Lamictal side effects

I have been on Lamictal for 4 years for type II bipolar disorder. It saved my life. It evened me out without flattening me, and I can have a life. But it has given me these horrible brain-mind problems. I am a professor, and I am supposed to be sharp. It is really embarrassing when I can't comprehend student work and I make wrong-headed comments. Or I forget to grade papers altogether. The students don't respect me and my colleagues must think I am incompetent. And I don't have tenure yet!

The stress of my job is bad enough without this. I feel like I am on the verge of a breakdown every time there is a bump in the road. I am considering trying anti-anxiety meds, but I am afraid of potential interactions with Lamictal.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

I am an intensive care physician , one day we got a 75 year old male patient for acute allergic skin manifestation and general body swelling , the patient has been taking Lamictal tablets for seizures control after brain surgery few months before his presentation the patient was put on i.v steroid therapy along with antihistamine, on the second day we noticed that his skin is peeling off and his breathing got embarrassed , the case was diagnosed as( TOXIC EPIDERMAL NECROLYSIS) which is the most severe form of drug allergic reactions as a side effect of Lamictal administration , one week later the patient died due to acute respiratory failure (ARDS) however he was on mechanical ventilation support.

Hi- I am a recovering alcoholic four years sober with Bipolar II diagnosis. I previously was treated with only an antidepressant/anxiety med- lexapro,
but 9months ago was put on lamictal 250mg. After the initial slow buildup in dosage I felt pretty stable. Now I am experiencing depression again. I have to get a new psychiatrist, my current one is going on a leave of absence. I am wondering if anyone else has experienced initial positive results and then after a while a recurrence of depression. Anyway- others have asked about "mental fogginess", short term memory loss, mine went away about a month after I reached my current dosage.

I have been taking a low dose for only 5 days and I am ready to quit. I am either in a rage of anger or crying non-stop. I am severely tired and more moody than I have ever been. I was doing SO much better before on Effexor. The doctor switched my meds due to the insomnia and anxiety that I still had on Effexor, but it was nothing compared to this.

I have been taking Lamictal 150 mgs for about 2 years to prevent Basilar migraines. This medicine saved my life. I was having these scary migraines where I would have stroke like symptoms (loss of speech, vision and confusion) two or three times a week. My Dr. started me on a very low dose and stopped titrating me up when I hit a therapeutic level . I have night sweats, some nightmares and some anxiety at times but I'm willing to get over it because I don't have the migraines.

MAJOR loss of short-term memory and inability to concentrate.

I have been on Lamictal (for bipolar tendencies) for 3 or 4 years now. Overall it has been really great for me -- really calmed me and leveled me out like no other medication has.

Except that it has made me embarrassingly dumb. I have a graduate degree in electrical engineering, which is pretty worthless at this point because I cannot add two simple numbers in my head. My grammar and spelling skills have taken a nosedive. I took a grammar refresher class to try to boost it again, but I couldn't concentrate and can't remember what I learned. And even worse, sometimes I can't remember basic things like which way to flip the turn signal lever to signal left or right when I am driving.

I went up to 350 mg and it worked great (for the bipolar), but I could barely function at my job. So I've lowered it slowly to 150. My brain works a bit better, but still not well. Today in a meeting I was explaining something important and realized a couple minutes later that I was totally wrong -- I'd remembered incorrectly. So I had to interject later and explain that I'd been wrong. Things like this are very embarrassing and ruin my credibility at work.

But as I said the Lamictal has been amazing in other aspects. Ultimately I don't know if trading my brain for that is worth it, but for now it is because no other medication has worked. I worry though that even if I stop it in the future, my brain may not be able to recover, from lack of use.

Thank you all for your information. I am relieved to know I am not alone.

I too have been taking 100mg Lamictal for about a year for rapidly cycling Bi Polar, and am very concerned about my short term memory loss. I lose my train of thought in the middle of speech, can't remember what I did on the weekend when asked on Monday in conversation, and generally wonder if I have to put up with this somewhat debilitating and frustrating symptom just to have the plus of controlling my mood swings...Also recently have notice trouble spelling words - this was my pride and joy that I could spell pretty much any word and now that seems to be going too. Anyone know if these symptoms will dissipate if I stop taking Lamictal?

i have a friend who went after her husband in a ctalsudden rage after starting the Lamital, she loss huge amounts of hair and it conytinues to fall out , was put out of her house,broke up her family and is a complete mess. She was on adderall, suboxone and the n the dr gave her this,i was trying to figure out what was going on with her and i looked up the newest of her drugs lamital and found out what was going on . Mt advice to all you bipolar people find GOD no one is ever happy all the time and we all go through really hard times . I am sober and take nothing for the last 20 yrs. When i first got sober doctor tried to tell me to take antidepressant, I said ," the difference between us is when all else fails i go to GOD and you go to meds"" YOU wont break. We live in a society run by drug companies that you are not allowed to have emotion, they flat line everyone.and when it doesn't work they give you more drugs till you are a blob of a person. Get off everything{ except if you need it for ceisures } It could take a yr to completely detox, be patient and go to na meetings

I have been reading these posts for awhile now and am so glad to have found them.
I am a 25yr female with epilepsy and have been on lamictal for the past 4yrs. I changed from epilim because I was getting married and heard that lamictal was safer in case of pregnancy. Not long after I found myself getting very angry over small things and not being able to sleep. I thought this was just me so I tried to get myself together. It went on for some time before I gave up and got help. I was diagnosed with depression and given fluoxetine. This helped me get back on my feet but I did not want to be on it long term and have been of the fluoxetine 2yrs. I still struggle with my mood but is manageable which I am happy for.
I did not realize that the headaches and the memory loss I had were from the lamictal until I found this forum then it all made sense. I had always thought that I was staying up too late and hence getting headaches. As for the memory I often feel like a blithering idiot. Cant remember words and often the wrong ones come out its so embarrassing. So often I feel like I'm in a daze and life is passing me by.
After all this said I have not heard of any other drug that would be any better. I have found comfort in knowing that I am not alone in this. There are a lot of people that do not understand the effects of medication or take it seriously when I try to explain. If there is anyone out there that is keen to chat about epilepsy or lamictal I would love to talk.

