Lamictal and lexapro

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.

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?

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.

"Bipolar cocktail" is an excellent way to articulate my medication regimen as well lol. I've been on Wellbutrin for about 8 years, and recently increased my dosage of Lamictal dramatically. (I'm on Lexapro too, but I don't think it's relevant to this situation.) Immediately after the increase in dosage, I started having greater difficulty with my cognitive abilities, a whole lot of trouble speaking (that pulling the word out of my head issue), short-term memory worsened beyond the little ability I had left from the rest of the side effects of my other medications, and other examples of brain mushiness :) Anyway, I recently brought this up to my doctor- she said these symptoms sound more like side-effects of Wellbutrin, and Lamictal is supposed to have few to none except a rash. But I haven't had a change in my Wellbutrin dosage in something like 5 years. Has anyone heard anything similar to this from their doctor? It doesn't make as much sense to me as it being a side-effect of Lamictal does...

"Bipolar cocktail" is an excellent way to articulate my medication regimen as well lol. I've been on Wellbutrin for about 8 years, and recently increased my dosage of Lamictal dramatically. (I'm on Lexapro too, but I don't think it's relevant to this situation.) Immediately after the increase in dosage, I started having greater difficulty with my cognitive abilities, a whole lot of trouble speaking (that pulling the word out of my head issue), short-term memory worsened beyond the little ability I had left from the rest of the side effects of my other medications, and other examples of brain mushiness :)

Anyway, I recently brought this up to my doctor- she said these symptoms sound more like side-effects of Wellbutrin, and Lamictal is supposed to have few to none except a rash. But I haven't had a change in my Wellbutrin dosage in something like 5 years. Has anyone heard anything similar to this from their doctor? It doesn't make as much sense to me as it being a side-effect of Lamictal does...

It is hard to tell what side effects come from which med but after reading other peoples experiences I think that its easier to put my finger on. I have been taking Lamictal and Lexapro since last spring/summer. I started to feel a lot better as soon as I started the Lamictal. I have a history of being severely depressed all the time. It has been a long road in search of the correct combo of meds. We added Lexapro and I got even better. I was on Wellbutrin and Topamax before this and it was too much drugs in my system causing loads of anxiety. I heard Topamax makes you Dopey so I was happy to get off that. I don't notice Lamictal doing the same thing. I think clearly now, but I do have trouble crying - which is fine with me. I am so sick of fucking crying everyday. Aren't you??? The whole point of treatment is to increase the quality of life and These drugs have definitely helped me to be happy which is all I care about. However, I do still wonder what I would feel like without them. It is tempting to stop once you feel this good. Why cant i just be able to feel this good naturally. WHY WHY WHY .

I've been on 200 mg Lamictal for 2 months now, after 4 month titration up from 25mg; Going off Lithium 900mg titration to 450mg this week. Since 1st day of lower Lithium, all the common Lamictal symptoms went from mild to extreme. Whole body muscle aches (like 24 hours after a heavy weightlifting workout) worse in neck & back/shoulders/calves, bad headaches, swelling in hands & feet, extreme blurred vision, loss of memory, halted speech while trying to figure out what to say, fuzzy. I called the Clinic to simply ask which NSAID (aspirin? ibuprofen? Excedrin? naproxin?) to use to manage the pain. They all freaked and made me come in for a blood test to check Lithium levels. I explained I wasn't "overly" concerned about it at this point, but just looking for a recommendation, and that they may be over-reacting (even though I did appreciate their concern). I also reminded them that I had just **decreased** Lithium when it happened, so I wasn't having a Lithium Toxic attack (I'm well-versed in that, having been on Lithium for 7 years). It didn't do much good to tell them I thought their diagnosis was a little off. I'll find out the blood test results today, but I'm pretty sure I know what they'll be. They also wanted me to see my PCP since it could be something else. Again, the problem was a ramp-up of existing symptoms the next morning after I lowered Lithium (the only change), so I'm conviced everything centers around that. I think they're a little inexperienced with this med. (Lamictal/Lamotrigine) and if they'd just read this blog they'd probably learn a lot. They had never heard of the muscle ache side effect. Pretty hard to believe after reading all of your comments! My theory is that Lithium was somehow holding back the side-effects of Lamictal and now they're expressing themselves more fully. I haven't read anything like this on any internet discussion, so maybe my body is very different. But maybe my experience will give someone else some insight in a similar situation.
I might also mention something that happened to me I have only seen (kinda) in one other "blog" about follicle (sweat gland) cysts. Yeah, I definitely got the jawline acne starting at the Lamictal 50mg level & increasing at 100mg. But I also got my first ever "cyst" that concerned me and sent me to my dermatologist for the first time in 30 years (I'm 47 and saw the old guy when I had acne at 17!). It started as a blind pimple on my chest the week I increased Lamictal to 200mg (final dose), but didn't go away. It continued to grow (not diminish) over 4 weeks to 3/8 inch round/pink/solid/itchy/burn-when-rubbed. So off to the "Doctor" like my father used to do on a regular basis (I know I'm getting old now) and scalpel/pop/stitch it was out. But it was real, not my imagination or hypocondria, and the timing of its appearance was right when Lamictal changed to full steam. Since acne appears to be a common effect with so many, it seems it's not unreasonable that this occurs occasionally as well to others. Let me be the 2nd to mention it. No "official" verification, but....
I'm not bagging on Lamictal, and have been very hopeful that this would be better than Lithium. It has eliminated the GastroIntestinal problems I had on Lithium, but I am getting discouraged that it has all the brand new symptoms that are discussed in this blog. Your "stuff" is real. I wish the Docs/Nurses/Case Workers would spend 5 minutes checking your comments out. It might bring about a better informed conversation than the shiny Glaxo flyers provide. That is all.

