| Rating | Reason | Side Effects | Comments | Sex | Age | Time Taken
and Dosage | | Date Added |
  | | | | F M | | | | |
Change sort order by clicking arrow under column heading.
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| 2 | Bipolar/PTSD | At 300mg: dry patches on skin, HAIR LOSS, mild/moderate vaginal irritation, itchy scalp and face, dizzy "buzz" when taken, weird, random tingles in hands, throbbing eyeball. Down At 200mg: just dry patches on skin, mild/moderate vaginal irritation, and HAIR LOSS. Down at 100mg/day: too soon to tell | Lamictal DID HELP my mental state markedly, but I am scared by the side effects. BTW, pdoc suggested using "Nioxin" shampoo etc. to help stop hair loss; too soon to say if it helps. Only other med I take is xanax. | F | 26 | 1.5 months
300mg 1X D | | 7/28/2010
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1 | Autism/Anxiety | Extreme manic-like appetite during menstrual period, weight gain, imsonnia, scared of the dark, acne, ticks, increased heart rate (90+), increased anxiety/perseveration, increase defiance | Daughter is diagnosed as Autism/MR, can't communicate effectively but these are the symptoms she has experienced. The increase in anxiety can also be described as perseveration/routine needs. Defiance has increased, very sneaky and smart in finding ways to keep parents busy so that she can get to food. Autism is not a clea diagnosis, so much that doctors think she might have LKS instead. Very active, using walking, excercise to overcome weight gain | F | 19 | 2 months
50 1X D | | 7/28/2010
| 3 | mood / depression | originally better sleep; over time, major weight gain; sluggishness | Originally worked my way up to 300 mg / day .. .this helped tremendously to stabilize my mood as well allow me to get restorative sleep that helped with other issues with joint and connective tissue disease. After several months realized that i had gained weight and my toned stomach and legs turned to jelly. Typically, I've always been a thin person and this felt like it really changed my personna and made me feel sluggish. Couldn't get the energy to work out, etc. Ended up cutting back to 100 / 200 depending. Now, I don't get the restorative sleep but some of the weight has started to come off. I also went back on my 40 mg/prozac a day. Cumulatively, the lamictal just made me feel more depressed. | F | 53 | 4 months
100 2X D | | 7/25/2010
| 3 | Bipolar | I feel dizzy, not energetic, monotone, my memory is not so sharp and I have trouble focusing. Over all it has kept me very stable and worked but I do not want to deal with these side affects for my whole life. Everyone is different though. | | F | 19 | 3 years
100mg 1X D | | 7/21/2010
| 5 | seizures | After 14 years, I have few side effects. Memory loss is one. I am sketchy on the inconsequential childhood experiences, although I remember the big incidents. Much loss of inconsequential memories generally. Short term memory somewhat effected, although it is much worse now that I am 48 years old but I think that is periomenopause and not the drug. I am sure there were some side effects 14 years ago, but I am very happy with Lamictal. When I accidentally double a dosage (happened 3 times in 14 years), I get very dizzy and disoriented. I weigh 120 at 5'6" so no weight issues, sleep fine, no bad dreams, | This drug has saved my life. I have not had a grand mal in 14 years and very small break through seizures with just red spots in my vision, everyone comments on how calm I am all the time, I can live my life with joy and well-being, and I am a happy person. I am so grateful for this drug because it gave me my life back. | F | 48 | 14 years
300mg 2X D | | 7/20/2010
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| 5 | Treatment Resistant Depression | Headache daily, dizziness and a little nausea the first few days. | Even though I am on a small dosage, I can honestly feel it working already. I have treatment resistant depression and I am taking this along with Lexapro and Wellbutrin. My doc is upping me to 50mg per day next week. Already I am feeling more awake, alive, motivated, clear thinking, and less hopeless and sad. I have had the munchies pretty bad, sort of like PMS cravings, but I hope those go away in time. It's not bad enough to make me want to stop taking it. A few people have told me I seem "better" since I started on Lamictal. I hope it's everything I was looking for and I can get on with my life finally. | F | 33 | 10 days
25 1X D | | 7/20/2010
| 4 | Mood Disorder, depression | MEMORY LOSS. Some Long term but mostly Short Term. I CAN NOT remember anything. I can not believe memory loss is not listed as a side affect. | other than memory loss, I feel the drug is working somewhat. I am also taking a low dosage of zoloft. | M | 41 | 1 years
150 1X D | | 7/19/2010
| 4 | Bipolar I | During the first year I experienced an increase sex drive & sudden waves of intense euphoria. In the last three months I increased my dosage to 200mg from 100mg. Now I started to lose my short term memory --which was already bad. I have problems coming up with the right words, I studder, and within an hour of taking it I get crazy drugged up. I see double and stumble and I have to be helped to bed. The latter only happens right before I go to bed the next day I have no problem with vision or motor functions. | Lamictal was the best drug I've ever taken. It made me happier and calm. It didn't matter what was going on I was happy and able to deal with anything that got thrown my way. Later I got put on Seroquel EX, instead of the imeddiate release and I started to cycle low. At that point I increased my Lamictal and I'm getting side effects for the first time. | F | 26 | 18 weeks
200 1X D | | 7/19/2010
| 4 | depression bi polar mood swings | none | did the job, no side effects. helped but not cured depression, no mania anymore, excellent drug. i have been told 600 mg is way too high a dosage by other dr. i am afraid to go to lower dose since all is well on 600 | M | 63 | 3 days
200mg 3X D | | 7/15/2010
| 1 | to treat mood disorder | WHILE TAKING THIS MEDICINE FOR A PERIOD OF THREE WEEKS, MY HAIR HAS FALLEN TO AN ALARMING CONCERN. IT HAPPENED SUDDEN AND I KNOW IT WAS THE MEDICATION, I AM NOT TAKING ANYTHING DIFFERENT AT THIS TIME. THERE ARE NO WORDS TO DESCRIBE WHAT A TERRIBLE FEELING THIS IS. IT IS WORSE THAN HAVING A MOOD DISORDER. A PILL SO POWERFUL TO ACTUALLY LEAVE YOU BALD, IF NOT STOPPED. I AM SCREAMING OUT TO YOU WOMEN TAKING IT. SHOULD YOU FIND A FEW HAIRS HERE AND THERE, HAVE YOUR EYE OUT. BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, IT'S AWFUL. HONESTLY, HAD I KNOWN THAT THIS WAS ONE BIG SIDE EFFECT, I WOULD OF THOUGHT ABOUT IT. ALL THAT YOU HEAR IS ABOUT "THE RASH"/ NOT....THIS IS A LIVING HELL EXPERIENCE THAT ONLY GOD WILL HELP ME WITH. | | F | 38 | 3 weeks
100mg 1X D | | 7/11/2010
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| 5 | BiPolar 1/Personality disorder | The only side effects I experienced was the acne and I did notice slight short term memory loss=at a loss for words--word was on tip of tongue but couldn't remember, or transposing words, might have been some constipation in the beginning. Both have not happened after about a month of increasing dosage to 200mg a day.
