What is Lamictal withdrawal?
Lamictal is a mood stabilizer, belonging to the anticonvulsant and anti epilepsy category of medicines. Used to treat depression and bipolar disorders, they can:
1) Reduce occurrences of mood swings to half
2) Block sodium channels in the brain that cause firing of nerve cells and stabilize brain nerves
3) Prevent the accumulation of toxic chemicals such as glutamate
Due to this stabilizing effect people may get addicted to it. However, when people try to get rid of this addiction, they may experience certain reactions because the body and brain cannot cope with a sudden absence of the substance. This is termed as Lamictal withdrawal.
lamictal Image – Source drugs.com
Lamictal Withdrawal Symptoms or Side Effects
- Seizures
- Migranes
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Severe depression
- Nightmares
- Tingling feeling in parts of the body
- Irrational or suicidal thoughts
- Anger
- Anxiety
- Hostility
- Brain zaps/brain flashes (feeling of sudden jolt or electric charge)
Assessment
Patients suffering from the addiction must be assessed on the basis of the following:
- Medical history of the patient
- Dosage & frequency in which the drug has been consumed
- Time period for which the drug has been used
- Toxins that affect the brain & body of the individual revealed by lab tests
- Psychological reasons for the drug use
- Enquiry in case of development of rashes
Treatment
Under Medication
- Cut tablets into halves to take smaller doses of the medicine
- Dissolve tablets in water to make a solution to ensure lesser intake
- Use alternatives in case a pattern of dependency is observed
In case of side-effects
- Consult a doctor in case of outbreak of rashes or other allergic reactions
- Tapering off lamictal rather than quitting it suddenly
- Talk to a psychiatrist to uncover any psychological effects causing the dependence
- Meet other survivors or addicts who are undergoing rehabilitation that encourages individuals to give up on the addiction
- Support from loved ones to boost morale of the patient
- Adopt an organic food diet to help in the treatment
Prevention
- Use of the drug should be reduced gradually rather than quitting it suddenly
- Other medicines taken along with lamictal should be assessed as they may also cause seizures
- Sudden change to alternative medicines could have adverse effects on the patient’s health
- A doctor must be consulted in case withdrawal symptoms become extreme
- Correct treatment process must be chosen according to the individual’s condition & the period for which the medication has been consumed
- Avoid the consumption of stimulants like coffee, sugar, cigarettes, refined food, etc.
How long does it take to detox from lamictal?
The timeline for the detoxification process depends on the dosage and frequency of consumption. Therefore, the process takes different time for different people which generally about 2 weeks.