This is my second go round with lamictal- the first was a little over a decade ago, I can't remember the dosage, but I really liked this med, and was on it for a few months before I developed a rash (no idea if it was the rash, but yikes, y'know?) and quit it.
Fast forward to now, I've been on a steady regimen of meds (lol, I've been on everything) but needed an "extra" so we decided to try lamictal again. 3 months in, and I'm certainly feeling mentally better. Moved up from 25- 50mg, and am now on 50mg extended release for about a month.
I'm having back pain so bad I thought I had kidney stones. The first week at 50 mg, I couldn't move, and thought I had hurt myself. The pain is slowly becoming less, but I've noticed it peaks about 30- 60 minutes after taking the med and then just lingers for hours.
I have searched thru this sub, and found a handful of posters asking the same question, but doesn't seem like a common side effect, and there's some data online that appears to reinforce this is a rare, but know occurrence.
I'm trying here to see if anyone has noticed this themselves, and if so- what have you done to mitigate the achiness, did you speak with your Dr, and if you have continued with lamictal, did this pain recur when you moved to a higher dose?
Thank you!

29F , 5'0, 230lb, on Cymbalta, Lamictal, Carafate, Protonix, Metoprolol. Dx with depression/anxiety/adhd/bpd and IBS/GERD. Chronic vomiting of unspecified cause, suspect ulcer but can't afford the scope.
I woke up with a very annoying and sharp pain in my left abdomen and/or side. I can't tell where the pain is actually originating. It seems to be hurting in my entire lower and left abdomen as well as radiating into my lower back. I think it hurts worse in my back. I'd rate it a 7/10.
I have a history of diverticulitis and this feels similar but it didn't radiate into my back last time. I also have a history of ovarian cysts but the pain doesn't seem to be located where I'd expect my ovary to be.
I guess I'm just trying to figure out if this is my kidney, my bowels or my ovary and was wondering if someone could help me out and tell me what to do next. I don't have insurance right now nor do I have a dollar to my name so my only real option right now is the ER since I wouldn't have to pay the ER upfront.

Help. I've been on Topamax for 13 years. My last blood test showed kidney damage. I'm super scared that Topamax is doing this and now I have to change meds. I have been seizure free for 10 years. I'm allergic to Lamictal, Keppra and Depakote never worked for me. Not sure we're I go from here. I have grand mal seizures. I go back to the doctor in three months but the wait is killing me. What is everyone else's experience?

side effects

lamictal, "painful rash on her body. When she went to the hospital, the doctors diagnosed her with Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS)...scariest part is that it burned me from the inside out – so all the burns on the outside were because my insides were so burned that it started to manifest on the outside of my skin. The rash had started to take over my body. It was like my arm had been cooked...blisters pop up in my eyes." https://www.financialexpress.com/healthcare/pharma-healthcare/woman-gets-burned-from-the-inside-after-taking-depression-medicine-know-all-about-this-bizarre-side-effect/3480746/
“The side effects were overwhelming...Beyond weight gain...paroxetine, fluoxetine, and fluvoxamine can cause irreversible damage to the kidney, while atypical antidepressants such as nefazodone, trazodone, duloxetine, bupropion, and sertraline may harm the liver. These medications have also proved to be fatal." https://www.nationthailand.com/health-wellness/40037855

psychologists

"Commentary: Letting psychologists prescribe meds is not the way to expand mental health services...Enhancing access to psychotherapy and other psychological services would better address mental health needs than letting psychologists prescribe...New York has many prescribers already: 4,090 psychiatrists, 58,680 non-psychiatric physicians, 20,150 nurse practitioners and other APRNs, and 14,790 physician assistants. All 97,710 of them can prescribe...Serious consequences can result from prescribing errors and medication side effects." https://www.timesunion.com/opinion/article/letting-psychologists-prescribe-wrong-approach-19442129.php

TV

X-Men '97 season 1 episode 9 "Not a lunatic. Merely a man trying to survive in a world that has proven his worst fears true." https://youtu.be/mp1Pax-QHlA

seizures

deadly "magnetic seizure therapy" requires "general anesthesia."

forensic

"in the criminal justice system across the state, essentially bringing Assisted Outpatient Treatment-type services that exist in Albuquerque to the rest of New Mexico." July it will become texas-ico. https://www.yahoo.com/news/mexico-considering-system-dealing-mentally-210816801.html

check your sources

"journalistic malpractice to not term STARD findings as—at the very least—controversial. Even psychiatrists within establishment psychiatry are questioning STARD’s validity, with some psychiatrists demanding its retraction. Other researchers have called STAR*D scientific misconduct, and one investigative journalist has termed it as fraud." https://www.counterpunch.org/2024/05/08/new-york-times-sinks-to-new-low-in-its-psychiatric-drug-coverage/

overcrowding

Kyrgyzstan "National Center for the Prevention of Torture visits Republican Center for Psychiatry and Narcology." https://m.akipress.com/news:772609:National_Center_for_the_Prevention_of_Torture_visits_Republican_Center_for_Psychiatry_and_Narcology/

whistleblowing

"Why whistleblowers in medicine are so few and justice for the harmed so elusive." https://archive.is/NrNcz

Islamophobia, racism

"Minority Fellowship Program – $15.4 million – This program aims to reduce health disparities and improve behavioral health care outcomes for racial and ethnic populations. The program also seeks to train and better prepare behavioral health practitioners to more effectively treat and serve people of different cultural and ethnic backgrounds." https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2024/05/08/biden-harris-administration-announces-46-8-million-behavioral-health-funding-opportunities-advance-president-bidens-unity-agenda-may-mental-health-awareness-month.html Muslims never believed in mental intoxicants.

