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 |
| 4 | Bipolar II - rapid cyling | very few, biggest problem is insomnia, although it's partly because I take it later in the day, and I believe once I start to take it consistantly in the morning this will be diminished - taking OTC sleeping pills have helped. When I remember to take it in the morning it makes me pleasantly perky and alert during the day. Only a few cases of short-term memory loss, although I don't know if this will increase as I titrate to a higher dose (just started 100mg from 50mg). Have had a few very short breakthrough episodes, which were the most noticable when I accidentally missed a dose (onset coming about a day after the missed dose, lasting a few hours, usually tending towards hypomania rather than depression). Generally have felt much more even and stable-headed. | Overall I have really liked Lamictal, and have had very few side-effects which bother me - the most troublesome being difficultly in getting to sleep, which as increased with higher doses. I started on 25mg, titrating up to 100mg after 30 days, although I felt stablizing effects almost immediately. I have felt more even-headed than before I can remember - I was previously cyclothimic since age 11, recently changed to BPII a year ago - this is my first attempt at medication. I am currently taking this as monotherapy, although I may add medication if my depression returns. When I started the medication I was already beginning to come out of a year long depression, so I am not as certain as to how affective it will be for deeper depression, although it has significantly reduced my frequent recurring morbid depressed thought episodes. The few minor short breakthrough episodes I've had have been almost exclusively tending towards hypomania. Overall I've been very impressed with how much mor | F | 18 | 35 days | 10/30/2006 | 4 | Intermittent Explosive Disorder | Bad short term memory loss in the beginning but it went away within a few months of being on 150mg dosage. I'm not sure if it's Lamictal or my anti-depressant (or both), but I tend to get REALLY drunk, REALLY fast, for a REALLY long time. Didn't take it for 3 or 4 days and have had spontaneous twitches in my left eye. Rarely as angry as I used to get, and even then, I'm able to control myself and do not get uncontrollably violent like I used to. Temper still flares, but only in really bothersome situations. Overall, with the anti-depressant included, I feel normal and I actually feel happy! I rarely have bad days anymore like I used to have everyday. I'm a better person to be around and my moods and actions are more predictable. | No other side effects. | F | 19 | 5 months | 11/21/2006 | 4 | depression | loss of balance, nystagmus, twitching of muscles when very relaxed, hand tremor, easy bruising, weight loss(but no nausea) | All these side effects are fairly mild but are exacerbated by stress (as most things are.) Side effects are not nearly bad enough to make me want to quit. Taking 200mg daily | F | 55 | 4 months | 8/20/2007 | 4 | Bipolar II | Vivid bad dreams. | About 4 months ago I was finally diagnosed with Bipolar II after 10+ years of different antidepressants that didn't work. It took a breakdown to get a proper diagnosis. I take Lamictal along with Lithium. I am now a completely different person. I am no longer angry, which feels very strange. When a feeling is constant for so long, it feels like something is missing when it's gone (even though that's a good thing). The only side effect I've noticed is vivid bad dreams. They started when I was upped to 150 mg. I'm now at 200 mg and they are still occuring. But I feel so much better otherwise, I'm not willing to give up my new meds. I don't remember having ANY dreams on the antidepressants. Maybe my brain is just making up for lost time. | F | 32 | 4 months | 7/6/2007 | 4 | Hypomania, narcolepsy | bad headaches if taken as little as 2-3 hours later than my normal dosing time, occasional insomnia, forgetfulness, tingling sensations in my face and arms | When it comes to controlling manic episodes, I haven't found a better drug on the market. One of the only downsides is that it loses its efficacy pretty quickly, and I have had to updose 5 times over the past 2 years. At least for me, my impulsivity and mood-swings have decreased significantly, but Lamictal's ability to control my depression hasn't been as impressive (thus why my dose continues to increase). My psychiatrist just recently told me that most patients on Lamictal have the best results if a very low dose of Lithium is added as a supplement to it. I've yet to try this combined therapy, but I may in the future. Also, I'm using Lamictal in combination with Adderall XR to control narcolepsy. The anti-convulsant effects of Lamictal alone have GREATLY decreased the frequency of my attacks - that in and of itself has made the drug a godsend. | F | 29 | 2 years | 10/10/2007 | 4 | Bipolar Type II and Social Phobia | Mainly, frequent headaches and vivid dreams. From time to time, lightheadedness