LAMICTAL Reviews (LAMOTRIGINE)Average Rating: 3.4 (1917 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare LAMICTAL with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
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More on LAMICTAL: Reviews Summary | Drug Safety Information
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR LAMICTAL | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 5 | bipolar | Heavier sweating, including night sweats, and noticeably more rapid hair loss. | An amazing drug. Levels out both highs and lows. For years I suffered serious monthly depressions even after beginning treatment 10 years ago with anti-cyclical AND anti-depression medications. Lamictal has been the only drug in that time to put a solid floor under my tendency to get clinically depressed. It's also added lucidity to my thoughts (I'd accepted Depakote and Trileptal spaciness) and allowed me to lead as normal a life as I've had since my diagnosis. I have had issues sweating much more often with greater perspiration. Have taken between 200-1200 mg of this drug over past 18 months. All the positive comments here are true. It's wonderful. | 18 months | 9/14/2006 | 5 | Bipolar I | Tremor; headache only once, on the third day of treatment; nausea only once, in the first week. I develop a tremor more easily while on Lamictal-- mainly after drinking caffeine drinks, which I tend to drink a lot of. Minor-to-medium-severity rash began on 50 mg/day (thought it was probably poison ivy at that point); I went to 100 mg. I titrated on the exact schedule laid out by the Lamictal starter pack. Then I went to 150 mg and I was sure I had a Lamictal-caused rash. My psychiatrist wasn't terribly alarmed about the rash. Neither was I--I wanted to keep taking Lamictal. He said it was a common "drug rash" that can be caused by a number of drugs. I dropped dose from 150 mg to 100 mg for about three weeks. Rash went away. Went back to 150 mg for a couple weeks; no more rash except maybe some itching late in the evening. I've been on 200 mg for 1-1/2 weeks. A little more tremor now, as I said earlier. | As others have said, Lamictal is amazing. I had been getting approx. a week of depression each month before Lamictal. I've been on Lamictal 3 months and the depression has lessened each month. I haven't been depressed in 2 months or so. For me, that's a very big deal. I've had depression at least since age 16. My other meds are Lithium (been taking it 20 years), Wellbutrin XL (been on Wellbutrin for a total of 10 years of so), Lexapro/Celexa (4-5 years). This is probably the first time I've gone this long without depression, unless I was hypomanic/manic, in 15-20 years. Lamictal is almost totally "transparent" for me; in other words, it feels like nothing else has changed (aside from the few side effects) other than this: NO MORE DEPRESSION! Yeeehaa. From what I've seen and read, when this drug works well, it works well reliably for years. That's reassuring too. | M | 3 months | 10/22/2005 | 5 | bipolar disorder | minor rash (dime-sized) on hand that appeared after tapering dose up to 100mg/day. it disappeared after about a week, and i haven't had a rash anywhere since. | since having added lamictal to my regimen i've been able to drop my lithium dose dramatically and with the reduction in that goes the tremor and the difficulty thinking. lamictal is also the only medication that has ever made me feel less depressed - normal, even. | 6 months | 10/30/2004 | 5 | Rapid cycling bi-polar II | Insomnia (may be BP though) Dry and red eyes??? Itchiness at first. Weird dreams sometimes. | Pretty amazing stuff overall. I have been plagued with rapid thinking and obsessive thoughts all my life. This is the first time I haven't obsessed on angry thoughts. I am able to get over things much easier now - I used to brood for weeks. I also obsessed on confrontations from YEARS past, reworking in my mind how I could have "triumphed" This is getting that under control. Also, much less aggressive and angry. Only medication that has EVER worked for my problems. | M | | 4/11/2008 | 5 | mood stabilizer | Occasional spaced out feeling. Greater sensitivity to alcohol. | At 37.5mg the drug has kept my anxiety and depression under control. At 50mg its more effective, but its harder to concentrate and I feel somewhat detached. Otherwise this has been by far the best drug I've been prescribed for mood issues. Its a breath mint compared to Lexapro and others I've been on. | M | 1 years | 9/6/2008 | 5 | Depression/ anxiety | It has saved my life ! | After many many years of being in and out of hospitals and being so afraid, not being able to get out of bed for weeks on end. I missed out alot when my kids were little. I finally have a life I have never known. THANK YOU LAMICTAL | F | 3 years | 4/8/2009 | 5 | bipolar 2 | leg tremors, decreased appetite, night sweats and am a zombie the first day the dosage is increased via the starter pack. | 2 weeks ago I was desperate, considering hospitalization, deeply depressed and having a really hard time functioning esp. in the AM when I couldn't stop crying-- nothing was wrong but couldn't stop weeping. Today the symptoms are GONE. I'M BACK! It feels glorious to be myself again. I'm only on 50 mg currently. I split the dose so I take 25mg