Drug Ratings for LAMICTALAverage Rating: 3.5 (1661 Ratings)
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Results are sorted by Satisfaction from lowest to highest 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 |
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR LAMICTAL | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
  | F M | | | | |||
| 2 | depression | nausea, itchy skin, vivid dreams, tender and swollen breasts, increased menstrual pain/pms, hot flashes, sinus, feeling like I was having morning sickness, again. | I will discontinue the Lamictal, I can't deal with the "female" side effects. Pdoc has kept me at 25mgs to see if I will adjust. My depression is lifting, maybe due to wellbutrion. | F | 46 | 1 months | 10/17/2006 | 2 | Chronic Severe Depression | Trouble spelling words correctly (typing - used to type 100 wpm - now more like 30), short and long term memory loss, melancholia, weepiness, pee constantly, difficulty sleeping, joint pains - particulary knees, fingers, and shoulders, muscle aches, itchiness in scalp, neck and shoulders, flatulence, bo, mood swings - hair trigger irritability in some instances, blurred vision -in episodes, itchy eyes, insomnia, not feeling rested, crash around 5 or 6 in the evening (take it in the mornings when I first get up). On the bright side, I felt great the first month on this drug, but as I started increasing the doses, I started feeling worse. | M | 43 | 5 months | 10/4/2006 | 2 | bipolar 1 | INSOMNIA soo bad, headaches, i cant concentrate or memorize stuff (like for school) vivid dreams/nightmares, hair loss | I tirrated up pretty slow to minimize side effects, my moods have been no different, my mental state has not been affected at all by this, i feel the same as if i were taking nothing. i could go up a little more with the dosage but im high enough where i should feel somthing if it was going to work for me. | F | 20 | 4 months | 10/2/2006 | 2 | depression | very large area of bruising appeared on my left side under my left hip: 10 in. long, and 4 in. wide!Also experienced body aches, and undesirable/vivid dreams. Have been switched to topamax . Was only on lamictal for about 4-5 weeks. | M | 62 | 45 days | 10/2/2006 | 2 | petit mal seizure/absence | Burning sensation skin on face, chest, and back. Red bumps on chest. Feeling of intense burning on my skin, itching and sweating. Agitation and could not sleep. Mild dizziness and lack of appetite. | Aside from the unbearable side effects, my mind felt "together" for the first time in years. I am sorry I cannot take this med. BE VERY CAREFUL WITH THIS...IT IS A VERY POWERFUL MEDICATION. I WAS TAKING ONLY 1/2 OF A 25 MG TABLET!!!! THANK GOD I DIDN'T TAKE THE WHOLE 25 MG MY NEUROLOGIST WANTED ME TO. | F | 57 | 2 days | 9/29/2006 | 2 | Bipolar Disorder | Extreme fatigue, can't do anything for more than 4 hours without wanting to fall asleep. | M | 21 | 4 months | 9/26/2006 | 2 | Epilepsy | Short and long term memory loss, decreased libido, stupidity | Lack of control at most vulnerable times. still have seizures if I'm a)hung over, b)on marijuana or cocaine,(had no problems when I was younger)c)am extremely tired. Since being on lamictal, my brain function has become worse and worse to the point of close friends acknowleding it. Memory is embarrasingly bad, which is an enormous problem being in college. Less horny than I was before use. Planning on discontinuing use soon. | M | 24 | 3 years | 9/25/2006 | 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 | Epilepsy | I bagen with new onset seizures on August 5th. I was started on Trileptal first then weaned off of that and "ramped"up on Lamictal since. I have had 2 more seizures since starting the Lamictal. From 1 to 3 in over one month is not accepiable to me. I wish I would have just stayed on Tripletal. Also, my memory is very poor (not good as a nurse) and I have trouble with word finding. | F | 26 | 6 weeks | 9/23/2006 | 2 | epilepsy | My son is 14 and has autism. He has been taking lamictal for 2 and one half years. He is taking chewable tablets 150 am and 150 mg pm. When we increased in June from 250 to 300 I have seen GREAT irritability and mood swings and increased seizures. I am decreasing by 25 mg. for a week to see what happens but my pleasant compliant child has become very unhappy moody and self abusive. He is nonverbal so I don't know what physical symptoms he may be experiencing. | M | 14 | 2 days | 9/11/2006 | 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 | Major Depression, Anxiety NOS | Memory loss! Lethargy/fatigue. Foot & leg pain every time I stand up. Typos like nobody's business. My conversation is necessary business only - not sure if it's because I can't think or if it's because I don't care. I think my boobs are bigger too; my pre-pregnancy bras fit now. Isolating. Female "sexual side effects." ERGH! | Titrating up & at 150mg 1/day. Also on Wellbutrin 150-300mg/day =D *if i remember my pm dose.