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 | Depression, mood instability | Hair loss, acne, sometimes twinges in my muscles, irritability when I increase dosage - for a few days, vivid unpleasant dreams, change in sleep patterns | Lamictal is a miracle for me. I haven't tried a lot of AD's - just Wellbutrin, which was terrible for me. I have very unstable moods (but no mania or hypomania), which is why I think Lamictal works when Wellbutrin didn't. Wellbutrin gave me terrible anxiety. Lamictal makes me feel normal. Maybe I have a little bit of memory problems and I wonder if it has affected my eyesight, but I'm not completely sure on either of those, so obviously it's not too bad. I tried the generic, and it made me terribly sleepy and fatigued. | F | 38 | 4 months | 8/14/2009 | 5 | seizure | None | stoped seizure right away. A miricale pill. Expensive,but woth it. I had grand male and parciale seizures. Took 4 differant meds befour lamictal. They didn't help. I had side effects from all 4. | F | 61 | 15 years | 8/23/2009 | 5 | bi-polar | My 72 year old mother suffered greatly...severly depressed almost catatonic for 2 months, manic 2 months, somewhat normal 2 months..this cycle repeated itself for 2 years ! | My 72 year old mother was put on lamictal starting out at 25 mgs twice a day...after 3 months she is taking 125 mg once a day and doing wonderful! I feel like I have my mother back...I highly recommend this medication but recommend starting out in small doses... | F | 72 | 3 months | 8/25/2009 | 5 | JME with Complex Partial seizures | None....FINALLY SOMETHING THAT WORKS | Lamictal has worked great for me,verse all the other medications Iv'e tried in the past(Depkene,Depkote,Depkote er and Topamax).It has reduced my seizures tremedously.I now only have around 3-6 a year,which isint really that bad as before I was having them all the time.Morning,noon and night.Mostly they only occur when Im around my triggers which are[photosensitivity to **flashes of a camera,strobes and flourescent lighting**one of my biggest triggers],low blood surgar,stress/in the beginning of getting a bug or virus,emotional stress,not enough sleep,and hormonal fluncuations.For when they do only occur out of no where I usually get aroud 2-4. | F | 18 | 3 years | 8/25/2009 | 5 | Bi-Polar | Stiff neck, blurry vision | Once I was on the full dose of 200mg the side effects went away, although I had to get my eyeglass prescription changed... Works fabulous. Gives me a sense of calm and that all is right with the world. Bad neckache if I skip a dose. | F | 46 | 10 years | 8/28/2009 | 5 | bipolar disorder | fatigue, lack of appetite | changed my life. Feel like I'm the person I was meant to be | F | 45 | 2 years | 8/23/2009 | 5 | BiPolar II | groggy in the morning, slight word recall problems | wow. I feel like I've never lived a normal life until now. I'd long suffered from severe "overreactions" to things, if i had a problem at work, i'd be tortured by it, if i had a bad date, I'd be CRUSHED, if someone pissed me off, I'd spend HOURS ruminating on it and writing extremely thorough emails to them. I was STUCK in whatever emotion was happening, and I couldn't think straight. Lamictal is a drug to treat seizures, and it makes sense that this drug would help me. What happened to me was like an electrical storm in my brain of emotions. But Lamictal turns that off. Now, if something that used to set me off happens, I feel a "twinge" but that's as far as it goes. I'm able to see situations clearly and deal with them rationally. I've been able in the last two months to really see patterns of behavior that I could never deal with before. In the past I'd tried almost every antidepressant there was, but they never did anything for me (except a few made me feel "dead.") I still feel like me, except a better me. I do miss the torrent of creative ideas that I used to have, but I realize now that was a sort of mania, and I'll gladly take the slowed down version if it means I can deal with people better. Wish I'd found this years ago! | F | 41 | 2 months | 8/29/2009 | 5 | Bipolar 2, with PTSD | Bad jaw, and teeth pain, bleeding gums, sweats/chills,totally weird dreams,total loss of word recall, cognition difficulties, bad muscular aches in entire body 24/7 (including neck/back/gluts/legs) that pain pills did not help,loss of libido,twitches in legs/arms,eye scratchiness,irritated, acne breakouts daily, water retention,constipation,forgot what I had read,hair loss,feels like my scalp is open,loquacious,non-stop talking,not able to connect with my higher self,.... | With all my side effects,I was on the "Generic", not the Brand, Dr told me that the pharmaceutical company only had to put in 60% of the med. He spoke to my coverage carrier, got the meds, from 700.00$, down to 200.00$ a month, and as SOON as I began taking it(I am now taking 50mg Extended Release), most of my pain, sleepiness, irritation,painful eyes,and jaw pain, went away!!!If you are experiencing all these side effects, and are taking the "Generic" brand, you may be as sensitive as I was, to the fillers, that they put in it. Attempt to go on the BRAND NAME. I cannot believe, what a difference that it makes. I am also taking Seroquel, 150mg, at nighttime, and I need a sleeping pill to fall asleep. The Dr also added an anti inflammatory drug, since my discs are leaning against my spine. I probably need something added to my "cocktail", and for right now, I am so grateful that I do not have suicadal/homicidal ideation, as I had before the Lamictal. For this, I am happy. I want to Thank Everyone, who has posted their experiences with this medication, so that I could see, that these side effects really do exist, even though the DR may not be convinced. We need to listen to our bodies, and trust ourselves. | F | 54 | 3 months | 9/12/2009 | 5 | Bipolar II | fatigue, blurred vision for small print, short-term memory loss, confusion, loss of coordination (vertigo), dry mouth, mild stomach issues, hair loss, weight loss, possible back/body pains, causes BC to be less effective... | When I was 17 I went on zoloft for "situational" depression. I went to college and was def. "life of the party". Something TOTALLY out of my character but didn't notice because I thought I was acting like the typical college freshman. Sophomore year I moved into an apartment with 3 girls. After we started classes (Aug) I started feeling different. I went to my fam doc and was put on welbutrin along with the zoloft. I eventually stopped going to class and at one period I didn't shower or brush my teeth for 3 days in a row. That's when I knew I needed help so I withdrew from school (Nov). I went to a psychiatrist and he diagnosed me with BPII. I was put on lamictal, along with the antidepressants. I worked my way up to 100mg of lamictal. I noticed by the 2nd week I started feeling better. However, my anxiety was REALLY bad still. He put me on 0.5mg of klonopin (up to 3 times a day). I felt relaxed but was VERY sleepy. Then it took a turn and I began to get restless, and my mind wouldn't shut up to let me fall asleep. My psych put me on 25mg of seroquel to help me sleep. That definitely worked. THEN, my life took another turn junior year. My boyfriend broke up with me and I was devastated. He bumped me up to 200mg of lamictal. Anyway, the main thing I still struggle with is grogginess and feeling out of it. I will still sleep 12+ hours sometimes. But, no matter what side effects I STILL have, it's so much better than the dark place I was a year ago. | F | 20 | 10 months | 9/13/2009 | 5 | Lamicitin | Over the last 10 years I have gained weight, suffer from chronic insomnia, loss of libido, blurred vision, poor concentration, sleepy during the day, short tempered, hair loss, bad skin. I always believed my doctor when he told me that there were no side effects. I am releived to find other people who are experiencing what I am. So I am not crazy ! I am going to reduce my dosage and hopefully the side effects will reduce too. | I have been taking Lamictin for 10 years, I thought it was a miracle drug. It cured my mood swings, and all other symptoms that I suffer from as a result of right frontal lobe brain damage,caused by a motor vehicle accident. My doctor has always said there are no side effects, but now I realise that there are many side effects and many other people are experiencing them too. I am taking 300mg per day, but have decided to reduce my dosage to 200mg. After reading everyones, comments it seems to me that on 200mg the side effects