guardianship

"Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) today joined Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, in introducing the Alternatives to Guardianship Education Act to improve the awareness of" supported decision making. https://scanlon.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=658

43F, 200lbs, 5’4 Medical history of anxiety, mood disorder, Desmond tumor, IBS Medications: Effexor, Lamictal
Context: I was rushed to the ER after a 1,500 slab of concrete trapped my right foot against a concrete wall for over an hour. The only injury was to my foot. Amazingly the circulation returned quickly, there was no nerve damage and no major fractures. Diagnosis was possible avulsion fracture of the Lisfranc joint, to which I will be following up with an orthopedic specialist this week.
Now my main question is regarding the results of the labs they performed.
eGFR mL/min/1.73m2 Value 56 Abnormal
CBC with Differential [373359405] (Abnormal) WBC - 12.0 K/ul (high) Neutrophils - 81% (high) Lymphocytes- 12% (low) Eosinophils - 0% (low) Neutrophils Absolute - 9.7 K/ul (high) (All other CBC counts were normal)
The ER doctors didn’t mention anything other than a brief comment about “abnormal kidney results possibly from dehydration”. Are these results anything I need to be concerned about?
Thank you for any information you can provide!

i need all the opinions i can get, help!! i’ve been struggling really bad with eating recently and i (of course) took to the internet to see if what i deal with actually constitutes “disordered eating”… and well, i was definitely surprised when i realized i fit a lot of the criteria for ARFID. i’m not a picky eater, never have been, not even as a child. i was actually a very adventurous eater as a child, i loved to try new things. i’m still not picky, just a little more selective than i used to be. so of course i never thought in a million years i could possibly have ARFID, since i understood it as extremely picky eating.
what i’ve been dealing with is a complete disinterest in eating. 99% of the time eating feels like a chore and a lot of the time ill skip meals because i have zero desire to eat, sometimes i even feel a sort of aversion to eating (as opposed to just disinterest). i will also skip meals because im busy, i tend to put eating on the back burner and i hate having to make the time to buy/make and eat food. i don’t find eating very enjoyable, i just see it as something i have to do to survive. i have even seriously said i wish i could just be on IV nutrition or something like it 24/7 so i wouldn’t have to eat. it has nothing to do with body image, im naturally thin and i would like to gain some weight honestly…which makes this whole thing that much more difficult. i don’t have specific foods or textures i wont eat, its literally everything. it’s been getting really bad to the point where i drink fairlife chocolate milk instead of eating suuuuper often. i guess you could call it a safe food? i just like it because it doesn’t involve chewing so i can drink my calories and protein and move on. i am also really bad at finishing my food, i feel full after a couple bites and then want nothing to do with it. it doesn’t help that i hate eating leftovers so stuff just gets thrown out. there are a few things i’m a bit particular about but it’s not very serious. i don’t like super crunchy food because i’m scared it’s gonna break my teeth (bad dentist experiences). i can deal with a little bit of it depending on what it is but super crunchy stuff no thanks. like if a yogurt parfait has granola i’ll eat some of it but i don’t love it and i wouldn’t put it in there myself. i refuse to eat ice or popcorn kernels or anything like that and i wont bite into hard candies. i feel like that isn’t that abnormal though? maybe just the fact that im scared something will happen, not that i just “dont like it.” i also HATE food that’s too hot. obviously no one likes super hot food, but if someone shares food with me i will ask them multiple times if its hot and still touch it or eat it very carefully even if they said its not. i don’t know why im so particular about it, its just something i noticed. i am a VERY slow eater as well, i am always last to finish my food. i also do not like real meals, i usually eat snacky food instead. i eat yogurt and fruit for dinner pretty frequently (yogurt is also “safe”, it feels wrong calling it that tho).
some background: i’m 18 F, diagnosed with ADHD, MDD, and GAD. i struggled with disordered eating (calorie restriction) in the past but it was years ago and i am completely past it. i take wellbutrin, lamictal, and ritalin, all of which i’ve been taking for a long time. i am overall mentally stable, i have not had any sort of crisis in a really long time. i am generally physically healthy, no medical conditions.
so basically my question is do i have ARFID? is that what this is? i never thought of this as a disorder, i thought i was just being weird. i started getting concerned because it seems every day i want less and less to do with food and i feel like my physical health is deteriorating and i don’t know what else it could be besides my awful diet. i’ve been ignoring this issue for a while but i don’t think i can ignore it anymore. i had a very bad fainting spell recently which i haven’t had in years. when i got bloodwork done at the hospital they said my results were fine, when i looked i saw that i’m anemic (low RBC, low end of normal heme) and there was some other number that was wrong that had something to do with my kidneys? i forgot what it was actually called but when i looked it up it said that having a low number usually means malnutrition or lack of protein. they didn’t test me for vitamin deficiencies so i have no idea about that. should i see a dietitian? my therapist left her company and i never found a new one so i don’t have one of those either rn. is it even that deep??? am i overreacting?? please help!!!