and hand tremors. So far, I haven't received any of the rash or bad acne that others have experienced. | So far so good. However, recently I have plateaued with this med and may be up for increased dosage. | F | 24 | 3 months | 9/2/2007 | 4 | Bipolar Disorder | Hair loss in beginning and then hair growth. "Jiggle" eyes when trying to focus on book or computer,etc. Difficulty "pulling up" words and bad short term memory. Difficulty staying asleep sometimes. Aching joints occasionally. Increased sweating and body odor. | I had a suicide attempt in March that almost ended my life-Lamictal, Lexapro, Lithium, Trazedone, and Armour Thyroid has stabilized me for the first time in 5 years. Been stable for 9 months! Sometimes frustrated with side effects but I feel its a small price to pay for my life! Incredible mood stabilizer. | F | 36 | 10 months | 12/21/2006 | 4 | BiPolar | Memory loss, difficulty articulating thoughts, extremely bad body odor and possible hair loss. No sleeping problems possibly due to the combination of Lamictal, Trazadone and Lexapro. | Stabilized mood swings to a degree. Realize I need to do more than rely on the medications to improve my mental state, but the medications at least give me a good base in which to take care of myself better. | F | 56 | 1.5 years | 2/23/2006 | 4 | Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy | Acne, Intermittent Hair Loss, Tingling/Numbness in Face | I'm the parent of a 14 (almost 15) year old girl that has been on lamictal/lamotrigine for the past 1-1/2 years for seizures. She is currently on 487.5 mg/day. We just weaned her off Topamax completely. My question is her acne has become pretty severe and our dermatologist wants to start her on birth control pills to see if it will help (since nothing else has). We do not want to start accutane at this time. It appears all BCP's have a drug interaction with Lamictal decreasing Lamictal's effectiveness by 50%!!!! I hope someone out there has had experience using both BCP and Lamictal and can give me some user advice on what BCP to use and what effects you have had with using both meds at the same time. Thanks! | F | 14 | 18 months | 10/12/2007 | 4 | bi-polar II | a minor rash at the beginning | I started taking this drug after I had my daughter. I had been previously taking Wellbutrin before I got pregnant with her. I currently take 250 mg twice a day. At certain times of the month, I also take 2.5 mg of Celexa. Lamictal isn't perfect, but it has helped with the depression lows. Because of being bi-polar II, I can't take the usual depression medications. (My mood swings become exaggerated.) Fortunately I have not experienced the side-effects others have on this medication (or at least not that I can directly attribute to the medication). | F | 46 | 4 years | 10/10/2007 | 4 | Epilepsy | sleepiness, drowsiness, and fatigue. | It controls my seizures really well and I have had two healthy pregnancies that were well planned. For those women wanting children while taking lamictal I can say by experience that it does not affect the baby at all. It has to be taken along with 5mg of folic acid to avoid abnormalities. I have two healthy and beautiful girls. I was even able to breastfeed. Just plan it well with your neurologist. | F | 30 | 12 years | 11/3/2008 | 4 | Bipolar I | Nightmares (the "waking up screaming" kind) | Two months ago, when a depression hit, after 6 years on only Depakote, I started on Lamictal (and Wellbutrin, while tapering up to 100 mg Lamictal). Nightmares started with one about three weeks ago and four in the last week, all after getting to full dosage and going off Wellbutrin (still on Depakote the whole time). Doctor recommended Lamictal as good treatment for depression in bipolar patients, but does not recommend solely as mood stabilizer (hence the continuation of Depakote). Depression has completely lifted. | F | 44 | 2 months | 4/7/2007 | 4 | Seizures | Horrible horrible cystic acne which flares my rosacea. Didnt realize at all that the Lamictal might have been the cause. Am shocked that others have experienced this too. I have never in my life had any problems with acne before taking medications (this and the BCP are to blame). Ive been off the BCP for 2 years and the acne is getting worse and cystic (the bcp just gave me small white bumps)! I also have the memory problems. Didnt attibute this to lamictal either. Now i feel alittle better that im not a big dummy. Am studying to be a math teacher and have no problems with numbers or math but when it comes to writing papers for my ed classes or talking in class im just plain dumb. Definately have problems with vocabulary which i never had before. vivid dreams (mostly good ones) and very minor muscle aches (but this is likely because of my job as a waitress). | Had 10 SPS and 1 complex partial. Have not had any since being on this medication. Am going to talk to my doc about weening off it. He said he wanted me to be on it for 3 years but i think my seizures were so minor that i can come off sooner. *fingers crossed*. Would be nice to