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 |
| 1 | seizures | memory loss, joint pain, spelling, cognitive impairment, can't articulate, find word, flip letters, spacey, depressed, anxiety attacks, sound & light sensitivity, hair loss, dry skin, joint swelling, horrible morning headaches, night sweats, flat, stabbing pains, twitching, focal stares where one eye rolls inward, frontal lobe feels fat & dumb, sores in mouth/nose, invisible itching, hands/feet ice cold, drunk feeling... | I brought 'my list' with me to neuro, GP, Rheumi, only to be treated like I was nuts. No one would even discuss side effects. When a minor collision landed me in a jail cell because of my sound sensitivity/reaction to the sound of sirens & then an anxiety/panic attack when cops assumed I was under the influence, none of my doctors supported me. I'd only had 1day of seizures 4yrs after a TBI, yet I'd been on seizure drugs for 18yrs. I have NO MEMORY at all from all these drugs. I took myself off lamictal & never felt better, had no seizures(1yr). Bit my tongue in my sleep in Oct. & ER doc reported me to DMV because I wasn't taking meds. Now, I am forced to take this drug for life if I want to drive. If I switch, I will have to wait another yr before it's 'established to control my 'nonexisitant' seizures'. I hate this drug. I hate a country where I am forced to take a drug that makes me feel horrible everyday, have no memory of my life, and all I did was bite my tongue. | F | 51 | 4 years 100mg 2X day | 4/2/2012 | 1 | mood stabalizer | 6 mo after taking drug I was diagnosed w/ fibromyalgia. Now after Nortryptiline 1 yr, Lyrica 7 yrs, and Savella 1 yr I want to try and have a baby, so I go off everything but my birthcontrol. It's been 3 weeks and my pain is cut in half. I am besides myself at the prospect of this drug causing the pain that led to a misdiagnosis of 10 yrs....My fear is I won't completely recover and be damaged forever. I have excellent doctors, how can this be? | it worked for my bi polar | F | 34 | 10 years 50 2X day | 12/15/2012 | 1 | Bipolar | WEIGHT GAIN, water retention, MEMORY loss! | My dr told me this was weight neutral...I thought I gained weight from other meds I was on, LIES! I cannot get this weight off either!! I STOPPED lamictal because I kept gaining. I wasnt even HUNGRY on it! that was the best part! NO APPETITE so I wasnt eating. Then got a trainer and nutritionist...weight STILL wont come off! Has anyone else had this problem? When will the weight get off!!!!!!! Been off med for a month now working out 7 days a week | F | 6 months 1X day | 1/11/2013 | 1 | Misdiagnosed Bipolar | Extreme tiredness, suicidal depression, lack of motivation, mood swings. These side effects did not cease until I was completely off the medicine I even got them when I took my last 25mg dose titrating down before I quit. | I am pleased so many people have done well with this drug. I was misdiagnosed bipolar and put on it so the Celexa I was taking and had been taking for years wouldn't send me 'manic'. Because it turns out I really only have unipolar depression I think that was the problem I had with Lamictal. I was on it a total of 8 weeks and they were the worst 8 weeks of my life. It seemed to negate the Celexa and sent me into the worst depression ever. I had to go into a mental ward and am still getting life back on track. Just on the Celexa now and there is hope... | F | 45 | 8 weeks 25 - 200mg 1X day | 6/9/2013 | 1 | So called Bipolar | Hallucinations, Nightmares, Niight terrors, Waking through the night, all over body itching, pressing sensation on eyes, falling, tripping, loss of memory(finish reading a book and forget the name and contents) become aggresive in thought, flat mood, generaly feel detached... | F | 57 | 4 days 200 | 12/15/2012 | 1 | Bipolar | swollen lymph nodes; new ones form every day, flu-like symptoms, fever, chills, achy, weight gain, and migraines. | F | 29 | 4 weeks 50mg | 1/20/2013 | 1 | Petit mal seizures | This drug killed me on the inside. I wanted to die. Hostility/Depression/Suicidal thoughts/Irritability/Loss of appetite/Anxiety/Severe mood change/Racing thoughts. Every day I wanted to sleep forever. It just broke me. | F | 17 | 2 months | 5/2/2013 | 1 | Bipolar | Very naseous and having trouble eating. Bad headaches that don't go away no matter what i do. Can't focus or concentrate, double vision. Suicidal thoughts. | This medicine