… BUT you have an organ-scarring autoimmune disease that affects your kidneys, liver, lungs, and GI tract so you can’t take 80% of the medications prescribed to you.
Sigh. I feel so defeated.
edit: I’ve gone through DBT Skills therapy classes (twice). It has been very informative and helpful. I just find it hard to stay ‘in the zone’ after a while and eventually fall off and resort to old habits.
My therapist suggested a mood stabilizer (Lamictal) and a couple other medications that could help me stay more consistent and get the most out of my DBT training.
After talking to my doc I was disheartened to find out that due to my autoimmune condition (Sine Scleroderma) it was advised I not start the Lamictal.
I’ve tried SSRIs and SNRIs in the past which seemed to work ok in the beginning but overall just did not address many of the pervasive issues I have.
Because of my condition I’m very limited as to which medications I can take. The only recommendation was to try SSRI again (no SNRI) which puts me back to square one.
Has anyone else had similar limitations / challenges? Would love to hear what has worked for you

Hello everyone! I wanted to post this in hopes that somebody who is maybe spiraling with healthy anxiety will see it and take comfort, or at least have one moment of relief. I also hope this will encourage someone to maybe consider other options before taking Flagyl (Metro). Disclaimer, this reaction does NOT happen to everyone. I am not advocating against Flagyl, and I’m not encouraging anyone to not trust doctors or medicine. This is me just piecing all of the parts of my health puzzle together and comparing to other people’s experience, specifically women who were given Flagyl for BV. If you’ve also experienced any of these side effects or different ones after taking Flagyl, I’d love to hear about your experience.
I am diagnosed with OCD and my Dad died last May of cancer, so I have been having a bad go with healthy anxiety in recent times. In January, I went to my annual check up and complained of UTI symptoms.
QUICK SIDE BAR ABOUT THE UTI SYMPTOMS: At the time, I was taking 100mg of lamictal (lamotrigine) a day. I started to notice these symptoms after going up on my meds. I brought this up to my doctor to see if this could be the cause of my UTI symptoms because I was told Lamictal could cause kidney issues. She basically said it could be, but didn’t have any additional knowledge on the matter to offer.
At my annual, all of my labs looked good and she said my pee sample didn’t show UTI but we could swab for anything else. It came back with results of an abnormal amount of Gardnerella, and I was prescribed the oral version of Flagyl (Metro). Every time I would take a dose of flagyl, I would feel that feeling you get when you’re coming down with the flu. Achey and tired and bleh. I reached out to my doctor when I started to experience more discharge than before I started it (before flagyl, I just had water like discharge and it was a little too wet at all times down there. After flagyl, I started having yellow-green discharge) and pelvic pain. I also had dark orange urine. My doctor assured me that the darkening urine is a common side effect of Flagyl, but that I could discontinue and do the gel if I preferred. Me…being lazy tbh and just wanting to get this over with…continued on with the Flagyl and finished it. Towards the end of my treatment, I developed a boil on the left side of my groin. It was like a warm, itchy red lump. I messaged my doctor and came in. By this time, the boil had popped on its own and was going down, but she prescribed me Doxycicline to knock it out. I had done a quick and bad shave job a few weeks before the boil, and we chalked it up to that.
After my flagyl and doxy treatments both ended and the boil went away, I took a picture of my down there region to see how everything was looking. Basically just self inspecting because these two new issues that I’ve never experienced before were putting me on edge. When I looked at the photo, I noticed several moles (not abnormal but very noticeable) that I’d never remembered seeing. I resorted to Dr. Google which is mostly ALWAYS a bad idea. But, I did, and I came to the conclusion that with all of my symptoms combined, I probably had cancer or at least a really bad disease. I was a mess, experiencing anxiety, no, PANIC, in a way that I hadn’t felt in a very long time. It was like nothing could stop it. I felt a constant sense of dread and was crying very often.
I went to my doctor as she graciously let me come in again within a pretty short notice to check out my “lesions” and she assured me that they’re not abnormal and she understood my anxieties, but that we’ll check them out again in a year, with me doing regular self-exams every 3-4 months. I asked if I should go to a dermatologist and she said not at this time.
After this…I went along with my life. I started school and was pretty distracted. Until, my BV came back. And soon after my doctor’s appointment to get swabbed and diagnosed again, my boil came back, as well as butt pain/split butt crack skin. At this point, my anxiety was out of freaking control. I was having panic attacks on and off genuinely all day every day. I felt stuck in fight or flight mode. I took it upon myself to go to a local dermatologist, and paid out of pocket. She told me it was folliculitis, and the split butt crack was likely caused by all of the moisture from the BV. She asked what medications I was currently taking, and told me, without me asking, that Lamictal can mess with our estrogen. Additionally, the moles also looked okay to her, and she also suggested annual check ups. She prescribed me a whole month of doxycicline and topical Clindamycin and suggested laser hair removal.
At this point, I am begging my doctor to do a pelvic exam (she does my OBGYN stuff as well) as I am concerned I have cancer from all of these wacky symptoms. Also during this time, and since starting Flagyl, I am pretty constipated. Even more so after I have a split in the butt crack skin. It genuinely made me so tense down there (whether it was anxiety making me feel tense or actual issues down there re: butt, who knows.) Anyway, she says she’s sorry to hear about the boil, and will refer me to a dermatologist to further investigate the recurring boils, then suggests it could be a very painful skin disease. This is all over the portal, btw.
I spiraled. I literally traumatized myself with google searches, reddit searches, facebook group searches, etc. I basically made everything I was experiencing fit into this potential diagnosis and didn’t realize that not all of my thoughts and feelings weren’t 100% facts until my body left panic mode, which has been within the last month.
Part two in the comments after I eat dinner.

