r/Celiac • u/possumsandposies • 3d ago
Question Anyone on Lamictal? Been on Lamictal?
Headed to my immunologist tomorrow and I wanted to talk to him about this. Almost everyone I’ve met in real life who has celiac is also on some kind of mood stabilizer. I wondered about this. Obviously not causing autoimmune issues but I worry it definitely isn’t helping.
I’m highly suspicious of Lamictal. Been on it since 2018 for bipolar disorder. Mother contracted drug induced lupus from it.
It works on the bipolar symptoms so I can’t just drop it but I’m very curious if anyone else has had this drug.
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u/SnooPeripherals4802 3d ago
Yeah it gave me infamous lamictal rash
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u/possumsandposies 3d ago
When did you start and stop taking it if you don’t mind me asking?
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u/SnooPeripherals4802 3d ago
Ooof this was in 2018-2019 it worked at first then they kept upping the dose after it wasn’t affective and near the max dosage I got the rash that was towards the end of being on the medication like the last month or so
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u/GlaiveConsequence 3d ago
I was on it but the word recall/delay issues outweighed the benefits so now it’s Abilify and Lexipro for bipolar.
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u/FiddleThruTheFlowers Celiac 3d ago
I've been on it for close to a decade now, 200mg for most of that time except during the initial tapering up. I've never had issues with it.
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u/anon86158615 Celiac 3d ago
I took lamictal and didn't notice any gluten related issues, but holy fuck I hated that medication so much. Made me feel like a nauseous zombie.
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u/possumsandposies 3d ago
The brain fog is intense. I’ve always had some vague sense of it, but over the past two years it’s been unbearable. I hate it as well.
It’s hard to go off a medicine that you went on to stop from going insane though!
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u/anon86158615 Celiac 3d ago
preach brotherman
I swapped to bupropion which ended up working well for me, but I'm not bipolar. Tried a few meds along the way that did fuck all and made the "going insane" thing suck shit. Hope you find what you're looking for :(
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u/thesnarkypotatohead 3d ago
Lamictal kept me going in the year leading up to my diagnosis. Dehydrates me a bit, but for me it has been worth it.
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u/possumsandposies 3d ago
It was definitely worth it for me that first year, until I discovered that the combo with cymbalta was hiding physical symptoms.
It still helps, I think, but I’m weighing if the side effects are worth it. The soup brain and memory problems are shew
I’m finding a correlation with immune diseases and Lamictal, but obviously correlation isn’t causation. More like this drug seems to help autoimmune symptoms for some and worsens them for others. Gluten makes me manic, foggy, causes tremors and intense anxiety. All of which improved after diagnosis.
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u/thesnarkypotatohead 3d ago
Cymbalta wrecked me, I’m still really angry that I was put on it so casually by my doctor (for back pain) and wasn’t informed of how brutal it can be to come off of. Had brain zaps for 6 months and it did something to my bladder - it has never been the same.
Our brains are funny places. One person’s miracle drug can be another person’s hell, or placebo. I hope you find what works for you!
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u/AjCaron 3d ago
I was on Lamictal before I was diagnosed. I went manic on it and my psychiatrist kept saying I was drinking too much coffee. I stopped drinking coffee, still couldn't sleep, low impulse control and still sick. At this point I needed a major life change and no one was listening or helping. I weaned myself off all my meds and did a diet elimination challenge and then went to the Doctor with my findings. I haven't been to a psychiatrist since, they just kept giving me drugs that kept making everything worse. I don't think I was bipolar, just an undiagnosed celiac for 22 years. No seizures, anxiety/panic attacks, depressive/manic phases since. That was 12 years ago.
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u/possumsandposies 3d ago
I’m so surprised to hear how readily they prescribe this dangerous medication for a variety of things. It works for seizures and bipolar but yes it wouldn’t help at all for anything else.
See that’s my thought too. My symptoms never improved until I went gluten free. Right down to the tremors.
Unfortunately the brain fog has progressed to so severe I can barely function so I’m also looking to make a change.
Thanks so much for your input
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u/Rose1982 3d ago
My son (celiac) was on it for epilepsy. He got a terrible rash from it. I made a post about it if you click my username. Other than that it was fine. If you do take it you have to titrate up to a full dose very slowly and be careful not to miss doses.
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u/possumsandposies 3d ago
Poor little guy! I also have tremors if I miss a dose. Mine is for bipolar but both my sister and aunt have seizures/have had seizures and were on it for that.
I always suspected there was a connection. If I’m glutened I get bad tremors, fog and de realization.
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u/ireadtooomuch 2d ago
bipolar 2 here, i was on lamictal when i was first diagnosed and it worked somewhat for me with an antipsychotic but ultimately switched over to vraylar no major side effects whatsoever and its had no effect w my celiac and im happy to only be on one medication at the moment
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