Drug Ratings for LAMICTALAverage Rating: 3.5 (1661 Ratings)
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| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR LAMICTAL | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
  | F M | | | | |||
| 4 | Bipolar II | Hair thinning, weight fluctuations, short term memory loss. | I really despise the memory problems, but this has been the best drug so far. | 1 years | 3/5/2008 | 4 | epilepsy | nausea, dizziness, wonky vision, still shaky someimtes, headaches, and pretty serious hair loss. My main worry is tooth decay/bone loss. Is anyone else having tooth issues? | About tooth loss; I had 5 more pulled today, with 4 more going in a month. The bone material around my teeth is disintegrating, making my teeth crumble, get infected, and break off. It could be from the Lyrica, but I don't know for sure. aside from this issue, I love it. I only have large seizures 3 or 4 times a year now. Kinda sucks that I'm conscious for them now, but the frequency and severity levels have really dropped. | F | 36 | 4 years | 3/4/2008 | 4 | Borderline Personality Disorder | Memory loss, poor concentration, headaches, weight loss, hand tremor, dry mouth, dizziness, blurred vision. | Memory loss and difficulty concentrating have worsened over time. I frequently have moments when I "go blank." It takes me longer to recall information and form complete thoughts. I have difficulty concentrating and comprehending information. This was NEVER a problem for me before I began taking Lamictal, 5 years ago. However, it has had such a positive effect on my mood that I am reluctant to stop taking it. | F | 25 | 5 years | 3/2/2008 | 4 | depression/mood disorder | I'm not sure if the weight gain is from the meds, and I'm tired a lot. | I've gained around 20 pounds since beginning the meds, but I never thought it may be because of the meds. Since researching, I've noticed some people reporting this side effect. I've also had major trouble being tired all of the time, especially when I drink alcohol. Overall though, it helps majorly, and when I've tried to go off of it by myself (I do not recommed this...) there was an immediate reaction. I would like to go off of it if the weight gain is because of the medicine, because that doesn't help my depression... | F | 21 | 3 years | 2/28/2008 | 4 | Bipolar I | taking 75mg a day, some headaches, dry eyes, very vivid dreams, no weight gain yet, stabilized my mood extremely well, have not been in a bad mood since taking it for the past 2 weeks. some mental cloudiness, but i can focus in class still. doesnt seem to affect me. | F | 19 | 14 days | 2/27/2008 | 4 | Bipolar | Some fatigue | At first, it made me pretty tired. I'd sleep around 10-12 hours a night opposed to my usual 8. I got off Abilify before I got on it and I felt a lot better on Lamictal. Now I am back to sleeping less than 10 hours a night. Lamictal helped regulate my mania and emotional outbursts. An example would be that I would cry easily when people would debate with me and disagreed with me. After taking Lamictal, I was able to have heated conversations with sensitive topics without becoming upset. I was more logical and composed. I had to keep increasing my dosage though, because each month I'd become more tolerating of the drug. | F | 22 | 10 months | 2/23/2008 | 4 | Bi-Polar | short-term memory loss, vivid/weird dreams, very unusual sleeping patterns (sleep all day then some days can operate on few hours of sleep), dizziness, light-headedeness, wooziness, and faint | It's so very strange. . .I've been on Lamictal for about 3 years and for whatever reason I'm starting to experience an increased amount of side effects. I don'tknow if the dosage is now too high or what. I am now at 400 mg a day. Once I began the Lamictal I started to have the weird dreams, headaches, profuse sweating (which I still get occasionally), and odd sleeping patterns. But now I've had an increase of dizziness, feeling woozy, memory loss and sometimes confusion, and depression. When I began taking my Lamictal back in 2006 with Lexapro, I lost 15lbs. I've remained pretty steady without any weight gain. But I have a very significant craving for sweets which is not good in my case because diabetes runs very prevelant on my father's side. If anyone can relate to what I've been experienceing with the increased side effects, please leave a comment as to your opinion. I would be very grateful! | F | 27 | 3 years | 