46F no alcohol or drug use. On numerous medications and tapering lamictal. Failed cervical fusion and a history of kidney stones.
I constantly get what starts out as crushing pain on the top of my head. This slips down into my neck, shoulders, and back, and often makes it into my chest and my stomach. It never lasts more than an hour, but it’s sent me to the ER numerous times.
Urologist says it’s my back and neurologist says it’s a kidney stone

Caucasian male, 30 years old, roughly 5'6, 135 lbs, lamictal (but only in last 7 months), no smoking, no serious medical issues at all except a kidney stone back in 2013.
I remember this starting back in middle school, so maybe back in 2007. Basically, my right testicle was hurting pretty bad, so I immediately went to the doctor. He checked them and said nothing was wrong, but suggested I wear boxer briefs or similar (not boxers) to 'support' my testicles. It did help.
But I've been wearing boxer briefs ever since. Not only because I prefer them, but because without any support my right testicle hangs down low enough that it starts to hurt again. It hangs lower than my left testicle, and always has since middle school. It also feels like a different shape and hangs differently. And if my left testicle ever changes position for whatever reason (cremaster pulls it up, I get cold, etc) the right testicle just doesn't behave the same way. It just kinda... hangs there.
Before I continue I just want to say I have been to multiple doctors, and I have been checked multiple times, and I even had an ultrasound done. I got the ultrasound because I could feel a lump on the bottom of my testticle, which ALSO comes and goes. Not a single one detected anything at all, and the MRI showed nothing out of the ordinary. But it's been this way since 2007. It doesn't hurt nearly as bad as it did back then, but I do have minor discomfort there a lot of times.
In addition I have this minor pain/discomfort that comes and goes from the bottom of my right ribcage down to my right knee, and also comes up from my right testicle as if the discomfort is joined together. You know when you work out and your arms have that really tired feeling in your muscles? I guess that's the closest I can compare to how it feels. Or rather, I guess it feels like it's 'stretched'? Like I have a stretched rubberband in me that has nerves in it.
I guess it mostly happens when I walk a lot, but not necessarily always. How do they usually check for torsion or even hernias? What else could it possibly be?
This has been going on for a whole 16 years. That's about 53% of my life right now. I've been all over google, I've been to doctors, I've had an ultrasound. Maybe there's some other way they check for something else, or something else I could say to a doctor.
Have you ever had anyone experience this, and what was the issue, or what do you think it could be?

Okay so my husbands memory is soo messed up. He’s had numerous traumatic brain injuries and when I first met him his mother told me he had epilepsy, he was always talking about how he had a brain tumor but his mom brushed off saying he was mentally ill- then fast forward to after him totaling his truck while “sleepwalking/driving)” or having a seizure after a sleep deprived EEG at a neurologist alone i come across this old mri from UT SOUTHWESTERN
CLINICAL INFORMATION: 22 year-old M. seizure
TECHNIQUE:
Sagittal and axial T1, sagittal/axial flair, T2, EPI diffusion and coronal T2 * GRE sequences were performed through the brain using a head coil. Imaging was performed on a 1.5 Tesla MR unit.
Additionally, thin cut coronal T2 weighted imaging was performed perpendicular to the medial temporal lobes.
Subsequently post contrast axial, sagittal, and coronal T1 sequences were acquired. 10 cc Gadavist IV contrast was administered.
COMPARISON: None
FINDINGS:
The hippocampal formations demonstrate symmetric signal and morphology without evidence of atrophy. The temporal horns of the lateral ventricles are symmetric as well.
There is a rounded solidly enhancing subependymal nodule adjacent to the right foramen of Monro measuring about 6 mm in maximal diameter. No adjacent parenchymal signal abnormality is noted. No enhancing masses are seen elsewhere.
The post-gadolinium infused sequences demonstrate no pathologic parenchymal or leptomeningeal enhancement elsewhere.
The ventricles, cisterns, and sulci are proportional in size and configuration for the patient's age. No focal mass effect, intracranial hemorrhage or abnormal extra-axial fluid collection is exhibited. There is no restricted diffusion to suggest an acute infarction. Flow voids are apparent within the major intracranial arteries. Cerebellar tonsils are in normal position. Normal signal emanates from the calvarial marrow.
IMPRESSION:
A 6 mm solidly enhancing lesion is noted along the ependyma of the anterior right lateral ventricle in the region of foramen of Monro. Differential possibilities include ependymoma and less likely a central neurocytoma. Subependymoma is felt less likely given the avid enhancement. There is no evidence of tuberous sclerosis on this study to suspect subependymal giant cell astrocytoma. Secondary CNS neoplasm/metastasis is felt unlikely given patient's age.
No acute infarction, intracranial hemorrhage or mass effect
No hydrocephalus or midline shift
No evidence of mesial temporal sclerosis
—————————-
So now there’s saying from the CT’s he’s had recently (in the past year) that he has a “calcification” not a “solidly enhancing nodule. They put him on lamictal and he had all the rare side effects (difference in type of seizures, tried to hang himself, swelling abdomen (due to liver or kidney I’m guessing?) He had a osteochondroma removed from his upper right arm near his shoulder and on the backside. He said the doc said it looked like a mushroom cloud.
This is a recent CT
————
Impression Impression: No acute intracranial finding. Stable 4 mm calcified soft tissue nodule in the region of the frontal horn of the right lateral ventricle. This could reflect a subependymal hamartoma. RL: 5252 AFC: 99053 ELECTRONICALLY SIGNED By: xxxxxxxxa Date/Time 8/20/2023 8:18 AM Narrative History: seizure. Exam: CT HEAD WO CONTRAST Date: 8/20/2023 8:00 AM Ordering Physician: xxxxzxzzz Technique: Axial head CT was performed without contrast. CT scan performed according to ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) regarding radiation exposure. Comparison: 6/14/2017 Findings: In the region of the frontal horn of the right lateral ventricle, there is a stable 4 mm calcified soft tissue nodule. The ventricular system, basal cisterns, and cortical sulcal pattern are normal for age. No evidence of hydrocephalus, mass effect, or midline shift. No evidence of hemorrhage or an acute territorial infarct. Osseous structures are unremarkable. Visualized orbits, paranasal sinuses, and mastoid air cells are unremarkable.
———-
EXAM: CT HEAD WO CONTRAST, 5/17/2023 6:44 PM
HISTORY: Mental status change.
TECHNIQUE: Axial CT imaging of the head performed without contrast. Coronal and sagittal reformats were constructed from the source data.
All CT scans are performed using dose optimization techniques as appropriate to the exam being performed. These techniques include automatic exposure control and/or standardized protocols using dose matching according to exam type and patient size.
COMPARISON: 02/03/2023.
FINDINGS: There is no acute intracranial hemorrhage, large territorial infarction, or mass. Small calcification adjacent to the frontal horn of the right lateral ventricle, unchanged. This may be secondary to previous trauma or infection. There is no extra-axial fluid collection or midline shift. The gray-white differentiation is preserved. The ventricles are normal in size and configuration. The basal cisterns are patent.
The calvarium is intact. The globes and orbits are unremarkable. The visualized paranasal sinuses and mastoid air cells are clear. The soft tissues are unremarkable.
IMPRESSION: IMPRESSION: No acute intracranial abnormality.
Finalized BY: xxxxxxx M, MD 05/17/2023 19:50:03
——————————- OKAY THIS IS WHERE IT GETS WEIRD- I just logged into his medical city portal and All his rexords are GONE!!!!! He has had 2 CTS THAT I HAVE SEEN THAT REPORT THE CALCIFICATION AND ALSO A LARGE INTERCRANNIAL HEMMORAGE!!! Which they say is not a big thing because he’s out cold and his mother tells him they already knew about it and (I guess you can tell from a ct?) it wasn’t “acute” which from what I gather means recent….
IVE DONE SO MUCH RESEARCH AND AFTER WEEKS ON PUBMED NIH NCBI ETC A DIAGNOSIS OF NF1 reads like his life story, but IAM NOT A DOCTOR AND I NEES SOME GUIDANCE PLEASE PLEASE I COME FROM A FAMILY HEAVILY INVESTED IN THE MEDICAL PROFESSIOn, gpa was a DIAGNOSTICIAN ON PAR WITH THE CHARACTER “house” and brother and his wife just got there MD from Alabama (sorry I don’t know name exactly so not going to butcher it)
Thanks to anyone who read this far… any/all advice welcome

