LAMICTAL Reviews (LAMOTRIGINE)Average Rating: 3.4 (1917 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare LAMICTAL with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
|
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 1 | Swollen feet, legs | works great. Very few side effects except for swollen, sore feet.... | F | 30 | 1 weeks | 8/1/2004 | 4 | bipolar disorder | I have been taking 300 mg for about 8 months and it has helped to stabilize my moods; I have had little or no side effects. I am also taking Ambien. | F | 54 | 8 months | 8/12/2004 | 4 | Bipolar II- Very Rapid Cycling | The rash... even though I started small and increased slowly. I guess I was one of the unlucky few to get it. | This was the first of many drugs I've tried for Bipolar. It was the only one that I have been able to tolerate and feel like myself. I really wish I would have been able to continue taking it. | F | 19 | 6 weeks | 6/28/2004 | 4 | Bipolar III | roaring in ears, confusion, memory loss, feeling that my brain was shaking in my head (really), vivid dreams, potentiates alcohol (nothing else has ever given me a reaction, and I only drink a glass of wine or two. Not any more!) | As far as working in conjunction with my Paxil CR, it is great. The lift is good. The cost of the drug is abysmal, as I do not have health insurance. Missing a day or two is horrible. I wonder about my diagnosis sometimes because the only time I have ever had manic episodes (and they weren't that severe) was when I was on and off meds, trying to find something that worked. | F | 46 | 1 years | 3/23/2007 | 4 | Bipolar III | roaring in ears, confusion, memory loss, feeling that my brain was shaking in my head (really), vivid dreams, potentiates alcohol (nothing else has ever given me a reaction, and I only drink a glass of wine or two. Not any more!) | As far as working in conjunction with my Paxil CR, it is great. The lift is good. The cost of the drug is abysmal, as I do not have health insurance. Missing a day or two is horrible. I wonder about my diagnosis sometimes because the only time I have ever had manic episodes (and they weren't that severe) was when I was on and off meds, trying to find something that worked. | F | 46 | 1 years | 3/23/2007 | 4 | bipolar/ADD | I started taking Adderall and Strattera simultaneously, so not exactly sure which of these goes with the Lamictal, but I've been on the other two before so I think I've isolated these to Lamictal. Experiencing some hair loss, dry mouth, increased sweat - more greasyness, actually - and some deterioration in mental acuity. The biggest problem for me, however, is the increased libido combined with total sexual dysfunction. Anybody else? It really doesn't seem like a common side effect. | Great improvement in mood. 100% change. Even within a week or 2, I went from having 4+ crying fits daily to really enjoying life again. Given all the problems that people who have been on it for longer seem to have, though, I'm a little nervous about staying on it for too long. | F | 26 | 30 days | 7/17/2007 | 4 | Depression mixed with anxiety | Weight gain of about 7 lbs, dizziness (head buzz), blurred vision when reading, dry eyes, acne on face, red bumps (ancelike, but not) on upper arms, dry skin (weird with the acne), right sided 3-day headaches, pain in right inner ear, muscle spasms in back and neck, lower back pain, occasional black-outs with fainting, dry mouth, sleep problems, much more frequent urination, pains in stomach, none of which I had before taking Lamictal. | Works for depression/anxiety, but many side effects. | F | 48 | 6 months | 7/14/2007 | 4 | Bipolar | None so far. Titrating up, am at 50 mg so far. Titration SLOWLY is VERY important with this med. Also, I noticed some comments here about hair loss. I had significant hair loss with Ambien. I was on it for quite awhile, and the hair loss was gradual at first, so much so, that I wrote it off as aging (45 yoa) but eventually had my pharmacist see if any of the meds I was on would cause hair loss...Bingo...Ambien. So if you are on more than one med, it may NOT be the one most recently started that's causing your hair loss. | F | 46 | 3 weeks | 8/23/2007 | 4 | bipolar II disorder | Some weight gain, some nausea, NO RASH | Although I have only been taking Lamictal for about nine months, it has been a godsend for my mood swings. I am able to experience true happiness and real joy again. | F | 36 | 9 months | 7/27/2007 | 4 | Bipolar 2 and FM | Hair loss, weight gain, headaches | This is an update - I'm still giving this a 4 even though I have to go off it. It helped my mood a lot, but not enough to lose as much hair as I have. From looking at the reviews , this seems to be a problem for older women more than anyone? But I still think its a good drug. Ive lost 1/3rd of my hair thickness, though, in only 9 weeks, and gained a pound a week. Feeling fat and thinning hair doesnt help my depression either, so ultimately this drug doesnt do what I need it to for me. Ive always had thick hair, and a good metabolism no matter what med I was on, so I know its the Lamictal. Too bad, because the mood benefits were good. | F | 46 | 9 weeks | 4/14/2007 | 4 | Mood Disorder NOS, Anxiety | Headaches initially, feeling lethargic anytime my dosage was increased or decreased...It worked well when I was on 400mg. I'm currently down to 150mg., and I have been having distress coming off of it. We aren't sure if it's because I'm on birth control or from the Lamictal decrease. Both my Effexor and Xanax have had to be increased. | I think it's a good drug. I had very little side effects from it, and I am one of those people who usually has side effects no one else does. Be careful raising and lowering your