Lamictal, Constipation, and Electrolytes

I promise, I'll stop writing about constipation soon.  Because I think it's finally going away. 

In a post last week, I wondered whether my GI problems might be caused by a minor electrolyte imbalance.  Electrolyte imbalance isn't a common cause of constipation.  Usually the culprit is a low-fiber diet.  My diet includes enough fruits and veggies that this shouldn't be a problem.  I tried eating prunes, and Cheerios, and and anything else that might have a laxative effect, but no luck.

I thought that perhaps the lamictal dry mouth is causing me to drink so much water that I'm pissing away electrolytes.  Over the weekend, I started drinking Emergen-C, which in addition to crazy amounts of vitamin C (which I don't really care about) serves as an electrolyte replacement drink.

And I can report that it helped enormously.  Can't say that I'm back to normal, but I'm feeling so much better.  So if you're having GI issues with lamictal, try drinking gatorade or any other electrolyte replacement beverage.  It might really help.

Lamictal 200 mgs: Cheerios, the Laxative of Last Resort

After experiencing some relief from bloating and gas (but not the constipation) that emerged when I titrated up to 150 mgs, I landed right back there when I hit 200.  My stomach hurts, my pants don't fit, and -- I'm sorry if I'm being gross here -- I just want to take a godsdamn shit.


This has brought me to my Laxative of Last Resort: Cheerios.

Since I was a teenager, Cheerios have gone right through me.  This is one reason I hate them.  The other reason is that they were the only cereal deemed to be "healthy enough" by my parents, so I ate them every effing morning until I was eight years old.  My friends, of course, got to eat Fruit Loops or Frosted Flakes or Lucky Charms.

My parents told me that my suffering was due to the fact that they loved me enough to make sure that my teeth didn't rot and I developed healthy eating habits.  Like most young children, I didn't believe them.  They made me eat Cheerios because they were mean!

Then, O glorious day!  Special K made the cut!  It was so exciting compared to those effing Cheerios!  I swore I would never eat Cheerios again.  And for the most part, I stuck by this promise to myself.  The exception was if I went to Girl Scout camp.  Cheerios got put in our gorp for some reason.  I noticed that not only did they made me run for the latrine, but they gave me mild heartburn.  I started eating around them.

Lamictal 150 mgs: Investing in Prunes, Gas-X, and Ginger Tea

I used to enjoy the stomach of a concrete elephant.  I never get the stomach flu.  Hell, I never even throw up.  Haven't since I was 12.  OK, there are two exceptions to this; the first was after three strong drinks, several clove cigarettes (I don't normally smoke), and a stack of strawberry pancakes.  The second was a few years ago when my husband's two-year-old cousin had the plague and every singe person who even touched her was knocked down flat.

I am now 36.  I have barfed exactly twice in 24 years.

As for other digestive complaints, I don't have 'em.  I'm not prone to indigestion, acid reflux, diarrhea, or constipation.  When I start a new med, I pretty much ignore the GI tract side effects because I know they won't bother me.  As I said, concrete elephant.

Until I went up to 150 mgs of lamictal, that is.