I was able to remedy the acne that with LOTS of water (68-70oz a day) and Mary Kay Blemish Toner and Mary Kay Acne Treatment Gel. No Hair thinning.
| THIS DRUG HAS MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD. Before taking Lamotrigine I took Wellbutrin 300XL mg 1x a day for about 4 years. I was still weepy and obsessed over negative thoughts, I just thought this was the way I was inherently and could never change. I needed to go to a new MD because of insurance and he diagnosed me as having cyclical personality disorder and the mildest form of Bi-Polar disorder. This drug has helped me tremendously and would try anything to KEEP taking it. I haven't cried since taking it; find it a bit easier to let things go. The only negative I experienced I had is the cystic acne, but seems to subside over time, drinking LOTS of water and changing my skin regiment. I have always had beautiful skin without any effort, so the acne really bothered me. But this pill has done such wonders for me that I didn't want to abandon it, especially since it has not affected my weight. When I first started using the Mary Kay products I used the toner 3x a day and applied the acne gel after. I was able to get rid of a blemish after only 2 days of using the Mary Kay. I do not sell Mary Kay, I am only giving this information for those who might have the same experience.
| F | 38 | 3 months
200 1X D | | 7/10/2010
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| 4 | mood stablizer | No significant side effects. | Major consideration for me is weight gain. I have had NO significant weight gain on Lamictal. Works good. | F | 33 | 2 years
200 1X D | | 7/3/2010
| 5 | Biploar II | None. | After suffering for six years with "refactory depression" my current pdoc recognized signs of bipolar II and prescribed lamictal. Within three days I felt SANE! The suicidal ruminations, anger and irritability vanished. I can now think CLEARLY and I'm beginning to experience real emotions again. For years I had been experiencing emotional instability that was attributed to a personality disorder, but after taking Wellbutrin for the first time I began rapid cycling and my doc figured it out. Not a happy pill like some AD's, but I will take normal any day. | M | 38 | 21 days
50 1X D | | 7/2/2010
| 3 | bi-polar | I was on 100mg and all I would do is eat. I would wake up in the night to get food. I ended up gaining 40 pounds and was so depressed I didn't leave the house for months. The solution I came up with was to cut the dosage in half, not eat junk food and exercise often. | | F | 38 | 2 years
50 1X D | | 7/2/2010
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| 5 | mood stabilizer | Sanity | I LOVE lamictal. I have tried other medications and after HORRIBLE side effects the docs put me on this. I have never felt better in my life! I ran out of insurance due to losing a job and had to go off of it. It was then that I saw what it really does for me. (withdrawals are a b*$@h, as was the rearing up of the mood disorder)Fortunately, I was quickly employed and after adjusting back to my dose, I was sane again. I LOVE lamictal and am actually scared of going off of it when I plan to get pregnant. (Studies are unclear about effects in-utero)I know not everything works for everyone, after all none of the other meds I tried worked for me...but I am BEYOND pleased with Lamictal. | F | 29 | 5 years
100MG 1X D | | 7/1/2010
| 2 | Bi-Polar II | "Running hot", extreme sensitivity to being hot (though it is the summer, may be less tolerant than others), poor concentration, re-occurrence of bad memories upon going to sleep or rising, smelly farts (I can deal with...sort of), some bladder problems. | Trying Lamictal as a replacement for 750 mg Depakote once daily in the evening. Was trying to get rid of weight gain. Was at 168 lbs and the extra weight was causing a slight borderline increase in liver enzymes. Proper weight should be around 155 lbs. When I discontinued Depakote, I lost weight down to a fluctuating 155 to 158 lbs.
Also taking now, as before, 200 mg Wellbutrin once daily in the morning. | M | 43 | 21 days
100 mg 1X D | | 6/27/2010
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| 2 | partial seizers | Sever yeast infections. I am a forty year old women that has never had a yeast infection until I started taking lamictal. Short term memory loss, can't think of what im going to say, cant think of peoples names, vived dreams, want to cry all the time and I get mad easly. I fell like I am lossing my mind. | I want to go off this medication and try a different one as soon as possible. I am scared to try a new drug, because I am afraid that my seizers will get worse. I had a seizer while I was driving with my son in the car. I had to wait three months before I could drive again. I have a huge fear of it happening agian. I work full time as a teachers aid, I am scared the side effects are going to effect my job, and or have a seizer at school. I don't know if I will be able to drive if I try a new medication. I have partial seizers when I am sleeping, and I have had two where my whole body seizes. | F | 40 | 4 months
150mg 1X D | | 6/20/2010
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| 2 | Bipolar/depression | Extremely suicidal, very itchy when I,m trying to relax, NO sex drive!, extremely irritable, can't focus, leg muscles very sore, major weight gain, increased appetite, lightening in my head constantly | I have only been taking Lamictal 6 weeks or so and I don't know if I haven't given it enough time or if it just isn't working. I was taking 200mg of Zoloft and sleeping my life away. Now I'm awake but I'm constantly thinking about suicide. I started out at 50mg daily, then went to 100 mg daily and now I've toned it back to 50mg daily. I'm going to try and take myself off of all medications and see if I even remember who I was to begin with. The lightening bolts going off in my head is too much for me to handle. I have a wonderful daughter and she is helping through all of this. At one time every female in my family was taking some kind of anti-depressant medication. Now the only one left is me. I just want to feel like a person again. Will not take any more drugs to make me FEEL better!! | F | 47 | 6 weeks
50mg 1X D | | 6/16/2010
| 5 | Epilepsy | Memory loss, hair thinning, rare bone crushing headache at night, loose train of thought easier, slightly dizzy when eyes closed. | Only had seizures at night - I think about 3 or 4 (memory loss). One when I tried weaning off. I've been attributing the hair thinning and memory loss to aging, but after reading these posts I'm not sure. The hair thinning is not too bad (yet) but worry some. Memory loss bothers me a lot though. My short term is getting pretty bad. The couple of headaches I've had (only at night while sleeping - like the seizures) were so bad I thought my head was going to explode, but I haven't had one like that for a few years - thank God. I have had severe joint pain, but was finally diagnosed with RA about 6 years ago. I never know what to attribute to Lamictal (generic for the past 2-3 years) vs age, etc. Over all I've been very happy with it. I agree with another "poster" who mentions that most people doing well with this drug probably don't check this web site, but I'm glad I finally did. A great forum! | M | 50 | 10 years
200 mg 2X D | | 6/15/2010
| 3 | | Switched from Keppra to Lamictal 5 moths ago. Similar side effects, such as neck pain and sexual dysfunction(not inability, just less pleasureful). a slight boost emotionally, but my lifes problems still cause depression. Some suicidal thoughts, no rash or unusual itching. I really have no complaints. Take Lamotrigine(generic). | | M | 56 | 150 days
100 2X D | | 6/15/2010
| 4 | depression, anxiety | none so far. | started at 25mg then fifty, now 100 for 1 week so far. I think I'm a bit more calm, more focused/relaxed. I have suffered for years and NOTHING has worked. The side effects of past perscriptions were horrible. I am really hoping and praying this is the one. | M | 53 | 1 months
100mg 1X D | | 6/14/2010
| 4 | seizures | memory loss,spacey, loss of appetite. | | F | 57 | 15 days
300 3X D | | 6/2/2010
| 5 | atypical rapid cycle bipolar | worsened short term memory loss, worsened stutter, worsened difficulty finding words, worsened trouble focusing, increase in acne problems. | In November 2008, I was diagnosed with atypical rapid cycling bipolar disorder, non-combat related PTSD, panic disorder w/o agoraphobia, rape trauma disorder, ADHD combined type, and hypersexual behavior. The shrink put me on Celexa and Seroquel. The Seroquel began to help immediately, but the Celexa took a few weeks to kick in. The Celexa helped with the depression for a few months, but I still had manic episodes and pretty bad mood swings. Eventually it stopped working all together causing panic attacks. After I started having psychotic episodes, my shrink switched me to Lamictal. The FIRST DAY I started noticing the difference. I was calmer and happier. After a few weeks, the mood swings had gone from 7-15 a day to once or twice every few days. The panic attacks tapered off, and my nightmares tapered off. Lamictal did decrease my sex drive, but I saw it as more of a blessing. Since I began taking Lamictal, I now have a NORMAL healthy sex drive. I'm not driven to risky sexual behavior that was dangerous not only to my physical health but to my relationships. This medication has helped me tremendously. | M | 23 | 10 months
75 mg 1X D | | 5/26/2010
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| 5 | Major depression / dysthymia | None so far. My doc says she has been using this since the mid-90s and she's never had any complaints of side effects. It's hard to believe that some of the recurring side effects I've seen on here are not real, because I've been told before that a medicine wasn't causing a particular side effect when I knew it was. But, in her experience she claims no side effects. So that's a positive. We'll see. | I'm taking the starter pack. Just finished my 25 mg two week dose and started today on 50 mg. I have suffered from depression for years, and have tried everything. I re-ordered these posts so that I only saw the 5 star ratings, and it has given me some hope. Thus far, I feel no effects, but that doesn't bother me. I understand it might take awhile. I'm at a really low state right now, so I'm hoping like crazy for some relief. I'm making a promise to update this post every two weeks for the next two months, and then periodically after that if I'm still on it. If I start to feel positive effects, I'll update sooner! Fingers crossed, I feel like this is my last resort. I'm glad it's prescribed for treatment resistant depression, because if it was just another anti-d, I would have little hope. I'm rating it a 5, because if it does what I'm hoping, it will be a miracle drug to me. | M | 33 | 2 weeks
50 MG 1X D | | 5/26/2010
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| 5 | Depression | A little sleepy sometimes. Very easy to fall asleep at night. Easy to nap. | This drug stabilizes my mood without major side effects. A minor one for me is sometimes I get a little sleepy. Not sure if this is the drug or poor sleep hygiene. The side effects are therefore very mild. I am not carefree, but I can cope. I don't sink so low anymore. | M | 47 | 6 months
150 1X D | | 5/25/2010
| 1 | bipolar depression | none | took with effexor had no reaction good or bad | F | 48 | 2 years
200mg 1X D | | 5/25/2010
| 1 | bi- polar | Frequent depression, headaches, nausea, and an overall feeling of anxiety and sadness.
