Lamictal and few days

I have been taking Lamictal for about 2 1/2 years now. I have been taking 200 mg for two years. I have experienced very few side effect. Except vivid dreams and not sleeping well. I have always had vivid dreams but there is one I have had since the medication it was so awful that I can't stop thinking about it and it makes me feel suicidal. I have had many ups and downs in my life but never thought suicide to be a positive option. I don't think I would do it but I can't stand these awful repetitive thoughts. I have had less and less energy in the last 6 months or so. I thought it was because I was working to much. I have quit doing most the things I love. I have always been a high energy person. So I thought it must be the Lamictal. When I had complained to my doctor he said that it sounded like depression and normally they would increase the dosage but he would decrease it if I wanted. I went to 150 and then 100. I felt awful just like I used to before the drug. So I went back up to 200 and at least I didn't feel so awful. So I increased it to 250mg and I started to fell less depressed. Sometimes I have taken to much in the past because I forgot I had taken it and repeated the does. That is when I had the first bad dream that has haunted me since. Then I started to forget to take my medication off and on and that is when the depression started. Now I took the 250 and I had another haunting dream. This drug really has been a miracle for me. I have never felt this stable in my entire life! In the past I was trying to self medicate but since the Lamictal I have quit smoking pot and drinking. I don't like alcohol and drugs anymore because I don't like to feel altered anymore. Most of the symptoms everyone has described are how I felt before Lamictal and I feel better since. I will never go below 200mg or above again without a suitable alternative. I still can't get rid of the repetitive thoughts on 200mg. Typical anti-depressants have the opposite effect for me. Has anyone found a suitable alternative. I have heard that other drugs for bi-polar such as Lithium and Depakote have a sedative effect and I don't like that. I want to be my normal energetic self!

hair loss, memory loss, weight loss, confusion, hand shaking

I have been trying to come off this medication after being on it for several months up to 150 mg. I didn't realize I needed to taper off so gradually, so I started cutting up my pill for several days at smaller dosages and then I just tried to go two days without and the withdrawal symptoms are horrendous. My head feels like it has imploded, high blood pressure feeling, dizziness, high anxiety, confusion, pressure all over, blurred vision, constant tick in my eye over the past few days, insomnia, trouble breathing, body aches, sick feeling, extreme fatigue, nausea. I just had to go back and take some more out of desperation. It's so frightening.
Taper off this drug S L O W L Y!!!!

I'm sorry to hear all the bad side effects you all had with lamictal. I was on lamictal for depression for about a month and a half. I started low, 25mg. But when I got up to 100mg I started to itch! No rash, just itch, about a half hour after I took it! I was in denial, of course, because I had been feeling on top of the world! I had a loss of appetite, which I needed due to the fact my migraine meds had me gain 40 lbs over the last 2 yrs and NOTHING would take it off. My energy level had come back....something the Abilify had taken away a year ago....I'm getting off that very soon. I hate it. It takes away mania for bipolar disorder, so they say, but I'm slightly different....borderline bipolar II,so it takes away my personality, my get up and go, my motivation, you name it. I'm only on 5mg. When I was on 10mg, it knocked me out....I'd get the kids to school, come home and sleep, and be in and out like a drug addict all day til it wore off in the afternoon. Anyway.....lamictal.....I'm back on it.........starting at 12.5mg a day, then 12.5mg 2x a day, etc up to about 50 or 75mg, no more than that. It was a great help to me so I'm not going to let myself get those darn itches again. I did notice a little bit of intestinal irritation in the beginning last time, but that was only for a few days. I take Wellbutrin and also take Topamax 250mg.....and have a ton of hair falling out....and acne, so i feel for those of you with those symptoms. And yes, I still get migraines and still am depressed. But life goes on....I have kids to raise. I just cry in the shower and in the car. The best to all of you....good luck with your meds! Keep on trying!