32M, 6'1, white, 235,- blood tests are off- went to hospital recently- no existing issues besides anxiety and occasional chest pain- on lamictal 150 and as need gabapentin- smoke weed 4-5 times a month, occasional drug use but nothing abusive
I went to the hospital for chest pain but I have a cold. I have taken dayquil and sudafed and a weed edible. Some results were returned with slightly out of range tests that mostly indicate liver or kidney related issues. I would like to know if its normal to have out of range kidney or liver tests in the case of being sick and taking meds. Thanks!
Abnormal tests
ANION GAP and ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE - low BUN - a bit high white blood count - low monocytes - high SGPT-ALT - high
​

I am 24/7 thirsty. I drink the water by my bed in my sleep. It has a straw from the time I spilled it on my face lol
But I just want water or lemon water. This lead to the obvious knowledge of every bathroom in my vicinity.
My kidneys are great, it's just thirsty.
Am I alone?
Oh and I'm on Lithium, Lamictal, and abilify if that helps.

Disclaimer: Don't mean to come off as a negative nelly or an anti-psychiatry warrior with an agenda, I'm just very anxious and frustrated.
Briefly some context: I'm 29, have noticeably lived with a melange of depression, anxiety, OCD, executive/cognitive dysfunction (a lot of ADD-like stuff) since I was around 17 or 18. Some hypomanic sort of stuff here and there. Have only ever tried Sertraline for a bit more than a year and a half back when I was 24-25 and I didn't ever feel it did much to help even at 125 mg. Left me with permanently worse sexual functioning and a restless leg sort of thing I don't think I had before. Tried Luvox about 3 times at the lowest dose three years ago and it made me suicidal and the trip to the psych ward that it led me to led me to being put on a higher dose of Luvox, after a couple of doses of that I was left pretty much psychotic with a state of suicidality, terror, depression, and anxiety that I had never felt before. This lasted for 3-4 months along with burning skin nerve pain and an overall feeling my mind had been broken.
These types of experiences along with the literally thousands of horror stories I read before and after ever trying psych meds have made me really skeptical of trying anything again.
Problem is I still live with the same mixture of crippling/disabling depression, anxiety, and cognitive dysfunction that I have lived with for years, I can't work or do much of anything.
I went to a psychiatrist that I've seen 3 times now asking for a different prescription each time because there's always something scaring me into not trying what she prescribes. I haven't tried another psychiatrist because I can't mentally handle the research and calling it takes. She's prescribed Abilify first, Lamictal second, and now Lithium, and these last two I think we got to together because its antidepressants and antipsychotics that I'm generally most scared of because of my own experiences and that of thousands of others.
Scared of dealing with drug induced psychosis, suicidality, insane levels of depression and anxiety, dystonia, tardive dyskinesia, akathisia, autoimmune problems, organ damage, post ssri sexual dysfunction, or Steven Johnson syndrome, and thus antidepressants, antipsychotics, and Lamictal have been things that I've resoundly said no to.
Are the problems with thyroid and kidney functioning inevitable with Lithium? Based on what I've described and my symptoms does it sound like worth a try?
I realize ill prob have to do risky drug trials once I start the process of taking meds again because I doubt ill hit something great without having to try several things but I want to minimize the risks and don't want to try something as arguably risky as Lithium if its not worth it.