2/21/2008 | 4 | BP2 | Night sweats, mood rages, insomnia (even with Ambien), moody and can cry at a moment's notice with no warning - sappy commercials on TV even get to me! | Lamictal, in combination with counseling/therapy, has helped tremendously. Although I'm sensitive in regards to crying easily and being emotionally raw, I'm doing well. No real side effects that I can pinpoint except those mentioned beforehand. | F | 38 | 3 months | 2/18/2008 | 4 | depression | it might be increased libido; but in addition there are almost nightly nocturnal emissions, sometimes twice a night. Without the dream; but I'm reporting, not complaining | Best thing ever.Fights with Zoloft, if you're on both. I quit the Z. | M | 61 | 12 months | 2/12/2008 | 4 | Epilepsy | Hair loss, trouble finding words, confusion or difficulty with short term memory, redish rash on face, not really noticable unless you are looking close up, increased insomnia. On the positive it has helped me with my mood swings and my menstrual cramps | About | F | 40 | 5 years | 2/10/2008 | 4 | Bi-Polar Type 2 | When I was taking 100mg, I felt completely flat & apathetic and I couldn't concentrate. Now, taking only 50mg, I no longer feel flat, but my concentration is still lacking. | I'm taking Lamictal with 225mg of Effexor XR. Initially, I was wrongly diagnosed and taking only Effexor. Unfortunately, taking only Effexor made me manic for about 85% of the time. When my doc added the Lamictal, both the manic and depressive episodes decreased in frequency. | F | 28 | 4 months | 2/4/2008 | 4 | epilepsy | have some muscle aches but not enough to stop the med | very helpful. It would get a five but I am not at the dose yet where I am supposed to be, so the wait is still in the progress. I might add, it helps with mood as well. Have more energy. Feel like a human. | F | 50 | 2 weeks | 2/3/2008 | 4 | bipolar II | night sweats are the only side effect for me. Really this drug has been great. The first few weeks however I was very tired and became frustrated that my thoughts couldn't form words to come out of my mouth. Or I would say a completely different word than I was thinking. These odd things went away luckily. | I use this in conjunction to a little bit of lithium and a little bit of Zoloft. It really has helped me stay out of the lulls that zoloft couldn't do on its own. At first I thought 3 drugs was simply too much to take but it is a great combination for me. | F | 27 | 3 months | 1/20/2008 | 4 | bi polar and anger issues | i dont remember i stopped tAKING IT BECAUSE I CAN CONTROL MYSELF NOW | F | 23 | 2 years | 1/20/2008 | 4 | BP II/Major Depression | Acne, memory loss, excessive sweating, lack of concentration | Have been on Lamictal 200mg/day (and EffexorXR 150mg/day) for 4 years now. Worst side effects have been lack of concentration and memory loss and acne. Have been on Lithium, Wellbutrin and Prozac, however, Lamictal has been the only drug I have consistently taken for the mood swings that has worked. Originally had to stop working and go on disability due to my depression and suicide attempts. After 2 years I became emotionally stable for the first time in my life, however, due to the memory loss and lack of concentration I have been unable to keep a job for longer than 3 months. It's a catch 22. My Psy Dr and I have come to the conclusion that I may not be able to handle the type of jobs I'd like to, due to my mental illness. | M | 31 | 4 years | 1/9/2008 | 4 | BP | I am having pretty bad headaches pretty much everyday. It does seem to be helping my mood swings but has done nothing for my OCD or depression issues. It does seem pretty limited to the side effects, atleast for me. | F | 38 | 2 months | 1/6/2008 | 4 | Bipolar Disorder | memory loss, clumsiness | I haven't ever connected Lamictal to my memory loss and clumsiness but after reading about it it may be connected -? my keys and cell phone and wallet must all be clipped together. I have Brookstone finder tags on keys/phone/wallet/remotes so if i lose them i can press a button and it beeps. My office thinks i'm nuts b/c every time i am at the front desk i leave something there and they have to call me. I am always dropping/spilling things. crashing into furniture/walls..Have become very messy/car/home/bathroom.. it's just awful.. lack of motivation. BUT! stable life.. depression gone..not manic...am trying to manage the clumsy/forgetful/messy aspects but it's hard. But, not depressed.. yeay. I