Post from sometime last week

My Senior Project is over, but I need to keep posting because Blogs are ongoing. I realized that last night (having no refills for my Lamictal 100mg I filled the 200mg) when I suddenly had 200mg instead of 100mg I accidentally took three 200mg. Ouch. Waking up this morning my coordination was a little off, and I didn’t realize why at first. I, however, am perfectly fine now and have called my Doctor… well the office of my Doctor because I do not have her number. She did not call me back right away so it must be fine. I’m a little off beat, and my Professor thinks I am a little faster then usual.

I did some research this morning (I know I should be working on school stuff) and I am afraid because I think I came across a site that said a sudden increase in Lamictal can increase the risk of a rash. I could not find out if 600mg qualified as an overdose.

My Doctor called and I will not tell you what she said to do for fear you will just follow her advice and not talk to your Doctor if you do the same.

My Doctor is, however, decreasing my Lamictal because of my liver, which does not like all the medications I am on. I will watch out to see if I start not wanting to live again, because I do incredibly like wanting to live. It is a relief (I always spell relief as releaf and have to fix it because of a student group I was in) and a happiness to want to live, but my liver does not like it.

I should be putting together my life instead of writing. School is my life.

What a damn jolly good idea.

If what ‘Alternative Medicine,’ says about anticonvulsants (ie Lamicatal) reducing folic acid and vitamin B12 is true (at least in some cases), and folic acid/vitamin B12 are essential fighting depression then Lamicatal could end up being a deadly medication indeed.

That is unless we are talking about First generation anticonvulsants, in which case I think Lamicatal is a new generation, and might not have this problem. It could, however, pop up in curtain individuals. Oh… this is ridiculous. Look at me. I am a cat. I’m not a pDoc, and that is why you should talk to them first.

I am done looking up stuff for the day. I feel like dancing… in the rain, can I have a volunteer? Just keep right on dancing. What a damn jolly good idea. It’s a jollication (had to look up this word) as a matter of fact…guess song.

It’s been in my head for a long time. Ever since I stopped reading for a class, and took a shower so long ago. Something about the water in the shower must have raised it from the subconscious of my mind.

I keep on having to shift around because my back gets sore. I’ll do so horribly at an office job, but I can stay in one place at a table longer then in my lazy boy chair.

Even if I do have more energy, and I wouldn’t have made it this far into the day without my vitamins sleepiness is creeping up behind me. “FIGHT IT. Get out your… lightsavor, which is conveniently hidden in your cell phone. Yes, that thing that pulls up now enter the secret code. Whisper WHISPER whisper. There I think you are ready. Now call the pizza place and order a Mountain Dew. Don’t listen to your doctor about no caffeine after noon, it is not afternoon right now the sun is down. Sure get a pizza to go along with it.”

“No, I am not having caffeine after 12 pm.”

“It is after 12 pm all the time. Do you mean to have caffeine never?”

“I can have it in the morning.”

“But that will be after 12 pm today, and the day before that all the way up to the beginning.”

“Oh I’m not talking to you anymore.”

“You don’t even know who I am. You don’t know the sound of my voice or the sweet softness of my smile. Your glasses are falling down.”

Read this if you are taking an Anticonvulsant (ie Lamicatal)

"Folic acid

Several studies have shown that multiple anticonvulsant therapy reduces blood levels of folic acid and dramatically increases homocysteine levels.12, 13, 14 Homocysteine, a potential marker for folic acid deficiency, is a compound used experimentally to induce seizures and is associated with atherosclerosis. Carbamazepine alone has also been shown to reduce blood levels of folic acid.15

One preliminary study showed that pregnant women who use anticonvulsant drugs without folic acid supplementation have an increased risk of having a child with birth defects, such as heart defects, cleft lip and palate, neural tube defects, and skeletal abnormalities. However, supplementation with folic acid greatly reduces the risk.16 Consequently, some healthcare practitioners recommend that women taking multiple anticonvulsant drugs supplement with 5 mg of folic acid daily, for three months prior to conception and during the first trimester, to prevent folic acid deficiency-induced birth defects.17 Other practitioners suggest that 1 mg or less of folic acid each day is sufficient to prevent deficiency during pregnancy.18

One well-controlled study showed that adding folic acid to multiple anticonvulsant therapy resulted in reduced seizure frequency.19 In addition, three infants with seizures who were unresponsive to medication experienced immediate relief following supplementation with the active form of folic acid.20

Despite the apparent beneficial effects, some studies have indicated that as little as 0.8 mg of folic acid taken daily can increase the frequency and/or severity of seizures.21, 22, 23, 24 However, a recent controlled study showed that both healthy and epileptic women taking less than 1 mg of folic acid per day had no increased risk for seizures.25 Until more is known about the risks and benefits of folic acid, individuals taking multiple anticonvulsant drugs should consult with their healthcare practitioner before supplementing with folic acid. In addition, pregnant women or women who might become pregnant while taking anticonvulsant drugs should discuss folic acid supplementation with their practitioner."

-Alternative Medicine

What if this deficiency (in some cases) was the result of only one anticonvulsant, or an interaction with a drug outside of the realm of anticonvulsants? Shouldn't we know this? There is more!


"Vitamin B12

Anemia is an uncommon side effect experienced by people taking anticonvulsant drugs. Though many researches believe that low blood levels of folic acid are involved, the effects might be caused by a vitamin B12 deficiency. Deficiencies of folic acid and vitamin B12 can lead to nerve and mental problems. One study revealed that individuals on long-term anticonvulsant therapy, despite having no laboratory signs of anemia, had dramatically lower levels of vitamin B12 in their cerebrospinal fluid (the fluid that bathes the brain) when compared with people who were not taking seizure medications. Improvement in mental status and nerve function was observed in a majority of symptomatic individuals after taking 30 mcg of vitamin B12 daily for a few days.²⁸ Another study found that long-term anticonvulsant therapy had no effect on blood levels of vitamin B12.²⁹ The results of these two studies indicate that people taking anticonvulsant drugs might experience side effects of vitamin B12 deficiency, and that the deficiency is not easily detected by the usual blood tests. Therefore, individuals taking anticonvulsant drugs for several months or years might prevent nerve and mental problems by supplementing with vitamin B12."


-Alternative Medicine

I don't know if you believe in Alternative Medicine, but we take Fish Oil don't we. If you are on Lamicatal why not try B12 and Folic Acid for a few days and (or a week) see if you feel better.

I'm not going to go into every vitamin in Jones 24c that could be making me feel better, but I think that this is the most extreme. Either way pick up a bottle of 24c berry pomegranate, and write down the vitamins an minerals and try to aim for these (if the bottle works). Slowly (if you keep on checking the labels of things) you will figure out what makes you happy!