LAMICTAL Reviews (LAMOTRIGINE)

Average Rating: 3.4 (1917 Ratings)

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 ANTICONVULSANTS

 Type: Rx Drug

  

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)

  

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Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.)
5=HIGH (this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal.)

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More on LAMICTAL: Reviews Summary  |  Drug Safety Information

RATING  REASONSIDE EFFECTS FOR LAMICTALCOMMENTSSEXAGEDURATION/
DOSAGE
DATE ADDED
 
 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 day
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 day
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 day
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 day
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 day
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 day
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 day
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 day
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 day
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 day
5/11/2010
 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 day
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 day
5/10/2010
 3   M 36
1X day
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 day
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 day
4/27/2010
 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 day
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 day
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 day
4/16/2010
 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 day
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 day
4/8/2010
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