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 |
| 2 | Bipolar | Bruise on outer left thigh which continued to spread. Dark and light spots. Embarressing to wear shorts in the summer. Moods were still not stable. High doses gives me irregular heartbeat. | Lamictal does not seem to be effective in controlling my moods, I can't remember things, problems concetrating, can't describe things I want to say, seems I can't find the correct words to use like a brain freeze. Continue to have 2-3 nights without any sleep, went 5 nights straight without sleep before and Lamictal is suppose to help with these cycles and don't. I continue to be on a rage and doctors have difficulties perscribing me anything else due to my body rejects numerous of these medications. The depression and insomina is ongoing. I take Ambien for sleep and tried over 20 anti-depression meds that I reject or get terrible side effects to the point I have to discontinue them. Lamictal is the only drug that gives me less problems only if I stay under 200mg. The bruise that occured on my outer thigh, doctors states they have never heard of it or seen such thing. I have proved it as in when I was hospitalized for a month, I was not given any Lamictal at all, the bruise went away, I began taken them again and next thing I knew the bruise came back. Now my doctor is saying I need to go see a Derm doctor and see if they can give me some type of cream, lol yeah ok. Not recomended but I stopped taking them about a week ago and I seem to be fine thus far. | F | 47 | 2 years 75MG 2X day | 4/27/2011 | 2 | bipolar disorder | I developed severe acne, out of nowhere. Whereas I used to be highly motivated, I became very lazy feeling and began wanting to sleep and lay around a lot more. Gained 20 to 25 pounds, weighing the heaviest in my life. Often felt stupid, as everything in my mind was foggy. It sucked. It sometimes helped with my mood swings, but still was often depressed and would still get manic highs. My sex drive decreased slightly (as i used to be hypersexual). I'm now off of it and feel much better cognitively. Emotionally, I am more out-of-whack, having difficulty if I do not cry everyday and I still need to have sex. It's much more difficult for me to achieve orgasm, though it was very easy for me to prior to taking Lamictal :( | don't take it! unless you would like to even out your mood swings in exchange for weight gain, acne and constantly being aloof. | F | 20 | 3 years 400 mg 1X day | 3/22/2011 | 2 | Bipolar/PTSD/OCD | Inability to orgasm, loss of sex drive, vivid nightmares, lethargy, back pain, swollen lymph node, weight gain. | I was recently on Abilify which completely eliminated my OCD to the point where I didn't care about anything, and made me gain weight, so I was switched to Lamictal. At first I didn't notice much, but shortly after I realized I couldn't have an orgasm, and was completely uninterested in sex. I work out a lot and still seem to gain weight. The nightmares are horrible and I have several each night. I've developed a large bump in my neck that is a swollen node, and my back and neck constantly hurt. It does stabilize my mood somewhat, but not enough to endure the side effects. Always exhausted as well. | F | 32 | 21 days 50mg x 2 1X day | 3/18/2011 | 2 | Bipolar 1 | rash, hair loss | The hair loss was extreme. Clumps of hair were falling out from the very first day I took it. After a week on it I got a rash on my back so my doctor told me to stop taking it. I would have insisted I got off it despite the rash because of how much hair I was losing. | F | 31 | 7 days 25 MG 2X day | 2/27/2011 | 2 | MAJOR Mood swings.Anxious,Angry,extreme sadness/depression.Often lethargic,scattered in thoughts.Short term memory definately effected.My eyesights goes wacky at times.Dizzy spells. | This weekend was the final straw for my stint with lamictal.I was just weaned off of effexor & started wellbutrin XL.My doctor started me on Lamictal as well, testing a theory that I may have Bi-Polar 2 (keeping my wellbutrin dose the same).With every increase of Lamictal( & Im not on a high dose compared to alot of you) I got a little more manic. I would burst into tears & actually feel so much sadness it felt like someone I loved had died,or on the flipside I would feel extreme angst,irritability & anger.I am currently attending college fulltime & my short term memory problems have really messed with my test taking.I understand concepts, but no matter how much I study the words escape me.Prior to Lamictal my abilty to remember things may not have been perfect but at least it was there.I lose things constantly ,forget appointments,many times I dont remember having told someone something or if they have told me something.I have dizzy spells & alot of the time I feel like Im in a fog..definately not for me... | F | 45 | 3 months 100 mg 1X day | 2/21/2011 | 2 | Bipolar II | Spaciness, involuntary muscle jerks-esp in neck at night more but also during the day, coordination issues/bumping into things, extreme night sweats, worsening of PMS symptoms both physical and emotional, short term memory loss, fidgety, major