take 200mg/day and .12 mg seroquel at nite. If i miss a dose by even 1 hour I am shaking and feel horrible. Cannot work if miss a dose.. feel so horrible..ran out once for 2 days.worst 2 days ever. | F | 37 | 3 years | 1/1/2008 | 4 | Bipolar II | Flu like symptoms with dosage increases, each time though the side effects were shorter in duration. I'm on 200mg a day now and I think it's causing me severe muscle aches. I'm also sleeping less (4 hours a night) and having freaky dreams. | It allowed me to stop taking Prozac which I believe was keeping my emotions very blocked. My depression has taken a severe change for the better and I don't seem to be cycling as much. I feel a bit "stupid" at times, but I think I am just missing the fun of my mania moments. I am possibly losing my job though, but I'm very grateful for finally having a diagnosis and this medication. | F | 38 | 61 days | 12/30/2007 | 4 | rapid cycling bipolar | I have been taking 100mg of lamictal with 225mg of effexor. I added the lamictal 2years ago. Even though the dosage hasn't changed, over the last 6-9 months the side effects have become horrible. Daily I notice my memory getting worse. The ataxia is getting worse also, with tipping into things becoming common. I didn't realize how significant the hair loss had become, until I noticed it all growing back. I'm scared to stop the medication because it has been so effective at stopping the racing thoughts. However, I am becoming afraid to even drive. | F | 44 | 2 years | 12/28/2007 | 4 | Bi Polar II | I experienced facial break-outs when I first started taking this medicine, so I stopped taking it for about a month. I was disappointed that I had to quit taking it because it really helped my bi polar condition, so p-doc recommended I give it another try and started me out on a very lose dose (5 mg) and worked my way up to 100 mg slowly. This worked and I haven't had any break-outs. I had some weight gain (about 7 lbs.) in the beginning and an increase in appetite. I put myself on an exercise and healthy eating program and lost the extra weight, even though it was quite a struggle. It seems as though my hair is coarser than it was before taking this med and I noticed slight hair loss. | This med really improved my mood swings and I don't have the depression I once had. It's really been the only medicine that has helped my condition. I felt wonderful until p-doc recommended I go on Wellbutrin, which really messed up my mood, I was totally spacey and confused, so p-doc weaned my off of it. Not quite feeling the benefits of the Lamictal as I did prior to Wellbutrin, and it's been a good month or so. | F | 51 | 7 months | 12/19/2007 | 4 | Temporal Lobe Epilepsy | Weird dreams, small memory loss, a few jerks everyday. | Since starting this drug (100mg per day) I have not had any unconsiousness seizures (was having 1 per week) and have only had two small partials. It does wear off quite quick though so I have to make sure I scatter 25mg tablets throughout the day, and I can see myself needing to take more as time goes on. But overall it has done wonders for my concentration, and even though words are a little hard to find sometimes, the reduction in partials is beautiful. I do get a bit angry in the morning, but I think that's because I always need a coffee so bad. I tried tegretol and it was rubbish, i'm glad to find this. | M | 28 | 6 weeks | 12/16/2007 | 4 | seizures | after 8 months on lamictal I have lost 35 lbs. That's great except it won't stop! Getting scary...I've just started experiencing hair loss and vision disturbances. My mood is somewhat somber-I will definately tell you what I think as opposed to holding it all in. Experiencing problems with multi-tasking-not because of confusion but because I can't perform a task and think of something else without really concentrating. Definate problems with inversion of Numbers and letters. My hands always seem to be one key over to far! Every med for siezures has nasty side effects-just different. I'm concerned about the hair loss though. Most of the side effects listed by viewers are short term (vivid dreams in TECHNOCOLOR,dry mouth, etc. I'll see what happens. | F | 8 months | 12/13/2007 | 4 | depression, anxiety lack of energy | none. made me feel more energetic. I am also on zoloft 50 mg. | F | 48 | 5 days | 12/7/2007 | 4 | Bipolar II | Mental fogginess. Zoned out. Headaches coming on and off. Mood swings when I started. Tight feeling