Disclaimer: Don't mean to come off as a negative nelly or an anti-psychiatry warrior with an agenda, I'm just very anxious and frustrated.
Briefly some context: I'm 29, have noticeably lived with a melange of depression, anxiety, OCD, executive/cognitive dysfunction (a lot of ADD-like stuff) since I was around 17 or 18. Some hypomanic sort of stuff here and there. Have only ever tried Sertraline for a bit more than a year and a half back when I was 24-25 and I didn't ever feel it did much to help even at 125 mg. Left me with permanently worse sexual functioning and a restless leg sort of thing I don't think I had before. Tried Luvox about 3 times at the lowest dose three years ago and it made me suicidal and the trip to the psych ward that it led me to led me to being put on a higher dose of Luvox, after a couple of doses of that I was left pretty much psychotic with a state of suicidality, terror, depression, and anxiety that I had never felt before. This lasted for 3-4 months along with burning skin nerve pain and an overall feeling my mind had been broken.
These types of experiences along with the literally thousands of horror stories I read before and after ever trying psych meds have made me really skeptical of trying anything again.
Problem is I still live with the same mixture of crippling/disabling depression, anxiety, and cognitive dysfunction that I have lived with for years, I can't work or do much of anything.
I went to a psychiatrist that I've seen 3 times now asking for a different prescription each time because there's always something scaring me into not trying what she prescribes. I haven't tried another psychiatrist because I can't mentally handle the research and calling it takes. She's prescribed Abilify first, Lamictal second, and now Lithium, and these last two I think we got to together because its antidepressants and antipsychotics that I'm generally most scared of because of my own experiences and that of thousands of others.
Scared of dealing with drug induced psychosis, suicidality, insane levels of depression and anxiety, dystonia, tardive dyskinesia, akathisia, autoimmune problems, organ damage, post ssri sexual dysfunction, or Steven Johnson syndrome, and thus antidepressants, antipsychotics, and Lamictal have been things that I've resoundly said no to.
Are the problems with thyroid and kidney functioning inevitable with Lithium? Based on what I've described and my symptoms does it sound like worth a try?
I realize ill prob have to do risky drug trials once I start the process of taking meds again because I doubt ill hit something great without having to try several things but I want to minimize the risks and don't want to try something as arguably risky as Lithium if its not worth it.

Disclaimer: Don't mean to come off as a negative nelly or an anti-psychiatry warrior with an agenda, I'm just very anxious and frustrated.
Briefly some context: I'm 29, have noticeably lived with a melange of depression, anxiety, OCD, executive/cognitive dysfunction (a lot of ADD-like stuff) since I was around 17 or 18. Some hypomanic sort of stuff here and there. Have only ever tried Sertraline for a bit more than a year and a half back when I was 24-25 and I didn't ever feel it did much to help even at 125 mg. Left me with permanently worse sexual functioning and a restless leg sort of thing I don't think I had before. Tried Luvox about 3 times at the lowest dose three years ago and it made me suicidal and the trip to the psych ward that it led me to led me to being put on a higher dose of Luvox, after a couple of doses of that I was left pretty much psychotic with a state of suicidality, terror, depression, and anxiety that I had never felt before. This lasted for 3-4 months along with burning skin nerve pain and an overall feeling my mind had been broken.
These types of experiences along with the literally thousands of horror stories I read before and after ever trying psych meds have made me really skeptical of trying anything again.
Problem is I still live with the same mixture of crippling/disabling depression, anxiety, and cognitive dysfunction that I have lived with for years, I can't work or do much of anything.
I went to a psychiatrist that I've seen 3 times now asking for a different prescription each time because there's always something scaring me into not trying what she prescribes. I haven't tried another psychiatrist because I can't mentally handle the research and calling it takes. She's prescribed Abilify first, Lamictal second, and now Lithium, and these last two I think we got to together because its antidepressants and antipsychotics that I'm generally most scared of because of my own experiences and that of thousands of others.
Scared of dealing with drug induced psychosis, suicidality, insane levels of depression and anxiety, dystonia, tardive dyskinesia, akathisia, autoimmune problems, organ damage, post ssri sexual dysfunction, or Steven Johnson syndrome, and thus antidepressants, antipsychotics, and Lamictal have been things that I've resoundly said no to.
Are the problems with thyroid and kidney functioning inevitable with Lithium? Based on what I've described and my symptoms does it sound like worth a try?
I realize ill prob have to do risky drug trials once I start the process of taking meds again because I doubt ill hit something great without having to try several things but I want to minimize the risks and don't want to try something as arguably risky as Lithium if its not worth it.

