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)

  

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.)
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
 
 4  Bi-Polar I Nearly eliminates my Tinnitus on a daily basis. If I miss a dose my tinnitus comes on really strong. Twice when I missed it, within 2 hours or so my tinnitus was extra loud, nausea, and dizziness hit. Went home took it and w/in an hour or so everything calmed down. I'll probably never stop taking it. Tinnitus (especially when it's really loud), makes me want to tear my head off. I believe if more people with Tinnitus tried this drug and found that it worked for them, they too would never stop taking it. I believe it has to do with the anti-convulsion treatment. F 60 3.5 years
200 1X day
10/21/2012
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 4  bipolar Dry mouth, insomnia, swollen lymph nodes, tongue swelling F 25 3 weeks
12/14/2012
 4  Seizures Blisters in mouth, swollen tongue, yellow eyes. I love Lamictal for it's giving me good mood and somewhat control the seizures. However, I had such terrible side-effects in the first week that my doctor took me off the drug :( I think it's a great drug, just not the right one for me. Sad... F 37 5 days
25mg 1X day
7/31/2012
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 4  BPD I Oh the dripping sweat. From places I didn't know you sweat, like my kneecaps. Cognitive side effects--went from being a Spelling Bee speller to a their-there-they're confuser. Used to type 70 WPM with few errors, now I type 40 WPM with lots of backspace backspace backspace do over action. Weight gain/loss 50 pounds--related? not sure... Lamictal plays a significant role in my mood stability--I have a mostly normal life these days. For me, the cognitive side effects are annoying, but being crazy is more annoying. So I use spellcheck and am grateful. It caused some problems in grad school, but I managed it. Being overweight is generally unpleasant, but I would much rather be buxom than batsh*t crazy. I do hate the sweating, but I am grateful my home and car are air-conditioned. I am just so glad to have something that helps me stay on an even keel and maintain good relationships, which I can't seem to do on my own. I guess we all have to do our own calculus about what we can live with. F 39 6 years
300 1X day
6/22/2012
 4  Depression, SSRI induced bipolar II Increased libido, mild itchiness at dosage increase, no others I am on my third week on Lamictal. I took 12.5mg for 1 week, and I am on my second week on 25mg. So far, so good. Little effects. Maybe a good one with the increased libido. I've also noticed orgasms come quicker and more frequently. My moods have been more level and my actions, which previously were often dictated by emotions, are easier to control. I have recently come off Buspar/Zoloft combination due to agitation (mixed state?), increased paranoia, and hypomania. I don't believe my diagnosis is bi-polar, but more like depression that cannot be treated with SSRIs. On the Zoloft, I had little ability to orgasm, so the libido change is drastic. Although, it is hard to pinpoint if it is the Zoloft withdrawal is increasing libido or the Lamictal. I suspect it is a combination. F 26 3 weeks
25MG 1X day
6/30/2012
 4  depression I have expereinced short term memory loss and also mild confusion. VERY BAD HAIR LOSS!!! I have taken lamictal for 8 months. I was told that there would be no side effects. It has definately kept my moods fairly even. Not to say that I am happy all the time..just not crying all the time. Any other anti-depressant has caused major weight gain. I did not gain weight(yeah). Forgetting things and my thoughts in mid-sentence have been a concern. In the past 2 months, my hair really is falling out! I have had my hair checked by a dermalogist and my thyroid checked. Problem is definately the medicine. I am going to stop taking it and hope that I will not be back to being depressed. F 44 8 months
11/5/2006
 4  Epilepsy? Diagnosed while pregnant Hard to say since I was 5 months pregnant at the time of Epilepsy diagnosis and starting lamictal. Restlessness, loss of common words, leg cramping ( all could be pregnancy related) after birth developed a rash on the back of my arms and feel dizzy and unstable at times(like the floor is shaking) I trust this drug because my daughter was born healthy and full term ( now two months old)I have also been breastfeeding son entire time and now daughter with no side effects.It is hard for me to say whether or not this drug has helped me because I am not sure I would ever seize again. I had never had auras or seizures until this pregnancy (my second).When on a lower dose I did have another aura but no seizures. Side effects did change after birth but hormones still raging! F 28 7 months
5/21/2006
 4  Bipolar 2 Significant hair loss, vivid dreams at times, night sweats. It works. Best med I've taken, but I am stopping it due to the consistent (and now dramatic) hair loss. F 44 8 months
4/9/2006
 4  Bi-Polar II NOS I immediately developed bumps on the backs of my arms and my thighs. And I was itchy itchy itchy, especially on the palms of my hands and the soles of my feet. This was combined with dry mouth and decreased appetite, racing heart, morning diarhea. At 62.5mg, I have some minor joint pain in my hands. Despite these nuisances, so far, I'm feeling much more calm, less moody and less irritable. I'm shocked by all the vivid dreams and night sweats . . . but maybe that's because I take Klonopin which (thankfully) knocks me right out. F 38 5 weeks
3/27/2006
 4  Bipolar II Disorder headache in the beginning- but has gone away now- at 100 mg i had a hypnogogic episode and very horrible dreams- i decreased my dosage and am fine. lamictal has been extrememly helpful so far. i have been on many SSRI's... and one other mood stabilizer- lithium, and lamictal has worked the best so far! F 20 2 months
3/9/2006
 4  rapid-cycling bipolar I disorder The only side effects that I've had due to Lamictal alone are fatigue and also nausea. Interestingly enough, I took this for years for epilepsy, and it didn't work well at all. After coming off it though (post-surgery) I discovered to my dismay previously controlled bipolar I disorder. I'm back taking 400 mg a day, and though I still get the slightest depressive and manic symptoms, it's very well controlled. I mean I didn't even know that I had bipolar for years until I quit taking it, and now it's obvious to me when I'm manic and when I'm depressed and when it's mxied, but I can live with those slight symptoms where I couldn't before. F 25 8 years