* I also just stopped 2.5 mg Zyprexa (sleep & anxiety) to isolate SEs. I formerly never had a problem remebering meds. Once I forgot to pick up my daughter; there's nothing so terrifying as hearing your spouse say. "Where's Olivia?" I think I am sight-reading at the piano better, which might be because I'm thinking less and just doing it - no more thinking about other possibilities, in music or in life. I'm able to do things that used to make me anxious because I just don't care, but I still lie awake at night having my awful obessive morbid thoughts. I am feeing guilt, shame and anxiety about not being "normal" and about not doing anything with my day. I'm very confilicted & frustrated. | F | 38 | 2 months | 7/29/2006 | 2 | Major Depression/Anxiey NOS | Boy do I STINK! I'm getting sick of smelling myself! Pretty much negates the benefits of bigger boobs. Did I mention the memory loss? I don't remember.... | I think the numb-brain is going to boot me off of Lamictal, (at least 150mg/day). I forgot a psychiatrists appointment of all things. I was a bit scattered before I started, but now I'm barely functional, like getting to the car without my keys in hand. It takes me a good 20 seconds to remeber what day of the week it is. Foregetting the kid is pretty much a deal breaker for me. Mindfulness, my @$$. | F | 38 | 2 months | 7/29/2006 | 2 | Depression | Increased Sweating, Headaches, Weight Loss, Increased Irritability, Fatigue | I’ve been on anti-depressants for many many years. It is incredibly frustrating when your doctor does not acknowledge the side effects you are experiencing are related to a medication change. I am so glad other people mentioned the sweating...my doctor refused to believe it was related to the medication. | F | 26 | 9 weeks | 6/28/2006 | 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 | depression, possible Bipolar 2 | headache, night sweats when increasing dose, extreme fatigue, some weight gain. | I felt great for the first three weeks (at only 25-50mg) and then proceeded to get sleepy as I increased to 200mg. At that point, I couldn't stay awake for more than an hour at a time, couldn't finish my school work, and almost had to drop out. Am just off it now, has been quite difficult to get off. Lamictal is a serious med... make sure your Pdoc thinks you really need it for depression if you're not certain of Bipolar. | F | 21 | 5 months | 5/21/2006 | 2 | Bipolar 1 | Initially, dizziness. That's it. | Anything I ever read about this drug is positive. Most of tthe posts on this site are positive. When I was diagnosed, Lamictal was (and still is?) considered the best drug out there for b/d. So I took it. Nothing happened. Three months went by. Still, nothing, even after increasing to the max dose. So my doc put me on Topamax (miracle drug for me, none of the bad side effects that most people report), but kept me on Lamictal "in case" it was doing something. So I'm still on Lamictal, but my doc and I joke about whether it's really doing anything. It was so difficult to get me stable, she just doesn't want to mess with anything. The point of my post is this: if you don't respond to Lamictal, don't worry. You're not the only one. Our bodies are all different. | F | 27 | 3 years | 5/4/2006 | 2 | Bipolor | Severe Headache, Feel numb wanting to isolate myself from my family,Feel sick at stomach no appetite, Feel as needles are poking into my arms.Elevated Blood Pressure,I have been on meds now for 3 years and this one is making me feel dead. | F | 30 | 5 weeks | 4/9/2006 | 2 | Bipolar | Severe Headache, Feel numb wanting to isolate myself from my family,Feel sick at stomach no appetite, Feel as needles are poking into my arms.Elevated Blood Pressure,I have been on meds now for 3 years and this one is making me feel dead. | F | 30 | 5 weeks | 4/9/2006 | 2 | bi polar 2 | AGITATION! acne, night sweats, headache, short term memory loss, distractibility, difficulty with words, especially names, and hallucinations | Side effecs got worse as I got higher up in dosage. About a week after I got up to 175 mgs, I developed the worst agitation of my life, a really, really unbearable feeling. Lamictal may have triggered hypomania in me. Actually had hallucinations