Hey this is Kitykittysno and i just posted the first time the other evening. I have since talked with my doc about all of this and he believes that trying to come off Lamictal is just not working for me bc of all the symptoms I'm having as a result of it. SO...we're gonna take me back to 400 mg BUT this time, I'm gonna intermittently take them. Start like at 8a, 12p, 4p, 8p. I'm willing to try this bc I feel so awful so we'll see. HOWEVER, I did specifically ask him about these "side effects" and he did not denounce them but he did say, "that in his years of practice, he had not had a patient with these problems"....he told me that bc of other meds I take and with the severe anxiety I suffer with, that that has a lot to do with the memory probs and as far as they eyes, he feels it may just be age (im only 42) and I need to see my eye doctor. I am planning on doing that asap. BUT...for me, I'm really inclined to believe this has to do with Lamictal.
My doctor is a great guy...I don't think he's trying to dismiss me or my thoughts and feelings about Lamictal but...how do you explain it unless you've been there or are STILL there??? How can I be having such significant memory loss and deteriorating eye problems if not for L? I did ask him if there was somewhere I could go to just safely detox off this stuff and he said he was not aware of any place that knows how to safely take someone through that process. I think I will do what someone said in here about just slowly decreasing it yourself and suffer the "hell" until it's out of your body. I have no problem(s) taking any meds that will help my condition but there has to be SOMETHING that works better than this. I am very curious to see if taking this intermittently will help with the "drop off" feeling I usually get around 5p and also if it helps with the memory part. I dunno folks...I wish I had more answers than questions while posting in here. I welcome any advice or comments.
I want all of you in here to know that since I found this site, I've been praying for all of you. I'm sorry if that offends some but I believe in the power of prayer!

I was taking Lamictal for 2 years. I was diagnosed with a "light" case of bi-polar. Not the highs, only the lows. I am not too sure that I wasn't just going through some really rough times in my life and had had enough. Couldn't take the stress. Anyway at first I had dry mouth, bad constipation, belching in the evenings and lots of it, some female itching and similar issues (sorry but just want to help here), couldn't handle any alcohol, loss of hair, problems sleeping, outbursts of anger towards mate and irritability, aggressiveness at time, loss of memory and loss of concentration, scatteredness, lots of hair loss and sensitivity to sun. I wanted to be a trooper and make my psychiatrist happy so stayed on it. I got lots of good things from it, like can roll with the punches of life better, can really easily speak up for myself and defend myself when I need to. Don't beat myself up like I used to. So, lost some of the sensitivity that I needed to lose but can't do without my memory. It had been so bad that friends and family would comment and I was embarrassed. Also, my mate shouldn't have had to deal with some of the rage that would show up when things were taken wrong. Oh, I had one of the strongest panic attacks that I can imagine a person living through. I had never had one before, and haven't had one since. I stopped this drug cold turkey. It felt like a few weeks of jet lag. Take multi-vitamins and minerals, also fish oils. Only the highest quality. Eat really healthy, exercise, drink lots of water and rest a lot...whatever you do, don't stress out if you are coming off of this drug. This is actually a very useful medication, however, in my opinion it needs to have more research done about it.

BTW...also have had major weight gain with Lamictal...loss of sex drive, tired all the time (there could be other things that affect this but)
I also take high BP med, acid reflux med but I don't feel they contribute to this problem with Lamictal. I've been on those meds way longer than L so...I think I just would like to "start over" and see how I can feel better.
I used to think L was exactly what "the doctor ordered" (no pun intended...again, glad I can sorta laugh at this but...) BUT I DON'T FEEL GOOD!!
Another doc prescribed me Provigil and didn't really explain what it was. She said I needed it bc I was tired all the time. I actually went there bc I thought I had Fibromyalgia and all I got was a 'script for Provigil and sent on my merry way. Got it filled, took my first 200 mg pill and thought I was goin' out of my freakin mind!! OMG!! Told my psych doc and he was like, "P not good for BP patients" so...BUT I did cut the dosage down bc it was SO nice to have energy to make it through the day but still, I do not suggest taking the stuff.
Anyways....just thought of this after I posted walla go...tx!

ps Im not sure the L works that great on the depressive side of BP

Googled and found this site. Could not believe all that I read! I've been taking Lamictal for several years for Bi-Polar disorder. I also have GAD for which I control with another drug BUT...I guess it's been so long since I began taking Lamictal that I had forgotten, or did I ever even know, the side effects of it. First if all, the memory loss is incredible! Not being able to complete a sentence...never able to find a "word" that should be so simple to remember...going somewhere and within 2 seconds, forgetting what in the world I'm doing or where I'm going...happened today TWICE!
And to top it all off, my eyes are so bad...I didn't even attribute the L to this until I came to this site but it makes PERFECT sense! I feel such a sense of loss in my eyesight that it has begun to really scare me. I have not been to eye doc yet but plan too.
Also, someone mentioned in here that they feel the med just wears off before next dosage and that is exactly what I've been telling my doctor so at first, we just upped the dosage until I was on 450mg a day but even the, it still was not working. SO...now I'm decreasing and the doc added Depakote Er 250mg. But doc says I have to be almost completely off L to get fully on D. So...feel like crap a lot of the time!!
I'm like someone else on here who said, "just start fresh" and that is what I'd like to do but how do you go "cold turkey"? I know it isn't good! Even decreasing this L for the last several months has been hell!
I have been on a roller coaster of meds for 10 yrs. Have yet to find the "combo" that works! Sometimes I wonder if the diagnosis of BP was/is even correct.
Another person in here said he feels like he may have some side effects of OCD and I feel that way too. Nothing major but...enough for me to notice.
Damned either way, right?
One thing I DO KNOW is that I cannot take this eye problem anymore and now that I know my memory and all that other stuff has to do with L, I'm getting off it no matter what! I'm calling my doc tomorrow and we HAVE TO MAKE A PLAN!!!!!!!
I'm only 42 but my memory is that of an 80-yr old (except for my grandmother who died at 96 and could remember details of when she was 4 yrs old...lol) I guess it's good I can kinda laugh at all this but I DEF know it is not funny!!!
Anybody out there with insight to diff. meds...combo of meds?? I really am worn out!!
Right now, I am down to 375 mg of L and this has taken me several months now to decrease from 450mg...don't see the D working that well yet but it's only 250mg so...
I really am worn out!! My anxiety shoots through the roof bc of all of this! Esp. when I feel the L wearing off around 5p or so...
I'm game for any advice ( I did see where the one woman talked about changing the time you take this in the morning but that won't work for me)
Thanks!!