Disclaimer: Don't mean to come off as a negative nelly or an anti-psychiatry warrior with an agenda, I'm just very anxious and frustrated.
Briefly some context: I'm 29, have noticeably lived with a melange of depression, anxiety, OCD, executive/cognitive dysfunction (a lot of ADD-like stuff) since I was around 17 or 18. Some hypomanic sort of stuff here and there. Have only ever tried Sertraline for a bit more than a year and a half back when I was 24-25 and I didn't ever feel it did much to help even at 125 mg. Left me with permanently worse sexual functioning and a restless leg sort of thing I don't think I had before. Tried Luvox about 3 times at the lowest dose three years ago and it made me suicidal and the trip to the psych ward that it led me to led me to being put on a higher dose of Luvox, after a couple of doses of that I was left pretty much psychotic with a state of suicidality, terror, depression, and anxiety that I had never felt before. This lasted for 3-4 months along with burning skin nerve pain and an overall feeling my mind had been broken.
These types of experiences along with the literally thousands of horror stories I read before and after ever trying psych meds have made me really skeptical of trying anything again.
Problem is I still live with the same mixture of crippling/disabling depression, anxiety, and cognitive dysfunction that I have lived with for years, I can't work or do much of anything.
I went to a psychiatrist that I've seen 3 times now asking for a different prescription each time because there's always something scaring me into not trying what she prescribes. I haven't tried another psychiatrist because I can't mentally handle the research and calling it takes. She's prescribed Abilify first, Lamictal second, and now Lithium, and these last two I think we got to together because its antidepressants and antipsychotics that I'm generally most scared of because of my own experiences and that of thousands of others.
Scared of dealing with drug induced psychosis, suicidality, insane levels of depression and anxiety, dystonia, tardive dyskinesia, akathisia, autoimmune problems, organ damage, Steven Johnson syndrome, and thus antidepressants, antipsychotics, and Lamictal have been things that I've resoundly said no to.
Are the problems with thyroid and kidney functioning inevitable with Lithium? Based on what I've described and my symptoms does it sound like worth a try?
I realize ill prob have to do risky drug trials once I start the process of taking meds again because I doubt ill hit something great without having to try several things but I want to minimize the risks and don't want to try something as arguably risky as Lithium if its not worth it.

Disclaimer: Don't mean to come off as a negative nelly or an anti-psychiatry warrior with an agenda, I'm just very anxious and frustrated.
Briefly some context: I'm 29, have noticeably lived with a melange of depression, anxiety, OCD, executive/cognitive dysfunction (a lot of ADD-like stuff) since I was around 17 or 18. Some hypomanic sort of stuff here and there. Have only ever tried Sertraline for a bit more than a year and a half back when I was 24-25 and I didn't ever feel it did much to help even at 125 mg. Left me with permanently worse sexual functioning and a restless leg sort of thing I don't think I had before. Tried Luvox about 3 times at the lowest dose three years ago and it made me suicidal and the trip to the psych ward that it led me to led me to being put on a higher dose of Luvox, after a couple of doses of that I was left pretty much psychotic with a state of suicidality, terror, depression, and anxiety that I had never felt before. This lasted for 3-4 months along with burning skin nerve pain and an overall feeling my mind had been broken.
These types of experiences along with the literally thousands of horror stories I read before and after ever trying psych meds have made me really skeptical of trying anything again.
Problem is I still live with the same mixture of crippling/disabling depression, anxiety, and cognitive dysfunction that I have lived with for years, I can't work or do much of anything.
I went to a psychiatrist that I've seen 3 times now asking for a different prescription each time because there's always something scaring me into not trying what she prescribes. I haven't tried another psychiatrist because I can't mentally handle the research and calling it takes. She's prescribed Abilify first, Lamictal second, and now Lithium, and these last two I think we got to together because its antidepressants and antipsychotics that I'm generally most scared of because of my own experiences and that of thousands of others.
Scared of dealing with drug induced psychosis, suicidality, insane levels of depression and anxiety, dystonia, tardive dyskinesia, akathisia, autoimmune problems, organ damage, Steven Johnson syndrome, and thus antidepressants, antipsychotics, and Lamictal have been things that I've resoundly said no to.
Are the problems with thyroid and kidney functioning inevitable with Lithium? Based on what I've described and my symptoms does it sound like worth a try?
I realize ill prob have to do risky drug trials once I start the process of taking meds again because I doubt ill hit something great without having to try several things but I want to minimize the risks and don't want to try something as arguably risky as Lithium if its not worth it.