I am on Lamictal 75mg (down from 150) Lexapro 10mg (down from 20) and Clonazapam (3mg daily) - Here are my side effects

easy bruising, unusual eye movements when my eyes are closed, fatigue, loss of appetite, tingling in lips and all throughout body, daily headaches, grinding teeth - my teeth hurt so bad in the mornings, Loss of memory, shortness of breath.

This all scares me greatly - I am under a phychiatrist only doing NO blood work and he just keeps moving my meds up and down! I am so frustrated and afraid (after doing research and my family medical history) that the problems I was having before going to this dr. is due to a thyroid disorder.

anyone else feeling any of these symptoms?

I have been taking Lamictal for a few months now. I have horrible pains, tingles in my feet and legs. At times I feel like I am getting electric shocks in my feet. I started at low dosage of 25mg and now up to 175mg. I am taking this medication with Lexapro 10mg for depression and bipolar. I am also diabetic and thought maybe these pains are from neuropathy. I got tested for neuropathy and it was negative. I am not weening myself off of Lamictal and my leg pains are subsiding a bit. I now have a bad headache. My nose has been running to and I have bad waives of nausea throughout the whole time I am on this medication. I hope when I am fully weened off that this side effects will go away.

I also am having a difficult time with memory loss. I have a very short term memory. I never used to be this way. Before I started taking Lamictal, I was taking Depakote. I haven't been on Lamictal for that long, so I do not know if my previous medications have caused my memory loss. I also get dizzy sometimes and I'm feeling out of breath lately. Some other medications I've taken are: Zyprexa (which gave me type I diabetes); Abilify; Risperadol; Adavan...the list goes on, unfortunately. I have been taking anti-psychotic drugs since I was 16, and I am 37 years old now. God help me!

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??

I have been on Lamictal for almost a year now and everything seemed to go okay until almost three weeks ago when I had to increase my dosage from 100 to 150mg and my Lexapro to 15mg. In the last couple of weeks, I have gained 7 pounds and I am really depressed. I have an eating disorder (bulimia) and because of this, I profusely purge my food in fear of gaining a dramatic amount of weight again. I am going to see my psychiatrist next week because all of this is going to cause me to crash.

This is a nightmare. I have been on Lamictal 200 mg, tab in morning, for approx. 5 months. About 3 1/2 months ago I started getting muscles aches and weakness, muscle overuse problems, fluid retention ( like 12 pounds), stayed in a trance with very little short term memory. Thought it was everything but this medicine....I am an avid athelite, yes, even at 51. So, I blamed myself for not slowing down. Quick exercising totally, for 2 months, iced 3 times a day on leg muscles. Finally after making it to the summer without a mental breakdown, I went to the emergency room and a new internist to get checked out. Blood work, thyroid, hormones,ok.... Really don't care what they think , I can not walk, it hurts like hell. The Dr. did tell me to get off Lamictal....ok 7th day and I have some relief but it is not complete. Called manufactures, interesting, yes- these are side effects!!! But the studies are limited. Listen , unless you have seizures, get off this medicine... you read the full disclosure of side effects and then search yourself......It can ba a huge FOOOOOPA.....And you are the fool that will end up holdling the bag, not the manufacturer. Hopefully I will get better. Right now , I just trying to stay calm.

56 y/o female recently diagnosed as bi-polarI with dissociative features. Dr. started me out on the standrd regimen of 25 mgs. per day and today went up to 50 mgs. per day. The Dr. says that I will have to go up to 22 mgs per day. The change from 25 mgs to 50 has been noticeable. Today, I felt grumpy and miserable. She also put me pn abilify which made me eat like a termite and which titrated myself off of after 2 weeks. I probably gained at least ten pounds on that stuff. I have also been experiencing increasinly worsening vision which is of extreme concern for me since I had two episodes of narrow glaucoma using zyban/wellbutrin and have lost a good deal of my central visiual acuituity as well as a lot of peripheral vision. I abslutely do not want to lose anymore vision. I am already at the point of considering that driving may be dangerous. Two years ago I was in Mexico and used HGH. Human Growth Hormone and I felt better tha I had felt in years at the time I was taking Lexapro...was able to go off it entirely. I plan to go back to Mexico soon and will get more HGH and see how it works with the Lamictal and if it doesn't work well then the Lamical will have to go...I have yet to know anybody who has been able to maintain cconsistently on any one drug regomen with bi-polar disorder...perhaps it's because so many of usgo off the meds because of the miserable side efects.