My First Day On lamictal/lamotrigine: 12.5 mgs

When my psychiatrist prescribed lamictal, he went down a list of Important Things to Know.  The most important is how to deal with the dreaded Lamictal Rash (which can be fatal, which is bad):

1. If a skin rash occurs with a fever, go to the emergency room immediately (and)
2. Call me

He warned me about the need to titrate slowly, as he was directing me, to avoid the dreaded Lamictal Rash.  And, he said, if the generic manufacturer was switched, I needed to call him.  Not all generics are equal.  Some have more bioavailability.  Lamotrigine manufactured by Teva, he says, can be equivalent to the next highest dosage.

I was supposed to start at 25 mgs, but when I looked at the bottle, there it was -- made by Teva.  I decided to break the pill in half (it's scored, which means that this is OK) and start at 12.5 mgs and leave a message for my doctor letting him know that.  I really need this medication to work out for me, so I don't want to run any risk of The Rash, and it seems best to play it safe.

I took the med about 5 hours ago. At the time I took it, my cognition had returned to normal, and my mood, though fluctuating, was more or less positive.

Mood	Elevated, calm
Cognition	Focus, motivation, concentration normal
Hypomania	none
Sleepiness	tolerable
Dizziness	none
Headache	none
Nausea	none
Abdominal Pain	none
Back Pain	none
Dry Skin	none
Acne	none
Tremor	none
Blurred Vision	none
Lack of Coordination	none
Muscle Pain	none
Dry Mouth	Noticeable