LAMICTAL Reviews (LAMOTRIGINE)Average Rating: 3.4 (1917 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare LAMICTAL with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
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Results are sorted by Gender with females listed first (reviews with no gender reported listed before females). Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 |
More on LAMICTAL: Reviews Summary | Drug Safety Information
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR LAMICTAL | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 5 | Bi-polar depression, PTSD-anxiety | Word recollection difficulties during PMS. | At first the word recollection defecit really bugged me. After some thought I realized that it was almost directly proportional to how bad my PMS was each month. (During other times I was hunky-dory.) Since then I have been taking half a dose in the morning and the other half in the evening. This has taken care of the majority of the problem. When my memory loss does flare up, I tell myself that I probably talk too much anyway :~) I haven't had a depressive episode since starting the meds and in fact don't give this whole thing a thought most days. | F | 27 | 8 months | 3/23/2006 | 5 | Bipolar I / seizure | I have not experienced ANY side effects. Have been on several other moodstabilizers, but this one is the most gentle on my brain. Depakote caused weight gain, and hair loss. Neurontin caused drowsiness and weight gain. No weight gain here with Lamictal which is a plus, because I need to lose alot. | I have been on this medication for about 4 1/2 months now. No rash. Started very slowly, which was hard, to become stabilized. Worth it. | F | 42 | 4 months | 11/12/2006 | 5 | Bipolar | I read some of the comments in regard to Lamictal. Personally, along with Wellbutrin and Buspor (not sure of spelling), these 3 drugs have been a miracle for me. I still have bad days but NOTHING of what I was experiencing prior to being put on these meds. It was determined that I had this illness for most of my life but went undiagnosed for a long time. It wasn't until after my husband passed away and I fell into a deep depression,losing our home, vehicle and a few other things that I was hospitalized and got to the root of my problem. When I do seem out-of-whack one of the many people who are my support system always ask me if I had taken my medication. Even with the system I created for myself which makes remembering a whole lot easier, I do tend to forget at times. I can't say that I have any side effects because I truly don't. I read where a few who are taking Lamictal are experiencing sexual side effects. It's obvious that everyone has a different experience with it because my s | F | 40 | 1.5 years | 9/16/2005 | 5 | Depression | A bit of sleepiness at 25mg. Lucid dreams when I go up in dosage. I just went up to 100 mg two days ago. | So far so good. Few side effects. Happier, more stable, fewer crying spells, less concerned about issues that would have "taken me down" before. I hope it lasts. | F | 49 | 35 days | 1/21/2006 | 5 | bipolar 1 w/ rapid cycling | Some short term memory loss (at first) and very painful menstrual cramps. | Has helped w/ the ups and downs of bipolar. I still get the mood swings, but not as severe ( usually only 1 day a month the day before my period). No unwanted side effects like fatigue and weight gain .. yeahhh! I am the most stable I have been in over 15 years and finally able to hold a job for more than 2 months. | F | 31 | 10 months | 1/27/2006 | 5 | Bipolar 2/Rapid cycling/Depression | Sleepiness with higher doses. Irritability. | This is wonderful! I have almost no chemical tolerance in general, so I started with a 2.5mg (no joke- it's 1/10 of the usual starting dose) pediatric chewable every other day. It started working after a few days. After one year, I worked up to 12.5mg (that's still 1/2 of a regular starting dose). 15mg was too much for me, because my mind started racing and I couldn't hold a thought. The medicine works, though! While I do get irritable sometimes, I have never felt so sane and rational in my life. I've suffered from the lows of bipolar more than anything, and this medicine elevates the "bottom line" of my moods, so I seldom feel very down. | F | 28 | 1.5 years | 2/9/2006 | 5 | depression/slight bipolar I | light headaches, short term memory loss (but it happened before), slight shakiness in the hands; occasional anxiety, urination during the night | this drug is great! I finally feel like I can enfoy life, myself and people and feel proud of what I accomplished in life even though I have had depression (with rare hypomanic periods) all my life! I have succeeded majorly as an immigrant in this country, but have alwasy felt insecure, lonely, dull and unable to enjoy anything, even though I have a great career and husband, and now finally able to form friendships and talk easier with all kinds of people and stand up for myself! I have had a difficult childhood so that might have added to the general dysphoric feeling. I feel lighter, brighter, smarter, more social, no longer withdrawn and dull. I love it! I don't want to get off it ever. I am also concurrently taking Effexor but it did not seem to help much, but my psychiatrist wants to take me off slowly. I have