will be greatly reduced. | F | 46 | 10 years | 9/25/2009 | 5 | Cyclothymia- Mostly Depressive | Short term memory loss! I'd forget to go to routine appointments I've had for years, and forget to turn in assignments. I forget everything. Also, I believe I have a major case of ADD because my attention span is basically gone. I got really bad acne, but that might be because I had to get off the pill (which helps with acne). Finally, my speech and grammar get messed up- especially with tenses. It's all really embarrassing for me because I'm an outstanding student at an ivy league school and the side effects are changing how I view myself. | I'm on 50mg, and the side effects I mentioned are only getting worse as the dose increases. What's ironic is that I don't care about the side effects as much as I should because I see how well its working for me. My mood is better than ever. I was terrified of this drug before I started taking it. If the side effects weren't ruining my grades and relationships I'd go so far as to call it a miracle drug. | F | 20 | 1 months | 10/18/2009 | 5 | Bipolar type 2 | None. | This medication was a Godsent. | F | 23 | 2 years | 3/25/2009 | 5 | bipolar II | I've been on it for so long (7ish years?) I can't remember the side effects. They must not have been too horrific. | I LOVE this med. It has kept my mania pretty darn stable. Recently added a bit of Topamax to it for weight loss, but have no plans to get off the Lamictal. The generic is now available by Teva (I know, I know--they're not the most loved generic pharma), but I've noticed nothing different in my moods after taking the generic for at least 6-7 weeks now (neither has anyone else). Lamictal (brand name) is the one med that I've taken consistently and with only minor dose tweaking since I was dx'd with BPII in 2001. I did, however, find out that 400mg is too much for me, and almost immediately I experienced burning, swelling, and itchy palms. Doc lowered it right away to 300mg. | F | 40 | 7 years | 3/2/2009 | 5 | Bipolar I | none | It improved my mood and energy levels. I am much happier and optimistic after taking lamictal, and my energy has increased. | F | 26 | 2 months | 3/15/2009 | 5 | Rapid Cycling/BP-Stabilize Mood | At first, I felt a bit spacey but my Doctor had told me this was normal and would go away. It went away during the second week | My moods go from slightly depressed to hypomanic sometimes several times in one day. I have taken Tegretal, Lithium, Depakote, Seroquel, Risperdol, Haldol, Geodon, Klonopin, Zoloft, Prozac, to name a few. All other mood stabilizers caused me to be "zombie-like" and made me feel "not normal due to being extremely slowed down from normal". My SSRI was changed several times due to the mood stabilizers previously taken not being adequate....if not making me feel worse than not being medicated at all. I was put on meds such as Geodon, and Haldol that both sent me to the emergency room wondering if I was going to die....I always stopped my mood stabilizer (which is typical for BP people). Needless to say after 7 years since my diagnosis, I was completely discouraged and very hesitant to try anything new due to bad experience. My new Doctor put me on Lamictal several months ago. She advised me that it would not cause weight gain and that typically, everyone seemed to be really pleased with it. I am more pleased than I ever expected. Just when I thought no combination of meds, especially one med alone would ever change my life so much for the better as Lamictal has. I now take Lamictal, Effexor, Xanax (when needed), and Adderall. The combination is perfect but specifically associated with Lamictal...I am more energetic, I am generally is a great mood and my moods are predictable at all times, I am very optimistic, I don't have anxiety nearly as much as I | F | 30 | 2 months | 3/18/2009 | 5 | Bipolar II | The only side effect that I experienced was weight gain (which I'm sure I could combat with a little exercise). HOWEVER: As I have been reading these posts, I notice that a few of you are experiencing skin rashes. PLEASE tell your doctor immediately about this side effect as this could be the sign of Stevens-Johnson Syndrome -- a potentially fatal skin condition. | This drug has worked extremely well for