Lamictal and psychiatrist

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 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.

**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.

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.

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 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.

Well on 2-15-09 my sister in law died just shy of turning 39. She had severe depression, As of three years ago she began starving herself. She would go weeks without eating or drinking anything. She was in and out of the hospital through out the years. She started taking Lamictal six days prior to 2-15-09. The Dr. said she had made a mistake and wrote 100mg where it should had been 25mg. The doctor's later stated it didn't matter if they wrote 1mg it would have happened eventually.

Now we had called her on her birthday three days prior to 2-15-09, and she said the medication made her feel weird. That night she fell to sleep and did not wake up but for only a brief minute in the hospital. After being asleep for a day she was rushed to the hospital were a battery of test were run. She had begun to have liver failure and sepsis. The doctor's had her airlifted to a hospital four hours away where liver specialist were available. She arrived there and withing a few hours her lungs collapsed, her kidneys began to fail, and she had two heart attacks where she finally died at 11:10 pm on 2-15-09.

So I am here to make you aware. This is the side affect no one has talked about yet. Now she had no rash. She had weekend her system by not eating. Other than her depression she was OK. The doctor's don't know if she had an allergic reaction or not. The autopsy will be arrive in 40 days. With just some fatigue and weird feelings she continued to take the medication for the six days. I read on and on and I see so many symptoms, this would be a great time to evaluate with a profession because lets face it we really don't know the long term affects. It could be doing damage to your internal organs, or not. I feel if your body is showing you signs that are not normal than it is a good indication that your body is telling you that is cant tolerating it to well. So at least your getting the signs you might want to see what else is out there. As God is my witness we wanted her healthy and to not suffer so I really do have only good intentions for you all.

The funeral is today.

I have taken Lamictal for 2 years now, I increased my dose a few months ago. It curbed my rage issues, and continued to stabilize my mood swings.I have had the side effects of some memory loss, problems recalling things in the past, minor things, like what happened in movies I may have seen in earlier months. I have hair loss, more than usual when not on the drug. I have definite speech issues, I can never relay what I am trying to say. I feel stupid. I am consulting another psychiatrist to discuss the side effects. I really don't like not being able to remember things as much as I did before I took this drug. I really, really don't like the lack of the ability to speak fluently or even to get the words out. It is embarrassing, it makes me look almost like I have a mental retardation. It sucks. I also am disappointed that my spouse seems to think all "our" issues are because of my mood disorder and if I somehow when I disagree with him and want to address these issues, then my medication is not working. I know if I am raging more or if I have an increase in anger, then I need to go on higher meds or change meds. But, as my psychiatrist said to me, not all my issues in life are all my fault.
Generally, lamictal is working, but I would like to have a greater memory recall and I would definitely like my speech problems to be resolved and it sure would be nice if my hair would become thick again.Also, I have some twitching problems occasionally, it is annoying too. I still have racing thoughts and panic attacks too, it has not changed those issues. Oh, and another side effect is headaches in the back of my neck at the top where my head meets the spine, they are annoying and if I take ibuprofen, I get even more stupid and spacey, almost like I am checked out. My older kids notice more than my spouse does. My older kids also let me know when I am raging more, in a better way than my spouse does. My advice, let those whom you can trust be the one's who give you feedback on how you are doing, rather than someone who doesn't want to take ownership for their own issues, that way you can truly trust if the med's are working or if they are at the right dose. This along with your psychiatrist's help and help from family and your own assessment will keep you on the right track.

I have been on Lamictal for 3 months after being on Paxil first and then Cymbalta for many years. I thought I might be bi-polar due to family history but after spending 2 hours with a psychiatrist who really knew his medications determined I was just clinically depressed. He started me on the 5 week starter pack and my max dose is 100mg/day. I am a early riser and take the medication about 5am every morning. I have had no experience with dreams, shortness of breath, etc. I have however developed a rash (under the skin) dry but not itchy, red splotches about 3 weeks ago. I thought might be the Lamictal but realized my dentist gave me a very expensive toothpaste for whitening and dry mouth to use. "Fluoridex", when I looked for side effects of the toothpast, it was rash and dry splotches to the face.

Lamictal has saved my life. I have had 8 brain surgeries in 4 years and had lost the will to live. I feel alive again and started feeling that way when I was midway thru the starter pack at 50mg/day. I think in everything, you have to have the right doctor and they have to know their medications. I have never felt so good in my entire life. My sex drive has increased after 32 years of marriage (husband is very happy) I work out in gym 5 days/week and have lost 20 pounds and have no desire for sweets or diet sodas, losing the desire to smoke (yeah).