sleep issues-can't sleep for more than 3 hrs at a time, vivid dreams/same dream feels like it goes on all night, breakouts of acne (mild), possible weight gain, brain "zaps". (I should add that I am on the generic form.) | I recently started Seroquel as well and have noticed the weight gain more since taking that, so not sure about the Lamictal causing that. I was recently diagnosed as Bipolar II after a bout of fairly bad depression for the first time so I'm also not used to these meds. The side effects concern me, especially the muscle jerks because I have read they can become permanent. I'm actually considering tapering off both the Lamictal and Seroquel myself and just taking my chances. | F | 40 | 3 months 150mg 1X day | 2/2/2011 | 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 | 2 | bipolar depression | i started this medication right after my son was born. i had hairloss happend about 4 months later but that was excused for the postpardom symptoms. my hair stopped falling out about 3 months after it started. six months later it started again-BAD! iv been to my pcp 5 times over the last 6 months, dozens of blood tests later theres no explanation for the hair loss. i already have bald spots that i have to take extra time in the morning to try and cover up. the first 2 years on the med i had extreme weight loss, no complaints, ate watever i wanted, hardly any exercise. over the last 4 months i have gained ten pounds, no change to my diet. no matter what i do i cant seem to lose it. i have absolutly no short term memmory left. im a college student and i cant even join in the class discusions because i forget what im trying to say in the middle of my sentences. i feel like an idiot when this happends, last semester it wasnt this bad. i cant even remember what cloths i put on my son when h | F | 26 | 2.5 years 200 1X day | 3/11/2010 | 2 | Depression, Mood Stabilizer, Anxiet | Substantial short term memory loss, constant migraine headaches and nausea. | I began their starter pack of 25 mg per day, but after increasing to 50mg I had migraine headaches 24/7. Nausea was also a problem, so I began taking Prilosec & Maalox. The short term memory loss was so awful, I didn't feel like I could have a conversation with anyone without appearing like an idiot. I am pleased this medication has worked for some people and really appreciate everyone that shared their results on this site. | F | 41 | 3 weeks 50mg 1X day | 2/6/2010 | 2 | Bipolar/PTSD | At 300mg: dry patches on skin, HAIR LOSS, mild/moderate vaginal irritation, itchy scalp and face, dizzy "buzz" when taken, weird, random tingles in hands, throbbing eyeball. Down At 200mg: just dry patches on skin, mild/moderate vaginal irritation, and HAIR LOSS. Down at 100mg/day: too soon to tell | Lamictal DID HELP my mental state markedly, but I am scared by the side effects. BTW, pdoc suggested using "Nioxin" shampoo etc. to help stop hair loss; too soon to say if it helps. Only other med I take is xanax. | F | 26 | 1.5 months 300mg 1X day | 7/28/2010 | 2 | Bipolar/depression | Extremely suicidal, very itchy when I,m trying to relax, NO sex drive!, extremely irritable, can't focus, leg muscles very sore, major weight gain, increased appetite, lightening in my head constantly | I have only been taking Lamictal 6 weeks or so and I don't know if I haven't given it enough time or if it just isn't working. I was taking 200mg of Zoloft and sleeping my life away. Now I'm awake but I'm constantly thinking about suicide. I started out at 50mg daily, then went to 100 mg daily and now I've toned it back to 50mg daily. I'm going to try and take myself off of all medications and see if I even remember who I was to begin with. The lightening bolts going off in my head is too much for me to handle. I have a wonderful daughter and she is helping through all of this. At one time every female in my family was taking some kind of anti-depressant medication. Now the only one left is me. I just want to feel like a person again. Will not take any more drugs to make me FEEL better!! | F | 47 | 6 weeks 50mg 1X day | 6/16/2010 | 2 | partial seizers | Sever yeast infections. I am a forty year old women that has never had a yeast infection until I started taking lamictal. Short term memory loss, can't think of what im going to say, cant think of peoples names, vived dreams, want to cry all the time and I get mad easly. I fell like I am lossing my mind. | I want to go off this medication and try a different one as soon as possible. I am scared to try a new drug, because I am afraid that my seizers will get worse. I had a seizer while I was driving with my son in the car. I had to wait three months before I could drive again. I have a huge fear of it happening agian. I work full time as a teachers aid, I am scared the side effects are going to effect my job, and or have a seizer at school. I don't know if I will be able to drive if I try a new medication. I have partial seizers when I am sleeping, and I have had two where my whole body seizes. | F | 40 | 4 months 150mg 1X day | 6/20/2010 | 2 | Panic disorder; bipolar I; PTSD | I developed the "life-threatening" rash. A rash on the body caused by Lamictal can somehow spread to your internal organs. | I really liked Lamictal. I thought I finally found a drug to take with Lithium that would make me feel good inside my skin. When I developed the rash, I was told how serious it was, and I was taken off of Lamictal. Am now taking Seroquel and I hate it. | F | 57 | 4 months 400 MG 1X day | 8/24/2010 | 2 | bipolar type 2 | can't focus, don't want to do anything, sex drive increased exponentially to the point in which it actually interferes with my work and life. Excessive hair throughout my body, ACNE as in a bad case of, can't sleep, I think it took my soul away. | This drug did not work for me, I'm considering going off of meds altogether. The one thing it has helped me with is to control anger, I don't snap at my children like I used to and I'm not as suicidal as before. The improvements I've experienced do not compensate for the side effects. | F | 35 | 10 months 200 mg 1X day | 1/6/2011 | 2 | Bipolar II | Violent rash. Flu symptoms. | I took 25 mg a day for a week and everything was fine. 4 days after I increased to 50mg, I developped a very severe rash. It looked like a bad sunburn, on the upper body at first and spreaded to the whole body gradually. Turned purple sometimes. Very itchy. Too bad because I got the sense this medication works very well. | F | 35 | 11 days | 9/24/2006 | 2 | Moodiness,Anxiety.. | Tiredness, irritability,less sexual,less outgoing | I was a lot better on paxil!!! I've tried to reach my doctor to change back to Paxil and she won't call me back...Weird...I was sooo much better on Paxil..This medication has made me feel like a zombie...Extremly VIVID and STRANGE dreams!!! | F | 29 | 1 weeks | 9/15/2005 | 2 | BIPOLAR 1 | INSOMNIA, DRY MOUTH, CONFUSION, ANXIETY, FREQUENT URINATION, HEART PALPATATIONS, MINOR HEADACHES, HAND TREMORS, DEHYDRATION, FREQUENT THIRST, VIVID DREAMS AND NIGHTMARES, URINARY RETENTION, MILD HAIR LOSS, RAPID PULSE, MILD ITCHING, MINOR BLURRY VISION, AGITATION, HYPOMANIC EPISODES, INCREASED TIREDNESS, LOW-GRADE FEVERS AND MUSCLE PAIN. | LAMICTAL is a drug that I don't want to be on. But DEPAKOTE, TEGRETOL, SEROQUEL, RISPERDAL and ABILIFY didn't do much for my Bipolar I Disorder. I am taking the LAMICTAL against my will, I HATE the drug! If I wasn't threatened with psychiatric hospitalization- I wouldn't take this drug. Too many side effects for me. I am currently on LAMICTAL, LITHIUM and CLOZARIL for my BIPOLAR issues. But I still feel the same- I haven't found the right drug combonation yet. I hope I will find something that helps me soon. | F | 22 | 3 months | 8/6/2006 | 2 | Bipolar I | Dizziness to the point I can not drive/work, neck aches, cystic acne, loss of memory, somedays I find it hard to communicate because I know the words I want to use but can't seem to find them in my head. The memory loss is affecting my job. Sensitivity to the sun. Sweats, up and down weight loss/gain, headaches, uncontrollable trembling in my hands. | At first, I thought this was the answer to my problems. But after three months, the side effects seem to outweight the positives. I've tried soooo many different meds, I'm beginning to think I'd be better without any. IMPORTANT...I was taking Zoloft with Lamactil and now I'm told the combination of the two can be toxic in certain situations (whatever that means)!! | F | 49 | 3 months | 6/18/2006 | 2 | Bipolar II Disorder & Depression | dry eyes, lack of motivation, lethargy/sluggishness, difficulty awakening in a.m., headache & shooting head pain when increasing dosage | Have been titrating up the dose slowly over the past 2 months & currently take 50mg am & 75mg pm in hopes of stabilizing mood, decreasing depression and severe agitation. Have definitely noticed a quieting in my head w/less racing thoughts & more calm, but almost too calm. Little energy & motivation currently, when before I had boundless energy & needed little sleep - now feel lazy & tired a lot. Have not seem much improvement in depressive symptoms and seem to have traded crying for raging. Hoping that 200mg will bring relief like other say... | F | 45 | 2 months 125mg 1X day | 3/3/2013 | 2 | epilepsy | Insomnia but when I do get to sleep, I keep waking up.... anxiety, weepy, headaches, diarrhea, severe body aches, increased appetite. | In fairness, I have only been on Lamictal for about five days. I was put on this in place of Vimpat as I was on that for about two months and became angry, aggressive and suicidal. I was off of the Vimpat for two days before starting this. I felt great for one day...and then started on this one and started to feel like crap within hours. My very first night, could not sleep for the first time in years and it has been this way since. Headaches and body aches started within about 48 hours and anxiety and weepy within the past two days. My doctor has me at a slow titration and this current dose is just a quarter of what my full dose will be. I am not happy at all and very frustrated with doing test drives on meds to get the seizures under control. | F | 45 | 5 days 50 mg 1X day | 6/30/2013 |