I became preoccupied with how I was feeling . I believe that I felt better only when I was able to overcome the drug's effects through my own determination. Sometimes though I just crashed into a tearful, despairing individual. It was awful. Doc's solution, raise dosage. This went on for several years. | This is a very toxic drug. On two occasions I took 2 in the am (200mg) by mistake and became severely ill. Tried to crawl into bed, vomited all over, and could not pick up the phone to call for help. Finally was able to stand and hoist myself into bed. I remained until I could function enough to clean up. This was just 100 mg extra in the am. If I became so sick from just that, what was the drug doing to my body on a day to day basis? I weaned myself off of it finally and am starting to feel human. Still taking zoloft 100 mg. Would not recommend this. I am disappointed that the doctors didn't go along with me on this. After a couple of years I did it slowly. | F | 67 | 5 years
100 3X D | | 5/23/2010
| 1 | bipolar | weight loss, headache, insomnia, hypomania, anorgasmia, severe headaches with orgasm, muscle aches, severe cognitive impairment | I had not experienced significant manic symptoms for over 20 years. After starting lamictal, I had 4 hypomanic episodes within 6 months, then crashed into bad depression. Did not notice any positive effects. Withdrawal has been difficult. 6 months after my last dose, I am still experiencing brain flashes. Pdoc put me on lithium to counteract the manias, so the cognitive impairment could have been from lamictal, lithium or both. It was extreme. I was tutoring my daughter on her math SAT. When I took the practice exam myself, I could not score above 440. Now that I've withdrawn, I'm back up in the mid 700s. It was more than just memory loss. I am in school now, and was getting As until I started on meds. I could not learn new concepts. The effects of this medication on me have been scary, and I'm beginning to wonder if I will ever get my normal self back. It also scares me that so many pdocs are not informed about the possible negative side-effects of this drug. | F | 52 | 1 years
100-200mg 1X D | | 5/21/2010
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| 4 | mood stabilizer | not any that I can remember | Has made a major change in my life. | F | 45 | 2 years
150 MG 1X D | | 5/20/2010
| 4 | Bipolar | Insomnia and DIFFICULTY Concentrating, poor short-term memory, | This med has really helped with my mood swings, but I work with computers and I need to focus. I can't remember where I put my glasses...ooppss, there're on my face. | M | 45 | 13 months
400mg 1X D | | 5/18/2010
| 3 | Bipolar I | Constepation, insomnia, acne, terrible memory, weight gain, hair loss, red bumps on chest, headaches | It's okay. I mean, I still feel the shifts in my bipolar. But I'm probably not as crazy as I would be without it so yeah, it's chill, fo' sho'. | F | 16 | 3 years
200mg 1X D | | 5/17/2010
| 3 | Bipolar 1 with Psychosis | Dry mouth (going away), word recall problems, stuttering | I'm reserving judgement on it as we are still titrating it up and I'm not sure what dose I'll wind up on. The dry mouth is getting better, we'll see about the other side effects. It's hard to say whether it helps as other med changes have been required at the same time | M | 48 | 4 weeks
100 1X D | | 5/14/2010
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| 1 | Bipolar Depression | Hair loss, cystic acne, facial/neck paresthesia/pain, insomnia, tachycardia, anxiety, memory loss, inorgasmia, vaginal dryness. | Insomnia was almost immediate, was placed on Ambien to "resolve" that side effect. Pain, pins and needles in my face and neck on the 2nd day, acne started on 2nd day (I've always had the clearest skin) on my face, back and shoulders. I felt like someone plugged me into an outlet, totally wired. All side effects increased in severity as my dose was increased. I trusted this psychiatrist with my condition and was told the side effects I had were unheard of, that they were all symptoms/manifestations of my condition. My sex drive was gradually decreased to nothing, this was blamed on depression. I developed tachycardia that made it necessary to be placed on a beta blocker. I feel this medication has side effects should not be disregarded. I wouldn't want anyone to go through the hell I was in all year and have their experience dismissed by a professional the way did. I went from functional to existing. -Have been tapering myself off it very gradually... all side effects are resolving. I've never felt better or more grateful to have my mind and body back.
I'd love to know who the pharmaceutical company paid off to play down these very real side effects.
I'm down to 100mg daily: I am off the beta blocker, on half the dose of Ambien. All side effects are decreasing as dose decreases. I'm so grateful to have my life back. | F | 38 | 1 years
100mg 2X D | | 5/13/2010
| 4 | Bipolar 1 rapid rage depression | was good at first, now my rage and depression is coming back, but that could be due to counseling and things coming to the surface. took double dose by accident and had extremely rapid eye movement and could not walk with out falling or hitting walls; very scary; was unable to focus on anything. took me 5 minutes to text work to call in sick. if i had been driving, i would be dead now, as well as my husband. BE VERY CAREFUL WITH THIS DRUG. was told that my dose is pretty high. | | | 36 |
450 1X D | | 5/12/2010
| 4 | Biploar Type II | Short term memory loss, confusion, EXTREME sensitivity to both hot and cold temperatures, especially hot. | Even with the side eddects, Lamictal has definitely improved my Bipolar symptoms and so far I am satisfied with this medication. | F | 20 | 3 weeks
50 MG 1X D | | 5/12/2010
| 4 | BiPolar II | Weight loss, which seems rare. I remain 40lbs down from my life-long "husky" weight(now at the impossible recommended BMI). At 45, I am not complaining.
I also lost my appetite. I forget to eat breakfast and/or lunch. If I am preoccupied, the hunger just goes away. This is especially true if I am very stressed. The stomach just knots up closed. My weight does not seem to be affected by what I eat.
CANNOT CONCENTRATE OR FOCUS! Horrible! Misspelling words, forgetful, it takes me forever to write a work email. As I write this, I am supposed to be finishing a work assignment.
Insomnia is random, sporadic, and comes in 3-4 night cycles. I need to kill the cycle with a sleeping pill on day one. If I am up after 11, it is hard to fall sleep, and I've gone from a hard sleeper to a light sleeper. I even remember my dreams now.