finally have my skin clear again. Its terribly disfigureing and honestly hard to go from being pretty to looking like scarface which makeup can hardly cover. :( I probably wont go on any other seizure meds because I might want to have kids someday and my neurologist said its much harder especially for women intheir 30's to conceive when on most seizure meds. He said lamictal is the best in that respect. So as far as seizures go this med works great with the only major side effect a superficial one. This however is a huge one for me. | F | 28 | 2 years | 4/8/2007 | 4 | schizoaffective, bipolar type | About two or three weeks after I went from a 100 dose to 200, I lost all the spit in my mouth, which made it VERY hard to talk. Far worse than that, though, was the scary double vision I started getting -- I literally could not see straight. This not only made it VERY difficult to walk and drive and almost impossible to read, it also gave me seriously horrible headaches. Cutting back to 150 has stopped both reactions. | This stuff is fantastic! I have severe, frequent mood swings and crippling depression, and this has eliminated most of it. The hardest thing about it has been the relapses I have when I either forget to take it or run out and forget to refill -- I can no longer than two days before it all comes back. | F | 28 | 1 years | 4/5/2007 | 4 | Epilepsy | night sweats, problems with birth control, swollen tonsils, problems with concentration and long/short term memory | Lamictal has done a pretty good job controlling seizures with a few exceptions. I am on the birth control pill, and the Dr. put me on Lamictal b/c he said it didn't interfere with the pill. WRONG!!! I was on my period for almost 7 months straight, while the Dr's experimented with different levels of hormones (The Depo-shot was the winner!). During this experimentation time I started having seizures as they increased the estrogen. So my neuro. increased the lamictal to 300mg/day. At this point I started getting annoying night sweats about 3 times/week, and my tonsils have been swollen for about 3 months now. I am so glad that I found this website b/c I started doing research on the internet, searching for | F | 26 | 16 months | 8/10/2005 | 4 | Epilepsy | Bleeding and receding gums, Mood swings, Fatigue | Controls my seizures pretty well but, I plan on asking my nuerologist for a new anticonvulsant. Since I have been on it, the health of my gums has been consistantly goind down hill. My dentist is the one who pointed out that it was most likely because of medication. When I researched what other people said about the drug, many others have experienced problems with their gums bleeding. The condition of my gums is curently puting a damper on my dental work. | F | 25 | 2 years | 4/17/2007 | 4 | lamictal | sore throat, pain in ears, crazy dreams that even after I wake up they continue were they left off after falling back to sleep...bathroom issues and worring a little about possibility of some seriuos horrible skin rash killing me | I felt better almost right away racing thoughts have slowed down ...and I feel like I don't need to use alcohol any longer to sooth my condition..THIS IS A FIRST ...and I have been on many different medications.. | F | 39 | 3 weeks | 8/8/2005 | 4 | Epilepsy | I started on it in the winter and had night sweats frequently. Sometimes they were so bad that my shirt would be soaked when I woke up. As soon as the warm weather started, I have had excessive sweating all the time. I would be sweating profusely even when i didn't feel that hot. I have also had fatigue, weakness, and difficulty sleeping. My overall mood has also been very negetive. I have been depressed and more paranoid than usual. I work night shift and have been showing signs of sunlight deprivation. Some of these symptoms may be due to sunlight deprivation rather than Lamictal side effects. I am going to be changing shifts soon to see if that makes a difference. I was concerned about the severe sweating considering the list of side effects said nothing about it; but since I now see that others on Lamictal are having the same problem, I am not as worried about it. | The side effects can be a bit annoying, but I still like the drug. When I first started on it at the lower doses, I would feel the | F | 23 | 6 months | 8/16/2005 | 4 | Bipolar | Also taking 900 lithium with 200 lamictal, occasional clonazapam. Irritated eyes, red eyes, tense neck and shoulders, unable to concentrate, feel wired up, depressed, have no idea what's true anymore, cannot trust gut instincts, feel | I don't know what's helping and what's not. I sometimes want to go off all meds to see where the clean slate is. | F | 28 | 4 months | 7/12/2005 | 4 | anti-seizure | lack of concentration, but it worked because i had no reoccuring episodes | most the of the worst side effects have appeared after i stopped using lamictal, huge lack of concentration, constantly tired, depressed... i wonder if it normal to still have these side effects almost 4 months later | F | 21 | 1.5 years | 3/21/2007 |