel like I'm choking so I can't always sleep because I feel like I am choking and constantly swallowing to get the mucus down, developed a small bump behing my ear near hairline....Now, that I have written all of this I am going OFF LAMICTAL! This is insane!
Maryjogriz - I am not sure if this is lamictal but...
I was on 400 mg. just a few weeks ago. I was experiencing this flu-like fatigue and a feeling of cold that was extreme. Sooo, so cold. I could get warm. So tired. Like gravity was pulling me to the ground. The weird thing is it happens every once in awhile. The other times, I am always tired but not to that extreme. I have to drink lots of coffee to get moving but at those times it dosen't matter. I can not do anything. I am stuck at home. It is actually horrible. I asked the nurse if I could try going down a little and she seemed offended. She said it was impossible that lamictal could do that. She told me to get off of it completely. Like in 6 days. If I didn't, then I needed to find someone else. I just told her I would. But, of course, I'm the dumb to get off this kind of medicine that fast. I am on week 2 and I just got to the first day of 200 mg. I'm not doing too bad. (Knock on wood) I'm so scared that thing might happen to me. Oh, I have diareha during those times too. I have bowel problems a lot. I've lost a lot of hair and my vision has gone down. I really liked lamictal when I first went on and I wanted to just see if I could like the lower dose. I don't know if it is lamictal????
Maryjogriz - Sorry, I could NOT get warm is what I mean. And I am on Lamictal, by the way, for PTSD/Anxiety.
R12345 - Lamictal is know for the side-effects listed by everyone..> I had to stop taking lamictal as well due to pretty bad post nasil drip, slight cough and hoarse sore throat, kinda a itchy feeling. Not to mention I felt out of it ost of the time... And keep in mind i was ONLY taking 50mgs a day and not on any other med's at the time.. That's how i figured out it was lamictal causing the problems.. What is weird, is that the side-effects were graduall, meing it makes you really think you are just getting sick with a cold or flu like symtoms.. The first 3 days were actually not bad, actually pretty good!... but all down hill after that-- Never exp this type of side effect pattern with ANY med's before and i have been on too many... I was taking it for mood & anxiety issues. I really hate ant-deppresants, thats why i gave lamictal the benifit of the doubt for way too long...> Don't let this med fool you the way it did me at first! Currently went back to prosac on 10mg twice a day. Still, don't like being on anti-deppresants but is better than feeling sick or actually getting these symtoms. I heard about buspar for anxiety and depression and want to give that a try now instead of prosac. They say in canada i think, they prescibe buspar for depression and anxiety so i think it's worth a shot. Main thing i just want to say though is, just TRUST your body...you know when something is not right. Good luck to all
Heidiangelaburt - Yes yes yes, but i started the Lamicil two and a half years ago and i have had indigestion, nausea and no appetite. 8 months ago i started with severe body aches and fatigue and was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. i have been to six doctors who cannot tell me what to do about it. i am sore and tired all the time. when i stopped the Lamictil for 2 months the pain seemed to get better, i am back on it now and the body aches are back with a vengeance. i am on a low dosage of not even 100mg a day. What do you think of this>
Aim1978 - I take Lamictal with Lexapro to help with depression and anxiety. I was doing really well on this combo until I went from 75 to 100 mg. Now I have the flu like symptoms (runny nose, sore throat, body aches, congestion), insomnia, and the worst part is the headache. A horrible headache all the time at my temples. The pain is throbbing all day, and no matter what kind of pain reliever I take, it will not go away. I identify with many of the above posts
Tsavin - Here's what I think after all this time and all that we have gone through. Lamictal, like ANY drug, can cause side effects that are not listed by the drug companies, and are thus not deemed associated by our doctors. But if you can connect the timing of your medication to the timing of your symptoms, and you can find NO other explanations for these physical changes, than change your medicine. It's the best way to find out if it's causing or related to your not feeling well. Lamictal is a mood stabilizer - it is not the only one they make!! Find a different doctor, demand a new trial of something, etc. Medications are supposed to help us - and we have enough to contend with as it is. Under a doctors care, see what works best and feels best. I do believe Lamictal can cause these symptoms - for me, every time I go above 350mg (yes, a high dose) I get "sick" - like clock work... We are trying to take care of ourselves, so we must be our best advocates - no one knows your body better than you....