one night. Will be discontinuing this medication. I seem to be unusual in having had this response to the drug, but anxiety and agitation are reported as "very rare" side effects, even in the official company literature. Also, women be cautious-- Lamictal interacts with birth control pills in ways nobody seems to understand very well, so do some research and ask your doctor about it. | F | 31 | 2.5 months | 4/8/2006 | 2 | Bipolar 2 | Pancreatitis, urinary urgency and incontinence | In Aug. 2005 I posted to this site describing Lamictal as my miracle drug, saving my life. Well, here I am 7 months later and almost one year of starting Lamictal. I was just discharged from the hospital for treatment of pancreatitis. The MD in the hospital suggested that the cause may be the Lamictal because no other cause could be found. I begged her not to discontinue my miracle drug. Well, when I got home I researched the Lamictal and found that pancreatitis can be a side effect. The FDA website states there is no percentage of prevalence but it does happen. By the way the pancreatitis occured within 2 weeks of increasing my dose to 300mg. Also, I had been experiencing urinary urgency throughout my therapy with Lamictal (I felt it was a small price to pay for feeling "normal"). Within one day of being discharged from the hospital I was in a major dept. store and I was totally incontinent of urine. Imagine the humiliation !!! Not only was I confused and embarras | F | 54 | 1 years | 3/27/2006 | 2 | bipolar | none, everything ive experienced has been because of the activities i do...ex: muscle aches | well, its hard to say bad or good stuff about this med, find i am still angry but i dont have the impulse to throw something at someone, let alone kill them. on good terms, kind of, i have been able to keep in touch with my creative side since i missed out on plenty of that since i have been fucked over with medicines(music and art, i love piano and drums) but i still cant stay home and be with the people that i love and i still have my substance abuse issues even more than ever....gosh i guess it depends on...SO many things...i just still feel ANXIETY!!! i cant go into places where i should feel comfortable. i dont know what to say, im glad im able to get out of bed but man, i swear it's almost letting my creativity go TOO much, all i ever feel like doing is jumping around and say FUCK YOU to everyhing,..........DAY 17. no mania, no depression, no nothing except wanting to abuse substances, keep in mind i was doing VERY well with drinking and i totally stopped everything else.. | F | 21 | 17 days | 3/23/2006 | 2 | Bipolar | decreased short-term memory, reduced cognitive ability, inability to notice things around me, anxiety attacks | Although I feel great on it (none of the chronic depression I had on lithium), I'm finally going back onto lithium. I hope that the effects listed really are due to the lamictal and that they are reversible. I lost my high paying engineering job and am having difficulty functioning in a minimum wage bakery job. (Besides which lithium is MUCH less expensive.) Current cocktail: 2x100mg Lamictal/day, 1/2x5mg Zyprexa/day, 10x 20mg Prozac/week | M | 61 | 21 months | 3/9/2006 | 2 | Bipolar 2, depression&anxiety too | Feels like warm needles being put into my legs once in awhile, nasuea, lack of sleep, more anxiety, depression is worse. Atleast no weight gain...Ha! It has however, taken away any 'highs,' joys, and zest for life that I've had. That 'one good day' in the past 7 months left me wondering if it was 'a good day' or 'fake high.' Very sad. I am now only going out of house after dark or wearing sunglasses if I have to go out in the daytime. My adult children call them my 'magic glasses!' HA! I hate this disease. God never allowed me a great deal of money, He was afraid I'd be the one to buy 50 shoes at once! lmao | I take 200 mg, and 200 Zoloft, I have had one good day in the past seven months. Aniety increased now to point of being scared to leave appt., can't work. Now they have me on Seroquel, and also Klonopin. So add premarin, and pepcid and I feel like a walking med cabinet. Taken Zoloft since 18. Before this last bout of depression, was vibrant, alive, could function. | F | 50 | 7 months | 3/8/2006 | 2 | mood disorder | verrry dry mouth, felt very unbalanced during exercise. | At 200 mg, this drug worked for the first week but nothing after that. | F | 41 | 40 days | 2/17/2006 | 2 | possible Bipolar 1 | EXTREME AGITATION - ANGER, increased anxiety w/physical symptoms, increased suicidal thoughts, memory loss, I have