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Please suggest an alternative medicine for Lamictal.

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The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.

Medically reviewed by

Dr. Sneha Kannan

Published At January 24, 2016
Reviewed AtJanuary 19, 2024

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

I am a 61-year-old and was later diagnosed by a doctor with fibromyalgia. In the last three years during the nighttime, I suffered from aggressive involuntary movements while asleep. Those movements include kicking in the air and arching and bouncing my back and the whole body. At first, those aggressive movements started as a physical response to a dream where I was being attacked which happened once in a while, lately, it happens more and more often without any noticeable reason. As a result of the movements, I suffer from strong pain in my back and knees which lasts for a long period of time and restrict me to my house. I am also very depressed about my physical condition which projects to anything I do in my private life, family life, and job. I quit my last job a year ago due to my medical condition. Can you please advise on physical/neurological treatment that will improve my poor physical and emotional conditions? In addition, I am using Lamictal 200 mg which according to the medicine brochure might rarely cause involuntary limb movement. Therefore, I wish to replace it with equivalent medicine. Can you please advise on a possible replacement? I have already tried Seroxat, Depalept, Gabapentin, Lyrica, Teril, and Cymbalta which did not help.

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Well, these involuntary movements do not sound normal at all. It looks more like chorea or hemiballismus (movement disorder). It can be drug-induced but at the same time considering your age, we should get an MRI scan of the brain done. If any problem there, we will have to treat it differently. I understand you have tried a lot of drugs. Tablet Lamictal (Lamotrigine) can cause involuntary movements but not to the extent you have. First, I suggest you consult a neurologist first and get your drugs sorted out. Secondly, you can try Amitriptyline or Mirtazapine as the drugs for fibromyalgia. They do not have that many side effects and may give you improvement since the others have not responded. I would also recommend you do meditation or yoga as it does play a big role in helping patients with fibromyalgia.

Thank you.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Naval Mendiratta
Dr. Naval Mendiratta

Rheumatology

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