Has anybody out there ever had the Lamotrigine itch?

Posted by itchyd @itchyd, Sep 18, 2023

Has anybody out there ever had the Lamotrigine itch?

I have these occasional weird episodes where I feel like the skin on my face and arms is being gently rubbed with a very fine grit sandpaper and my ears, nose, eyelids and jawline have random sensations like fine pin pricks or ants crawling around.

When an episode is coming on, the hair on my scalp and arms stands up like it's being exposed to a static charge and I feel a faint adrenaline response like you get when you've just been threatened or received really bad news.

It's definitely not Stevens-Johnson syndrome: no rash, fever,etc.

A while back, I surfed up a Lamotrigine user forum where people had similar complaints, but I haven't been able to find it again.

My shrink thinks I'm nuts.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Depression & Anxiety Support Group.

I wear compression ankle socks and wear a good tennis shoe that has a wide toe and zero drop.

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Not sure that your advice applies to my situation. You may have meant to reply to a different message? Are you suffering from ankle problems or plantar fasciatis?

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If yr shrink thinks u r nuts...is there a suggestion about healthy food: nuts (and seeds, and the rest)

So often our problems -- mental or physical (the two often 'talk' to each other more time than we think, including in sleep!) Certainly that seems to be case in my case over eight decades. I'd like to think. Especially physically engaging and possibly playful activities -- at work. transportation, leisure. But I'd not ignore mentally (cognitively, emotionally, spiritually) rewarding pursuits.
Good luck

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Dear Ms. Phus,

Are you suggesting that nuts are nutritious, or that it's OK that I'm nuts, or both?

It was OK when the Psychiatrist for the Planter's mascot thought he was a nut.
The problem now is he thinks he's the Pillsbury Doughboy.

Thanks for your helpful message. I appreciate it.

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Funny...if u r in a hurry and tired and sleepy, you wonder what on earth is this Lamborghini Itch.

Life never stops throwing a boomerang at u!

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I have a Lamborghini itch, but, unfortunately, not enough scratch to afford one.

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maybe he or she (docs) is onto something?

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@itchyd

I have a Lamborghini itch, but, unfortunately, not enough scratch to afford one.

Jump to this post

Jajajajaja.. in Spanish --- a big laugh...

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@sueb4bs

maybe he or she (docs) is onto something?

Jump to this post

My Primary Care Physician (PCP) knows his stuff and thinks I'm having a histamine reaction to something related to either my bipolar disorder or the lamotrigine I take for it. When I saw him last Monday, he grabbed my left forearm, turned it palm-up and (gently) scratched a tic-tac-toe grid into my skin. I couldn't resist and scratched an X into one square and he said, "Challenge accepted!" I lost the game (yes, its supposed to be hard to lose at tic-tac-toe, but I managed to) and the scratches all turned red which he said is a histamine reaction. So he gave me a laundry list of stuff to take: turmeric, Mg, fish oil and cetrazine which is a long-acting antihistamine. I just started my new regimen yesterday. I'll wait and see if this helps. I'm dubious. I read a case study in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry about a guy who developed an itch while on 200 mg/day lamo (my present dose), quit it, and the itch disappeared. He had some withdrawal problems, started lamo again, itch recurred, quit again, and itch vanished again. I told my shrink and showed her a copy of the article, but she sniffed at it and doesn't want to reduce my dosage. My PCP, who used to be a practicing Psychiatrist, agreed with her that I need to be on some type of antidepressant. So, I'm withholding judgement until I see if this new approach pays dividends.

So, you were Sue before BS? Who are you now? Did the BS prompt you to adopt a new name or did you completely xform into a new individual? Just curious.

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