I am on 75mg in the morning and 50mg in the evening (125mg/day total), for my seizure disorder. If I could get off of it I would because I know how bad psychiatric drugs are. I used to be on various antidepressants for about 4 or so years, until I learned that "mood disorders" are all a crock, and drug companies are making a killing off of all the psychiatric drugs. Did you know that it has never been proven that depression or bipolar or whatever is caused by chemical imbalances?? It has been proven, however, that psychiatric drugs mess up the brain. Do some research on this. Go to the sight ****** I am so thankful I am off antidepressants but my life will never be as good as it was before I ever put the first one in my mouth. I would encourage everybody who has been diagnosed with "bipolar" to slowly and gradually withdraw from your medication and don't give up until 6 months have past. It takes a very long time for the drugs to get out of your system and you will feel like you are going through hell as you withdraw but in the end it is all worth it. Back to the Lamictal, I have now been on it for about 4 years. It does not control my myoclonic jerks completely (I have Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy) but controls my grand mal seizures as long as I take care of myself. I have pretty much no side effects, except for possibly poor memory/forgetfullness/can't find the word I'm looking for/etc, and possibly some slight "ocd" tendencies. It is hard to distinguish from the leftover effects of being on antidepressants (which caused me a lot of anxiety, panic attacks, depression, etc), because I do have some mild anxiety left over from them, but has drastically improved. The man problem I am suffering now from the Lamictal is feeling the effects of it wearing off in the evenings. In the last few months I have been feeling that feeling on and off throughout the whole day!! And my myoclonic jerks are increasing. I really don't want to go up on my dosage due to the brain damage psychiatric drugs cause and all the bad side effects I could experience, but neither do I want to change medications because I am at a very stressful time in my life where I am already going through a lot of changes. No idea what to do. Just wish that God would heal me of my seizure disorder!!! (it is a kind I am told I will never grow out of) Even if I had to go through the withdrawal from the Lamictal it would be worth it! If only...

Sneezing, coughing, fatigue, ringing in ears, extreme dizziness, pain and stiffness in neck, headache, nausea after taking the first pill (lowest dose) in the Lamictal Orange Pack.

In reference to my Sept. 20th posting, I have been asked to describe the
"warning signs" of oncoming seizures that I have. To review, I was struck by lightning while serving in the Marine Corp in 1977 and have had seizure disorder and myoclonic jerks and inner ear problems since that time. As I stated in the post on the 20th, I have been tried on "all" of the seizures control medications and they all make it difficult to function as an educational administrator. The best medical advice I ever received was to keep a diary of everything I could remember leading up to a seizure. This included any activities I had been doing, what I had eaten, what time of day it was, any stress or problems that I was having. We are all different and probable all have different triggers. In my case, I learned that as a seizure approached, I would become more light headed or dizzy (I have inner ear problems all of the time secondary to being struck by lightning, I just recognize when they are getting worse) The ringing in my ears increases, (I also have tinnitus all of the time also from the lightning, and over time you get use to it, but I can notice when it increases) When these signs start, I stop what I am doing regardless of what I am doing, If I am in a meeting, I take a break, if I am driving (I drive locally or with someone with me) I get off the road. (In 30 years, I have never had a seizure while driving and actually have never had a traffic ticket in that period, I try to be very carefully with what driving I do, knowing that one occurrence will cost me my licenses.) I try to rest and be quiet, if the dizziness and tinnitus continue, I take two ten Mg Valium tables and lay down. If I am by myself, I will call some and let them know where I am and how I am doing. The valium probable stops the seizures about half of the time and I believe that it always make them less sevier. I have warning signs once or twice per week, and have to take valium on the average of once per week, and will have a gran mal seizure once or twice per month. With Lamictal, I believe the seizures are less frequent and less sevier as long as I keep the dosage low enough to not block my warning signs. I believe everyone's seizure disorder is different and some may be like mine and be able to learn warning signs by keeping good records of what you can remember leading up to the seizure. Always do everything under the direction of a Dr. that you trust and have faith in. The more information you can give your Dr. the better your individual treatment can be developed. If you can develop warning signs, the seizures are much easier controlled and you can live a much better quality of live.

I'm on Lamictal for minor bipolar, with Adult ADHD, OCD and anxiety. I went on Lamictal around 2005. It has been 4 years. At first I did not like how it made me feel. It made me feel like euphoric almost like all my emotions were caged up inside, both good and bad. When I say good I mean, the normal emotions of happiness and sadness were gone. I became more or less numb. I no longer cry when it is appropriate to cry, and I am no longer a happy outgoing person. Yet the "bad" emotions is what I mean by it holds in the extreme moodiness, outrages, anxiety and depression. Now my attitude is more like, yeah whatever. I accepted the good with he bad because this medication has helped me enormously and I would rather go without the good normal stuff than to have the extreme back. I am not a zombie, I am not high strung or low strung.....just a even keel which is how supposed to be how Lamictal works. It is the first thing since 1994 which has worked and a wonderful doctor who is top notch knew immediately what I needed. Unfortunately I had to go through years of BS and being a guinea pig to get to this point and finding the right doctor. She is a pharma psychiatrist which is better than a psychiatrist. She is a specialist in psychiatry but also pharmacology (medicine), so unlike most doctors that know how to treat, she is a expert in understanding medications.

Side Effects - If I forget to take it I immediately get agitated and get headaches, and twitching in my eye and lip area. Do not mess with this medicine. It can help with seizures, but if you forget, it can also cause seizures! The major side effect I am having is scalp pain, itching and HAIR LOSS . After 3 years of not knowing why I am losing so much hair (and I had a very full thick head of hair), and going to doctors and dermatologists, my psych dr. told me it is Lamictal! Finally I know the culprit. I very upset about this, and I need to seriously think about if I am going to stop it. I do not want to go bald!