in my muscles, tension. Weird libido stuff. Acne. | I am two days off Lamictal and any other meds as well. I definitely have insomnia, but feel really great, quite energized. Of course the fear is mania, but I never had mania before. The mental fogginess is the main reason i discontinued use. It's obvious when you go from A's in Calculus to struggling with basic algebra. Basically the side effects I'm getting are all physical and similar to when i started. It wasn't too bad to come off Lamictal. I hope the acne explosion goes away. I'm glad I took Lamictal. It was really helpful on the whole. | M | 32 | 14 months | 12/6/2007 | 4 | Bipolar II - DEPRESSION | No short-term side effects. Started on low dose and slowly upped to 200 mg/day. A few months in I began to have acne for the first time in my life. A year in I started to notice memory problems, and maybe it's unrelated but I began having breast tenderness each month along with irregular periods. 2 1/2 years into this and now I'm confused all the time, have memory and concentration problems, forget appts, names, where I put things, why I called someone, etc. Also I'm tired often lately. | Despite the acne and memory problems, this drug was great for the first 2 years. I have not been depressed and my moods have been quite stable. Only in the last six months has it become clear that it's truly the cause of my cognitive problems. I'm tired of feeling stupid all the time and am slowly tapering off this med. It's a tough decision because Lamictal really did help in a lot of ways, especially my family life. | F | 36 | 2.5 years | 12/5/2007 | 4 | seizure disorder | headache, nausea, dizziness, hair loss! felt like the room was spinning really slowly, impatience, a little sleepy, slight weight gain | Have to take the pills exactly 12 hours apart or I get super sick. Somewhat withdrawn emotionally for a few weeks, but this improved. 5-10 lbs gain is probably because starting this after Topamax meant food actually tasted good again! All side effects subsided except hair loss. My hair is everywhere! My dr titrated me up really quickly and I developed the rash, so in a few days I'll be titrating off and start a new med. | F | 21 | 3 months | 11/28/2007 | 4 | "bi polar" | Overtime had to increase dose for any relief of depression - finally pulled the plug on the med at 5 years when my dose had reached 600 mg daily - the zombie was in control. | I took Lamictal for over 5 years. I even took lamictal 300mg daily through pregnancy and have a healthy 4 year old. | F | 35 | 5 years | 11/27/2007 | 4 | BiPolar II | I have had more bowel movements than is typical for me. I have been very hungry and tired as well. | So far the medication seems to be helping my moods. I still feel depressed at times, but I'm not feeling as down and I haven't had any anger outbursts in a while. | F | 48 | 7 weeks | 11/18/2007 | 4 | bipolar 2 | short-term memory loss, weight loss, confusion, fatigue, acne, muscle aches, headaches. | Just starting my second time around with lamictal. I can't remember how it affected me the first time around except that I did feel better and was able to get through my days without feeling overwhelmed. I do remember experiencing a weird type of acne breakouts, not all over my face, mostly my chin and around my nose, big type of pimples, hard and under the skin, very irritating and didn't go away for months! Also, the memory loss; very frustrating. Would get lost in places I have been millions of times, lost car several times in parking lots, forgot appointments. Sleep patterns improved tremendously! As did moods overall. My cycle of hypermania improved as well, but I seemed to level off with my mood swings and depression over a period of the first month. Was up to 300 mg per day (am and pm doeses). But as we do, I felt better and quit my meds a few months ago. (Was taking Lamictal with Wellbutrin and Xanax). So I stopped taking meds because I was better, right? No. Afte | F | 42 | 8 months | 11/16/2007 | 4 | Bipolar II | While increasing dose: mental fog, tired, neck ache, headache, memory impairment. Now at 150mg for 1mo. and most side effects have subsided. | Much less mood fluctuation throughout the day. Allowed me to decrease Lithium from 1200 to 900mg w/out adverse effects. Things don't bother me or affect my mood as much as they used to. Feel much more emotionally stable. | F | 27 | 1 months | 11/6/2007 | 4 | Bipolar 1 | I had been taking lamictal for