Nikkiflo - My mood has been superb! I'm doing so much better than I was without it. But I'm in a fog ALL THE TIME! Sometimes I'll forget what I was saying mid sentence! I never remember anything. I've lost two sets of car keys in the last 3 months. Once was in the wal mart parking lot after I had let myself into the car!!! I'm a total idiot. On top of that, my body hurts sooo bad. I'm so sore all the time that I started reading about fibromyalgia. Only until I found this post does it make sense! I was actually searching for posts about the fog I'm constantly in. I use it for bipolar ll. I want to have children (I'm 24) and I will not be on it while I'm pregnant and nursing so I eventually have to learn to live with this even for a short time. What are the other options for mood stablizers??
Tsavin - There are now MANY mood stabilizers on the market. Also, they are now using Lithium for people with Bipolar II - no longer just for manic-depression - which is a descent thing to look into because lithium is a natural salt. But it sounds to me like you should try going down on your dosage and see how you feel. Those are some pretty serious side effects but feeling "great" rather than "good" on a lower dose might be a better situation if nothing else helps. Just my thoughts...
Cloakofstars - Thank you all for these post/info. I'm 35 and I just started Lamictal XR Tuesday the packet where you work up from 25mg to like 200mg. Anywho, I took the first 25mg pill at 6:20am fell back to sleep when I woke up my throat was so sore, my eyes were puffy, my lips looked swollen, etc... I called my Neuro to inform him & he said it sound more like an infection or that you are getting sick! :o Ok I've felt fine up until I took this darn pill... My eyes a bit later in the day got hives at both corners & itched, my throat started to swell... I took a benadryl chewable, airborne, and some cellsalts... made it through the day... took another benadryl last night due to throat still swelling & this morning I still had massive pain in throat, sinusitis & body aches... I'm feeling better took an Actifed for the antihistamine I don't like benadryl. I've been on Dilantin for 12 years & Topamax for approx. 5, (I have a seizure disorder from brain surgery in 98') we were trying this for my anxiety & migraines but sheesh I give up! My doc wants me to possibly start this Lamictal again next week?? Frustration to the moon & back! Thanks all.
Intomyhealth - My daughter is 16 and just started taking lamictal...I cam across these post becasue I was looking up if Lamicatal could be responsible for her horrific nitetime cough...I guess the answer in YES! She coughs nightly...all night and is exhausted! Coughs sometimes until she gags, and has even thrown u from it....we went to the regular doctor thinking it was a chest cold...but chest all clear. Still a constant cough that started wehn she went on this medicine a few weeks ago. Thanks for the info. Good luck all.
Caage - I have been on limictal for 3 plus years after research I have finally narrowed down my chronic cough, constant runny nose, ringing in my ears, swollen glands and insomnia to this drug! I have been off of it now for about a month but currently have a cold/fever. I also had swollen glands and I lost about 40 lbs. on it. My shrink told me this isnt rocket science like I didn't know what I was talking about. My new shrink took me off of it immediately. I just wish I could figure out how long these side effects last after discontinuation of the drug. I thought it was a good drug but I have been through heck with the side effects.
Thanks,
Caage
Caage - ps I was on 400mg oh and many times I would feel like I was over heating in my head sometimes for 24 hours even if it were cold outside.
Thanks,
Caage
Sweetpea69 - Sweetpea69 - I started taking it 2 weeks ago, an started slower than the Dr. recomended, an it give me incredibly lucid and long dreams! Luckily nothing gory?! The latest one was an 'End Of The World' one, where fire balls were falling out of the sky!? But I was able to dodge them! I quit taking it after 2 weeks, because it created such bad asthma, that I almost drowned in phlegm!? I also almost O.D.'d on asthma medicine just trying to breathe!?! It still is in my system, but it's slowly getting better!?! Back on Prozac until I can find a suitable natural alternative!
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