I have read alot of the post that are negative about Lamictal. Please see your doctor and either have him decrease the dose or change the medication. You owe this to yourself.

I had been on Lithium for a few months when the consistent weight gain and uncomfortable bloated feeling caused me to seek out a new treatment for my bipolar disorder. Deciding on Lamictal, I started the slow transition of lowering Lithium doses and increasing Lamictal doses. About one month ago, the transition was complete. I didn't seem to have any real noticeable side effects from the Lamictal but after about 2 weeks of being off the Lithium, my skin started breaking out with acne!! Terribly on my chin, cheeks and hair line. I am now wondering if the Lithium may have been keeping this symptom under control. Has anyone had an experience like this?

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

My sister was started on Lamectal several months ago. She THOUGHT that she was feeling OK except that her mouth had begun twitching uncontrollably. Her family thought that she was acting "kinda weird". She saw a neurologist about the twitching and to make sure it was not Parkinsons Disease or such. It was not so the Psychiatrist put her on Cogentin. After less than a week she was not sleeping, had slurred speech and was running into walls. She was cooking spaghetti for breakfast and began seeing witches and angels and talking on cell phones that were not ther. We took her to the hospital and all tests were negative. The Cogentin was stopped, the hallucinations stopped and her balance improved but she remained with the following symptoms...she had difficulty mentally focusing on anything for longer than about 5 minutes, blurred vision and forgetfulness. I sent a note to her Psychiatrist and the Lamectal was stopped. She has been off of it for a few weeks now and says that she has large periods of "missing time" or amnesia for events of the past several months since she began taking the Lamectal. Her speech has returned to normal and she is focused again...

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 felt suicidal and got migraines/nausea/vomiting when I was first started taking Lamictal. Then I was on a steady dose of 100mg and I felt better than I've felt in my life with no other side effects except the tendency toward minor skin irritations. I've just gone up to 150mg just to see if that's better, but I'm having suicidal urges, migraines, nausea, vomiting. I expect that will clear up soon and then I'll know if this is a good dose for me.

My psychiatrist warned me about feelings of suicide as a possible side effect. She also told me that as the dose goes up, mental disorganization increases. So we're trying to find the right balance of anti-depressant effect and spaciness.

Hi. I went on Lamictal April 2007 after being diagnosed w/ BiPolar. The key issue that brought me to the psychiatrist to begin with was acute depression following a divorce, move cross country, losing my job and my only son going off to college. All the big stress factors - short of death in family. Nonetheless, I was nervous that one year after all these crises that I was, if anything, feeling worse. I had been able to handle all the changes during them, but now that they were over all I wanted to do was sleep all day.... Anyway, I had been on Paxil for years re anxiety, and my psychiatrist decided to keep my on the Paxil till I tolerated the Lamictal, then get me off the Paxil..... Well, the 20 mg of Paxil and the 100 mg of Lamictal worked great, I thought; the Lamictal really raised the bottom.... BUT, apparently Paxil fuels mania, so after a few months, I was taken off the Paxil completely and my Lamictal went up to 200 mg. Almost IMMEDIATELY upon going to 200 mg Lamictal my ankles / feet / legs got enormously swollen. Plus, I noticed that my hair started to fall out // thin out.... Plus -- and I don't know if this is the Lamictal or the absence of the Paxil, but I sob uncontrollably almost 24/7. The sobbing and anxiety and sense of dread and sadnessness has persisted even when the Lamictal was dropped to 100 mg and the shrink added first Clonazepam .5 mg, then when that wasn't calming me, changed me to 1mg Xanax -- each as needed. The Xanax isn't helping me either, and now I also feel paranoid. So, in short: Lamictal at 200 mg makes my feet / ankles / legs swell or suffer edema; Lamcital as low as 100 mg makes my hair thin out; and either the Lamictal or the loss of the Paxil or these anti-anxieity meds (Clonazepam or Xanax) are making me paranoid, profoundly sad and depressed, panicked, anxious, stressed out and, most urgently, make me sob uncontrollably 24/7... My shrink says that we should use anti-depressants with bipolar, and that Paxil fuels the mania, but I tell you, I'd rather be manic and screaming at everyone than so depressed that I'm fearful and sobbing constantly.... Any answers out there: Any anti-depressants for your bipolar?

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!!!!

so far i like it, but me being on this med does this mean I'm bipolar?? doc said i was not but thinking he thought i would freak if i was... Also he gave me a sample pack, I have great insurance but what is the cost of this med??