trouble reasoning and comprehension, have to read things over finding that I've read them without paying attention, increased dehydration, severe mood swings (crying so much!), word retrieval issues, headache, sleepy a lot, decreased appetite-yet craving chocolate, sugars, carbs, alcohol (I'm a non-drinker) | I am hoping for things to get better. I've read a lot of positive things on this site, so I'll hope for that for myself. I'm going to stick it out through the 4 week time to see if I will work. I haven't noticed any positive effects. I was prescribed Lorazapam .5mg at the same time, and I had to start taking it 3 days ago. I'm needing more of it each day to combat the severe anger and crying bouts. I'm so scared. I just want to be better. Life really shouldn't be like this! | F | 26 | 8 days | 11/15/2005 | 2 | bipolar 2 mixed episodes | incredible nausea all the time i've been on it for 4 days and i usually workout every weekday and i've felt way too sick. i bought expensive dance shoes and forgot them in the store. i hit my head against the car door when i was trying to sit down because i'm so dizzy. i can't even tell if it's helping me mentally. i feel more calm and neutral but i'm so consumed with how my stomach feels i may be distracted from feeling depressed | if anyone has any suggestions rereview or something i really want this drug to work but i feel terrible | F | 21 | 4 days | 11/5/2005 | 2 | BP and major depression | Increased depression, aggressive behavior, sore throat, NEVER happy, nightmares | F | 39 | 14 days | 9/27/2005 | 2 | bipolar and seizures | Cognitive: Decrease in memory, difficulty focusing, difficulty spelling, numerous errors when writing detailed information, clumsy. | F | 43 | 18 months | 9/17/2005 | 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 | Bi Polar (atypical/rapid cycling) | Clearer thoughts and reduced tremors. Increased anger and much more difficult time knowing I am having a manic episode. | M | 35 | 20 days | 8/29/2005 | 2 | Bipolar Disorder | Memory loss, muscle aches, dyslexia, sore throat, slight fever, tremors, headache, somnolence, uncoordinated, dizziness, disorientation, forgot how to drive in my own neighborhood. | I took Lamictal at night and the next day I felt foggy. The second day I had trouble spelling and typing, usually I'm very accurate, but I couldn't remember how to spell words I use every day. Had trouble at my transcribing job. I took it one more night and on the 4th day, I lost it. I had heart palpitations waking me up at night, woke up with severe back pain, then slept till 12:00 noon. Got heart palpiations again, later in the day, thought I was haing a stroke. I was in my car and couldn't remember which lane to make a left from and this was up my street. Couldn't remember how to drive, got panic attack, fortunately had an ativan and took that. Pulled off the freeway called my shrink, I was breathing heavy, crying, anxious and disoriented. She told me not to go to work and get off the pill. I'm very disappointed. I heard it was the only mood stabilizer that doesn't cause weight gain and I've tried many others. I gained 50 pounds on Geodon, Abilify and Trileptal and others. I finally lost 40 back and was very happy about that, but couldn't stop shopping way over my meager disability budget, got depressed when I guy broke up with me and suicidal. Prozac made me shop more and more manic, maybe a little happier. Lamictal did make me feel calmer for a few days and I thought it might help, but it's not for me, I had a severe reaction and not a safe one. | F | 45 | 3 days | 8/16/2005 | 2 | seizure | mood swings, trouble sleeping, CONFUSION, short term memory loss, hallucinations, incresed brusing,(can get touched hard and burse's), tremers in hands, IRITALAILTIY AND AGGESSION, panic attacts, | we found our that our 9 year old was having partial complex seizures and he was started on lamictal 13 months ago. He can't even go outside to play on most days. he is having panic attacts he thinks ever little bug is out to kill him he runs away from them in a blind panic screaming. he never had this problem till the last few months. we has mood swings one hour he is fine and so sweet, then he is yelling at us and makes no sense. he cant sleep at night. when have to tell him things over and over, he can look right at us and we can tell him something he can walk over and to do it and then forget what he was told, i know some of that could be age related but this is a all day everyday thing. and he is still having seizures. and over the last few months he has had to start on adderall