literally made me want to kill myself, it seems to work for some but not with me. | F | 17 | 7 days 50 1X day | 3/4/2013 | 1 | seizures | dizziness, irritability, spacing out, hip pain, stomach pain, drowzy, horrible headaches, intense dreaming, night sweats, tonight I got a rash...red and mild all over chest arms and legs, legs are swollen too. | Will never take it again, this stuff can kill your spirit if not yourself, I just called my doctor, and I am terrified!!! he said that I might have to be put on a steroid treatment for the rash...WHAT?? | F | 34 | 25 days | 9/15/2005 | 1 | seizures | problems with time and space, anxiety, insomnia, problems with short term memory. Problems with finding the words, and remembering some names. | F | 38 | 12 years | 8/3/2006 | 1 | partial complex seizures | Increased seizures; memory/cognitive problems; drowsiness; trouble "finding" words; blood sugar problems; interacted with birth control, the bc inhibited the metabolism of the Lamictal, so my doctor increased my dose, but when I stopped the bc, my blood sugar went crazy; other lesser side effects, minor night sweats at beginning of treatment, having to use the bathroom more frequently. | The biggest problem that I had with this drug was that it exacerbated my seizures. I was originally on Depakote, which completely controlled my seizures, but I did not like the "druggy" feeling it gave me (drowsiness, cognitive difficulties), so my doctor put me on Carbotrol. This slowly increased my seizures until I was experiencing 3-4 weekly, so my doctor switched me to Lamictal, which has made things even worse: I'm lucky if I go for two days seizure-free; mostly, I have one or two in a day, sometimes three or four, but on the worst days, 5 or 6. Now, I've asked to be put back on the Depakote (esp. since the Lamictal comes with the same side effects but worsens my seizures). | F | 23 | 5 days | 5/8/2006 | 1 | BiPolar 2 | I had 4 pre-existing, minor "problems" that were greatly exacerbated after taking Lamictal. 3 problems appeared rather quickly. One took 5 months to be noticed. Rhinitis, semi-severe cystic Acne, vaginal bacterial syndrome (after 10 years with my husband only), and short-term memory loss. They have all been horrible to deal with, but the memory loss has truly been a threat to my self-reliance in terms of work. I do accounting. Oh, yes. I can't remember which word to use when speaking and it takes me sooooo much longer to communicate than ever before (I was very snappy and precise, mostly.) | I am quitting this drug even though there aren't any better alternatives, yet, for my diagnosis. I need to be able to do an efficient job, and cannot constantly rely on others to remember things of significance for me. | F | 46 | 365 days | 5/11/2006 | 1 | epilepsy | I started this stuff very slowly and cautiously, as I had had nasty side effects before with other drugs. Once I increased my dose to a certain level, I found I began to feel extremely anxious, and by the time I was nearly at the maintenance dose I felt perpetually incredibly anxious, stressed, and freaked out. All the time all day long I had total deep mind and body stress and anxiety, so physical that I can only compare it to that freak feeling you get when you just dodge being hit by a car, and you feel so freaked out. I ended up calling up the nurses sobbing uncontrollably begging them to help me, to help me oh please god help me!!!, and finally quit taking the stuff without permission and immediately saw all the freak out anxiety disappear. Anxiety was the only side effect I had. After that I started taking Neuronton, and the only thing that has done to me is to make me feel happy. | For me it was hard core horrid, truly horrible horrible horrible. | F | 27 | 2 months | 2/3/2006 | 1 | Bipolar I | weight gain( 20 lbs)... constipation......, helped with moods, but the fact of the weight gain made me terribly frustrated... i had previously been on lamictal 4 years ago and experienced the same symptoms... i thought maybe it was all in my head, so i decided to give it another try.... i recently stopped the lamictal and went back on my 40 mgs of prozac and kept on with my 100 mgs of topomax.... i have already dropped 11 lbs... in two short weeks... without chagning my diet... i felt bloated with lamictal... mostly water retention..... | F | 40 | 10 months 150 mgs 1X day | 1/8/2011 | 1 | Depression/Anxiety/PTSD | side