several months when I noticed extreme difficulties focusing. Since driving is so important to me I stopped cold turkey. Within days a very heavy depression asaulted me. I tried 100 mg of it (I was taking 300mg) and within hours I was actually getting off the sofa.I did this on my own, without my MD, which I don't reccomend. I've been taking 100mg in am and 100mg in the evening. No vision problems. | F | 54 | 6 days | 11/5/2007 | 4 | Bipolar Borderline Personality | In the beginning at 75 to 100 mg major headaches but they subsided. hair loss. I did not feel effects until 200 mg and it takes a long time to get to that point since you have to go slow. No rash but you have to again go SLOW... It is a wonder drug for you if you can tolerate it. | M | 32 | 60 days | 10/30/2007 | 4 | Bipolar 2 | A fair amount of dyslexia, both verbal and written. I've never had problems like this before, and it is clearly from the medication. It seems to subside after I get used to the dosage that I'm on. Insomnia when I take the pill at night. Also nausea, dizziness, and fatigue, but like the dyslexia, this seems to be getting better. | To answer the 10/12 poster's question about Birth Control Pills, I take Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo. My doctor told me that it does cut the effectiveness of the medication in half, but said that we can just put me on a higher dosage if necessary. (For example, if I need 100mg, I'll take 200mg.) It didn't seem like it would be a problem. Also, I'm a small person, which means that a smaller amount affects me as well as a larger amount might for a bigger person. The same may hold true for your daughter, given that she is still in her teens and may have a more sensitive body chemistry than an adult. Talk to her psychiatrist if you have concerns about which BCP to use, but the impression I got was that it was in no way a problem. | F | 30 | 6 weeks | 10/29/2007 | 4 | Bipolar/Depression | loss of words, memory loss (i have an excellent memory)-i cannot remember simple things like names of things | works great for my bipolar/depression. i feel better than i ever have and am able to be more positive about things than ever. my jealousy and rage have subsided a LOT and i am so much more rational. the only downside is that this medication MUST be increased while on it. | F | 25 | 6 months | 10/22/2007 | 4 | ipolar,primary deep depression | loss of appetite,running into thgs and being tired. | No anti depressant has worked for me for several years.I have been ina very black epression for 1 and a half years.I also have ptsd.this medication is giving me my life back. 100mgs. | F | 1 months | 10/22/2007 | 4 | rapid cycling bipolar type 2 | irritability and stomach aches at first, noticeable decrease in libido for a few months | lamictal has helped me alot. for the first few weeks i didn't feel much different, but then i missed a dose and instantly returned to my previous problems. if you skip any, don't expect to be stable for a few days. i take 200mg now and haven't had any intense side effects. however, i've found that after a while lamictal seemed to give me less of a good feeling and instead just kept me from freaking out like i used to. it's certainly beneficial but it leaves you hanging at a certain point. one annoyance i have is that the uncoated pills taste absolutely terrible and i have to force myself to take them. | F | 18 | 7 months | 10/17/2007 | 4 | Depression/ Bi-polar | Extreme weight loss (40 pounds!) Slight dizziness, lightheaded when going from sitting to standing, mildy "ditziness". | While I believe Lamictal has really helped get my depression and mood swings to almost disappear, I have noticed that I am very different that I used to be. I am not as creative or fun, I now downright boring! I'm so content with just spacing out and ignoring everything. Nothing bothers me. Even things that should bother me! | F | 27 | 1 years | 10/16/2007 | 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 | 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 | epilepsy | Acne. Nails separating from nailbed. Tired alot. | Hey! I'm getting the problem with my nails too. I was always told it's psoriasis and can't be treated. But someone else mentioned oncholysis here. | F | 33 | 7 years | 10/8/2007 | 4 | Bi Polar/BPD | I had some trouble sleeping at first, which led to some crankiness. I went a week with about 3 hours of sleep per night. I started taking an anti-histamine, which helped with that problem. Sometimes I see little sparkly dots in my eyes when I stand up to fast. The sparklies replaced what used to turn black when I stood up too fast. I can't seem to think of any other side effects at this time, but I will post more if I remember or experience more. | I feel like Lamictal has helped me so much. To be honest, I don't know if it is psychological or the Lamictal itself. I have only been taking it for three weeks, but I almost instantly felt better. As I mentioned in the side effects section, I was sleepy for a week or so, which caused crankiness. I was told that I could take this medicine with an anti-histamine. I thought that would be a good idea, especially since I was having trouble sleeping. I bought some store brand Benadryl and since then I have had 0 side effects. I feel my mood has leveled out. I still get irritated sometimes, but there is no such thing as an easy way out, at least not in my opinion. The medications prescribed are supposed to HELP RELIEVE symptoms that the medicine is prescribed for. | F | 25 | 3 weeks | 10/8/2007 | 4 | Depression | 400 mg/day. Anxiety, impatience, irritability, sleeplessness, acute awareness accompanied by grandiose hopes and a feeling that I'm experiencing everything for the first time. | I've cycled through all the common SSRI's for years. I'm currently on Celexa (80 mg/day). We are using Lamictal as a "floor" to keep the Celexa effective, as I seem to build up a tolerance to SSRI's. I am submitting this post because of this bizarre side effect I'm experiencing. It's a kind of euphoria, a sense of seeing everything as it "is." I also feel grandiose and hypo-manic. I'll contact people I haven't seen in years, make big plans. I'm not much fun to be around, though, because I get impatient with conversation. I would prefer to stare at a pencil and wonder at the phenomenon of its invention. Anyway, I just thought I'd post this in case anyone else is experiencing something similar. Lamictal has helped me, however. I haven't changed meds in over 2 years. | M | 40 | 2 years | 10/3/2007 | 4 | bipolar 2 | any one getting the awful muscle aches? At first felt wonderful, moved up to 100 mg, every muscle in my body ached like i had the flu or mono, even went to MD. At least it has helped my mood tremendously | My psychiatrist doesn't believe it's the lamictal making me feel this way but decreased my does to 50 mg. I've been researching on the net and this drug is gaining a rep for muscle aches, hope i can stay on it. | F | 33 | 2 months | 10/1/2007 | 4 | | 9/29/2007 | 4 | neuropathic pain from MS | easy bruising, insomnia, some weight gain, safer for pregnancy/breastfeeding | Because I had stop Neurontin since I became pregnant, I was fortunate to have the option of Lamictal. I have fierce, burning pain in my legs so bad that I couldn't function. Lamictal does a decent job relieving this pain. I had to add a couple more meds in combination with it, but overall, very good. | F | 39 | 2 years | 9/27/2007 | 4 | bipolar type II | NAILS SEPARATING FROM NAIL BED? HAS ANYONE ELSE HAD THIS PROBLEM? I can't figure out what's causing it. It's called onchyolysis. If I accidentally overdose, I can't spell (at all), can't do simple math, and stagger as though I was drunk. As soon as I go back to my adequate dosage, these symptoms stop immediately and completely. Anyone experiencing these symptoms needs to take a lower dose. Otherwise, fabulous drug, no other symptoms. | I have been on every antidepressant ever invented, and lamictal is the only thing that has ever worked for me. It's saved my life, and I think it's probably the drug of choice for bipolar type II. | F | 52 | 4 years | 9/26/2007 | 4 | Mild bipolar and depression | None | I take 300 mg per day, 200 in the AM and 100 in the PM. I also take Wellbutrin XL 300 mg daily in the AM | M | 43 | 1 years | 9/25/2007 | 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 | Depression/bipolar | Had the 25 mg dose and was fine with a little sleepiness and then went to 50 mg and got horrible spotty rash...don't think it's dermatitis either and had to get off of it. | I have to say that it was a great drug and felt the difference immediately. I was sad to get off of it but the rash was just unbareable enough and would get some really intense headaches. Now on Cymbalta and it doesn't even compare... | F | 35 | 30 days | 9/10/2007 | 4 | Bipolar Disorder | Rash around mouth and nose. Difficulty remembering things. Difficulty sleeping at times. Whenever there was an increase in dosage it made me very tired. Uncoordinated. Shaking or trembling of hands. Left sided headaches that could become migraines. | I have found this medication to be the most effective in helping me cope with this disorder. I am much more stable than I have ever been but my lifestyle has changed. 