Please note to all of you that are new to this drug also, do not drink grapefruit juice or take NSAIDS medications - eg. things with acetaminophen in it. NSAIDS can cause Stevens Johnsons Syndrome. A deadly side effect. If you make it a few weeks up to the right dosage without signs of Stevens Johnsons syndrome you will be ok. But be aware of the signs......... ulcerating wounds. Look it up on Google and google photos. Educate yourself.

This medications has done wonders for me, but at the same time I really have not had a choice. All the other drugs that work for adhd cause a lot of hypertension - causes more agitation, and the other drugs for bipolar and ocd can have side affects like early diabetes or severe weight gain. I wish there was something else out there, without all the side effects because Lamictal is great, but I am not going to be a 37 year old female walking around bald the rest of my life.

Gran-Mal Seizures and myoclonic jerks for over 30 years as a result of being struck by lightning while serving in the Marine Corp. Have tried "all" of the medications and most made it difficult to do my civilian job. (School Administrator) The best advice I every received was to keep a diary and record everything I could remember happening to me before a seizure. By doing this I have been able to develop a warning system of oncoming seizures. (Same think as most people saying they can feel a headache coming on,) I can live with the myoclonic jerks as they only occur once or twice per day. The seizures while at work or driving are a different matter. (I have warning signs for seizures on the average of once or twice per week, and around one per month goes into a seizure.) Most of the medications other than Lamictal cover up my warning signs and I simply refuse to take them. I work very close with my family Dr. who understands my case better then most Neurologist I have ever had. Neurologist want to give any drug at a strength that will stop all seizures and that can and often does result in side effects that prevent normal live. Lamictal in low dosage, 25mg twice per day may make my seizures less sevier. Any higher dosages causes many of the side effects others have described on this site, but for me the biggest problem is that it blocks my warning signs of oncoming seizure. I get 20 to 30 minutes warning of oncoming seizures and many times can avoid a seizure by just stop doing what I am working on and taking a break and resting. If that does not work, I take two 10 Mg Valium and find a soft place to lay down, the valium will stop or lessen my seizure and I will sleep for one or two hours, and wake up. Sometimes I will have a seizure after taking the valium, but I am in bed or resting and usually under observation. My key has been to learning the warning signs of an oncoming seizure in time to get to a safe place and by always having the valium with me. We are all different individuals and our medical problems are different. Share everything you can remember with a Dr. you trust and attempt to develop warning signs of an oncoming seizure is the best advice I can give after over 30 years of living with a seizure disorder.

My daughter has had seizures for 20 years. She was on Depakote and Tegretol for about 15 years. We switched neurologists because of the continued seizures and involuntary movements that made her fall. She is now on lamictal (300mg) and topamax . Her seizures seem better, although she still makes the movements. But what is very different is her speech. She is speaking very nasally to the point I almost can't understand her and she repeats her sell constantly. Going to the neurologist next week.

I've been taking Lamictal for almost 3 months. I've been struggling with mood problems for 14 years always being diagnosed with depression and being put on anti-depressants that did nothing to help. Finally a doctor dove a little deeper and diagnosed me with Bi-polor disorder. Lamictal and Trazodone. I stopped taking the trazodone because it made me feel like a zombie and made me gain weight. I have since lost that weight and am not having any weight gain problems on just the Lamictal. I am however having problems with headaches and actually eye aches if that makes sense. My eyes always feel dry or tired or something like that. I am also having trouble with memory loss. I often go to do something and forget what it was on the way there. At work i find myself stopping on my way to a task and wondering "where was i going, what was i going to do?" I'm also having trouble with spelling and like the others here it was never a problem before. But i will put up with these because Lamictal has made such a difference in my life. I feel more stable and stronger in the face of stress than i ever have before. Right now i'm just on 100mg maybe things will get worse when my dosage is raised but right now the side effects are bearable and in my opinion worth it.

Well, about a year ago I was put on Lamictal and didn't experience any side effects, but was also on Lexapro, Trazodone, and Klonopin. I stopped all of the medication besides the Klonopin as I was doing well. However I recently was put back on a low dosage of Lamictal as a mood stabilizer. It's been a week. The only side effect I'm having is headaches! I have a headache all day long. Tylenol doesn't help, it doesn't go away. Once my dosage increases in a week I will only be on 50 mg of Lamictal. I just want the headaches to go away. Did anybody experience headaches while first taking the drug? I'm scared of all of the postings of memory loss and hair loss. I sleep fine, I'm not anxious, I had my first vivid dream last night since I started taking the drug. I don't want to go back on an anti-depressant. Any opinions?

confusion, dizziness, clumsiness, slow thinking, fuzzy-headed feeling, nausea, stomach pain, severe cramps, constipation, aching joints, swelling fingers.

I am trying to find out if anyone has experienced 5 minute delayed reaction from Lamictal. My 18 year old son has been on Lamictal for over 3 years. He started out at 200 mg, had a breakthrough seizure after 1 1/2 years and is now on 600 mg. Since they increased him, he has episodes about every two weeks where he feels really dizzy and then forgets what just happened five minutes before. His short term memory is getting progressively worse. You wouldn't know anything is wrong if you were talking to him, but since he has had four grand mal seizures, he knows something is up. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

I too have memory loss. It is humiliating not to recall events with friends and family and people I have been introduced to. I cannot conversations, movies and names of bands. I am 43 and have been taking this drug for seizures. The seizure disorder is gone due to the drug. I have gained weight, awaken with a severe headache on several occasions behind my right eye, feel tired and dizzy after an hour of taking the drug and blurred vision. I thought it was early onset of Alzheimer ( i forget how to spell it though I am in the medical field). My generalized Doctor and my Neurologist say this is not from the medication but from age and normal. The quality of life is not as I would like. I feel like I am missing out on my own life. Thank God I came across this blog! I have been researching this drug on the net and NOWHERE does it state this as a side effect. This is the only med I take.

A week ago I went to my first "psych appointment" in about two years. He was a new doctor, so the "new questions" he asked me brought up some thoughts about my past...medically.

Every time I tell a professional, where they're behind the clipboard & i'm in the chair, how much lamictal & abilify I was on, they look shocked & ask questions.

Simply because everyone thinks it was TOO much for a manic depressive diagnosis.

200mgs of Lamictal & 30mgs of Abilify for about two years.