for A.D.D. becouse he cant seem to keep his mind on anything. with all the changes in our son we are looking for a different medication for him | M | 9 | 13 months | 6/28/2005 | 2 | Bipolar II | Vivid Dreams, Really negative and agressive, Hopelessness, Irritable | M | 41 | 1.5 months | 5/20/2005 | 2 | depression anxiety may be bipolar? | I feel ill, nausea, digestive problems, sweating and sleeping too much. Worst side effects are feeling more depressed, increased nightmares, moody, can’t concentrate, negativity, increased anxiety and a lack or motivation. | Most of the threads I have read here and on other sites are more pro than con towards Lamictal. It is great for those who benefit from it. It’s been a month since on Lamictal and I seem to be feeling worse, but then again I have always been sensitive to any drug that my Psychiatrist has prescribed me in the past. My biggest gripe is that I cannot concentrate on work and my ambition is gone. Have had bad side effects on all SSRI’s (worse than Lamictal) and Seroquel…I’m not quite sure what Seroquel did for me? I am happy that most people benefit from Lamictal but I think I am going to stop treatment and move on to the next hopeful treatment? | M | 37 | 3 weeks | 4/17/2005 | 2 | bipolar II - depression | Immediately after starting I began to feel an irritated/sunburn sensation in my genital region and swollen groin lymph nodes, SEVERE night sweats, memory loss (my brain feels like swiss cheese), irritability, backache, tingly limbs, dissociation from limbs, vivid dreams, possible auditory & somatic hallucination just after increasing from 75mg to 100mg. | UPDATE - RASH: I started getting a rash on my elbows about a month after increasing the dose to 100mg. The rash started going away immediately after I stopped taking it and now I'm realizing the other side effects I was having that I did not attribute to the drug. Boyfriend said I seemed distant and irrational, I am not even sure if it was stabilizing my moods. I feel better now that I'm on just 30mg of Cymbalta (anti-depressant). Feel free to email me if you would like to chat. | F | 32 | 3 months | 4/6/2005 | 2 | bipolar | nervousness,memory loss,clumsiness,tired all of the time,hard to concentrate.I have major swelling in feet and hands,legs,am also taking lotrel bp,so swelling could be from one or combination of both.I take 300mg a day,sometimes i get so amped i feel like i'm going to go crazy,irritability. | I have been on prozac with no results,Topamax,zyprexa,am still on lexapro and wellbutrin with the lamictal as well. | M | 43 | 1 days | 3/26/2005 | 2 | Bipolar II | The increase of 50mg to 100mg left me with more SE's. Nausea, Equalibrium(Balance) problems, dizziness, slight short term memory problems, difficulty reading. What isn't mentioned Sexual Dysfunction | I am not quite sure if the side-effects will go away over time, or should I drop the medicine yet. The Sexual Side effects is hardly mentioned on the internet AND it isn't mentioned by the drug guide, pharmacist(Walgreens), or the drug company. I also had sexual dysfunction with Depakote which doesn't isn't mentioned in the drug guide as well. It happened as well, when I raised the dose from 500mg to 1000mg of Depakote so I'm not surprised. I am disappointed because Lamictal was to have no sexual side effects compared to SSRI's. I; however, had sexual side effects immediate following the increase of Lamictal from 50mg to 100mg. Will they go away? Probably not. It's been 8 days, but usually when I get side effects, they don't leave unfortunatelly. I might drop using Lamictal. My mood seems to be not as worried or serious, although I have the side effects I previously mentioned. I am glad that Lamictal has helped out many people. For myself sex is important. | M | 45 | 7 weeks | 2/22/2005 | 2 | bipolar II | hand tremors, anxiety | didn't work nearly as well for me as depakote or tegretol | M | 38 | 1 years | 2/9/2005 | 2 | bipolar | difficulty sleeping, very much increased sweating and body odour. | I hate mood stabilisers | M | 22 | 1 weeks | 1/31/2005 | 2 | bipolar | I've just started on Lamictal but am experiencing such irritability I can't stand it - I'm also very tired. Can anyone offer help? Does it go away. I've had similar experiences with Trilptal and even worse irritability with Topomax. Verapimil didn't work. I feel like I'm out of options because depakote and lithium aren't a possibility. | F | 35 | 3 days | 1/12/2005 | 2 | Bipolar II | Double vision, dizzy, vivid dreams. Nausea. | taking 200 bid. not sure if this is helping. been on it for several months