Lamictal and good luck

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?

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 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.

When I started my little emotional rollercoaster @ age 35, they classified me as being bi-polar with generalized anxiety disorder. I put myself into a treatment center after feeling like I was going to go crazy. I used to work in the medical field and I should have known better. They doped me up on 1000mg of Lithium, and 9oomg of Depakote. Lithium can be hard to regulate and dangerous; coming from a person who can sneeze and lose two pounds Depakote just turned out to be a fat pill (180 to 210 in three months). I went through the guinea pig stage Every SSR they put me on had a very bad side effect, Paxil being the worst. After two days of taking it the racing thoughts and feeling out being out of control made me want to jump out the window. I could not even call 911 as I felt I would go even more insane. I really almost did not make it through it. I discussed it with my new Dr. and he suggested Lamictal. I have been on Lamictal for over 4 years at 300mg a day. It has stabilized my moods but I still argue with the doctor about my diagnosis as I feel I am more Cyclothymic , my mood swings are not as pronounced and can last from a few hours to a few days. Since first taking the med I noticed the memory loss, my train of thought going out the window, bloated, the feeling of having a fever, but not. One of the most important affects, if I am an hour or so late from my regular scheduled dose I get dizzy and my shoulders and neck start to tingle and get numb. Just two weeks I requested an increase in the dosage to 400mg to see if it would help with my underlying depression that every other combo has not addressed. Since then I have been a bit more of a whack job. (Emotionally)Two days after the increase I had a very hyper mania day, I had to leave work early for fear I would lose control of my mouth, do or say something very ADHD. I took two days off and seemed to be fine after that. This Sunday I went downhill as soon as I woke up. I wanted to cry, but couldn’t and I did not know why; I felt void of emotions except for sadness, lacked the energy to want to deal with people, even my other half, wondering why I was even here. (Physically) I have noticed heart palpitations and muscle spasms in my face and arms. I looked up side effects and found this site and wanted to add to it. I have tried just about everything out there that I can and nothing will really work as good as this one. Combos with it do nothing for me either. It really freaks me out that the thing I am taking so I do not feel the way I do is making me feel that way to the extreme. I am letting my Dr. know that I will be taking myself off this dosage.

Reading over some of these posts and wanted to share my experience w/Lamictal. Been on it over 2 year, 400mg/day. Sever bipolar with mixed & rapid cycling episodes. Oh YEA...I have side effects too: blurred vision that comes and goes, super klutziness, confusion, hard to complete sentences sometimes (just can't find the words sometimes for the simplest sentence!), dizziness, prone to broken blood vessels under the skin when bump into something or carry loaded grocery bag over my arm, jittery, short term memory loss, feeling really stupid like my brain isn't working sometimes. BUT...I will stay on this med because it rally works for me and the above effects are and bad, just frustrating. It took me a good 5-6 months for the meds to work as they should. Be aware that it won't make things perfect, mood swings and even moderate episodes can be expected. I am pretty much in a constant state of mild/moderate mania (2 hr sleep/night, hi energy, talk to fast, mind racing,etc), which is fine for me, as it really curbed the depression (maybe only 1 day every 2 months now and its NOT a BAD downer) I have found the drug is a good "stabilizer" keeping me mostly in a normal to moderate swing...never any severe swing. If the side effects are not unbearable, stick with the med, just be patient. It sure works for me. Learn to laugh at the klutziness and stupid moments and understand its the med and you. GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL!

I have been on Lamictal now for almost 3 months for bipolar. I'm still not sure if it is helping or not. My husband says I seem better, but I feel almost the same as before if not worse. Has anyone noticed any major changes in their menstrual cycle? I'm on the pill and it would usually last 4-5 days with moderate bleeding. Now I get more annoying cramps than before but my period only lasted 2 days and it was more like spotting than a period. This makes me nervous, but my doctor said that it is more likely the risperdal that I had taken for a month when I also started taking the lamictal, but I don't agree. I recently went up to 200mg (1 morning, 1night). The morning one knocks me out but the night one has been keeping up!? I also feel less coordinated (hard to balance, knocking stuff down, klutzy). Also, it has been hard to put words together and recall correct information. Now I have to say" I think I heard or I think I remember". If I really need to remember something I have repeat it or really concentrate on the information. I used to not have to do that. Another thing I've noticed lately is hand and knee pain. Makes it difficult exercise to lose the 20 lbs I've gained. I don't know, personally I think I will give it one more month and if I still feel the same, I'm going off of it and looking into natural alternatives.

