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- Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD and CRPS) (https://www.neurotalk.org/reflex-sympathetic-dystrophy-rsd-and-crps-/)

- - Lamictal woes (https://www.neurotalk.org/reflex-sympathetic-dystrophy-rsd-and-crps-/25731-lamictal-woes.html)

I took the first lamictal last night and woke in the middle of the night with bad heartburn and stomach upset today- I am wondering if I can break the 25mgs in half (they are scored)

what do ya think

Thanks
Deb

Hi Deb,

I would suggest taking it with food and sitting upright for an hour. Taking only 1/2 may not provide a therapeutic amount.

I did not titrate to the maximum schedule, preferring to take just enough to control the pain, but that's me; I don't like taking pills. I take a lot of them, especially opiates, but I hate doing it...Vic

Thanks for your reply Vicc, Maybe I should try taking it with Nexium (Protonex actually) What do u think?

Waaaa! You mean you all get pain relief from Lamictal?!? I take 200 mg's a day for my epilepsy now, and it doesn't do a thing for my pain levels :(

My partner says that the "waaa" part sounds funny. I meant waaa for me, wish it worked as well as it does for you.

Just popping in to give you some ((PAIN FREE HUGS))... sorry to hear your bad experience. I hope things perk up. :hug: :hug:

Hi Deb,

Sorry this is so late. I really don't have an opinion as to what you should take; just my personal feelings, which are that I hate to take everything...even grape seed extract.

My stomach doesn't like the capsules, so I take them with a lot of coffee and/or food, and that works pretty well for me. I think I would try sitting upright for an hour before putting yet another pill in me.

Rogue, I honestly don't know what to say. If you read my post on allodynia, you know that the GABAs work in exactly the same way against RSD as epilepsy: delaying or minimizing, if not preventing, system overload.

I'd probably mention to my doc that it helps with RSD pain too (the one you think may know most about GABAs), and see if titrating it could help.

I'm really conservative, and worry about overstimulating anything; lest the normal process get lazy and just let the synthetic GABAs do the work. And, of course. since it affects many of the brain's synapses, is there a maximum safe limit?

I hope something might be worked out, as GABAs are pretty effective for a lot of people. Certainly not "pain-killers", but they can reduce it just enough to make life a little more tolerable...Vic

Vicc, you have a point. If I look at it hard enough, I have, at the very least, a better ability to cope than I did six weeks ago.

My pain levels have increased so much this past year anyway, so who knows how I'd feel if I weren't on it! It's only been 6 weeks since I started, too. I just took the last dose of phenytoin last night, so all that will be out of my system in just a few more days.

I have been titrating them both, of course. The only thing I really know is that Lamictal is already much better... as the phenytoin leaves my system a little at a time, all the mental confusion and inability to communicate properly are slowly lifting :trampoline:

The only bad part of all this is the reason I had to switch meds in the first place: to start taking my aids meds again. Most of those are just awful for rsd'ers... they cause peripheral neuropathies, muscle pains and cramps, etc.

I have had to stop taking three different combinations due to those very reasons. I told the dr. flat out that I'd rather be dead than have that much pain. Aids is kinder than rsd... it eventually puts you out of your misery.

My trick for the heartburn i get is taking the protonix and with my two heavy does of medication i eat a clacium chew... the viactiv kinda for women i have found that it helps me greatly with the heartburn... I have also changed some of my meds to liquid forms and that has also helped with the heartburn i get.. I have a stomach ulcer so i have to be careful... And also eat with the meds... Possibly drinking a glass of milk..

I hope your heartburn subsides

Pain freee days and gental hugs! :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: