New dosage = more energy!

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My psychiatrist and I have been talking about lowering my dosage of lamotrigine with 25 mg for a long time now – maybe even for a year – but because I kept dipping my feet into the depression, we always decided to wait until I had a longer period of stability. Finally, that time has come around. At the end of June, about 7-8 weeks ago, I had a meeting with my psychiatrist, and we decided to lower my dosage from 400 mg to 375 mg! Which is quite a big deal, since I’ve been on 400 mg since the beginning of 2017.

So far, I haven’t had any negative side-effects. The only thing that’s changed is that I’ve been feeling less tired, not sleeping as many hours, and I have more energy! The tiredness has been my main – if not the only – negative side-effect from my medication, and it’s fantastic to feel a change. I don’t think I’ve had this amount of energy since… well, since I started taking meds back in 2016, I suppose.

The increase of energy has obviously had a positive effect on my mood as well. This also means that I have to be extra aware of early signs of hypomania, as even a small change in dosage can trigger a new episode. But so far, so good. I haven’t thrown myself into a lot of new projects or going out more, and I haven’t felt the need to drink or party or anything. My sleeping pattern has improved, and it’s easier for me to get up in the morning. Hours of sleep are pretty steady, around 8-9 hours every night, instead of 10-12.

I’m sure I’ll be staying on this dosage for a long time, unless something changes drastically. Still, it’s moving in the right direction, and I feel really good about that. It’ll be years before there’s a chance for me to be free of the meds, and maybe I never will be. But I’m definitely on my way to reduce my intake, and that’s good enough for me.