Alcohol headaches! More than 2 drinks, and I get a shooting pain right above my left eye. Every time. It's like a sharp needle. And sometimes a bad han | This medicine, combined with Welbutrin (300MG), has made a huge difference with my BiPolar II. I've maxed out the dosage, so I am hoping this will work forever. | M | 45 | 1.5 years
400MG 1X D | | 5/11/2010
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| 4 | Frontal Lobe Seizures | I have experienced since I have been taking this medicine a number of side effects. For the first 3 weeks I was very nausiated with the medication, that passed thank goodness! Now I have vivid dreaming/nightmares, itching 4-5 hours after taking medicine like ant or fleas biting me, trouble sleeping and staying asleep, loss of sex drive, depression, irritability, weight gain, and my face is breaking out really bad. | Lamictal has been great for my seizures! since I have been taking Lamictal, there have been four different times that I felt a seizure coming on and it never progressed. I have not ever been prescribed any other medication for my seizures so I am not confident that another medication will work for controlling my seizures and eliminating the side effects. | F | 38 | 1.5 months
100 MG 1X D | | 5/10/2010
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| 1 | Supposed bipolar 1 | Insomnia, SLEEP eating. People talk abt gaining weight. I think it's because we eat in our sleep. I can't keep any food in my kitchen bc j attack my food! Sounds funny but it really sucks! I've gained like 15 pounds!!!! I have also noticed memory loss...haven't noticed any change in my mood. Getting off this pain in the ass drug | | F | 27 | 1 years
200mg 1X D | | 5/10/2010
| 3 | | | | M | 36 |
1X D | | 5/6/2010
| 5 | Bipolar II | Nothing major | I was really ill - 3 hospital admissions in total and loads of day care. Lamotrigine really turned things around. I was more depressed than manic and it was definitely good for the depressive symptoms. NOTHING else worked as well. I am now off Lamotrigine as trying for a baby and have managed to remain stable, but would go on it again if symptoms worsened. | F | 32 | 7 years
400mg 1X D | | 5/3/2010
| 4 | bipolar ll | Short term memory loss, trouble spelling, forgetfulness, stomach
ache, bleeding easily, sores in mouth, mild rashes, acne. These
are usually mild and most go away after a couple months. | I have taken and quit this med at least four different times. My
reason for quitting were bad sores in my mouth and bleeding. It
says that these are signs of a bad reaction to the med. The reason I keep going back to it is it stabilizes my mood and helps with the depression. It will pull me out of a depression
and help with the negative obcessive thoughts and ruminations.
I will continue to take this med until the side effects get too
bad and then stop and start again at a later date. It is one of
the only two true mood stabilizers. | M | 61 | 40 days
50 mg. 1X D | | 4/27/2010
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| 1 | Borderline personality disorder/ | Some weight gain. Major anxiety. constantly feeling very aggrivated/impulsive/irational. insomnia. Lazyness. feelings of being scared, and sad, and angry. | I was prescribed lamictal for my anxiety and infrequent manic episodes, and also was told that it would help me sleep. I've been feeling more nervous on this medication then i was feeling before i was on it. i've also been acting crazy sometimes and i still have insomnia. i started out at 25mg and now im up to 400. my doctor just keeps on telling me that reason why i still dont feel "good" is because im not at the right dose yet, and that he wants to continue to increase it. but i feel like, if i havent seen any improvement at all, and im at 400 already - then maybe i shouldnt be taking it. in any case, i wouldnt reccomend this medication to anyone (but just cuz its bad for me, doesnt mean it will be bad for you). it has made me get into a of fights with the people who im closest to, and it has ended up ruining many of those relationships. | F | 22 | 2 years
400 mg 1X D | | 4/22/2010
| 4 | Bipolar 1 | Dry mouth, "floaty" feeling, and a welcome calmness. | I am also taking Cymbalta, Tramadol and Synthroid. I can't tell much about Lamictal as I have only taken 25 mg per day from the starter pack for 6 days now. I can tell you that it has made me very calm! I will update this after a little more time. | M | 53 | 6 days
1X D | | 4/20/2010
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| 2 | Bipolar | I've taken Lamictal for 9 yrs and have experienced: weight gain (50 pounds), memory loss, sleeplessness, anxiety, phobias, and continued depression. Why do doctors think it's better to give up mania but they don't care about depression, weight gain and memory loss? I never miss taking my meds - however, I'm demanding they change me to something else. I have tried combinations including: Cymbalta, Effexor, Abilify, Depokote, Wellbutrin and a ton of others I can't remember or spell! Again, no memory! | I've been taking Lamical for 9 years and over the past three years things have started to go bad - especially my memory. Can't remember names or how to spell simple words. Big loss in concentration. I feel like I'm floating and at times I feel a heaviness to my body. WEIGHT GAIN! I've gained over 50 pounds since I started taking Lamictal. If that doesn't make a person depressed, nothing will. BTW, 200 mg of Selenium for 3 weeks will stop hair loss. 1000/2000 mg of Omega 3 will stop dry eye and dry skin (won't hurt you, check it out). Now I'm becoming phobic. At times I'm afraid to drive, look in mirrors and leave my house. In case you're wondering, my shrink doesn't think this is bad enough to take me off or change meds. I have a hard time falling asleep and when I do I sleep only a few hours and have very vivid dreams. I've taken 10 to 20 mg of Ambien every night for 10 years (doctor ordered)! So, here's my suggestion: For a week or two, keep a journal of your habits, thoughts, mood, memory loss - times of day you experience these - whatever you want to measure, read over it every now and then to see if you're getting better or worse. Use it as your own gage to your mental health and talk with your doctor, family and friends to see if they are seeing the same behavior. Without a journal it'll be difficult to remember what you want to talk with your doctor about. Doing this has helped me build a case to stop taking Lamictal and become an active participant in my care. | F | 49 | 9 years
400 mg 2X D | | 4/16/2010
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| 4 | seizures | loss 20 lbs,dizziness,memory loss,hard time concentrating, slight hair loss(hope this stops) | i love it alot fewer side effects that other seizures medications | F | 37 | 3 months
100mg 2X D | | 4/8/2010
| 3 | major depression/bipolar | first 16 months on 150mg, felt great then suicidal,stopped it for a few months, now on 200mg for the last six weeks, I have very significant pins and needles in my hands and wrists whenever I lay down or watch TV in a comfortable position, it is a disturbing feeling even as I am typing now I have pins and needles in my fourth toe. Other than that no noticeable physical side effects. | The first time I was given Lamictal in hospital it seemed to be very effective almost immediately I was stable and functionning well for over a year ( except since that time I started to smoke like a chimney, I was a little smoker previously) then came stressful events and I went down very quickly, suicidal I stopped everything except Seroquel 100mg at night, I got better without medicine against my doctor's advice. Then nine months ago, I was very panicky and fearful, again i was prescribed Lamictal 150mg and I picked up a bit (with Seroquel and Pristic) now I am low again I have been increased to 200mg and 400mg Seroquel 100mg Pristic; I have anxiety, I am self centered and preoccupied, I am now trying to convince myself that I always had a personality disorder I also gained 10 pounds( maybe Seroquel), I want to be lethargic all day and forget the things I need to do, just want to read and watch late night movies, almost scared to venture in the fresh air. I have been treated since 21 years and have been on many things so many I can't recall them including Lithium for a long time. I have almost lost faith in psychiatric drugs, I believe now that they become ineffective after a while (up to a year), then they get lost in the washing cycle of the brain. Naturally I am only speaking for myself, perhaps what I experience is another experience of normality only very twisted as some vegetals in nature can be and this is not a illness. | F | 53 | 9 months
100MG 2X D | | 4/8/2010
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| 4 | Bipolar II | initially extreme nausea, lost 10 pounds in two weeks. lately i've been very hungry. Also was put on zoloft, so I'm not sure. But weight gain is seriously concerning me. I've gained 3 pounds in 2 days. Usually tired. | WAY less mood swings. But when I do get mad, far more violent, yet not as long. Sometimes I feel like a zombie. I'm happy because my boyfriend and I are able to get along better, and I'm far more reasonable. | F | 20 | 3 weeks
50 mg 1X D | | 4/7/2010
| 3 | Mood swings, depression, anxiety | short term memory loss, nervousness, stumbling over words, trouble recalling words, loss of train of thought, hair loss, acne, became intoxicated very easily | Initially I thought this drug was helping me but after about 6 months I returned to writing and found it extremely hard to concentrate, recall words and hold conversations with people. I felt very dumb compared to my old self. Would get hiper sometimes out of nowhere. Got a new pimple every day and never before this had I experienced acne. You cannot drink on this drug and it is very expensive if you don't have insurance. Cons outweigh benefits. | F | 26 | 11 months
300 MG 1X D | | 4/6/2010
| 4 | Ultradian Cycling Bipolar | The decrease in sex drive (i.e. no sex drive at all) is one of the worst side effects I have experienced. I have to take Levitra (40mg to 60mg) just to hold an erection for any amount of time.
I am also borderline DPD (Dissociative Personality Disorder) with anti social (sociopathic) tenancies, PTSD, and low grade Schizophrenia. I have to take 400mg to 600mg of Seroquel (an atypical anti psychotic) a night just to keep myself functioning.