dosage. I'm coming off the drug right now, and my doctor is questioning if it was the right thing since my anxiety and panic have increased and I've been depressed. | F | 26 | 1 years | 6/5/2007 | 4 | BP-I | at 100mg, increased heart rate (104 at rest, 114 walking 15 feet), but mentally GREAT; I dropped back down to 50 and started using the 5mg dissolving tablets to slowly work back up, 5mg more each week; at 90mg felt great mentally and physically, emotionally resilient for the first time in my life; up to 95 and the increased heart rate came back, so back again to 50. currently at 65mg and experiencing some of the good mental effects. it took over a month for my heart rate to calm down completely. I'll be stopping at 85mg for a long time to see if that is enough to handle the mental stuff without risking another heart episode. my doctor had not heard of this side effect when it first occurred, but since has heard of a few cases of exercise intolerance with similar symptoms. I live at over a mile high, so just living here is a form of exercise. apparently no damage is being done to the heart, just a functional problem. | having emotional resiliency has made all the dosage problems worth it. even at the lower dosage I feel some positive effects. just feeling what it must like to be 'normal' for those few weeks @ 90mg has given me hope. | F | 38 | 7 months | 7/2/2007 | 4 | Bipolar I | short term memory loss (i'll put a book down, or put my keys down, and then a minute later i'll forget where they are); a little trouble with typing, which has never been a problem for me; loss of appetite after about 4 weeks, which resulted in weight loss (much needed and appreciated after so many pils making me gain weight); excessive shedding of hair; nails are stronger. | For the hair loss: i took one person's comment on here to use a SELENIUM based shampoo... AND IT WORKS! do it, do it, do it! for the loss of appetite, it's good for the weight loss (has anybody else experienced weight loss on this thing?) but the problem is i have to force myself to eat every day, which isn't fun--i'm cold a lot, and i have less energy because of it. however, it seems to be helping. anybody feel free to email me. | F | 20 | 8 weeks | 5/31/2007 | 4 | Epilepsy | The only side effects i've had since being on Lamictal (4 years) is acne and fatigue. I was taking Dilantin before and all that made do is sleep constantly and it didnt stop me from having seizures. I havent had one seizure with Lamictal. | WAY TO EXPENSIVE IF YOU DONT HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE. | F | 21 | 4 years | 6/6/2007 | 4 | depression | ive only been on this for 9 days. was taking depakote500MG 3 times a day till i noticed extreme weight gain for me. 25lbs in just a few months. im winging off of that slowly and my doc has me on this. i just started so i am starting off slowly. havnt noticed any side effects yet. so far so good. | F | 24 | 9 days | 6/8/2007 | 4 | Bipolar Disorder II | First off, I would like to say I _do_ very much recommend it. Side-effects: initially (the first 6 months or so) emotional numbness. My MD said it could have been simply due to being depressed, but this sort of numbness didn't have the same feel to it. After 6 months, I stopped noticing. Also, my period did, and still does, come in more slowly. | I am taking 200mg for Bipolar Disorder II. It took about 1.5 months to get to this dose and to fully kick in. But it did help with the depression - it keeps me more level, the lows are not as bad. Changing my environment helped as well. I do recommend it. | F | 30 | 3 years | 5/12/2007 | 4 | complex partial seizures | I have been on this drug for 3 months. I have had fairly good luck with it so far. I have experienced eye twitching and am very thirsty. I still feel a little drowsy but nothing compared to trileptal. | I feel much better on lamictal with less side effects that I experienced with trileptal. I know it is not for everyone but it is working for me. | F | 35 | 3 days | 9/25/2007 | 4 | BP II | Loss of memory, feeling dumbed down, very vivid dreams (though not bad dreams), lowered sexual interest, clumsiness and carelessness, weight gain (10lbs in 6 weeks), loss of some ability to control impulses (like eating, smoking, shopping - things that were fine before I took it). | It has very much stabilized my mood. I am no longer cranky and depressed. However, I'm not that excited about anything either. I have been very even, no mood swings at all. | F | 31 | 3 months | 5/30/2007 | 4 | Bi Polar 2 | I got acne all over my back and chest. It is so gross,and reall bothering me. Esp since summer is comming up. Memory loss, I am tired all of the time. | I am taking 400 mgs. and I have noticed that I am more in baseline. It does the job, but the side effects are really getting to me. Esp @ work | F | 22 | 8 months | 5/11/2007 | 4 | BP | For the last couple months I've had a clenched jaw. I didn't consider that it might be a side effect until just now. After reading the comments, I recognize: bleeding gums, excessive sweating, word loss, clumsy typing, spelling, can't recall names on demand, joint pain. I've unconsciously been adjusting to all these things without recognizing Lamictal as the thread. I feel kinda dumb. The word loss, typing, and spelling bother me most as cognitive side effects. The jaw clenching is the only physical reaction the makes me uncomfortable. | Lamictal is my only consistent med. I take 300 mg at night and it has stabilized my life and I am so grateful. I was such a skeptic at first. I resisted meds for years and years. To have something that works--even if "normal" is annoyingly normal sometimes--I value it more than the rollercoaster. | F | 34 | 1 years | 5/4/2007 |