I've only been on Lamictal for about 3 weeks now. I started taking it the day after Christmas. I take 25MG twice a day, with .5MG of Klonopin 3 times a day. I have been diagnosed as Bi Polar II, with very deep bouts of depression and suicidal thoughts. So far the Lamictal has been working for me. I have noticed that if I don't take it in the morning when I am supposed to, I let little things get to me. But as soon as I remember to take it, I feel better in a short amount of time; but that could also be the Klonopin. Anyway, the only side-effect I've noticed so far is that I started my period a week and a half early, and I have been on it for 2 1/2 weeks now. And it keeps getting heavier and that is very annoying.

Are any other females having period issues? Or is it just me? I can't find any other sides that list heavy bleeding or early periods as a side-effect.

Is this a forum for trashing Lamictal? I've been on it for a year and it probably saved my life. If you have negative effects from taking it, why not drop it and try something else? I'm glad I never read all of these horror stories, as I'm sure it would have scared me enough never to have tried it. That would have been a shame .. I've never felt as symptom free as I do now; I sleep well and dream well, put in long days in my business and never have a problem remaining focused and alert. The perfect cocktail for me turned out to be 250mg Lamictal twice a day, 25mg Trazodone at night, and 40mg Citalopram. I feel really fortunate that my psychiatrist only feels the need to visit with me once every 6 months just to check in. If I miss a day, my wife notices immediately as I start to swing "up" again. Drawbacks? The cost (about 7 bucks a pill), and some weight gain which may have happened anyway .. (I'm 52). If you have the insurance to cover it, I say give it a try.

I think a very, very important thing to keep in mind is how differently medications will work for different people. While it seems many of you have had horrible experiences with it, I surely don't think this is the case for everyone, including myself. I've been diagnosed with bipolar-II and have been on Lamictal for several months, currently at a dose of 150mg. I've found it had dramatically brought down my rapid cycling and decreased the severity of my depressive episodes. Though I still have mood swings, they are less frequent and less intense/disabling.
As far as side effects go, I've never been one to experience many side effects from any medication I've been on. With Lamictal I've begun having headaches and also difficulty with focus, concentration, and short term memory. I'm much more spacey than usual and often will get distracted while having a conversation with someone and forget what we were talking about. My psychiatrist believes these indicate ADD and has prescribed me Ritalin, which I refuse to take because I'm convinced that these problems are side effects of the Lamictal. I've experienced weight loss, but this also may be due to the 200mg Wellbutrin I am also taking.
Although I've experienced more side effects with Lamictal than any other drug, for me I'm willing to continue giving it a try because of its effect on my moods.

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 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.

I used to take Lamictal 150mg at night, no problems, but started feeling anxious in the afternoon/evening. My Dr. Rx'd 300mg lithium at night to see if it would help the anxiety, but I had very fitfil, unrestful sleep to the point where I was not sleeping much and very tired all day. So, the Dr. took me off lithium and substituted Tripletal 300mg in the evening. That worked, but I was still a little depressed & she increased my Lamictal to 200 mg at night. I started waking up after about 4 hours with horrible nightmares. I thought the nightmares were from Trileptal because that was a new med, but even after I discontinued it, I still get the nightmares/panic feeling that wakes me at night. I took 2mg Lunesta for a while to help me sleep, but then I slept too much 10-12 hrs. I take the Lamictal now in the morning & don't get those nightmares & I sleep fine now, but I feel anxious & dizzy and have trouble concentrating, again about 2-4 hours after I take it in the morning. Dr. says I can take ativan to help the anxiety, but I feel like I need to get off Lamictal and try something else. Maybe lithium will help if try to take it now witout the Lamictal.

I started lamictal about 4-5 years ago,50 mgs three times a day, I was always tired,depressed, and found it to be very hard to do anything at all. I started to gain alot of weight and had diarrhea.Went to see the Dr..I was told I had hep-A for two years.I asked my doc to send me to a specialist to make sure I did'nt have cancer of the liver, the specialist told me I had celiac disease.So I went on the gluten free diet for almost another two yrs. My psychiatrist then decreased my clonazapan and put me on another 75 mgs a day of lamictal. I broke out in such a rash I went to the hospital 2 days in a row, they did'nt know what was wrong. I went for my next appt. to see my shrink,i told her about my problems, she said "I told you if you break out in a rash stop taking the drug" she(or I don't remember) never told me that! I have been lamictal free for about two months now. I now have a whole new set of Dr.s ,they can't find any signs of either hep-a or celiac. I have so much energy now,my head is clear and feel almost normal again! Still working on the weight, slowly but surely it' Is going down. I was always a size 1 at 105 lbs,and went up to 140. I am 50 years old and it is much harder to lose the weight . has anyone else had any of these symptoms? Please let me know. Thanks!