I don't know if I am experiencing hair loss because I have been slowly loosing my hair since I was 16. I randomly break out in extremely dry skin (especially on my face and scalp), and I have outbreaks of red spots all over my torso almost monthly. That lasts for a few days, but there hasn't been any negative effects from that. It also has caused me insomnia. | Over all, this medication has saved my life. My Mood cycles cycle extremely (and I do mean extremely) fast. I documented 52 Major mood shifts in a 10 hour period before I started taking this medication. I still cycle, but it has slowed down a lot. I now only cycle once or twice a week now. Randomly I do start cycling fast again, but those only last a few days to a week at most, and these episodes only happen once or twice every 2 months. I continue to document my mood swings, hallucinations, and flash backs (PTSD) almost religiously as to help with my ongoing therapy.
I was deployed to Iraq for 16 months, and again to Afghanistan for 12 months while I was in the Army. My symptoms started worsening during and after both deployments. My combat experience was extensive, and I continue to cope with a lot of what I saw/did. The Lamictal also helped a lot with my nightmares and flashbacks.
All in all, this medication saved me from suicide and from violence in the civilian world. The pros have outweighed the cons and I like this medication. | M | 24 | 3 years
400mg 1X D | | 4/2/2010
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| 5 | Trigeminal Neuralgia | None. | This drug has saved my life. I have literally tried dozens of different medications for horrific nerve pain in the face (trigeminal neuralgia) due to a brain tumor and this is the only one that has worked so well with NO side effects. I was so scared to start taking it because of the possibility of a rash, but I'm glad I gave it a chance. I titrated on to it VERY slowly starting at 12.5 MG and now after 3 months I am up to 100 MG which is working well so I plan to stay at that dose unless I need to increase it. I was also scared of hair loss and acne, neither of which I've gotten. In fact, I had a slight hormonal acne problem before lamictal which ironically has completely cleared up since taking the lamictal! Maybe a coincidence but who knows. I'm am just so grateful that it is working for my pain. | F | 25 | 3 months
50 2X D | | 3/31/2010
| 3 | Bipolar II/Rapid Cycling | Serious difficulty focusing my eyes when reading or typing. I’m in grad school and enjoy reading but the constant struggle to see made reading miserable. Drug worked well to soften the depressive parts of the cycle and it took the edge off of the manic peaks, but did nothing for reduce anxiety. I was tense ALL the time and had difficulty falling asleep. Usually I can get up and out the door quickly but since taking the drug getting out of bed in the morning is EXTREMELY difficult. My body just doesn’t cooperate the first time around. | Worst side-effect is WEIGHT GAIN. I am very active, work-out 4-5 times a week and eat a super healthy diet. I never had trouble managing weight before so when my weight started to creep up as soon as I got on the drug I was worried. Ironically I had a lot more energy to exercise, but despite an even more rigorous routine I still couldn’t lose a single pound, no matter what I did. Before if I gain a little weight over the holidays I was always able to easily shed it in a few weeks. Since September 2009 I gained 13pounds! I’m off the drug now and looking for other alternatives. Overall I was happy with this med, but constant weight gain is a deal breaker for me. | F | 26 | 6 months
100 1X D | | 3/31/2010
| 1 | Convulsive disorder | I started taking Lamictal so I could get off Valproic which cause weight gain. My hair has been falling out for 3 months. I'm almost completely bald. Thanks. | DON'T GO ON THIS DRUG. I should have been more weary about a drug that can cause life threatening rashes... | F | 28 | 1 months
3X D | | 3/25/2010
| 4 | Epilepsy | Initially-HORRIFIC acne, CRAZY dreams, intense migraines, severe depression. 6 mo. later-mild acne, some weight gain, stable moods & ( most importantly )seizure free! | worst depression i've ever experienced when i first started taking it. not to mention acne was AWFUL (we're talking worse than teen years x10). increasing the dosage over time was a bitch, but now that i've reached my correct level it is helping a lot! no seizures and balanced moods! so while it may suck initially, it gets better with time :) | F | 21 | 6 months
200XR 1X D | | 3/22/2010
| 1 | mood stabilizer | tired all day long,nausea...etc.. afraid to come off of it.. i have heard it has bad withdrawl symptoms | | F | 30 | 8 months
35mg 1X D | | 3/18/2010
| 5 | rapid-cycling bipolar type II | None | Extremely effective as a mood stabilizer. Very good in combination with a low dosage of klonopin for anxiety | M | 43 | 2 years
200 2X D | | 3/16/2010
| 3 | Bipolar Depression | HORRIBLE Memory Loss, forgetfulness, can't concentrate. | While it's definitely helped with the depression, the amount that it has affected my memory and concentration has made going back to college and into the medical field, difficult and scary for me. | F | 25 | 1.5 years
150mg 1X D | | 3/13/2010
| 2 | bipolar depression | i started this medication right after my son was born. i had hairloss happend about 4 months later but that was excused for the postpardom symptoms. my hair stopped falling out about 3 months after it started. six months later it started again-BAD! iv been to my pcp 5 times over the last 6 months, dozens of blood tests later theres no explanation for the hair loss. i already have bald spots that i have to take extra time in the morning to try and cover up. the first 2 years on the med i had extreme weight loss, no complaints, ate watever i wanted, hardly any exercise. over the last 4 months i have gained ten pounds, no change to my diet. no matter what i do i cant seem to lose it. i have absolutly no short term memmory left. im a college student and i cant even join in the class discusions because i forget what im trying to say in the middle of my sentences. i feel like an idiot when this happends, last semester it wasnt this bad. i cant even remember what cloths i put on my son when h | | F | 26 | 2.5 years
200 1X D | | 3/11/2010
| 5 | OCD/Mood Swings/Depression | Constipation - went away after a week. Mild headaches, also went away after a week. Slight hair thinning, but not enough for me to freak out about. | I love this medication! I am taking it with Prozac and Vyvanse. I'm 37 and have struggled for almost a decade to try and find the right combination of meds for me.... what I am on now has been a LIFESAVER! Clearer thinking, less dwelling on negative thoughts, ability to maintain organization (ie office paperwork, checkbook balancing, etc) Currently on 50 mg but Dr. is going to up me to 100 mg next month. I feel like a brand new person!!! Can't imagine how I've lasted so long before without it! | F | 37 | 30 days
50 1X D | | 3/10/2010
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| 4 | for peripheral neuropathy | Awful, constant, stomach cramps, difficulty evacuating bowel. | Lamictal has helped my burning feet/legs pain more successfully than neurontin did, but does not completely ease the burning sensation. | M | 72 | 6 months
25mg 3X D | | 3/9/2010