taken many different antidepressants over the years. Paxil seemed to help in the beginning to get out of the deepest depression but then it made me feel like a zombi | F | 29 | 3.5 months | 8/28/2006 | 5 | bi-polar rapid cycle partial seizur | Headache, blurred vision (sometimes), aches upper back and neck and hot flashes / night sweats. | I do really like this medication. I am happier more stable and even my family has noticed the difference. The side effects that bother me the most are the headache which goes into my jaw, the aches in my back and neck, then the night sweats. I can deal with the hot flashes before I go to sleep but the night sweats are pretty bad. I can't sleep under the covers and am freezing my husband. I read another woman's comments and she too had night sweats but said that they get better if she takes the medication at the exact same time every day. I'm going to try that. Again, the medicine works and I am also calmer and not so irritated. So, it has helped me in many ways. | F | 34 | 6 months | 3/6/2006 | 5 | Bipolar (mostly depressive) | Significant acne on cheeks, jawline, and upper neck. Topical acne meds are helping minimally. Had flawless skin prior. At 200mg for 15months, had no weight gain. Raised dosage to 350mg, gained from 122 to 136 lbs. in 3 months. Short-term memory problems, word recall, fuzzier thinking. | This medication combined with 400mg Wellbutrin is saving my life. At the 350mg, despite the side effects, my moods have mostly stabilized, suicidal thoughts/planning/ruminating has stopped, delusional thinking is gone, irritability and bursts of rage have greatly diminished. I am a professional and own my own business and I believe that the cognitive side effects are having a negative impact on my quality of work. This is causing some concern. However, I believe suffering from these side effects is better than being dead. I am now a fully functioning and emotionally available wife and mother of two. I had been impossible to live with and was destroying my most important relationships (a few are irreparable). Now my family doesn't have to be afraid of me and walk around on eggshells as much. I still have some mood variations but nothing as severe as before. I had been extremely treatment resistent until Lamictal. I was on the verge of being hospitalized again for ECT and the Lamictal sa | F | 37 | 18 months | 9/19/2005 | 5 | Bipolar II | Trouble selecting words, acne?, itching?, slight blurry vision after dose increase, but would go back to normal within a few days. | This medication has saved my life. I stopped it briefly in the fall because my moods were under control and I want to get pregnant and the ob did not want me on any meds. I was off for almost 4 months. That was the worst thing I could have done, I went into the same depression I was in. I'm on a lower dose now than before and I'm doing well. I take 50mg in am, 50 mg in pm. At this dose I still have slight mood swings, but they are not to the degree they were before. | F | 26 | 2 years | 4/4/2006 | 5 | Bipolar Disorder- Mood Stabilizer | My nails grew very fast and were very strong, my hair also grew in very fast and was thick. | I LOVE Lamictal! My bipolar disorder wasn't contained by anything else before Lamictal, and now it is quite under control. It works against my depressions, mixed episodes, and manias. | F | 28 | 2 years | 10/19/2006 | 5 | Bipolar Disorder | Nausea almost constantly, some problems with word recall, spaciness, lots of forgetfulness (REALLY bad when I drink too much the night before), shaking, increased body odor, headache, some racing thoughts (almost hypomanic feelings when starting the meds that go away after a few days) | When I first started taking Lamictal I was very skeptical. I had taken Neurontin before (which is also an anticonvulsant) and ended up taking 3x the amount an epiletic should take spread through out the day before bed, which resulting in my head spinning and not being able to see when I woke up for about 30 minutes. So, I looked on here and I couldn't understand why a medicine with such extreme side effects would be rated so highly. The reason is that it changes your life. I have been on nearly every antidepressant/antianxiety/sleep combo my doctors could think of for the past 3 years and NOTHING has worked. I am currently taking Lamictal, Welbutrin, Paxil, Serequil, and Clonazepam. I know its a lot, but this mixture has allowed me to become the person I used to be again. I'm happy, but most of all I have the desire to live and better myself. So, to anyone who's reading this thinking we're all crazy (Hmm... bad choice of words!) for enduring such side effects all I can say is t | F | 23 | 6 months | 10/25/2006 | 5 | Bipolar NOS ( | Occasional joint pain and headaches, significant and disturbing memory loss, increased agitation, teeth grinding, eye irritation (can no longer wear contact lenses), perhaps some hair loss. | This drug is MAGICAL. Side effects are inconsequential compared to the dramatic difference Lamictal has made in my life! Horrible years-long depression has been completely zapped without diminishing my ability to feel emotion or be creative. Tried zoloft and lexapro for depression, and they were both useless. Lamictal kicked in in a couple of days, and I felt immediately better, though I had to keep increasing to stay happy. Am at 200 mg twice a day and plan to slowly decrease levels to see if side effects diminish. (Have tried Neurontin and Seroquel for remaining agitation/irritability, but they were disastrous.) | F | 43 | 9 months | 12/21/2005 | 5 | Bipolar Disorder | Initial 2 weeks had vivid dreams, don't drink alcohol or take cough syrup-your head will be spinning and you won't be able to walk, no side effects with responsible use | I was lucky that this drug came out in full force right around the time I was first diagnosed. I take 100 mg once a day (always at night)along with 100 mg of Trazondone (don't see anyone else who takes this combination but works like a dream for me!)No problems with sleeping because this stuff knocks you out in about 5 minutes and, for me, ensures a great night of sleep. Taking Trazodone might help some of the people who have the insomnia as it is FOR sleep. This stuff works like a dream. Instead of always wondering what does so and so think about me? or reacting negatively (if not always visibly) to every difficult situation? this drug makes me slow down and think normally like "other" people. I love it. Hopefully you will too. | F | 28 | 2.5 years | 12/24/2005 | 5 | Bipolar 1 | I am experiencing several side effects from this drug. The most bothersome is the memory loss and confusion. I have difficulty spelling even common words. At times I cannot remember what words mean or how to use the correct word to express a thought or feeling. At times I suffer muscle incoordination which has resulted in taking a few tumbles down stairs. My muscles and joint ache especially in the hip and lower extremities. I have noticied an increase in acne and itching on arms and torso. | Despite these side effects noted.....Lamitcal has not only improved my life but saved it. On October 10, 2005 I had planned on comitting suicide because of depression due to my severe mood swings and inability to cope with the stress of everyday living. After a stay on the Mental Health Unit my psychiatrist prescribed Lamictal. I started on 25 mg and progressed to 50. After a month the dose was increased to 75 mg for two weeks and now I am at 100 mg daily. To my amazement, I have been noticing some moments of pleasure. Upon occasion I have awoke actually anticapting my day. My mood has somewhat leveled off. My capability to function in life has somewhat improved. I'm not quite where I want to be...but I now have some hope. Currently my meds are: 1800 mg lithium, 300 mg wellbutrin, 25 mg elavil, 200 mg seroquel, 100 mg lamitcal daily. So far this mixture is helping. I will continue these medications as long as they are providing me some level of improvement or comfort. I was fir | F | 41 | 3 months | 12/30/2005 | 5 | Bipolar disorder | None to speak of with the exception of severe night sweats DUE TO MISSED OR LATE DOSES. Please be consistent in taking this med. | Other than this side effect, which is due to my mistake, lamictal has saved my life. I take 400mg a day and my bipolar symptoms have subsided greatly since being diagnosed in early 2005. I also take effexor. Again, I have learned the hard way that consistency is the best policy when taking these meds (I guess I wasn't very diligent and have learned a valuable lesson) | F | 35 | 9 months | 1/2/2006 | 5 | Bipolar Depression | At first a little rash, but I felt so much better emotionally that I waited to see if it would go away and it did. | For the first time in 15 years suffering with bipolar/depression I feel content and normal. I have stopped taking Risperidone because it made me gain 50lbs, and I believe that with Lamictal I dont need anything else. I do take 0.5 Clonazepam in the morning and 0.5 at night to avoid obsessive thoughts (worries) since I quit Risperidone, but I trully feel wonderful with Lamictal, no more vivid dreams or feelings of being inadequate/worthless, no emptiness, I feel complete. I will take it forever. | F | 28 | 1.5 years 75 1X day | 4/25/2012 | 5 | Bipolar I | Dry eyes first thing in the morning that persisted for about 2 years; very manageable. Developed rare gastric reflux problem at higher dose (400mg) that resolved at 200mg. Extremely happy with the drug, which has done what it is supposed to do and not much more. | F | 32 | 4 years 200 | 7/31/2013 | 5 | major depression | I don't notice any side effects. Maybe hair loss, but I'm not sure if that's from this drug alone. | This drug changed my life. In 5 years I didn't experience any depression. I had some depressive symptoms start because of a chronic pain issue. We increased the dose from 100 to 150 and I felt a lot better. Other members of my family have also benefited greatly from Lamictal. | F | 31 | 6 years 150mg 1X day | 7/28/2012 | 5 | Bipolar II, Narcolepsy | Some drowsiness, appetite loss, minor rash on start up which cleared up after a couple of weeks. | Lamictal was the the sixth mood stabilizer my psychiatrist prescribed me after the previous five caused problematic reactions. It was the most effective medication I have been prescribed for treating my rabid cycling bipolar II. I was diagnosed with narcolepsy 6 years after I started taking lamictal, and discovered that the lamictal had been preventing catapletic episodes, along with the bipolar treatment. | F | 24 | 8 years 300MG 1X day | 11/15/2012 |