me. I have been taking 100mg for about 9 months and only now am seeing evidence of hypomania returning (intense irritability) coincidentally after discontinuing Lexapro. New doctor has just prescribed Abilify to take in addition to Lamictal. Any advice from any of you on taking these two together would be great! Thanks! | F | 42 | 9 months | 5/30/2008 | 5 | bipolar disorder severe mood swing | after upping to 150mg I had very vivid weird dreams. When first tirtrating up on mg's, everytime i moved to a higher mg the next day I had the "hangover" feeling-each one lasted about 3 days .When I missed a nightly dose, the next day i was back to being 'major bitch' it increased my mood swings more than before i was ever on the meds, blurred vision after taking it at night..difficult to make the numbers out on my alarm clock, very frequent urination, night sweats onset and 150mg. | This is my 1st time around seeking help and being diagnosed as bipolar so I am a new to the world of psych drugs.Lamictal has been a godsend in my life.For the 1st time I feel like a "normal funtioning" person.No more of that constant agitated state.No more road rage or going off on store clerks or continuous yelling at the kids.No more short almost non-existent fuse,or the feeling on edge and like everyone has bad intentions toward me&is my enemy.It also makes me sleep very very well at night.I have as of last nite,just moved up to the optimal dose of 200mg, so I have that "hangover" effect in the morning.It's been weight neutral for me..no loss and no gain. I always felt "on edge".Lam takes the edge off and I can relax.I have regained interest in things.Haven't had any manic episodes since startin 100mg(which is saving me tons of $from my manic shopping sprees i tend to go on),wonderful work performance because my confidence in myself is boosted& | F | 35 | 2.5 months | 5/8/2008 | 5 | Rapid-Cycling Bipolar II | I am on 150 mg currently. Its a great drug once you find a "good" dose (too litte-my mood swings came back, too much-I was a walking zombie at 200mg) This stablized me to the point where I dont even need to take an anti-depressant anymore. | DO NOT FORGET TO TAKE THIS MEDICINE! YOU WILL GET REALLY BAD WITHDRAWALS! chills, hot flashes, fever, extreme dizziness and headaches. If you do need to get off, taper slowly. | F | 17 | 1 years | 2/17/2009 | 5 | Bipolar II | Migraines, not terrible but frequent; head-in-clouds, but as a precursor to the migraine, night sweats and hot flashes (and am nowhere near menopause); metallic taste at back of mouth several hours after taking; infrequent nausea; still get rages every once in awhile | I've been upped over the last 10 months to 200 mg/day, and I also take 25 mg of Zoloft (any more than that for the Zoloft and I feel like a zombie). For the most part, Lamictal has helped me enormously. I no longer cycle as rapidly, but lately have had longer depressive episodes than I did when I first started taking it. This could be because of boyfriend problems, who knows. I find no problem concentrating, finding the right words, or having lost my creativity. It has actually helped me focus more. I am able to pull myself out of the bipolar thought spiral before I hit the bottom and lose it. I do have days where I am agitated and irritable, and have the occasional irrational raging, but nowhere near as frequently as when I was taking the Zoloft only. | F | 36 | 10 months | 6/23/2008 | 5 | Borderline Personality Disorder | Tremors, Concentration Loss-Forgetfulness. | I have just finished my 4 week walk up from 25mg to 100mg. I felt a huge improvement almost immediately. I used to have rages that last for 3 days+ and now they last an hour or two and are less often. After first week I realized how much I have missed in life and I now look forward to every new day. I have been on 30+ medications for BiPolar, Depression, Anxiety, etc. in last 12 years and this is the very first that has made a difference. The side effects are tolerable but a few times have been a little frustrating (losing keys, forgetting what I needed after driving to store, and stopping mid sentence not remembering what I was saying). Overall the ups this drug has given me are so grand that the downs are easily overlooked. | F | 29 | 4 weeks | 7/27/2008 |