effects: memory loss, word recall, confusion, HAIR LOSS | I was diagnosed with Depression/GAD and PTSD 17 yrs ago. 3 yrs ago I had a re-surgence of PTSD because I was in an abusive job and was sexually harrased in the workplace. In this resurgence of PTSD episode I had feelings of anger, irritability, anxiety and depression and even acted out a couple times with rage. So my doctor decided to put me on Lamictal for the mood and anxiety along with 300 mg of Wellbutrin. This drug did not work for me. I lost 2/3 of my hair and have never in my whole recovery felt so not like myself. I became suicidal and was still depressed and anxious. the worst I have felt - even months after having gotten out of the job. I am now getting off and am down to 100 mg. I started Cymbalta a couple monts ago and am starting to feel like my old self again. I am not a doctor and can't tell people what to do but from my own experience this was the WORST drug I have taken in my whole recovery process. It made things worse. I feel like i have lost the last 2 yrs of my life since I have been on it. Procced with caution. | F | 39 | 2 years 200 1X day | 12/21/2010 | 1 | bipolar | It made me feel great, but then I broke out in a rash, mild case of Stevens Johnsons. My whole system has never been the same. 6 months later and I still get a rash around my mouth and on my hands every month or so. I had to get a picc line for intravenous medication and doctors thought to be SJS your skin had to be falling off... not true, it can be mild, it attacked my glands skin and breathing. Too bad, I liked the med but NOT worth the risk. | F | 30 | 3 months 125 1X day | 1/19/2011 | 1 | atypical bipolar and depression | there are a lot! I would NEVER take this drug again! Terrible Hot Flashes, excruciating calf cramps (charlie horse type) that did not go away all day or night, excessively tired: like I would go into a trance - blank out completely, with my eyes wide open. right shoulder pain (in back) with terrible burning sensation - like a hot knife going into a cramping muscle, unable to think clearly, uncoordinated, dizzy, itchy all over, tinnitus and a "whishing sound in my right ear) accompanying the tinnitus, sinus condition, cried all of the time (unable to control saddness) - went into an even deeper depression. I have a heart condition and this caused angina severe enough for me to have to take nitroglycerin, also heart felt like it was flipping, or skipping beats, bad, bad headache that would not go away no matter what...is that enough for you? NEVER again will I take this medication. | there was a gradual increase to this dosage 25 mg/day for 7 days, then 25 mg 2X/day for 7 days, then 50 mg 2x per day for 7 days, then 50 mg 3x per day. | F | 55 | 7 days 75 mg 2X day | 11/17/2010 | 1 | PS to my last comment | the awful cramp and burning in the shoulder blade muscle in my back continues...4 days after stopping the medication completely, even though the half-life is 30-34 hours. Cramps in calves are horrible STILL! Bad stomach too. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER AGAIN WILL I TAKE LAMICTAL...and you know what, my doctor told me that she had the exact same reaction as me when she took it. Ha! you know what i felt like doing, don't cha? | F | 55 | 6 days 75 2X day | 11/19/2010 | 1 | Epilepsy | Where do I begin with the side effects? Chest pain, palpitations, neck, back, brusing, and arm pains. I have tingling, and muscle spasms, my neck constantly feels stiff and tight. Heart racing, causes anxiety and makes the heart racing more intense. Usually I have to lay down for hours. i've been to the hospital twice because the heart racing was so intense, nausea. This is not the drug for me. My chest burns, and my heart races and I cannot get it to stop. I took Xanax, and even this usually doesn't do a dent in the heart racing. I have to find something else this drug is awful!!1 | Nothing besides the side effects have hit me. | F | 20 | 2 weeks 25MG 2X day | 7/30/2010 | 1 | bipolar II | I have so many horrible side effects from this drug. I thought that I was going crazy, had a brain tumor or was developing dementia before I found this site. Some complaints- dizziness, can't sleep, horrible dreams, exhausted all day, dry mouth, trouble balancing, can't remember ANYTHING, can't spell or recall words, yeast infections, bad anxiety, can't concentrate. | F | 20 | 3 months unsure 1X day | 10/17/2010 |