I am a bright, young, witty girl...or well, I was.
It's not that i'm technically old now, I'm merely twenty..
It's not that i'm dumb, I just can't piece all my jumbled thoughts together anymore....
Word vomit is getting old...
"Brain Farts" are embarrassing...
& I feel like I'M getting old..

Thinking of actually being sixty makes me want to cry, who knows how tired i'll feel then..

Reading these comments make me feel re-assured that it's not "just me"...but I feel like my brain is fried sometimes, ya know? Then 60 seconds later, I'm thinking clearly again...

If it's because of all the medicine I was on, that has shocked so many doctors & therapists at the dose, I'm really glad I came out of that "phase" mentally *****.hah.

Thanks you, to those who were in control when I was under the age of 18. Thanks a lot :)

**I found something that helps the foggy head, forgetfulness, short term memory, and sleepiness that comes with taking Lamictal!!**

I want to pass this along , because it has helped me SO much. I was diagnosed bipolar II recently and was put on Lamictal. I'm a writer, so my biggest concern was being able to find the words I need and having the concentration for my work, but suddenly I lost my ability to string words together when speaking OR writing. The words weren't even close to coming to me. I felt like I was sleepwalking half the time, along with other symptoms, but the bouts of spacehead were hardest to take. I felt pretty desperate and kept researching until I came across a post on a message board that claimed to have the answer.

If you can manage, do not take Lamictal at night. The following is so simple that it might seem strange that it works (it did to me):

All you have to do is set your alarm for a half hour to an hour before you would normally get up. Then take your Lamictal and go back to sleep for a half hour to an hour (it takes a little practice to get used to this morning routine at first, but it's totally worth it). For some reason, it's ESSENTIAL that you do go back to sleep for that short period and do not just rest with your eyes closed until it's time to get up.

I tried this, not really expecting anything from it, but on the very first day it seemed that at least 85 percent of the foggy-head was gone. Just gone. It has continued to work every day that I have managed to do it, and when I don't do it, the foggyhead is back again with a vengeance. I finally feel great, as if the medicine is doing exactly what it's supposed to.

Taking Lamictal at night (like doctors often recommend) can make the fogginess worse than any other time. The person who posted about this originally said he told his psychiatrist about his experience, and the psychiatrist told his other patients on Lamictal to try it. It worked for them too.

I hope this is helpful to others as much as it is to me, though I know everyone's body and brain are different, so it's possible that it won't work for everyone. I do hope if it works for you that you'll spread the word, because this is such a debilitating side effect.

Best wishes to you all.

Dear friends, remember that psychiatry is not an EXACT science. Our Dr.s are doing their best to reduce the discomfort we have with complicated electrical and chemical functions within our bodies. There is no OPERATIONS MANUAL for them and, while medications are tested, these meds are new to each of us as individuals. Please remember to advocate for yourself and/or the person in your care to achieve optimum results. If there are painful and unpleasant results of a newly introduced drug, let your Dr. know before long-term results occur. God bless

Lamictal with lithium was the latest sentence for a lifetime of depression. Not only did the depression then intensify over anything I've dealt with for the last 40 years, but anger, rage, weight gain, memory loss, difficulty communicating, (could this be dementia at 60 yrs?) and loss of taste especially coffee and chocolate were now defining my life. I had been a happy, productive, exciting, witty, professional self-employed woman. So, I've been reducing my 250 mg dosage for the last 6 weeks with Dr. oversight. My last dose of 25 mg was last Wednesday. Throughout this experience, I've experienced confusion, head aches, zombie days, spatial disorientation, muscle weakness, muscle spasms, jumbled speech and thinking, and THE FOG. But, guess what? Today, I'M BACK. My head is clear, I have a plan for the day and I'm 4 pounds lighter than I was last Thursday. The surprise about the weight is that we went to dinner in restaurants twice in this last week and I haven't taken any special steps to lose the pounds. I knew it was time to evaluate myself without medication when the Dr. wanted to add just one more medication to level off the mood swings. Of course, this is a continuing drama, but it's great to be able to see me without the drug-colored lenses. I would not have done this without Dr. supervision, and I'm so glad he co-operated with my wishes. Sometimes you just have to throw the project away and start fresh. Have a beautiful day.

I have only been on Lamictal for about a week. I have panic disorder with agoraphobia and depression. I feel a mentally foggy, disconnected, headachy, and a little more anxious. After reading all the posts, I'm concerned I should just stop the drug and tell my psychiatrist that I could not tolerate it.

Hello I was diagnosed with Bi polar about 2.5 months ago and I am taking 100mg of Lamictal after being on Lithium after a nervous breakdown, in which the inpatient facility tried to have me committed beyond my will. My side effects include high sex drive, headaches, sleepiness, nausea as I increased the dosage, and being itchy but I'm not sure that is due to the Lamictal. At first bipolar was a horrible diagnoses for me, but now I am not so intimidated by the diagnoses. However, I seriously doubt that I will have a normal life or kids. I'm 24 and haven't got it right yet, perhaps my 30's will be something to be proud of. I also got into legal trouble on my way to my nervous breakdown I'm kinda scared of what else this freakin illness has pour moi!

My 8yr old son just started Lamictal five days ago, yesterday he started having severe muscle/leg pains..What do I do?

Hello. I just finished the one month starter pack of Lamictal for depression. I've been noticing some strange things going on with me lately but did not make the connection to the Lamictal until I spoke with my pharmacist (while picking up my official prescription). Mainly the info warned of dizziness, sleeping issues, heart racing and sinus issues. I have had ALL of these. Two weeks into taking the medication I can't sleep well at night. I wake up and my heart is racing. I have to go watch TV to settle down. Plus, I'm extremely EXHAUSTED all day. And finally, the worst symptom is my sinus issues. I have constant mucous in my throat and pressure in my sinuses. I have the worst headaches. I'm popping Advil to deal with my sinus pressure. It's agony. Plus, I'm not motivated and I think I'm a little depressed. I'm going to discuss getting off this medication with my doctor tomorrow.

I am taking a very small dose of Lamictal (along with Keppra) for absence seizure disorder. When I first started taking it I was feeling slightly dizzy and nauseous (that has since gone away for the most part.) The worst side-effect for me is horrible insomnia and night sweats. It does seem to be helping my seizures though so I'll probably stick it out and hope that the insomnia goes away.