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| 4 | Bi Polar II disorder/ Anxiety | short term memory loss, inability to focus for long periods of time, concentration problems, forgetting words mid-sentence. Overall, forgetfulness, easy bruising. | I self-diagnosed myself as BP II a few years ago and after taking cymbalta (made me want to kill myself) and then Wellbutrin, I quit meds entirely. However, following that came the destruction of several relationships, out of control spending, and intense periods of irritablity where I would flip out over absolutely NOTHING, I realized I needed help. I went to my Dr. and he put me back on Wellbutrin - mistake, I quit smoking but my rapid cycling went out of control. I was up and down, up and down... sometimes every few minutes. After doing this for about 5 months - I went back and told him what was going on. He explained that with BP people, Wellbutrin (300mg daily) often makes them cycle even faster. He gave me Lamictal (because I demanded I be put on something that did not make me gain ANY weight) and Klonopins (1mg a day) for my anxiety and OCD thoughts. At first I didn't notice much of a difference but now my life is completely different. I didn't realize how miserable I was before! My mood swings are very rare now. The only concern my doctor had was the fact that in 2 weeks I lost 15 pounds - all 3 of these drugs decreased my desire to eat and I'm basically living on salad and hard boiled eggs (WTF?!) A month later and I'm down about 18 pounds and I feel great. I'm 5'2 and went from 140 to 122. I''m also having bad bruising and I'm being tested to make sure Lamictal isn't supressing my blood platelets. Otherwise, I wouldn't change a thing about my meds and so far so good | F | 25 | 1 months
100mg 1X D | | 3/7/2010
| 3 | depression | severe headaches, each day nightmares | I had no mood swings during taking this med, no depressions. | F | 29 | 6 months
250 mg 2X D | | 3/6/2010
| 4 | Bi Polar (Rapid Cycler) | leg jumpiness | I am on such a heavy drug cocktail it's hard to say which side effect belongs to which med. I am taking Lamtictal 100mg, Geodon 160mg, and Lexapro 10mg right now, along with Detrol LA for incontinence. When I am on lamictal I feel better, and even better, it's cheap(er) than most of the other drugs. | F | 38 | 60 days
100 1X D | | 3/5/2010
| 3 | bipolar | Weight gain,very short term memory Ok, within a few hours, but words get mixed up, like I am dyslexic. Inability to remember short term events. It helped well, initially, but I require an increase in dose and became MORE agitated and my liver enzymes went sky high. | This helped, more than any other med I have taken, however, I have found that I am not nearly as creative or sentient to my environment as I was previously. | F | 45 | 3 years
200 mg 1X D | | 3/5/2010
| 5 | bipolar II, OCD. | short memory impairment, at the beginning increased mood swings, but now none! | this medication in combo now with luvox has literally saved my mind and my life. nothin' else to say. | M | 24 | 6 months
100 mg 2X D | | 2/28/2010
| 5 | | Euphoria, clearness of thinking, energy and finishing tasks increased. A lot of sleeping and dreaming. | | F | 55 | 7 days
25mg 1X D | | 2/27/2010
| 1 | Depression. | Hair loss, aching teeth, forcing tongue against teeth, weight gain, decreased sex drive, increased wrinkles and breakouts. | If you care about your hair...DO NOT TAKE LAMICTAL! My 16 year old daughter and I were both on this for depression and we both are losing our hair! She broke out in a rash over her entire body after the 12 day mark (25 MG) and discontinued it. I kept going until the increase from 25 MG to 50 MG. It's now the 17th day and I am discontinuing the drug after coming across this website. All of my symptoms I have been having are due to the medicine. My depression got worse from the hair loss and wrinkles! I am going to try an all natural diet (vegan / no gluten). Hopefully my hair will grow back! | F | 45 | 17 days
50 MG 1X D | | 2/27/2010
| 1 | Constant, Daily Migraine | Concentration Loss, Stopped caring about everything, depression, fatigue, worsened headache | I've had a migraine every day for four years (non-stop) and I was given Lamictal as a new preventative... Headache has worsened, I've stopped caring about everything. I'm in college and can't concentrate in class... can't concentrate on homework. This medicine is definitely not the best.. | F | 21 | 7 days
25 mg 1X D | | 2/21/2010
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| 5 | Seizures | Uncoordinated, sleepiness, dizziness & headaches. Mostly uncoordinated & my short term memory is horrible. | My seizures/stiffness were only at night. I took a few other anti-seizure medicines in 1997-2002 that never cured my seizures. Ever since I've been on 150mg a day on lamictal I have had none. I only had 4 seizures in my life (starting 1997) from a brain contusion in 1990. Lamictal does help, my side affects are dizziness, short term memory problem (But I think everyone has that-lol) sleepiness and hair loss. I notice if I get too tired and stressed my dizziness gets worse. My Dr. decided last month he doesn't trust generic drug makers anymore and put me on the name brand 200 mg a day. Well, for that whole week I swear, I was dizziness everyday. So bad, I would cry before I went to bed. It was like I was spinning all day. And, I rolled my eyes in back of my head everyday. I thought it was from the dizziness. Then on the 7th day on the 200 mg I looked online searching what the rolling of the eyes mean. I was having an absence seizure all the time. Called the after hour Dr. and he put me back on the generic 150 mg a day (75mg a.m. & 75mg p.m.) So, the drug works from eliminating my seizures, but I need a smaller dose. Remember, everyone is different on side effects. | F | 34 | 7 years
150mg 1X D | | 2/9/2010
| 4 | depression | In the beginning my head hurt a little bit for a few days, but it calmed me right away, and made me feel very much at ease. I was so pleased. I took it at bedtime,midnight, and woke up exactly 4 hours later EVERY night, and could not fall asleep again for 2 hours, so I stopped taking it at midnight, and started taking it at 4am, (my body had gotten used to waking at 4am) and then I'd wake up at 8am! On the dot. I had some memory problems prior to starting it, but it seems like they are worse now. I'm not sure when they got worse, but a month ago I woke up with extreme vertigo, was vomiting, after two days it got 1/2 better, and after 3 weeks about 2/3 better. I'm still dizzy a month later, and was diagnosed today with vestibular neuritis. It's constant, noticeable at any movement of my head. They said I probably had BPPV caused by that. I found this: "Both Metoprolol and Lamictal are on the ototoxic list to be avoided if you have tinnitis,," on this website here, pag | --Cont.--I can't speak as well. Can't remember simple words/concepts--can't figure things out. Feel like my mind is "stuck" or "stopped." I don't remember now if I was like this before the vestibular neuritis. Short term memory and attention span gone. Dr. said Vest. Neur. often follows herpes simplex infections, which I had as kid. The only other thing I noticed seem to be severe yeast infections, or something. Lots of burning and some bleeding. Diflucan clears it up, but it comes right back a week later. A week ago had severe breast tenderness. It scared me. I've never had that before. I know I don't have any STDs (not possible). First 6 months were great. Last 6 months I haven't cared about much. Got kind of apathetic and lazy. Nice to be emotionally unaffected, but drive is kind of gone. Good libido controller! Nice if you're a single Christian!:) | F | 30 | 1 years
50 mg 1X D | | 2/9/2010
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| 2 | Depression, Mood Stabilizer, Anxiet | Substantial short term memory loss, constant migraine headaches and nausea. | I began their starter pack of 25 mg per day, but after increasing to 50mg I had migraine headaches 24/7. Nausea was also a problem, so I began taking Prilosec & Maalox. The short term memory loss was so awful, I didn't feel like I could have a conversation with anyone without appearing like an idiot.
I am pleased this medication has worked for some people and really appreciate everyone that shared their results on this site. | F | 41 | 3 weeks
50mg 1X D | | 2/6/2010
| 4 | BP 2 , Borderline | Initially : cold.from the inside and out-mentally tired,not sleepy-I just had to hide for an hour or so to go on again.
Dry facial skin,but thats taken care of using zinc/selenium xtras,and a fatty cream. | Major change in regards of depressive symptoms! I`m experiencing a feeling of being "normal" in my reactions-for the first time since age twelve :)!
Slight increase in hypo reactions,but without "going bonkers"..