in PM and 25mg in AM, that really helped with my out of control emo mornings. | M | 3 weeks | 4/22/2009 | 5 | Rapid Cycle Bipolar | Brief periods of hypomania with any increase in dose. Slight fatigue, along with some clumsiness and minor memory issues. I have noticed what some call 'emotional flatness'; a better term for it is MOOD STABILIZATION. | This is BY FAR the best medication I have been given. It has been a fantastic mood stabilizer for me; from the very first dose of 25mg. It does a great job of stopping my rapid cycle down swings; it has is very effective in relieveing my depression. There are side effects, but they are far fewer and far less intense that other medications; and I have been on a few. The only issue I have had with lamictal is it's interaction with my Celexa. I had to cut down on my Celexa dose once I reached 100mgs of Lamictal because 20mgs of Celexa kicked me into a full blown manic phase. The day I upped to 100mgs of Lamictal, I took my dose of Celexa and had the first full manic episode I'd had in months. But, cutting back on the Celexa was a necessary part of the process anyway. Also take the warnings about the rash seriously; if you develop one, go into see a doctor. | M | 2 months | 8/16/2009 | 4 | Depression, racing thoughts continu | appetite increase, alertness a + able to rest easier, focus alot better in school | F | 6 months 100 1X day | 4/11/2015 | 4 | ipolar,primary deep depression | loss of appetite,running into thgs and being tired. | No anti depressant has worked for me for several years.I have been ina very black epression for 1 and a half years.I also have ptsd.this medication is giving me my life back. 100mgs. | F | 1 months | 10/22/2007 | 4 | seizures | after 8 months on lamictal I have lost 35 lbs. That's great except it won't stop! Getting scary...I've just started experiencing hair loss and vision disturbances. My mood is somewhat somber-I will definately tell you what I think as opposed to holding it all in. Experiencing problems with multi-tasking-not because of confusion but because I can't perform a task and think of something else without really concentrating. Definate problems with inversion of Numbers and letters. My hands always seem to be one key over to far! Every med for siezures has nasty side effects-just different. I'm concerned about the hair loss though. Most of the side effects listed by viewers are short term (vivid dreams in TECHNOCOLOR,dry mouth, etc. I'll see what happens. | F | 8 months | 12/13/2007 | 4 | Bipolar II | Hair thinning, weight fluctuations, short term memory loss. | I really despise the memory problems, but this has been the best drug so far. | 1 years | 3/5/2008 | 4 | Epilepsy | Dizziness, short term memory loss, cognitive issues as in I have trouble connecting the dots when presented with a task, fatigue | Lately my side effect symptoms have gotten much worse. I can make logical connections to conditions presented with the software I test but only if I focus really hard. I can handle the dizziness by dragging my finger across the wall as I'm walking but the rest is hard to take without being nervous about keeping my job. I was on a website about overcoming the side effects of medication and one tiny line said there was evidence that cells in bad shape from poor diet and whatever else we've been doing to ourselves increased side effects. I'm starting a nine month cellular level detox to see if it helps. | F | 10 years 200 2X day | 8/25/2015 | 4 | Bipolar 1 | Memory loss, cognitive deficiency, hair loss | Saved my life during a manic episode and stabilized my mood for 18 months. Eventually, effectiveness wore off. **Only use name brand | F | 2 years | 1/12/2016 | 4 | Partial Complex Seizures | Acne in upper arms and back, excess salivation. | Great overall! I've been on Lamictal for over three years now. Partial complex seizures from skull fracture during the Gulf War have decreased dramatically with this medication. I am currently on three meds. Dilantin, Neurontin and lamictal. Since I was put on Lamictal and stopped smoking marijuana I have not had a seizure for six months now (if you like to get high STOP!.) I couldn't stay up late before without having several seizures back to back. My profession sometimes requires me to work long hours because of deadlines ext. (artist)I plan to continue on Lamictal and decrease the dosage of the other meds. Great medication overall. | M | 3 years | 6/26/2005 | 4 | Bipolar I | forgetting words & general memnory degragation | Lamictal keeps me from going manic but does nothing for depression...I have to take 3 ADs for that side of things. | M | 2 years | 7/26/2006 | 4 | depression | M | | 5/15/2007 | 4 | | 9/29/2007 | 4 | | 3/22/2006 | 3 | | 2/6/2007 |
LAMICTAL (LAMOTRIGINE): Lamotrigine is used alone or with other medications to prevent and control seizures. It may also be used to help prevent the extreme mood swings of bipolar disorder in adults. Lamotrigine is known as an anticonvulsant or antiepileptic drug. It is thought to work by restoring the balance of certain natural substances in the brain. This drug is not approved for use in children younger than 2 years due to an increased risk of side effects (such as infections). FDA Approval Date: 1994-12-27 (Sources: U.S. Centers for Medicare Services, FDA)