increasing dose. Having horrible side effects. not sure how much it is really helping me. | F | 33 | 4 months | 12/30/2004 | 2 | Seizures | 100mg. 2xday did not stop seizures. Increased to 125mg 2xday. Experienced acne, severe headaches, nausea, 10 lb. weight loss, nervousness. | Switched back to Depakote even though I do not like the weight gain. | F | 43 | 3 months | 10/23/2004 | 2 | Seizures | 100mg. 2xday did not stop seizures. Increased to 125mg 2xday. Experienced acne, severe headaches, nausea, 10 lb. weight loss, nervousness, sleeplessness. | Switched back to Depakote even though I do not like the weight gain. | F | 43 | 3 months | 10/23/2004 | 2 | Bipolar II, rapid cycling | dizziness, rash, difficulty concentrating, headache | Didn't help the mania at all. Didn't help the migraines. Helped the depression a bit but not as much as many other meds. The rash is awful. Now I'm trying to figure out how quickly I can quit taking it. Any ideas? Links to web sites would be helpful. | F | 17 | 2.5 months | 9/22/2004 | 3 | major depression/intractible migrai | Feeling as if my head is a vast empty cave, loss of personality, feeling flat, memory loss and noticeable word finding problems. hair loss first 3 months which has completely subsided. | Debilitating intractable migraines drastically reduced! However I'm on the fence about this medication. I am no longer overwhelmed by suicidal thoughts, though I have recently been having some dramatic mood cycling which is triggered by seasonal allergies. I also can't remember sh*t which is very disconcerting! | F | 41 | 5 months 200 1X D | 5/7/2013 | 3 | Epilepsy | Gained 2 stone. Short-term memory loss. Lethargy. Acne. Mood swings. | F | 41 | 3 years 75 mg 1X D | 3/1/2013 | 3 | Rapid cycling bipolar | severe lower back pain and stiffness, memory loss, word selection problems, headaches, dizziness, nausea, heartburn, abdominal pain, frequent urination, rage, irritation, anxiety, acne, small red bumps on legs. bruise easier, lack of sleep. | I am hyper sensitive to drugs and started at 6.5 and worked up to 25. Lamictal made me a bit racey for the first few months and i felt hyper productive and great. Still had minor ups and downs but less depressed. Stopped crying every day. Now i am beginning to realize how my memory and brain power have declined and am slowly tapering my dose. | F | 21 | 5 months 25mg 1X D | 2/24/2013 | 3 | Bi-polar | Some itching in the beginning but could be psychosomatic. | I am able to think more clearly. Less of the thoughts racing. Easier verbal communication. But it's nothing amazing to tell the truth. I'm coming off SNRI's and SSRI's. So compared with the "bubble" those antidepressants cause, this is a mild drug (thus far). | M | 31 | 3 months 150 1X D | 2/14/2013 | 3 | Bipolar II, PTSD, Anxiety, Insomnia | Involuntary eye movement, swollen lymph nodes/glands, headaches, nausea, blurred vision, couldn't articulate to save my life, slurred speech, itching, dry mouth (upon withdrawal), insomnia (upon withdrawal), bad anxiety (upon withdrawal) | originally, I was very satisfied with this drug. It helped me sleep, took care of my moods, I was stable, my anxiety was gone. It was wonderful. I had some interesting side effects which I thought I could live with until I discovered swollen glands. My pdoc never heard of it before, so I went to the doctor and had several tests done just to be told I am perfectly healthy and I need to stop taking the drug. The withdrawal of this drug is SO bad it felt like I was dying. It shot me off so badly into the deep end, I am now far worse than I was BEFORE I took the drug. I still experience insomnia (though my pdoc now put me on valproate 400mg and seroquel 50mg which does wonders for the insomnia) but my anxiety is really bad and my eye vision is not what it used to be (i struggle to move my eyes quickly). My lymph nodes are STILL not gone which terrifies me and I probably have to go back and get more tests done (not sure what more they can do AS I AM PERFECTLY HEALTHY). I advise strong caution when using this drug, or considering using it. It can work great for some but completely terrible for others. It's a very dependent drug and the addiction is bad. In the end I think the risks are just too great, there are many other wonderful drugs to be taken for bipolar, lamictal is not the only one out there. | F | 22 | 8 months 100 2X D | 11/25/2012 | 3 | Bipolar 2 and Depression | Jaw clenching, severe insomnia, over heating, increased sweating, frequent nausea, muscle ticks | I have been taking Lamictal for about 6 months now for my Bipolar