What would i experience taking one dose of lamictal?

Question

The thing is i used to be on risperdal for a couple of months and it was probably the worst two months i've ever experienced in my whole life. Depression suicidal thoughts, emotionally unstable brain dead, tormented, was what those two months was all about. My life completely turned around for the better immediately after not taking risperdal anymore due mostly i think to the fear of ever having to take that medicine again. Right now i am stable, happy, work a full time job, and am in control of my life for th emost part. I am currently on a low

dose of celexa and 4 mgs a day of adivan which helps keeps my mood swings under control. Long story short my doctor said it was alright to take risperdal once in a while to clear my mind (which it does) and for thereputic reasons. It works for that but i hate taking it so much and that whole day i DO take it just sucks. Can i substitute the dose of risperdal with lamictal and achieve and mood stabalizing thereputic? If it helps i will take it

Answer 1

Single doses of Lamictal do not work. Typically it takes 6 weeks to get to a therapeutic dose. Most patients I have seen do well on Lamictal once they are stable on the correct dose.

Risperdal and Seroquel are both antipsychotics and both are mood stabilizers. The drugs in this class are Zyprexa, Geodon and Abilify. All of them work by blocking Dopamine signaling.

Answer 2

Lamictal requires slow increases in dosage in order to become effective and to avoid the side-effect of Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, which is potentially life-threatening.

You should really be consulting your psychiatrist about this. You may need to be taking a drug which specifically works as a mood stabilizer (Lamictal, Depakote, lithium, Topamax., or similar).

Risperdal is an anti-psychotic, not a mood stabilizer. Since you don't like taking it, you may want to try something like a very low dose of Seroquel, instead.

Answer 3

Many patients who begin Lamotrigine (Lamictal), typically in a dose-dependent manner, will experience lethargey, somnolence and ataxia.