Took mostly for seizures, but have been informally diagnosed with Bipolar II.

Had tremors at night, almost immediately, marked anxiety, weight loss, strange heat flashes, severe headaches (already have a migraine problem), complete w olfactory hallucinations (could have been breakthrough simple seizures, or headache auras).

Felt detached from myself and others. But the most disturbing symptom of all was auditory hallucinations. I have no history of psychosis and this only happened after starting Lamictal. Basically I could hear a constant chirping sound, subtle, but loud enough at night to keep me from sleeping unless my radio was playing to distract me from the sound. Could it have been a new form of seizure? Maybe, but regardless, the sounds started at the time I started this drug. Plus, according to a psychiatrist, I had no signs of psychosis, just the unexplained phantom sounds. One last possibility: Maybe an inner ear problem. Still would like to look into that.

People are right when they say this is still an experimental drug. If I had known what I was getting myself into, I never would have tried this drug to begin with. If any of you have had auditory hallucinations on this drug, without a history of any sort of hallucination or psychosis, PLEASE respond here and let me know about your experience. Thanks!

I have been taking Lamictal for just over a year. Some of the side effects have been noticable for a few months, but others seem to just be appearing and getting worse. I have loss of balance and coordination, my vision is gettng worse, I have a hard time concentrating and finding the right words, I forget how to spell common words, I have short-term memory loss and feel spacey. I can always figure it out, but it takes longer. I began doing Pilates every day about 3 months ago and still cannot get the routine down and it is just as hard for my muscles as it was in the beginning. I can't seem to lose weight and have horrible acne on my face. I had 2 seizures before beginning Lamictal and am suppose to be on it for 2 years before trying to go off. Without insurance though, I am unable to do follow-ups w/ my neurologist and she seems unconcerned and unsypathetic to my situation, not giving me the time of day. She never even told me all of these side effects could develop, much less that they might begin long after I started taking Lamictal. Has anyone had these side effects after having taken the Lamictal for so long then stopped taking the Lamictal? Will these side effects go away after I stop taking it??

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.

Rash ???

I am under Treatment for Bi Polar using Lamictal-
200 mg in morning and 200mg at night before I go to bed. (totally 400 /day),
300 mg of trileptol at night and
100 mg of Zoloft in the morning.
I have taken the Lamictal for about 5 mos ramping up steadily( 25 mg,50 mg etc) as per directions to prevent the infamous rash. I used to take 1200 mg of treleptal and depakote before that.

Rash? I don't know what you call it. I get the feeling of a bee sting sensation periodically on my neck and collarbone area. To say the least, it itches and I have redness ( i don't know if this is from the scratching or a side effect)
Ouch!!! ( I have it now)I use ice to soothe it but it seems to progressively get more annoying. The little stings occur every 2 minute or so, isolated in a 2-3" square area, they will occur in different places at different epsiodes that occur about once every 48 hours. but always on the neck /collarbone region The Psychiatrist says it is not the rash that everyone talks about. When I was on Lithium 22 years of 1500 mg starting in 1977, I remember a similar rash at times.
I remember a rash that itched on my stomach about a month ago - I figured it was just a bug bite.
( I once attended a BPSA meeting and declared that lamectal is just lithium in disquise)

feed back, experiences and comments welcome

double vision, twitches of large muscles to point of near seizure eventually then walked like I had parkinson's - could not lift my feet when walking so had to shuffle.
My primary care MD and my prescibing psychiatrist didn't either one believe these things were not symtoms of lamectal
toxicity "cause they never read about them: infact psych. suggested I probably wasn't BP after all and just needed counseling - and she was the one that gave me that diagnosis/label about 6 yrs ago ! Primary went along with her.
Don't deny counseling would help, but very angry when they said "behaviors" couldn't be due to lam. cause level too low.