Disclaimer: Don't mean to come off as a negative nelly or an anti-psychiatry warrior with an agenda, I'm just very anxious and frustrated.
Briefly some context: I'm 29, have noticeably lived with a melange of depression, anxiety, OCD, executive/cognitive dysfunction (a lot of ADD-like stuff) since I was around 17 or 18. Some hypomanic sort of stuff here and there. Have only ever tried Sertraline for a bit more than a year and a half back when I was 24-25 and I didn't ever feel it did much to help even at 125 mg. Left me with permanently worse sexual functioning and a restless leg sort of thing I don't think I had before. Tried Luvox about 3 times at the lowest dose three years ago and it made me suicidal and the trip to the psych ward that it led me to led me to being put on a higher dose of Luvox, after a couple of doses of that I was left pretty much psychotic with a state of suicidality, terror, depression, and anxiety that I had never felt before. This lasted for 3-4 months along with burning skin nerve pain and an overall feeling my mind had been broken.
These types of experiences along with the literally thousands of horror stories I read before and after ever trying psych meds have made me really skeptical of trying anything again.
Problem is I still live with the same mixture of crippling/disabling depression, anxiety, and cognitive dysfunction that I have lived with for years, I can't work or do much of anything.
I went to a psychiatrist that I've seen 3 times now asking for a different prescription each time because there's always something scaring me into not trying what she prescribes. I haven't tried another psychiatrist because I can't mentally handle the research and calling it takes. She's prescribed Abilify first, Lamictal second, and now Lithium, and these last two I think we got to together because its antidepressants and antipsychotics that I'm generally most scared of because of my own experiences and that of thousands of others.
Scared of dealing with drug induced psychosis, suicidality, insane levels of depression and anxiety, dystonia, tardive dyskinesia, akathisia, autoimmune problems, organ damage, Steven Johnson syndrome, and thus antidepressants, antipsychotics, and Lamictal have been things that I've resoundly said no to.
Are the problems with thyroid and kidney functioning inevitable with Lithium? Based on what I've described and my symptoms does it sound like worth a try?
I realize ill prob have to do risky drug trials once I start the process of taking meds again because I doubt ill hit something great without having to try several things but I want to minimize the risks and don't want to try something as arguably risky as Lithium if its not worth it.

Briefly some context: I'm 29, have noticeably lived with a melange of depression, anxiety, OCD, executive/cognitive dysfunction (a lot of ADD-like stuff) since I was around 17 or 18. Some hypomanic sort of stuff here and there. Have only ever tried Sertraline for a bit more than a year and a half back when I was 24-25 and I didn't ever feel it did much to help even at 125 mg. Left me with permanently worse sexual functioning and a restless leg sort of thing I don't think I had before. Tried Luvox about 3 times at the lowest dose three years ago and it made me suicidal and the trip to the psych ward that it led me to led me to being put on a higher dose of Luvox, after a couple of doses of that I was left pretty much psychotic with a state of suicidality, terror, depression, and anxiety that I had never felt before. This lasted for 3-4 months along with burning skin nerve pain and an overall feeling my mind had been broken.
These types of experiences along with the literally thousands of horror stories I read before and after ever trying psych meds have made me really skeptical of trying anything again.
Problem is I still live with the same mixture of crippling/disabling depression, anxiety, and cognitive dysfunction that I have lived with for years, I can't work or do much of anything.
I went to a psychiatrist that I've seen 3 times now asking for a different prescription each time because there's always something scaring me into not trying what she prescribes. I haven't tried another psychiatrist because I can't mentally handle the research and calling it takes. She's prescribed Abilify first, Lamictal second, and now Lithium, and these last two I think we got to together because its antidepressants and antipsychotics that I'm generally most scared of because of my own experiences and that of thousands of others.
Scared of dealing with drug induced psychosis, suicidality, insane levels of depression and anxiety, dystonia, tardive dyskinesia, akathisia, autoimmune problems, organ damage, Steven Johnson syndrome, and thus antidepressants, antipsychotics, and Lamictal have been things that I've resoundly said no to.
Are the problems with thyroid and kidney functioning inevitable with Lithium? Based on what I've described and my symptoms does it sound like worth a try?
I realize ill prob have to do risky drug trials once I start the process of taking meds again because I doubt ill hit something great without having to try several things but I want to minimize the risks and don't want to try something as arguably risky as Lithium if its not worth it.

Age/gender: 32F
Height/Weight: 5'3", 177lbs
Race: White
Existing medical issues: Bipolar disorder, kidney stones (last incident in June), chronic appendicitis w/appendectomy on 2/5/24, Gallbladder removal in 2022
Current meds: lamictal 300 mg daily
Smoke/Drink/Drugs: Smokes 1 pack per week. Drinks 6-8 drinks per week. Smokes marijuana daily.
Primary complaint: Had an appendectomy one week ago after having chronic appendicitis for about a year, still very nauseous and bloated today. Tried to return to work today after being out for a week and it's awful to sit/stand as opposed to leaning backwards or laying down. No vomiting, but cramping/pain after eating. I haven't been eating much aside from poptarts as it seems to be the only thing I can stomach. Really bloated and gassy as well, just generally sick and uncomfortable and I usually have a high tolerance for feeling this way. I look pale and I am sweating a lot, but no fever as I have been taking my temp regularly.
I have been trying and failing to get ahold of the surgery team. Is it normal to feel this bad one week out? I didn't feel like this after the cholecystectomy.
​

I have no experience with seizures. No one in my family or my husband’s family does either. On 2/5 my husband had a grand mal seizure while driving. Luckily I was in the passenger seat. I was able to “crash” the car safely (Subaru) and get him the help he needed. When he was at the hospital he had several more seizures. He was in ICU for 2 days and was intubated. He’s doing better now…breathing on his own and no longer in ICU. He is slowly coming around but keeps complaining about headaches. The worst headaches he’s ever experienced. He is unable to get proper rest because of the nagging pain. He is on Keppra and lamictal.
I know he’s been through a significant amount of trauma and I’m sure those meds aren’t fun, but are recurrent headaches common? They are so bad that he throws up sometimes and his blood pressure spikes. Any suggestions on how to curb the headaches? Will it just take time?
My husband is literally my hero. A year an ago, he donated a kidney to me. I had my first transplant when I was 18, and we met at 22 so he knew what he was getting into 😉…but donating an organ still takes a ton of courage. I want to do anything and everything I can to help him and make this as easy as possible for him.