I have been taking 25mg per day of Lamictal for five days now. I am also on (and have been for five years) 200mg Zoloft per day. I was recently diagnosed bipolar (no surprise) and after seeing a psychiatrist, this was the med I chose, Lithium and Depakote being the other two choices, I felt that Lamictal would be the most appropriate in my case, because it is supposed to help with anger/rage issues, according to the leaflet provided by my Dr., as well as the 'rapid cycling' of my moods. So far I dislike this med, despite the fact I started it with optimism. Side effects are as follows:
Sleepiness - started the first day, I took the first dose the night before.
Lack of energy/motivation - I was doing ok as far as motivation was concerned until I started Lamictal, I was on a positive mood swing at the time, now, it's taking all my effort to stay focused and finish this.
Feelings of disassociation - I don't want to go anywhere, or see anyone, take any calls, etc..this is a problem I have had prior to Lamictal, but it suddenly got worse upon starting it.
Sudden anger/rage - I have felt overly aggravated at times, fast to discipline my son without taking a minute to think it over, it's pretty spontaneous. Day two scared me a bit, I have been making a serious conscious effort to not lose my temper or react suddenly. Today I actually had a spontaneous thought of suicide during a moment of anger, which also alarms me.
Loss of appetite - I'm a skinny guy, can't afford to lose any weight or go without eating, this stuff has pretty much killed my appetite, I'm forcing myself to eat at least once a day...and it isn't easy, I tell you.
Hypersensitivity to noise - Seems like the volume on everything has been amplified, it's making me nuts..
Unpleasant taste in my mouth - since day two. Hard to describe, sort of metallic.
Decreased urge to smoke - I have been smoking for 23 years, a pack per day regularly. I noticed at day two the urge to smoke was dramatically decreased, I smoked about eight cigs total today. Being asleep helped with that too, I'm sure...gotta be conscious to smoke, right? This would be the only positive effect I have noticed thus far.
At this point, I'm really not sure if I will continue with this med due to the above effects. I am a bit disappointed because I had hoped this would do the job and I could avoid the Lithium (icepick up the nose is the only thing left if Lithium doesn't work) and the Depakote, because the effects of those are far more serious by comparison according to what I have read and heard from others who have taken it.
I don't know what to do next, honestly. I have taken nearly every type/kind of antidepressant, Zoloft seems to do the most good, but I'm still having mood swings/cycling while using it, so a mood stabilizer was the plan to fix that...seems like I'm pretty much hosed.

I was prescribed Lamictal around this time two years ago (July '07) for Borderline Personality Disorder. At first I thought it was great and I felt like it'd been a miracle drug -- the drive back home from the psychiatrist's office that day was such a feeling of relief because I was going to get my miracle drug, finally. Later the next month I moved away from home and began college in the lower half of the state and stopped taking the medication because I noticed that I feeling any difference, or experiencing any change in my moods. Infact, I felt exactly the same as I had before. I looked up the medicine derivative drug and found out that it has a "placebo-like effect with highly addictive qualities".... which made me think that once again, my problem is all in my head. I still feel like I need to be on some kind of medication, but I am not willing to part entirely with my authentic self just to make some other people's lives easier. If they think my mood swings and attempts at self-destruction effect them negatively, just wait until you are the one having them and you can't control them! I don't want to become a zombie, I don't want to lose my hair, and I don't want to gain 30 lbs, but I feel like there's nothing else I can do. But then again, there doesn't seem to be any drug that can help without the drastic side-effects.

Sheesh.

I have a seizure disorder (Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy) that started in 2000. I was on Valporic Acid till 2005 at which time I gradually switched over to Lamotrigine (Lamictal). My reason for switching to Lamictal is because it is a lot safer for an unborn baby than Valporic Acid and I got married in 2005 so just wanted to be safe just in case. Valporic Acid controlled both my myoclonic jerks and my grand mal seizures. I was on 1500mg a day (6 x 250mg). With the Lamictal I started at 100mg/day and now am on 125mg/day (5 x 25mg). I take 3 in the morning and 2 in the evening, exactly 12 hours apart. If I take my doses longer than 12 hours apart, I start feeling the withdrawal. My body just starts feeling strange. At first I thought this way I felt meant I was going to start having myoclonus jerks or a seizure but I now realize that it is withdrawal I am feeling. I hate how my body, my life, is controlled by the Lamictal. I hate the withdrawal feeling I feel almost every evening, and it goes away once I take my evening dose. Other than that I don't really know of any side effects I have. I know I am on a really low dose compared to a lot of people. My neurologist and family doctor want me to go up on my dosage to control my myoclonus jerks better but I keep refusing because I HATE HATE HATE being on any psychiatric medication. I have been on antidepressants in the past (Paxil, Effexor, Remeron, Cipralex at different times over 4 years) and I have been through withdrawal from them. I am so glad to be free from those drugs but I tell you the withdrawal is HELL. But if it wasn't for my seizure disorder, I would GLADLY go through hell again to be off of Lamictal. Recently I tried lowering my Lamictal dosage in hopes I could be on a lower dose. I cut one of my 5 pills in half which took me from 125mg to 112.5 mg. The first 7 weeks were fine - some minor hardly noticeable side effects. But then the withdrawal hit hard - panic attacks and extreme nausea being the worst, but also very weak/no strength, anxiety, trembling, etc. After 4 days of that I went back up to 125mg and after about 3 weeks was back to normal. The only reason I did not stick it out was because my myoclonus jerks were increasing and I did not want to seizure. I have stuck out half a year of antidepressant withdrawal torture and I would've stuck out the Lamictal withdrawal if it wasn't for my seizure disorder. Great book that really helped me if you want to go off Lamictal is Your Drug May Be Your Problem - How and Why to Stop Taking Psychiatric Medications by Peter R. Breggin MD and David Cohen MD. This book really helped me during my antidepressant withdrawal. Dr. Breggin also has a website which is ****** I do have some mild problems with anxiety and I have become a little OCD but I think that is left over from my years of antidepressant use as they both seem to gradually get better over time (I have been free from the death grip of antidepressants for 2 years now). If you decide to withdraw from Lamictal please do it SAFELY. Have strong support. Do it very gradually. Know the risks. I for one may have to be on this for life which is discouraging. After I am done having kids (I'm a 26 year old female, been married for 4 years, hoping to start a family soon) maybe I will switch back over to Valproic Acid.....it would control my jerks better but who knows if it would bring on a whole 'nother set of problems, right?