My daughter, who is 22 yrs old now, has been on lamictal since January (seizures which came out of the blue after being ill for 2 years) this year. She ended up in the hospital for most of February with vomiting and diarrhea. She was first diagnosed with celiacs, then gastroparesis, all the time the neurologist is telling us it ABSOLUTELY CANNOT BE THE LAMITCAl...now, she has had some twitching and the doctor increased the lamictal from 100mg 2xs daily to 150mg 2xs daily. Well, the diarrhea, which she's already on all kinds of stomach/bowel medicine, never really resolved but now with the increase is worse. I just called and will take her back on Friday, but think we need to find a new doctor, Good luck to everyone. and God help us all.

I have been taking Lamictal since October of 2007. I experienced some of the symptoms (muscle pain in the head and neck) before I started the medication. I have experienced panic attacks since July of 2005. I have had mild heart palpations since I was in my mid 20's (I'm 36 now). I have had what I would consider a below normal energy level since my mid 20's also. Ok so like everyone else I am thinking I'm a hypochondriac! However, I was diagnosed August 28th 2007 with having Lyme’s Disease and also Hyper-Thyroid (same time, same lab-work). Two weeks later I was diagnosed with Bi-Polar Disorder (this is one thing I knew I was battling but didn't know how to handle it). My physiatrist started me on Lamictal and I did the standard ramp up to 200mg. I also was started on a 90 day treatment of Dyoxicycline for the Lyme’s and Methimazole for the Hyper-Thyroid. I was very very weak and was only able to stay awake for short periods of time (4 to 5 hours max). Just an fyi, I am not overweight, lazy or unmotivated. I have the physical appearance of perfect health. This, I think works against me as the Dr's seem to think I'm just whining. Mater of fact; my Primary Care Physician never tested me for Lyme’s. I went to an Urgent Care Center which tested me for Lyme’s disease and I came back positive (they also tested my Thyroid levels and found the problem with my THS levels) I told my Dr the results and he insisted I have same test done again. Guess what, new tests, same results.
My symptoms today are very similar to what I have seen posted many times. Muscle pain (entire body, some areas worse than others), heart arrhythmia, racing heartbeat, intense palpitations, nausea, foggy “un-plugged” mind, fatigue, weak muscles, muscle cramping (especially after repetitive motion, such as strumming a guitar), panic attacks (much more severe) and the latest addition to the group, Insomnia. Muscles pain in my head, fore-head, jaw, temple, neck (front and back), shoulders, is terrible to say the least. The pressure in my fore-head (right under my brow) makes me feel like I need to close my eyes or rest (resting does not relieve anything). The front of my neck is so tight at times it feels like my jaw is being pried down. I could go on and on.
On my quest to find out what else is going on with my body I have had 2 Echocardiogram’s on my heart and abdomen, 2Nuclear Stress Tests, blood work out the wa-zoo, MRI of my brain, 2 CT’s of my Head and Neck, Chest X-rays, Endoscopy, Colonoscopy, and all revealing nothing.
Most doctor’s I have encountered seem to want to treat the symptoms, not the problem/disease. I believe I know why; we (the ones who are there for solutions) tell them what the symptoms are (how we feel). We of course are thinking “this will help with a diagnosis of the problem/disease”, when in fact (I feel); the doctor’s thought process stops there. They don't know what’s wrong with you but they do know what your symptoms are so....bingo, let's treat the symptoms. Don’t misunderstand what I am saying. I’m not saying, “Most doctor’s don’t know what they are doing” or “don’t take your meds”. I am saying you and I are one of the 20 to 30 patients most doctor’s see daily (100+ weekly). They may be caring and good people but they are just as human and fallible as you and I. My advice is this; (and I am taking my own advice) don’t always “pop” into your body what the doctor suggests/prescribes, without doing your own research. Heck most of us won’t buy a car or more importantly, send our kids off to a college with out doing your own research (we just don’t trust those shinny brochures). Your body and your health are worth you doing your own research. Just keep in mind, Pharmaceutical Reps are always at your Dr.’s office (sit in the waiting room for 10 minutes and I’m sure you will see one). Reps are paid to do one thing; encourage (push) the Dr.’s to promote use of the Pharmaceutical Companies drugs.
My wife and I have been doing our own research on Lamictal (after a year of taking this stuff) and the side effects associated with this drug. We have searched through many (many,many) web sites for information and we have talked with pharmacists and Dr’s for opinions. Although I’m am not thoroughly convinced that Lamictal is the cause of all of my symptoms, my wife and I have decided to lower my Lamictal slowly from 200mg to 100mg. I am now taking 150mg daily (three days now) and plan on staying at this level for a total of two weeks before lowering to 100mg. I do fear dropping the dosage to quickly (potential side effects) or lapsing into a mania. To help avoid a manic episode my wife and my immediate family are all “up-to-date” with my course of action. They are on “Red Alert” and have promised to keep a close eye on my behavior patterns and moods. (I don't want to put them through another hyper-mania episode, its much too devastating). I do want so badly to feel healthy and alive again and at this point I am rather frustrated with the Dr.'s ability to help me achieve this goal. Remember it is called “Practicing” Medicine. So now I’m going to practice a little, very carefully and cautiously.
As a foot note; I have recently (past two weeks) been re-tested for Lyme's with a negative response. I am keeping in mind Lyme's test are very inaccurate (still hoping this one is accurate). My thyroid is under control and normal, so.... let's see if dropping below 150mg of Lamictal will eliminate some of these other symptoms. I will keep you posted.
Erik