type 2 and depression in conjunction with Effexor which I was on for about 4 years. I am happy with my over all mood this drug has been wonderful for that. I never felt quite right just taking the Effexor. However, the awful jaw clenching, biting my tongue in my sleep, nausea, and severe insomnia have me seriously reconsidering taking this medication. I can't decide if these side effects are worth the result in my mood stabilization. This is very unfortunate as a mother of two I have issues with my patience sometimes. I will be consulting my doctor as I have been up all night due to severe jaw pain and insomnia, I just can't take it anymore :( | F | 28 | 6 months 200 1X D | 10/16/2012 | 3 | Bipolar Disorder | hypomania on titration, stomach cramps, headaches, diarrhea, nausea. All went away after the first few months. | M | 21 | 2 years 200mg | 9/5/2012 | 3 | Depression | Helps with my sleep as I work night shifts.... My psch prescribed it to me after 15 mins talking to her..am starting to worry because she wants to get me to 400 ... My mood is more stable... I don't want to be on these long term... Am worried also because I want to have a baby in the near future and worried if it will have an effect on that.... Am confused do I really need it??? | F | 31 | 4 months 350 | 6/25/2012 | 3 | Bipolar Disorder 1 | Intense Muscle contractions in both arms and legs with constant need to stretch them as hard as possible with little to no relief, excessive sweating, tired all the time yet not sleepy at night, inability to lose weight gained on previous medicines despite healthy eating habits and exercise, increased irritability and aggression | It doesn't seem to be working - still having depressed, hypo manic, or mixed moods daily, and I'm hesitant to stop taking it because it has taken 7 months so far to slowly get to the "therapeutic" level. I will say that since I've been on it I haven't had any full blown manic episodes, which had been a problem for me - hospitalized twice last year for them - no hospitalizations since I've been on this drug. | F | 42 | 7 months 350 mg 1X D | 4/13/2012 | 3 | BIPOLAR | water retention, hair loss, memory loss, stiff neck, swollen lymph nodes, frequent infetions, headaches daily, weight gain, heart palpitations | it did bring me out of a suicidal depression. went up to 25mg, 2X a day and was still ok but it kicks my hormones ouit of whack. I had to lower it due to intolerable headaches and fluid retention and palpitations. Switched to generic due to cost and went totally off. They are NOT the same. Will try to stick with this lower dose until I see Pdoc. | F | 52 | 6 months 25 MG. 1X D | 3/29/2012 | 3 | Bipolar Disorder | I actually take 100 in the morning and 200 at bedtime, but it didn't allow me to put that. Anyway, drowsiness was a huge problem for a year or two when I started this medicine. I was having a lot of nausea for awhile too, but not positive if it was from the lamictal or other meds. I think now it may actually be causing my insomnia but I'm not sure. Also, painful menstrual cramps. | It's hard to swallow, and disgusting if you can't get it down. haven't been stable for any long period of time while on this medicine, so not sure how well it's really working. | F | 22 | 3 years 300 mg 1X D | 3/15/2012 | 3 | Bipolar 2 | I just started my treatment, and i am on my third day on 25mg. Headaches is the only side effect right now. Hopefully i wont get anymore. | F | 20 | 3 days 25mg | 2/29/2012 | 3 | Bipolar II | It caused very dry, itchy skin. NOT a rash, just extremely dry skin. Loss in memory and concentration. | As a college student, I have had difficulty with this medication, and will admit that I have, on occasion, gone off of it for several days at a time in order to concentrate/study. There is an noticeable difference between when I take it and when I don't. | F | 19 | 2 years 200mg 1X D | 1/19/2012 | 3 | BP 2 | Steven Johnson Syndrome. | I felt so much better on lamictal but i obviously had an allergic reaction to it. Steven Johnsons syndrome is very serious and your doctor should really inform you of the side effects. | F | 23 | 3 weeks 50 2X D | 1/16/2012 | 3 | Bipolar II/Cyclothymia | Severe anger, irratibility. Very vivid dreams.. felt like I was hallucinating. Foggy, Itchy. | My racing thoughts have completly stopped! Also, my moods are not so up and down as they used to be. (Depressed then very happy several times in 24 hours) Anxiety calmed a little. My anger and vivid dreams are so extreme though that I have thought about getting of medication. | F | 19 | 10 days 25 MG 1X D | 1/16/2012 |