Re my post #14305 on Nov. 15, 2005: SAW MY PSYCHIATRIST RIGHT AWAY ABOUT ALL MY SIDE EFFECTS. SHE CHANGED MY LAMICTAL DOSAGE TIMES TO 100 MG IN THE PM AND 100 MG IN THE PM, NOT ALL AT ONCE, AND TOLD ME TO TAKE CLONAZEPAM .5 MG THREE TIMES A DAY TO CALM ME DOWN. THIS WORKED! ALMOST ALL SIDE EFFECTS ARE GONE! EXCEPT THAT I STILL WAKE MYSELF BY YELLING. SHE THINKS I AM HAVING VIVID DREAMS I DON'T REMEMBER AND THAT THIS IS CAUSING THE YELLING WHILE I'M ASLEEP. I AM HOPING IT WILL SUBSIDE. OTHERWISE, I FEEL ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!!!!

FOR GOD'S SAKE, READ THE LITERATURE THAT COMES WITH LAMICTAL OR GET SOME LITERATURE FROM YOUR PHARMACIST IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT. THE RASHES SOME PEOPLE GET ARE REALLY TERRIBLY DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE REPORTED TO THE DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY! THEY CAN BE FATAL! IF YOUR DOCTOR DISMISSES IT, FIND ANOTHER DOCTOR WHO KNOWS WHAT THEY ARE DOING AND GO IMMEDIATELY TO THE E.R. OR AN URGENT CARE CLINIC, AND MAKE SURE THE DR. YOU SEE KNOWS ABOUT LAMICTAL AND THE SIDE EFFECTS! THE MEDS SHOULD BE STOPPED IF YOU GET A RASH. NOT ACNE, BUT AN ACTUAL RASH, LIKE HIVES OR ANYTHING THAT APPEARS TO BE A RASH! BE SURE YOU SEE A DR. WHO KNOWS ALL ABOUT LAMICTAL OR WILL AT LEAST READ UP ON IT. I HAD ONE TRIP TO THE E.R. (BECAUSE MY DR. WAS NOT AVAILABLE AND HAD NO BACKUP) ABOUT TERRIBLE SEVERE SIDE EFFECTS OF LITHIUM I WAS ON AT THE TIME AND HE DIDN'T KNOW S--T ABOUT LITHIUM, I WAS TREATED TERRIBLE BY THE NURSES AND I JUST GOT UP AND WALKED OUT. THEY BILLED MEDICARE $958 FOR MY 2 MINUTES WITH THE DOCTOR. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE HOSPITAL AND GOT NO RESPONSE WHATSOEVER. IF THIS EVER HAPPENS AGAIN, I WILL NOT GO TO THE E.R., BUT TO AN URGENT CARE CLINIC. EDUCATE YOURSELF! DON'T JUST HANG OUT THERE IN THE WIND, WONDERING....

I started Lamicatal May 19th, 2005. I was warned by my doctor of dangerous rash and itching. If so, stop taking medication, call him if not too bad that I need to call 911 to go to the hospital. On my print out from the CVS pharmacy is clearly stated: Serious (sometimes fatal) skin rashes have occured while using this medicine. Immediately notify your doctor if you develop any type of rash. If this medicine is the cause of the rash, the medicine must be stopped. Even after stopping this medicine. It is still possible for the rash to cause permanent or life-threatening scarring along with other problems.

Possible Side Effects:
drowsiness, trouble sleeping, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, muscle aches, double vision, blurred vision, fatigue, weakness, headache, shakiness, or clumsiness.

Symptoms of an Allergic Reaction include:
rash, itching, hives, fever, swollen glands, swelling of the lips or tongue, painful sores in the mouth or around the eyes, severe dizziness, or trouble breathing.

Symptoms of Overdose:
may include unusual dizziness, serve headache, unusual sleepiness, involuntary eye movements, and loss of consciousness.

I starting itching really bad the second day on the medication. To the point I had huge bruises allover me. I got a spurt of energy that I have not had in several years the second night but not since then. I can't go to sleep at night. Even taking 6 Tylenol PM and a Klonapin I don't get sleepy until around 9 to 100am in the morning and then I sleep all day long. I have started to have frequent headaches, suspious bumps around my mouth area. My muscles ache, too. It is Memorial day weekend so I can't call my doctor but I am going to on Tuesday. I have (MDD) Major Depression Disorder, Manic Depression, (TRD) Treatment Resistent Disorder. Nothing I have taken thus far has helped me with my depression.

Does anyone have first hand knowledge on ECT treatment? I am seriouly considering this procedure. I am desperate but I have no insurance or money because I haven't be able to work for 9 years now. This is the only thing that has kept me from getting the ECT treatments, is money! I have contacted every Talk show, hospital, clinical trials and no luck in finding free help with ECT.

Any ideas, guidance or suggestions would be most appreciated, I am dire to get help soon or I won't make it.
Sincerely,
Lost Hope