I am 32 years old, and still have acne. I have been taking it for almost 14 years now. I know that Lamictal causes skin rashes. I asked my neurologist if Lamictal causes acne. He said no. I will never be able to get rid of acne, as long as I keep taking it. I have been seizure-free for over 2.5 years now. Dad won't let me get off of it, and be on primidone only. It's more important to keep driving seizure-free, than to have clear skin.

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!

I have been on Lamictal for one week and feel terrible!! I'm using the meds to treat bipolar. My chest feels tight...I am exhausted all day...feel as if I am in a daze...headaches...muscle aches. I don't know if this is just side effects seen in the beginning and will subside with time?? I really feel bad.

I have been on Lamictal for about five months for bipolar II. I has been increased slowly over these months and I am now up to 300 mg a day. I have a tendency to sometimes forget things but remembering numbers has never been a problem for me. In fact I can look at someone's tag number driving down the road and remember it for days. Phone numbers of people I have known for 20 years would stick and I wouldn't even have to call them on a regular basis to know the number. However, recently while trying to use my bank debit card at the store I was asked to enter my PIN number and totally could not remember. I tried it several times but it never came to me. I felt like a fool!. At this time, that was three days ago and I still cannot remember it!

This is very, very distressing to me. I feel like something has been wiped clean and that I will never get it back.

My Lamictal dose has been increased in the last couple of weeks and I thought maybe Lamictal or one of my other meds could be making this happen so I started researching and found this site where other people were complaining of memory loss while on Lamictal.

Headaches are another common side effect for me while on this med. It has really helped me emotionally and I need to know if the memory loss is just going to be a temporary thing and it will get back to normal or if I will be forgetting more and more over time. PLEASE HELP!!!

WOW. I have been taking Lamictal for about 4 months for my BP and up until now I have never known all the side effects. You see, I am uninsured and am forced to go through MHMR. They (at best) give you an idea of what the side effects are. It is very difficult to even get a one on one with an actual doctor. You sit in a chair for 2 minutes and walk out with a bad full of drugs. Needless to say, my mood hasn't been "stabilized", in fact, I think it's worsened. What's worse is that between the weight gain and the loss of my short term memory I feel FAT and STUPID; causing me to be even more depressed. I never even thought that the memory loss was related to the Lamictal; the weight gain, maybe. Today I thought, "let me check this out." and I stumbled upon this blog. THANK GOD! I mean I'm sorry that we are all suffering but I'm relieved to know that it's not ME. Thanks for sharing all, and good luck!

I have been on Lamictal for just under 1 year and only today realized that my increased acne is probably a side effect. The area around my jaw line is especially bad and it won't clear up. I've also gotten a few little pimples on my chest - I thought it was from going to the gym. My derm has tried oral meds and I'm about to try Accutane, but I really don't want to go to that extreme - Accutane scares me! I also noticed similar effects to the ones that others were talking about, too...forgetting words...forgetfulness...spelling...I want to go off the Lamictal. This just isn't worth it.

I was on Lamictal for 4 years and after the first year I suddenly started having all kinds of teeth and gum problems for no discernible reason. But since Lamictal has the possible side effect of "sores or blisters on the inside of the mouth" I wondered if it could be related.