Time to look at my borderlinethoughts and adjust my thinking instead of exploding- HURRAY !! | M | 44 | 30 days
100mg 1X D | | 2/5/2010
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| 4 | BPD II, depression, insomnia, mood | Perhaps some fatigue but difficult to tell since I am on narcotics for a car accident. Some severe headaches but am a migraine sufferer. | Recently diagnosed w/ BPD II w/episodes of mania and rapid cycles, depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Went untreated for yrs and managed it with other substances. Was very hesitant about taking this because it felt like I was admitting something was "wrong" with me. Once I started, what a difference! Started on 100mg -initially it really curbed very severe mood swings, agitation, anxiety, and irritability. I would seriously want to choke someone for spilled water and this has helped tremendously. Don't think I had many side effects but it is difficult to tell b/c was on soma 250mg, and currently take flexiril 5-10mg, vicodin 500/5mg as needed for car accident. Hence the Lamictal. Dr said I should stop taking soma b/c it caused headaches (which I had) and the Lamictal would help w/that. I felt great, felt more like my old self and happier. After a month, bipolar and depression cycles not as frequent, less severe but still there. Was still really snappy and irritable w/crying episodes. Currently titrating up to 200mg of Lamictal and am on 150mg right now. Also take Seroquel at night, after Ambien 10mg stopped working, and that has helped me so much. Feel less anxiety and feel much happier! I am joking and laughing again, more carefree, and just feel amazing. I am exercising again after not having the motivation for about 3 yrs, and used to be very athletic. This drug obviously doesn't work for all people, but it really works for me. | F | 25 | 2 months
150mg 1X D | | 2/4/2010
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| 2 | for OCD augmentation | block of muscle, disorientation, complete short memory loss. | it seems a wonder drug at the beginning. after a week, seems to be in the hell. before taking it, OCD was very strong, and after seems to be more under my control. but i did remember the friend's name neither! be careful! | M | 23 | 2 weeks
| | 2/3/2010
| 4 | Bipolar disorder | Drowsiness was mainly the only side effect I experienced so far. Been on this medication for a while, but honestly cannot say anymore about side effects due to the fact the I am on other medication. | After taking this medication for sometime every morning when I take it I feel better....gives me a feeling of happiness, but goes away in about 30 min. | F | 20 | 8 months
| | 1/23/2010
| 5 | mood stabilizer, anti-convulsant | None really...at least not really noticeable. | I am taking a combination of: cymbalta (for depression), lamictal, as a mood stabilizer/anti-convulsant, and keppra, stictly for grand-mal seizures of the photosensitive-sort. I also have a mood-disorder, and think my depression is genetic. This is the best I've ever felt in my life thus far with all of my trials with several different med. combinations! I have tried about them all! Lamictal in regards to balancing out my mood has stopped my problem with psychosis. I feel better, and have happy days most of the time, but today seems to be lethargic, and not such a good day, but most of them are! I am very satisfied with my results...take 60mg of cymbalta per day, 150mg twice a day with lamictal, and take 500mg twice daily in regards to keppra. I no longer have rapid eye-blinks, and function without seizure activity in the sun. Maybe I'll be able to drive again. I want to see how I do in the sun during this spring/summer 2010. Cymbalta was the first drug to ever work for my depression. Keppra worked fairly well for my seizure-disorder, however I knew I needed more seizure control. Before lamictal my moods were rapidly cycling, or so it seemed, and I was very sleepy, unenergetic, and my memory was not as great as I remember it to be when I was a straight A student. Now, I finally feel healed of all my major health issues! I am very pleased, blessed, and grateful to all those that helped me get here. It took twenty years, or so of searching for answers, but final | F | 35 | 8 weeks
| | 1/21/2010
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| 5 | Bipolar | I'm a little more forgetful, but not enough to be a big issue. | YAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!! I struggled with mood swings for 7 years before my doctor figured out it was probably bipolar, not depression. And then another couple years trying to find something that managed the mood swings without making me sleep constantly or driving me nuts with the side effects. This finally, finally really helps. I'm a little more forgetful, but I do okay, and it's totally worth it. I spent years struggling to keep my life from falling apart while feeling awful and waiting for the all-too-short periods when my moods were okay. And now "okay" is the norm. This makes such a difference. I take it with Wellbutrin, which also has no major side effects for me. | F | 24 | 9 months
| | 1/21/2010
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| 5 | Mild/Moderate Bi-Polar | Just sort of a thick kind of feeling, like a thickness in my head. Also a good deal of general lethargy. I also have IBS, but that could be from anything. However, much milder side effects than anything else I've taken, and I was on 300 mg for 5 years. | I'm surprised by the side effects people are reporting, such as hair loss, muscle soreness, weight gain, etc. From an athletic perspective, I was able to compete competitively in tennis while taking lamictal. I found it to be very mentally balancing, no depression or mania at 300 mg. However, I am tired of not having enough energy, and have reached a new spiritual level, so I have been tapering off. I am down to 150 mg, but won't go lower for a long time, as I have noticed a resurgence in depression. In regards to hair loss, which I wouldn't necessarily attribute to this, I would recommend taking propecia. It's expensive, but works unbelievably well, and they have it for women as well. | M | 32 | 6 years
| | 1/17/2010
| 4 | Bipolar (type II) | Memory problems, fatigue, possible decreased sexual interest. | When at the right dosage, lamictal has helped me to be able to function at a normal level.
Has anyone else had a decrease in sexual interested while on lamictal?? | F | 21 | 1.5 years
| | 1/16/2010
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| 5 | bi-polar & night sweats | night sweats | | F | 60 | 3 months
| | 1/13/2010
| 3 | bipolar | dry mouth could not think properly stuttered alot vivid dreams sweat at night dry hair | works oka for a while but will change for wellbutrin | M | 41 | 360 days
| | 1/11/2010
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| 2 | Psychiatrist *suspects* bipolar | Headaches, dry eyes, and a sunburn like full body rash. | I felt no change in my mood and was looking up length of time it takes for this med to kick in when I inadvertently discovered all the memory and cognitive problems this med causes, which are unacceptable to me. I write, teach, and edit for a living, so the infliction of brain damage is a problem. This may be a good drug for the retired, the institutionalized, people too bipolar to work, or the wealthy. For those of us who need our minds to make a buck, no way. I REALLY wish these side effects were listed on the product insert as they are so prevalent and serious. See Burns's book *Feeling Good* for more details about unacceptable side effects associated with Lamictal. And thanks to all the people who shared and enlightened me before I did something dangerous and irreversible to my mind! | F | 40 | 5 weeks
| | 1/5/2010
| 5 | | | | F | 20 | 4 years
| | 1/3/2010
| 5 | severe bipolar disorder | bit of drowsiness the first few weeks or so but it went away. My psychiatrist told me to watch for rash and i didn't get one. | After the drowsiness went away, I found this medication to be extremely helpful. I really like the peaceful feeling it makes me feel. It's like a mellow, quiet feeling. Like all is well with the world. First medication that I have tried that has even come close to doing anything helpful after playing medication switcharoo for 9 years straight. When I forget to take though, oh boy do people around me notice. Snappiness all around. but when I am on it and it's working, it just works. Tip for other patients--take it with a bit of food. it starts working faster if you take it that way. | F | 23 | 14 months
| | 12/29/2009
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| 4 | Bipolar II | slight difficulty with word loss or inability to find correct word - but not anything really bad. | This medicine has a strong effect on making feeling and thoughts related to depression - go away - almost totally. I also take Prozac 40 mg 1x /day | M | 45 | 2 weeks
| | 12/26/2009
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| 4 | bipolar 2 | Makes me kind of stupid sometimes, stuttering, forgetful. Inability to get up in the morning. Luckily I work for myself so not an issue. | This medicine changed my life. Before I was completely obsessive and could stay awake for days, then would go into a state where I couldn't move for days. always had a sense of anxiety and foreboding. After years on 100mg I am generally used to the side effects, some days I feel none. My excersie regimen helps (I am an avid distance runner) with the lethargy. I can function and I would say that it makes me a more effective person. If I forgert to take it boy you feel it. Makes me feel like I am made of rubber. | M | 40 | 5 years
| | 12/17/2009
| 2 | depression/ slight bipolar | Memory loss, weight gain, no longer as anxious but more depressed, constant fatigue, muscle aches, feelings of anger | I am currently weening myself off of this drug VERY safely and gradual. Mainly because I don't feel as though the pros outweigh the cons. Weight gain and memory loss are two deal breakers for me. I have gained 15 lbs in the past year. I can't remember ANYTHING to the point of embarrassment. People think I dont listen or am drunk because I literally cannot remember yesterday. And this is only fueled by my depression and excessive sleeping. I no longer feel a constant sense of dread and guilt (i.e. anxiety) however, that feeling has been replaced with depression, complicity and isolation. My perpetually sore muscles also make moan and groan like an old woman! I am also immensely anger all the time for no particular reason. | F | 24 | 1 years
| | 12/17/2009
| 4 | anxiety, depression | The following side effects were experienced when starting the medication. They went away as I adjusted to the medication: Blurred Vision, Itching, slight water retention, tired feeling just after taking med. | After living with anxiety for several years, I developed a bad case of depression last year. I tried just about every SSRI and could not adjust. The initial side effects were impossible. I tried Zyprexa and it helped however it caused major weight gain (30 lbs) I was then placed on Lyrica and that worked except I developed a painful pimple type rash over a period of a month. Lyrica also caused weight gain. Even with daily cardio and healthy eating I still put on weight. I started Lamictal and I was able to adjust to the med very easy compared to all of the other meds. The worst side effects which went away as I tapered up was itching, blurred vision, tired feeling and slight water retention in face. I was concerened about the rash everyone talks about and was almost paranoid whenever I saw the slightest red bump or pimple. These went away quickly unlike the reaction from Lyrica which took months.