My third day taking lowest dose of Lamictal. Have been taking Adderall and Cymbalta with no negative effects. I expressed to my doctor, that I am still sleeping a lot and sometimes don't even feel like getting up to taking my meds. When I do take them, I'm pretty great for about 6 hours, then right back to the couch.....
My doctor told me to stop the Cymbalta and start taking Lamictal. The first day I was my usual self, second day: dizzy, cloudy head with bad headache in temples. Weird throbbing in head. If I turn my head to fast, it feels like I need a extra second for the rest of me to catch up. I've been in bed, lifeless for the past two days. Don't feel that I can do much with my head like this. My hip bones and lower back ache.
My main concern is "Will these side effects subside?" I'm not Bipolar. I suffer from long term Depression/Anxiety triggered by abuse and trauma.
Please if anyone out there has felt similar effects from this drug, let me know. I want to give the drug a chance, but also would like to hear other's experiences.

I have taken Lamictal for about three years since I was 19. I feel like I'm experiencing the memory loss of a 60- or 70-year-old. I've always been quick and witty with impeccable grammar and spelling. These days, I struggle to remember words and their meanings, spellings and pronunciations.

I can't remember conversations I had with people half an hour before or items on my to-do list. I MUST write everything down. Sometimes, if it's in my planner, I still don't remember to do it.

It has affected me in my college classes, on the job and in my relationships. I hate the feeling that I'm less intelligent and quick as I used to be when I'm just 22. My short-term memory is shot.

Along with memory loss, I struggle to focus (always have been a straight-A student), follow conversations and often feel confused and need people to restate their thoughts so I can understand.

It's just so embarrassing to be so spacey. I didn't put it together until my sister (also on lamictal) told me about the memory loss and it clicked. At least there's a reason for my new-found stupidity.

Thanks for telling me doctor. Oh wait, she didn't.

I have been on Lamictal 200mg per day for about 3 years along with Wellbutrin and Lexapro. Over the past few months, I have noticed numerous things happening to my mind and body and finally put the pieces of the puzzle together...side effects of Lamictal. Short term memory is gone which is the scariest. Difficulty putting coherent sentences together. Fumbling for words. Spelling is awful. Heaviness in legs. Trouble writing. Inability to communicate well with the spoken word. Slow thought process. Shakiness - Hands shaking - Tremor. Speech disturbance. Weight gain. Coordination problems. Dry mouth is worse. Back pain. Increase in sweating including night sweats. Irritability. Impaired concentration. Forgetfulness.

This is so embarrassing when I'm in meetings. I start to sweat and can't seem to get my words out. I am also in a master's program and it is getting really hard to concentrate enough to write the papers. I am starting a doctorate program in Aug. which will not happen if these side effects don't go away. I called my doctor on Friday and we cut the dose in half and evaluate in 2 weeks. I want off of this drug! I need all of the symptoms described above to go away, especially my short term memory loss. I am very scared at this point.

Hey, am I glad I ran across this. I too had BAD experience with Lamictal; anything over 75mg gave me depressive / fatalistic dreams if I took it at night. Doctor suggested taking it in the morning, that helped, eventually up to 150mg. All this for *suspected* bipolar II. All that really happened is that the med flattened me out too much- I didn't care much about anything, no passion or motivation. Optimism? What's that? Then the OTHER fun part - coming OFF the drug. Whoooo boy. Wasn't so bad coming down from 150mg to about 75mg. THEN I got hit with a LOT of anger, anxiety, insomnia, tremors.... I wound up going into a Partial Hospitalization Program for 5 weeks. I am now 100% OFF Lamictal. Thank God.

Im taking lamictal since 2004. So far so good no seizures. As far as the side effects, well, I have VERY vivid dreams! Always bizarre! Sometimes really bad, but most the time just strange. Every once in awhile I will get the night sweats but not on a regular basis. My short term memory is shot, I've developed anxiety and also ocd even though that hasn't been diagnosed yet. Im on Zoloft for the anxiety which has brought on its own separate list of side effects! I also have dealt with hair loss, Im not balding or anything but have def. noticed a gradual increase in the hair loss. Cant grow my hair out anymore. Ive gained tons of weight! This has also been gradual. I wonder how long I can deal with this. I started out on carbatrol (is that how you spell it?) That was a nightmare! For two weeks I walked around in a dream, a haze! So when the doc switched me to the lamictal I was glad I didn't feel so terrible. Now Im terrified of switching meds. Im half tempted to get off of both of them all together. Does anyone have any suggestions? Im a 30 year old mother and newlywed and dont want to let my life pass me by while I struggle with these side effects! Help!!!!

I have pretty serious memory problems, and I notice the problems at work. Maybe the stress of work makes it worse at work than at home. But my boss and i talked the other day, and I said I felt scattered - she said I come across as very scattered, forgetting stuff, not following through, etc. I said I would write things down more to help me remember, and she said maybe I might try a different drug (she knows about my bipolar - I told her, and I use a service dog to help with anxiety and tardive dyskinesia from another psych drug). When your boss tells you to maybe try a different drug, it's a bit scary - am I going to lose my job?! But when I forget to take the Lamictal even one day (I take 200 mg. in the morning) I can feel the difference within 24 hours - agitated, depressed, irritable, impatient, etc.). So I have to be careful to take it every day. Along with my other meds...
I don't want to go off the drug, but the memory and cognitive crap is really hard. It's nice to hear I'm not alone.

I have been taking Lamictal for just three weeks. The most troublesome side effect for me has been nasal congestion and the inability to smell or taste anything. Has anyone experienced this and found relief after reaching the maintenance dose after the starter pack?
Is there anyone who has found relief from this in any way? I'm not sure I can tolerate not being able to breathe and am hoping that it goes away soon.

I've been on Lamictal for about 4 years (generic now), I did great on 200mg of the name brand but had to go to 300mg on the generic - but with the cost difference I was thrilled. I never had any issues with the generic vs the name brand, as I have read others have dealt with.