I did a Google search and am coming up with no experts yet, but lots and lots of posts connecting anticonvulsant meds, particularly Lamictal, Topamax, Neurontin, and Depakote, with dental problems. Dilantin is well known for causing gum disease and breaking down tooth enamel, loosening of teeth, and even breaking down of jawbone tissue.

I don't think the experts have connected the dots yet, but is anyone else having this problem?

lamictal controls seizures if you take it at the right time. i am on 200 at night and 200 in the morning plus epilim. sometimes i just sit and cry wen im trying to concentrate on reading books i have to study or trying to remember work i learnt at school which has left my brain. im failing school not matter how hard i try, i study all the time then the next day i have forgotten it. im so young and i havnt even started my future yet and i may have screwed it already. failing exams because i forgot wat i learnt the night before hurts so bad. its hard to say "hey everyone the reason i failed is because lamictal screws my memory" i know thats what it is. i was extremely intelligent before i started taking it, but now im a failure. i guess deep inside i know really im not a failure, but lamictal makes me one. : ( p.s add a constant hand tremor and sudden jerking movements every now and then.

I started taking Lamictal about six weeks ago for epilepsy. Now keep in mind, I was on Dilantin which worked great for 17 years and then suddenly stopped working. I have been in medication hell since then. First Topamax made me dumb as a rock. I would space out all the time. Worst drug ever. Then Keppra which was better in that my memory/ability to speak came back but I had these intense ups and down. I had rages constantly. Now I'm on Lamictal. So far, it's better than the Topamax and the Keppra, however the dreams are very intense as are the night sweats. I'm also experiencing much hair loss. Fortunately I have a full head of hair but I'm afraid I will eventually lose it all.

I have been taking Lamictal for about 2 months now. Started at 25mg and now at 150mg. I also take 10mg Lexapro and 1 mg of Ativan daily. I was diagnosed with bipolar-2 about 3 months ago. I'm not sure if this is the right combo for me. Most of my problem is with severe irritability followed by moderate anxiety and mild depression. I have never had a Manic episode just Hypomania which the doctor said is my anger and Irritability. I have been on every SSRI (anti-depressant) for the last 12 years, which does help the depression, but it increases the anger and irritability. Another Dr told me I am not bipolar-2, I just have GAD (generalized anxiety disorder). Not sure what to do anymore, the Lamictal is giving me bad headaches and dizziness and nausea. So now I take Meclizine for the those symptoms. Is there just one pill to help all these symptoms? Has anyone had any luck with Buspar??

This is a total nightmare and i need advice! I was on Lamictal for a year and about six months into my health began to slowly deteriorate. It started with shortness of breath and heart palpitations and eventually attacked every system of my body. My symptoms are muscle pain, spasms and knots to the point that i can't turn my neck sometimes, joint pain (mostly knees), stabbing floating pain everywhere, headaches, frightening tingling in my extremities and a few times my entire body, sore throat, flu-like feelings, stomach cramps, bloating and heartburn. The list goes on. I have been off of it now for two weeks. My psychiatrist has never seen this type of reaction before and is not convinced it is the Lamictal. I have been to every single type of doctor and the ER twice, had extensive lab work, CT scan and two MRIs. I have been off Lamictal now for two weeks and am not feeling much relief. I am so scared and frustrated and please need advice. Has anyone else experienced this? Does it ever go away? I feel like I am literally living a nightmare with no-one to turn to for advice because no-one seems to know ANYTHING!!!!

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.

I'm having serious side effects currently. The onset of the side effects began after taking Lamictal for over 2 months. I started slowly on 25 mg and gradually increased to 200. I felt a great improvement in Bipolar disorder-mood swings- at 100mg but was told that is not the theraputic dose, so we increased to 200mg.

I had no side effects until the rash began to appear. At first only on legs, then arms, then neck, then face...and surprisingly in private areas. Unbearable itching. Rash continued to rage even after a pack of steroids. Swelling became apparrent in face and entire body. Slight difficulty breathing. Went to the ER and received another dose of steroids intravenously. The rash continues to improve but is still extremely itch. The swelling improved for a couple of days but is back. Had one day of severe headache. It has been 14 days and today I am experiencing blurred vision in the left eye, and new swelling in the tongue.
I sit at home with an Epi Pen next to me waiting to hear back from the doctor.

All of this is so unfortunate because I felt more stable than I have in years while on the medication. I'm feeling very concerned about my continuing side effects. Don't know what to expect.

I have started Lamictal and I have numbness on the right side of my face.