3 yrs ago I moved and I quit using drugs, left a very abusive and frightening man, associated with people considered normal for most peoples standards, went to school and successfully completed school for massage therapy, I have had the same job for 3 yrs, lived in the same house for 2 yrs, have a solid network of friends (most of whom know of my 'condition') and have had the same phone number for 3 yrs. These are all firsts for me. I have fought my diagnosis since the beginning not wanting to believe something is wrong with me. I have a wonderful psychiatrist and psychologist. I've been seeing them for 3 years as well. One of the side effects that concerns me is that my hands shake, being a massage therapist and having hands that shake tends to make clients lose faith in your abilities. Massage is not my full time job | F | 37 | 3 years | 9/5/2007 | 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 | depression | weight loss, feelings of being full easily and not getting hungry, but that subsided. Hair loss at first, but it grew back (that lasted about 4ish months) | Well I gave it a four because its a good drug I took it actually because I thought I was Bipolar. But I'm sure it will work miracles for those who are. I now take Prozac also and my life is the way it used to be. I know what its like to go through such a hard mental/physical problem. Never give up!! Your life is worth it. Even if this medicine dosn't work their is something out there for you! | F | 16 | 1 years | 9/1/2007 | 4 | Bi-polar 2 | I have been on Lamictal for a year and a half and have had excellent results - I am finally able to sleep (am not distracting by my thoughts which I can not stop), can concentrate, am no longer paranoid, or obsessing about what people are thinking about me. But about 3 months ago we increased my dosage due to some PB symptoms, from 200mg to 300mg - but I have adjusted back to 200mg. I was having the following side affects: short term memory loss which was constant, dizziness, and increased muscle twitching. Not to mention the extremely high cost - wish it was a preferred medication. Currently I am on 300mg Wellbutrin and 200mg Lamictal. I am hoping to go off both medications and am looking for others that have done the same. I am hoping that with regular exercise, changes in my diet and vitamin therapy I will be successful. What have others done? | I am concerned about the long term side affects. If you have been weaned off Lamictal please contact me . . . | F | 43 | 1.5 years | 8/31/2007 | 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 | 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 | seizures | I get anxiety and blurred vision however, I believe some of what may be caused by other medications. | It has shut off the seizures without serious side effects and that is what is most important. | M | 28 | 2 years | 8/12/2007 | 4 | i am a 39 yr old bipolar female | i have just started taking Lamictal. my results showed immediately. i was diagnosed at 18 and have been on everything and nothing has allowed me to feel what assume is close to a "normal" person. I do have side effects though. I have headaches in the morning and evenings,confusion at simple tasks,a tingling on the top of my head,and the worst is the very vivid nightmares i have everynight. i have been told that the nightmares go away at higher doses.I am currently at 50 mlg a day | F | 39 | 14 days | 8/10/2007 | 4 | seizure | loss of balance which has gotten worse after a year of useage/also some irritability | this drug seems to be doing its job and I can live with the side effects | M | 60 | 1 years | 8/7/2007 | 4 | bipolar, OCD, ADD | so far, my mental status has decreased- hard to concentrate, nightmares, and fatigue. mild itchy skin and mild decreased libido but not problematic. | overall good drug, but coupled with a drug such as wellbutrin XR can be real helpful too. didnt cure OCD or ADD, effexor was good for OCD. Unfortunately not treated for ADD yet... nevertheless, i would recommend lamictal and hopefully it will work for you. | F | 27 | 2 years | 7/31/2007 |