I am posting because I just talked to my Dr. today about the memory issue. For me it is the complete inability to memorize passages, verses, words to music, etc. In fact last summer I was working with a group of students, we committed to memorize a section of about 10 bible verses and I could not do it - I tried EVERYTHING, it was horrible and embarrassing! My Dr. said that it is a side effect that some people experience and when people go off the med, things get back to normal. Back to normal for me is being completely crazy, so abnormal is just fine! I have also noticed a difficulty recalling specific words when I am teaching, I have to search my brain for the word, which is annoying - it reminds me of President Bush.

That's it, YEAAAA for Lamictal - I'm also on 300mg Wellbutrin, this is the perfect combination for me! And easy to remember 300 mg of both = )

I feel somewhat reassured that it's a possibility that my memory loss is a side effect of lamictal. I was diagnosed with BP I and the medication has done wonders. I still get very depressed sometimes, but not as severe as it was without the med. I experience(d) rapid-cycling which I was told is less common for this disorder.
My short-term memory is horrible. Sometimes have trouble remembering conversations and even things that happened a short time ago. For example, I recently played a few games of pool with my son and on our way home, I couldn't recall whether or not I won any of the 3 games. It's pretty embarrassing and scary when someone "catches" you or notices that you have completely blanked. I have to write things down if I want to discuss them with my therapist, because I won't remember what my issues were within the last week or two. Sometimes, when someone asks me if I remember something, I act like I do, because I probably should remember it. Again, I feel like an idiot because I don't. At work, it's not too much of a problem, because I insist that everyone sends me a reminder email, so I have a task list to work from instead of recalling things from memory. I also get completely lost in my train of thought during conversations. I tend to go off in tangents and completely forget what point I was trying to make.
I also have trouble focusing and my mind is always because obsessing over some thought, usually something negative. I feel like I waste a lot of time doing unproductive thinking. I'm not sure if this is a symptom of the disorder of not.

I was prepared to make an appointment with my Dr. about decreasing to eliminate my Lamictal for Depression because I'm non-stop crying and argumentative with my husband. My interest in my passions of baking, homemaking, horse care and riding, and being with friends has disappeared. I, too thought loss of short-term memory, hunting for common words and memories of events and people, and losing things were a result of being on the brink of 60. Like many who have posted, I lose things and spend the rest of the day looking for them, only to find them in some obvious place. And, like many who have posted, I'd rather be bi-polar on my own than to continue taking this drug. So, here I am calling my Dr. to discontinue Lamictal on a reasonable schedule. Thank you to all who have posted because, now I know I'm not alone in my craziness. depressed in Paradise

I have been on lamictal for about 7 months. I was not happy with the side effects I was experiencing (no sleep, bad motor skills, brain working slow) plus I was still having fits of rage and suicidal thoughts. I finally had enough and last week told my doctor that I wanted to get off to see if I felt any difference, because I pretty much felt the same on the 200mg than before I started. I'm slowly being weened off and now I am down to 100mg. So far I have not been getting up in the middle of the night as much and actually slept a total of 7 hours and only woke up once in the middle of the night for like 2 minutes versus the waking up every 1 to 2 hours and sometimes not being able to go back to sleep at all. My conversation ability has been returning and I'm not so nervous to talk and lose my train of thought or try to search for the right word. I've been dealing with a difficult situation in my life and I actually feel like I'm handling it better now than when I was on the full dosage . The only downside so far which is probably withdrawal is that I'm extra sleepy and I've been having to take 2 hour naps during the but I have a feeling that will go away. Besides my body might be making up for lost time from the 3-4 hours of sleep I was getting. I'm looking forward to being off of it soon.

In late May of 2008 I had a pretty severe bipolar II crash. I was prescribed Lamictal but can not recall how much; it seemed like my doctor had a healthy fear of Stephens Johnson syndrome, Subsequently my dosage was slowly increased until, one day, I began to notice a rash. I went to the ER as directed and before I knew what hit me I was in bad shape. The good news: it wasn't Stephens Johnson, Bad news: It was something even more rare and almost fatal. Fortunately, I recovered in about 7-10 days. This ordeal seemed to throw my bipolar II for a loop, and I struggled with depression/anxiety for many months. Ever since I " came to" after the Lamictal event, I have had pain in both shoulders of all things. Imaging turned up nothing unusual

I started taking Lamictal for a seizure disorder a little under 1 year ago. It was difficult to tell how it effected me because I was going through xanax withdrawal at the same time, which I am sure is the reason I had the seizure to begin with. I did not realize this was the case at the time and so i cannot really tell you what my initial reaction to Lamictal was. Now I am noticing some side effects. Difficult to fall asleep (but that's always been the case.) Nightmares (they have gotten less intense, though). Occasional nausea, although never to the point of vomiting. I recently cut my super-long hair b/c it was falling out a bit. It' not as bad now that I got some of the weight off of my hair. I definitely have trouble finding words and often find myself feeling embarrassed when I'm in a social or professional situation and I'm not able to contribute as much to a discussion. I will probably stay on the med til I have been seizure free for a couple of years. I only had the one grand mal seizure. I am 31 and trying to decide if I want a child within the next couple of years, but have to consider the risks associated with the Lamictal. Good luck to everyone. Just do your best to be healthy and take care of your body.

I was diagnosed as having Bipolar Disorder/with severe panic and anxiety disorder in 2000. I had been sick realistically since I was around 11 years old. Suicidal thoughts, and uncontrollable mood swings. I have been on Lamictal (200-400mg) per day along with Klonopon for my panic disorder, since 2001. I do experience a slight memory loss from time to time, but feel that it is not the medicine but that sometimes I am not really focused on the conversation, or my environment. I have also experienced very vivid dreams, sometimes nightmares that are overwhelming. But I think it is cool that I can remember my dreams now, because sometimes they are worth remembering. I would never consider going off of the medication, for it has saved my life. I am a completely different person now. I am very happy. I do experience sleepiness a few hours after taking Lamictal, but if I take it at around 3pm, by the time I get off work at 5, I am not tired yet and have no problems driving. Some of you should try this method. I think a lot of other side effects are just in people's heads.