wow! lamictal. im taking it for bipolar and it sounded so great due to the fact that it concentrates on the "lows" more than the "highs" and since i've been battling depression and suicidal thoughts since the 4th grade i thought this would be a wonderful addition to my medication. i would keep the seroquel at night and only take during the day "as needed" i was told there weren't very many side effects, just following starter kit exactly and i wont get that terrible rash. i didn't have access to a computer until a few days later after my first dose. so i didn't really get a chance to do much research. the first night i was surprised i felt a little loopy. didn't thank much of it. BUT several day late i felt i had the mind of a child. my speech slowed, my motor skills were off i felt heavy in body but light in the head. i could produce simple words. i knew the meanings of the words just had know actual word for them and would have to try to explain these words. stupid me started a new medication just before having to study for an exam( i was not expecting such a quick start of side effects) wow! i had no short term memory. could barely function. it was hard to even order a cup of coffee. of course there were other side effects such as pounding headaches and muscle soreness but they were nearly as annoying as the mental side effects. i started out at a low dose of just 25 mg. i had to stop taking it so my head would clear up and i could actually function just to take my exam. im not cleared up all the way yet but i do feel better. im sure my psych teacher will understand. ....but something im curious about is a weight limit issue. it really seems the side effects shouldn't have started so quickly and so intensely. i haven't been able to find anything about weigh a certain amount to take certain dosages. does any one know about this? should lower weights start even slower? im am a few pound below 100 and im thinking that might be why it hit so hard. considering its the weekend im not going to talk to my pdoc until maybe after my exam about stopping than restarting, but i do plan on restarting and giving it more time for the side effects to clear up

I was wondering if high doses of Lamictal can cause seizures. I am prescribed 200 mg 2x daily. I accidentally took 800 mg for a few days after switching from 2 100 mg tabs 2x daily. What followed was miserable. I had this weird vision-thing like a microfiche on its side, running very fast. I got dizzy, then had trouble walking. By the time I got to the hospital, I was having severe tremors, and the (dumb) hospital did not give Ativan for 45 min.after this started. The doctor said it could not be a seizure, because I was slightly aware at times, and could answer questions. I can't remember almost all of it, nor about 24-48 hours after. They had to administer 10 mg of Valium in the ambulance on the way to a separate hospital. The thing lasted for over an hour, I guess, and my husband (who has seizures from childhood also) says it was terrible- full generalized seizure. What ticks me off is that later they called it an anxiety attack, without knowing about the Lamictal doses. Has anyone ever heard of something like this?

my son has been on it now for about 4 months and has tried to commit suicide in the process of a 5 week change from keppra to the lamictal.then had to take dilantin until reached full dose of the lamictal which for him is 150mgs 2 xs a day at first the keppra made him fly in to rages so that was blamed for the suicide attempt.but just a few days ago he said that he was having weird feelings again. so i don't know what to do. waiting to hear back from the dr.i would just like to know if anyone else has experienced such severe thoughts from taking this med or if passably it could be not a high enough dose.i don't really know anymore by the way my son is only 15 and he is on the lamictal for seizures.any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

I was diagnosed as being Bipolar a few days ago as Ive been on different types of anti depressants for years, I'm 23 now, and its NEVER helped me. The Doctor prescribed Seroquel and Lamictal. The Seroquel was supposed to be temporary until the Lamictal kicked in but after having HORRIBLE side effects from the Seroquel I quit it after only one night. Today was the first day of the Lamictal starter pack and besides feeling a little out of it and irregular heartbeat once in a while, thats all that I've noticed. But after reading all of your stories I really do not want to continue it. But the anti depressants don't help so I don't know what else to do. I'm not even sure that I am Bipolar. I do have self destructive habits like excessive shopping, stealing, partying etc. There are times when I'm ok and times where I am depressed but never to the point where I cant get out of bed. But I don't work or go to school. I quit all my jobs and I dropped out of school. I feel anxious a lot of the time, helpless, just really lost.....I dunno whats wrong with me. I wish I knew for sure because I would hate to continue the Lamictal and risk the more serious side effects for a disorder that I may not even have. I just wish someone could look into my brain and tell me for sure.

I have only been taking Lamictal for one week and so far I have had no severe side effects. I have been sleeping better at night (I take it in the morning) and am starting to feel better. Less angry and irritable. I was diagnosed with bipolar ll. The last few days I have had pain in my hips and have had to take Advil for the pain and now I am having a little bit of chest pain. Overall so far though I would say that the benefit of feeling better is worth the pain....

I've been on Lamictal for the past 2 years. I had suffered from depression from the age of 15, which was subsequently diagnosed as bi-polar at age 37 and treated with Lamictal at 39. I started on 25 mg increasing to 100.

It literally changed my life. I felt completely normal, without having lost my personality and didn't have these huge ups and downs. My short term memory, which was never very good, has become worse.

I have now got a rash. This maybe because I was feeling so great, that I didn't take my tabs for a few days, then resumed at my normal dose.

I have moved and so am no longer in contact with the doctor who prescribed this to me. I just can't bear to go back to the space I was in before I took Lamictal and am going to try starting at a low dose and building up again.

Good luck to anyone trying this. For my bi-polar condition it literally changed my life. I was never really happy before, and I can say that i am often content these days, and positive.