My overall opinion is Lamictal is that if you stay with it for a month or so and put up with the temporary side effects, it will prove to be an excellent med. My severe depression has lifted and I am able to function after a year of hell trying just about every medication available. | M | 45 | 9 months
| | 12/14/2009
| 1 | | Mood Stabilizer - OH MY GOSH....After 3 days on RX, huge HAIR loss, SORE throat, puke puke puke, SEVERE, CHRONIC migraine type HA. WEIGHT GAIN, TREMORS, VISION DECREASE, Dry Skin, HELL on the teeth, Sore areas inside mouth, RASH, OH MY GOSH, HUGE, RED, HOT, Appears as area is BURNED, MEMORY decreasem dysphagia, WEIGHT GAIN, 2+ EDEMA :Lower Extremeties, 10 fold Increase, SEVERE back pain, Hell, this RX alone would cause SA in the most healthy of individuals. Drugs, can't live with em, can't live without them! Entire OVERALL body discomfort, feel like I have what LockJaw is perceived to feel.. TRASH this RX, feels like entire body is toxic and poisoned. Good job research, think this one was rigged! this is after 3 days starter pack initiation. GOOD GRIEF. | Only for those with an immediate death wish. GOSH. YEAH it rocked if one loves total misery!! | F | 50 | 3 days
| | 12/14/2009
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| 5 | Mild Bipolar | Weight gain, light headedness, problems with word recall | I have been on 100 mg for 1 year. So far, so good. Make sure you gradually get up to your desired dose and keep your appointments! | F | 26 | 1 years
| | 12/11/2009
| 3 | Bi-Polar and Depression | Runny Nose (Rhinitis), slight sore throat, itchy skin, cough, knife stabbing headache, trouble concentrating and finding the right word, increased irritability, sleeping 10 - 12 hours, groggy in the morning | I did find, as one of the readers said, that the longer I took it, the more used to it I got. I was willing to give it a bit longer but my pdoc said if I had this many side effects after 2 weeks, we should try something else. It made it hard for me to concentrate when reading, I couldn't think of the right word, I was spacier. I didn't like that at all. It also made me sleep too much (I already do) so I took it at night. | F | 54 | 11 days
| | 12/11/2009
| 4 | Bi-Polar Disorder | Aches and pains resembling severe carpal tunnel in my hands and arthritis in my ankles...also nausea in the morning when I take the medication and an ibuprofen-resistant headache each afternoon... | I am feeling great. I am NICER...I was mean before and getting more and moreso each day...I have 3 children and all I'd do was yell at them and tell them to be quiet every day...seriously, ALL day! But now I am able to focus on everyday tasks and my house is getting back in order, I have the energy to handle deep-cleaning...I am a neat freak so here I am feeling very comfortable in my own skin right now...I am a better mom because of this medication combined with abilify and I've only been on it a short time. | F | 29 |
| | 12/9/2009
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| 5 | Bipolar | In the first month of taking this medication I experienced even more mood swings than before, which i never thought to be possible, and the swings were more severe. This went away after the first month/month and a half. I was at the doctor's office recently and they noted a 20lb weight gain in 2 years. My first year taking it I did not experience a great amount of weight gain, only about 5lbs. In the past year or so, I have experienced hair loss, and I still am now. When I first began taking Lamictal I was feeling more anxious and paranoid than I had been in the past, but like my other side effects, these side effects subsided. | I am very pleased with my results from taking Lamictal. I am taking 300mg a day-150 in the morning and 150 at night. I had suffered from bipolar from the age of about 12, but it was thought to be hormones. When I was diagnosed bipolar and began taking this medication at 15 years old, my life turned around. Grades started improving greatly, I got into a great college and program, my social life improved, my relationship with my family went back to the way it was, I stopped snapping at every little thing, etc. Before Lamictal, I would literally have 8-11 severe mood swings an hour. I was even at the point of attempting suicide three times and just hated life in general. After starting Lamictal, these swings have stopped. I am living a happy life which I am very grateful for. If I miss either my morning or night dose, I have these swings again, but they are not as severe or often (goes down to about 2-4 swings an hour). Lamictal is a life changer and I would recommend this drug to anyone in a heartbeat. You just have to make it past the first month or two and be willing to deal with the side effects, because other than that, this drug is amazing. | F | 18 | 3.5 years
| | 12/8/2009
| 4 | depression | swollen glands everywhere, painful. fever. acne. | at exactly 2 weeks it made me feel wonderful just had the painfull huuuge glands in my neck head and groin. had to go to er and d/c medication even tho it cured my depression | F | 24 | 2 weeks
| | 12/8/2009
| 5 | Manic depressive Bipolar disorder | None. But alcohol does affect the purpose of drug. | I take 100 mg every morning along with Wellbutrin 150 mg SR. I have been progressing in my life. This was the answer to opening my future. | M | 25 | 8 months
| | 12/7/2009
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| 5 | bipolar II | Clear skin and larger bra size. | I think this drug is amazing. I feel more myself then ever before. No more mood swings and dealing with anxiety is so much better. I take 200 mg a day (100mg in the morning and 100mg at night). I'm worried about what everyone else is reporting, but its been a blessing for me. | F | 25 | 7 months
| | 12/7/2009
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| 4 | Bipolar Disorder | extreme short term memory loss, trouble remembering words, often can't form mental connections, slight loss of fine motor skills, speech impediments (slight stuttering, often slurring words). slight weight gain. bad headaches at first, but went away. | the first few months on lamictal were crazy for me, i was like, all over the place in my mood, and it was throwing me from one mood to the next. started rapid cycling and then i just got really dark and depressed. however after four months (my doctor insisted i stay on it) it finally started to kick in and i've been on it for eight months now and i've never been happier. i still have really uncontrollable bursts of energy. other than the inability to speak correctly and major memory loss, i haven't had any major side effects. but the memory loss is really annoying. it doesn't mix well with caffeine, though. | F | 15 | 8 months
| | 12/7/2009
| 4 | resistant depression | short memory impairment, blocking of thoughts, headache. | it is a wonderful mood stabilizer with antidepressant propetries. i've some memory loss at relatively high dosage ( 50 mg ), but it get slow my mind and helped a lot with OCD. it incereased my joy for life and sexual interest because of less intrusive thoughts. i'm on 25 mg a day in combination with original Prozac, 40 mg a day. | M | 23 | 2 months
| | 12/6/2009
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| 5 | Epilepsy-complex partial seizures | no significant side effects noted | Completely stopped seizures when I reached therapuetic dose. I had taken depakote,keppra,trileptal and zonegran. Only trileptal worked and I was allergic so it was stopped. Zonegran was horrible, and caused a horrible depression. | M | 12 | 18 months
| | 12/2/2009
| 3 | Grand Mal Seizure | August 2009 while in the ER due to a 4 to 5 minute seizure (1st ever) my husband was given the loaded dose of Dilantin (in addition to morphine and Ativan). We saw our Neuro a few days after discharged from Hosp and she gave us a schedule to taper off Dilantin and start Lamictal XR 50mg and increase over 5 weeks to mtce dosage of 200mg. He's been taking 200mg of Lamictal for about 3 months now; some hair loss, dry scalp, has had several styes in one eye, more significant hand tremor (which was much less pronounced prior to Lamictal). His appetite did seem to increase initially, but he did not gain any weight. He's had cognitive decline for almost 6 years so not sure if Lamictal is adversely affecting memory. I don't like the fact he may have to be on anti-seizure medication forever, but don't want him to experience another seizure either. | | M | 65 | 3 months
| | 11/29/2009
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| 4 | epilepsy | For the most part, this medication is helping me. After taking Dilantin, I realized how bad that drug was for me, and once they changed me over to Lamictal, I experienced better results. I would not say that my side effects are dramatic. I get headaches, which the doctors say are normal and have nothing to do with my brain tumor, and I am recently experiencing increased, but tolerable chest pain. Everyone is different, so don't take this to mean that these are the side effects you will have, but if you do, consult your physician; it may be nothing to worry about. | I've been taking Lamictal for about 5 months. | F | 22 |
| | 11/27/2009
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