1/9/2006
 4  Bipolar/Depression I have had chest pains (someone else mentioned that) which scared me at first, then I thought heartburn...but it hasn't gone a way after 5 wks. I have also noticed hot flashes and my contact lenses give me problems now. Just today I woke up w/feelings of bruises, but nothing visible Working ok so far...still pretty depressed, but I finally stopped sobbing for no reason daily. This is my first time off of antidepressants since I was 14, so a little scary. I seem to have more ups and downs, but attribute it to the meds adjusting. Started 1st 4 weeks working up to 50mg, now going up to 200 in next 2 weeks. Here's to hoping! F 28 5 days
11/20/2006
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 4  depression memory loss, inability to find the right word or follow simple directions,like stick out your tongue. I'm concerned enough to consider stopping Lamictal. After trying all the other meds over the past decade+ I've had better sucess for a longer period of time than with any other depression med. I don't want to stop HOWEVER, if this memory thing doesn't get better I may have no choice. I'm concerned memory may not improve even I do stop. F 52 3 years
10/13/2006
 4  depression/bi polar It made me sleepy when I first started taking 25mg, so I just took it at night. After 2 weeks @ 25mg, upped to 50mg before bed. Major trouble staying asleep and when I did sleep, I had VERY crazy dreams. Not sure if I can take 25mg in am and 25mg in pm. Anybody know? I can tell that this is starting to mellow me out. I was really having troubles mostly with depression. Crying uncontrolably at the smallest things. I also take 150mg Wellbutrin, which I have for 2 years. The combination of the two seem to be working well, though I'm afraid to go over 50mg, after reading so many posts about side-effects. F 31 3 weeks
11/13/2006
 4  Bipolar - Rapid Cycling with OCD I am taking Wellbuterin, Abilify, Prozac40mg,Lithium 1200 mg, as well as 300 mg. Lamictal. With so many meds it is hard for me to say for sure what med does what, but I know when my 2 Pdocs started me on this, they were very hopeful. My manic swings seem to have leveled down although I still get some short term depression. I know when I don't take the Lamictal my world gets very confusing with the depression and the manic moving so fast. I dont have anger issues with anyone other than myself. I do self mutilation. This has stopped with the Lamictal & other meds. I know the Lamictal has been a positive. I haven't experienced any hair gain or loss or any of the other things described here. I am lucky. I do want to sleep in the afternoons, but would never try to guess if it was this med or that med or the disease itself.. If you have been prescribed Lamictal, try it with confidence. F 53 3 years
10/22/2006
 4  bipolar 2 any one getting the awful muscle aches? At first felt wonderful, moved up to 100 mg, every muscle in my body ached like i had the flu or mono, even went to MD. At least it has helped my mood tremendously My psychiatrist doesn't believe it's the lamictal making me feel this way but decreased my does to 50 mg. I've been researching on the net and this drug is gaining a rep for muscle aches, hope i can stay on it. F 33 2 months
10/1/2007
 4  Mood Stablizer/Bi-Polar Dry mouth, itchy skin, dehydration, body temperature changes, dizziness, forgetfullness (short-term memory mostly), nausea, headaches/migranes. All side effects seem to fade after the first week of raising the dose. It has really stablized my moods enough that I, and my boyfriend have noticed a significant difference. I don't get manic anymore, and my anger has lessened. I don't cry daily, I actually feel like doing things again (less depression). In all, I really recommend this medication if you can stand the side effects (not too bad). F 26 7 weeks
1/5/2006
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 4  Epilepsy Grand mal The side effects of the first 4-even 6 months were tough: Insomnia, sleepiness only during the day, headaches, weakness, moodiness Was worth waiting out. Side effects have disappeared. But I was told that it is an Add-on med. so I am STRUGGLING with Depakote and they definitely interact. I recommend Lamictal F 37 8 years
12/29/2005
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 4  BiPolar 2 Nauseous, exhaustion, strange dreams Taking 200mg. Did not experience any side effects until 200mg, and now they have subsuded somewhat. I take it at night and read until I get kind of nauseous, lay my head down and sleep. I sleep through the whole night, which is great, but remember vivid dreams in the morning. Difficulty waking up, but when i do I am ok....until about 5pm, then I feel like I need a nap. I take it with wellbutrin xl, 300mg, and i think it is a good combo for the most part. i am very satisfied, but eager to talk to my doctor about minor changes to get it all just right. F 22 3 months
12/4/2005
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 4  Depression & personality disorder Small rash first few days. Dry sinus for first 4 weeks until got to 100mg. Suicidal thoughts came back at 75-100mg, but now at 125mg they've suddenly faded away. Now at 125mg and having severe issues with spelling, using keyboard (I'm normally a fast typist, but now I constantly reach for wrong letters). It's as if my brain can't control wher my fingers are going on the keyboard. short term memory...can't seem to get the right word out my memory bank. All that aside, I'm falling in love with it. My Pdoc recommended adding Lamictal to add boost to my Cymbalta. I was going through severe stress and anxiety got so bad I reached for Zyprexa almost daily, which I hate. I hate lithium because you can't hide the shakes, and it makes you so numb. I must say that Lamictal is really, really working to stabilize my mood swings. I recommend it highly, in spite of side effects. It is literally a lide-saver!! F 48 5 weeks
2/11/2007

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